travel in UK
Jul 26th, 2006, 05:36 AM
#1
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travel in UK
My husband, daughter & I will be in London mid Sep for 8 nights & want to visit Hastings 3 nights & take day trips from there and then Glastonbury for 3 nights & take day trips & leave from Gatwick. We will not have a car & would like suggestions on most economical way to travel.
Jul 26th, 2006, 05:55 AM
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Oh gosh. Glastonbury and Hastings are really about the two worst places to get to from London on public transport or use public transport from.
Glastonbury doesn't have a train station, Castle Cary is the nearest and it's 10 miles away with a rubbish bus link. It's also a sod to get to by coach. I don't think there's a direct service and it would take ages too.
Hastings is almost as bad. There is a train service but it's almost impossible to describe how bad it is (local legend has it that the original rail line was laid badly so the trains can't go faster than 30 mph - which sounds right). There is a coach station though - it's full of junkies.
Hastings is pretty grim. It's got a LOT of problems as it was used as a dumping ground by London councils during the 80s and 90s (nuffink to do with me guv - honest).
Do you particularly need to go to these places or would you welcome alternative ideas for nice seaside towns and ancient sites?
Glastonbury doesn't have a train station, Castle Cary is the nearest and it's 10 miles away with a rubbish bus link. It's also a sod to get to by coach. I don't think there's a direct service and it would take ages too.
Hastings is almost as bad. There is a train service but it's almost impossible to describe how bad it is (local legend has it that the original rail line was laid badly so the trains can't go faster than 30 mph - which sounds right). There is a coach station though - it's full of junkies.
Hastings is pretty grim. It's got a LOT of problems as it was used as a dumping ground by London councils during the 80s and 90s (nuffink to do with me guv - honest).
Do you particularly need to go to these places or would you welcome alternative ideas for nice seaside towns and ancient sites?
Jul 26th, 2006, 05:57 AM
#3
This is a pretty difficult (no, make that awfully difficult) itinerary w/o a car. Day trips out of Glastonbury w/o a car - the only real option is local buses and that is a hard way to do day trips. Plus getting to Glastonbury from Hastings - not easy even by car.
And on top of that Glastonbury is a VERY long way from Gatwick.
Hastings is easier because you can take trains to/from and along the coast.
Any particular reasons for 1) Glastonbury, and 2) no car?
And on top of that Glastonbury is a VERY long way from Gatwick.
Hastings is easier because you can take trains to/from and along the coast.
Any particular reasons for 1) Glastonbury, and 2) no car?
Jul 26th, 2006, 06:18 AM
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Hastings has two rail lines from London with trains at least every hour. I don't know Glastonbury, but I'd suggest Bath might be a better overnight base. For any journeys in the UK, try www.transportdirect.info as a first stab to see where buses and trains go.
Jul 26th, 2006, 06:19 AM
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Thank you for all of the replies. My husband is 82 & I am 77 and daughter is not sure of driving in a strange place so that is why we were not planning to rent a car. We were interested in Lydd & research on ancestor & Hastings because of battle & Glastonbury because daughter wants to go there for religious reasons. Would welcome suggestions on other sites. Thanks
Jul 26th, 2006, 06:40 AM
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The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. The map at page 99 suggests these rail journeys. Most trains run hourly.
London Charing Cross, 1 hour 32 minutes to Hastings
Hastings 1 hour 5 minutes to Brighton
Brighton 5 minutes to Hove
Hove 1 hour 31 minutes to Southampton
Southampton 1 hour 39 minutes to Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads 1 hour by bus no 137 to Glastonbury
Glastonbury I hour by bus no 137 to Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads, 1 hour 13 minutes to Reading
Reading 1 hour 28 minutes to Gatwick
The other way includes Hastings, London, Bristol, thus
London Charing Cross, 1 hour 32 minutes to Hastings
Hastings 1 hour 32 minutes to London Charing Crtoss.
Bakerloo line tube 30 minutes Charing Cross to Paddington
London Paddington 1 hour 15 minutes to Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads 1 hour by bus no 137 to Glastonbury
Glastonbury I hour by bus no 137 to Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads, 1 hour 13 minutes to Reading
Reading 1 hour 28 minutes to Gatwick
Ben Haines, London
[email protected]
Jul 26th, 2006, 06:41 AM
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Hastings really is dreadful. It's run down and full of people with problems. I should know I sent half of them there.
The Battle of Hastings was actually in Battle, and there's not a great deal to see (it was quite a small battle by modern standards).
If you are keen on this part of the world think about Rye which is lovely (and is on a train line - but not a major one). You could visit Battle from Rye quite easily.
You say you want to go to Glastonbury for religious reasons. I'm a bit confused by this.
If you mean the Jesus/Joseph of Aramathea legend then fair enough, go ahead. However if you mean more mainstream religions, then there's not much in Glastonbury as the Abbey was ruined in the reformation.
If you mean the pre-Christian religions then that part of the world is full of sites. Avebury is perhaps the best. Salisbury, and Wells have great cathedrals, Bath has the Abbey.
Winchester has a fantastic cathedral, apart of the Arthurian legend as well as King Alfred (and is a good base to travel from).
The Battle of Hastings was actually in Battle, and there's not a great deal to see (it was quite a small battle by modern standards).
If you are keen on this part of the world think about Rye which is lovely (and is on a train line - but not a major one). You could visit Battle from Rye quite easily.
You say you want to go to Glastonbury for religious reasons. I'm a bit confused by this.
If you mean the Jesus/Joseph of Aramathea legend then fair enough, go ahead. However if you mean more mainstream religions, then there's not much in Glastonbury as the Abbey was ruined in the reformation.
If you mean the pre-Christian religions then that part of the world is full of sites. Avebury is perhaps the best. Salisbury, and Wells have great cathedrals, Bath has the Abbey.
Winchester has a fantastic cathedral, apart of the Arthurian legend as well as King Alfred (and is a good base to travel from).
Jul 26th, 2006, 03:01 PM
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I'd agree about Hastings but Glastonbury could make a nice centre for a trip. I am a bit confused about the religious reasons part though unless your daughter is a wiccan/new ager type. Glastonbury is UK central for hippy dippy new agers. Nice little town, plenty to look round for a day. Chalice Well gardens are lovely. I have to say I don't think you will make it up the Tor but your daughter might depending on how fit she is (that is the Joseph/thorn site). Absolutely beautiful but walking up the darn thing on a hot day nearly gave me a heart attack back when I was a fit and healthy teenager!
Getting around by bus or coach isn't THAT bad from there. When I last went I was reliant on public transport too. A lot of people that don't use buses and so on just get the horrors at the very thought. For example, a coach leaves Glastonbury at 7am and takes 1 hour 15 minutes to get to Bath. Seems a perfectly civilised day trip to me. To Wells by bus or coach takes between 10 and 20 minutes and that is another lovely little town. Lots of beautiful Mendip scenery to watch going by.
Getting around by bus or coach isn't THAT bad from there. When I last went I was reliant on public transport too. A lot of people that don't use buses and so on just get the horrors at the very thought. For example, a coach leaves Glastonbury at 7am and takes 1 hour 15 minutes to get to Bath. Seems a perfectly civilised day trip to me. To Wells by bus or coach takes between 10 and 20 minutes and that is another lovely little town. Lots of beautiful Mendip scenery to watch going by.
Jul 27th, 2006, 10:17 AM
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Thanks for all of the info. I really appreciate this. We have 8 nights to spend after London and would welcome suggestions. First time in Europe for daughter, the Historian, and we would like to see beauty and history.
Jul 27th, 2006, 10:33 AM
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Well i loved Hastings and stayed there a few nights not long ago. Vibrant town centre, the usual beach and i loved Battle just north of Hastings - the site of the 1066 William the Conqueror's invasion - the battle field is intact and the ruined abbey romantic and the small town cute. You may make this your day trip rather than hastings, which, though i found nice, has little of interest really.
But if you've never been to Cambridge, Oxford, Salisbury, etc. these are all great cities for day trips. If you are doing rail trips like this you should investigate the LondonPlus rail pass, which starts at 2 days of travel in an 8-day period and is good for a 100 mile radius of London or so. Would not get you all the way to Glastonbury but most of the way and you'd buy a cheap supplemental ticket from where it left off. price in 2nd class is $70 p.p. and the first two pay this and then the third person pays just 50% or $35 for the 2-day pass. It's also good on all trains from Gatwick, including the Gatwick Express to London or anywhere else. It comes in first class and has a senior rate in 1st class of just $90 p.p. also comes in 4-days out of 8 and 7 days out of 15.
4 day pass $132 p.p. third person pays 50% - could use each way from Gatwick and two day trips. Walk up train fares are sky high in Britain and the pass can be used on virtually any trains (ones from Paddington and to heathrow are not included) most other lines are. Just show up. If you want to research discounted and inflexible non-refundable fares go to: www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com and you'll see some online advance purchase restricted fares - but the beauty of the pass is you can use it on any train. You go to Oxford and not sure how long you may want to stay - the pass allows you to hop on any train. Compare walk up fares at the sites i mention and you'll see why this pass is a bargain. Not sold in UK, Brits can't use. In US i always refer folks for British train to BETS (www.budgeteuropetravel.com; 800-441-2387) for their expertise in my experience using them - they also wouldn't charge RailEurope's $15 mailing fee for these passes. (RailEurope markets them in US, BETS is a RE agent.) Buses in Britain are very cheap but for older travelers i think the train is more comfortable - first class much more comfy than second actually and with the senior pass price you may want to go that way - your daughter would have to buy a single adult first class pass at $106 for the 2-day version. If i were in London 8 nights i'd certainly do some day trips to see a real normal regional British town!
But if you've never been to Cambridge, Oxford, Salisbury, etc. these are all great cities for day trips. If you are doing rail trips like this you should investigate the LondonPlus rail pass, which starts at 2 days of travel in an 8-day period and is good for a 100 mile radius of London or so. Would not get you all the way to Glastonbury but most of the way and you'd buy a cheap supplemental ticket from where it left off. price in 2nd class is $70 p.p. and the first two pay this and then the third person pays just 50% or $35 for the 2-day pass. It's also good on all trains from Gatwick, including the Gatwick Express to London or anywhere else. It comes in first class and has a senior rate in 1st class of just $90 p.p. also comes in 4-days out of 8 and 7 days out of 15.
4 day pass $132 p.p. third person pays 50% - could use each way from Gatwick and two day trips. Walk up train fares are sky high in Britain and the pass can be used on virtually any trains (ones from Paddington and to heathrow are not included) most other lines are. Just show up. If you want to research discounted and inflexible non-refundable fares go to: www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com and you'll see some online advance purchase restricted fares - but the beauty of the pass is you can use it on any train. You go to Oxford and not sure how long you may want to stay - the pass allows you to hop on any train. Compare walk up fares at the sites i mention and you'll see why this pass is a bargain. Not sold in UK, Brits can't use. In US i always refer folks for British train to BETS (www.budgeteuropetravel.com; 800-441-2387) for their expertise in my experience using them - they also wouldn't charge RailEurope's $15 mailing fee for these passes. (RailEurope markets them in US, BETS is a RE agent.) Buses in Britain are very cheap but for older travelers i think the train is more comfortable - first class much more comfy than second actually and with the senior pass price you may want to go that way - your daughter would have to buy a single adult first class pass at $106 for the 2-day version. If i were in London 8 nights i'd certainly do some day trips to see a real normal regional British town!
Jul 27th, 2006, 02:23 PM
#15
For history and religion - wouldn't Canterbury, or York or almost anywhere else be a better choice than Glastonbury??
Don't get me wrong, the SW and Somerset/Dorset in particular are lovely but not really heavy history/religious destinations. (that is relative of course since there is <b>"History"</b> everywhere)
Besides being more "important" destinations, Canterbury and York would be a LOT easier to get to from London.
If you really want to see Hastings then do it as a day trip from London by train. Or for one overnight you could combine Hastings and Brighton.
Canterbury is another easy day trip (or overnighter) from London. You could spend most of one day in Canterbury (the cathedral alone is worth a couple of hours) and then travel on to Dover for the rest of the day/next day before taking the train back to London. Dover Castle is AMAZING w/ remains/fortifications from a Roman lighthouse all the way up to WWII tunnels.
And you could take a train up to York for 3 days. 1 day for the city itsels and the next for a tour booked through the Tourist Information center to Castle Howard, or Fountains Abbey or somewhere else.
Normally I try to push folks out into more remote countryside - but in your situations and w/o a car you woild be better off sticking to places easily reached by train from London.
If I were you I'd base in London for most of the time and take 3 or 4 days up to Yorkshire, and 2 days for Canterbury/Dover.
Don't get me wrong, the SW and Somerset/Dorset in particular are lovely but not really heavy history/religious destinations. (that is relative of course since there is <b>"History"</b> everywhere)
Besides being more "important" destinations, Canterbury and York would be a LOT easier to get to from London.
If you really want to see Hastings then do it as a day trip from London by train. Or for one overnight you could combine Hastings and Brighton.
Canterbury is another easy day trip (or overnighter) from London. You could spend most of one day in Canterbury (the cathedral alone is worth a couple of hours) and then travel on to Dover for the rest of the day/next day before taking the train back to London. Dover Castle is AMAZING w/ remains/fortifications from a Roman lighthouse all the way up to WWII tunnels.
And you could take a train up to York for 3 days. 1 day for the city itsels and the next for a tour booked through the Tourist Information center to Castle Howard, or Fountains Abbey or somewhere else.
Normally I try to push folks out into more remote countryside - but in your situations and w/o a car you woild be better off sticking to places easily reached by train from London.
If I were you I'd base in London for most of the time and take 3 or 4 days up to Yorkshire, and 2 days for Canterbury/Dover.
Jul 27th, 2006, 02:55 PM
#16
I agree entirely about Hastings - no reason to go there that I can think of. The suggestion about Rye is a good one, or what about Brighton- there's the royal pavilion, a good rail service that calls at Gatwick, and the lanes. Also the theatre for evening entertainment.
For somewhere west, I would choose Bath - beautiful place, theatre, loads of history, and easy to get to.
I think these would suit your party far more.
For somewhere west, I would choose Bath - beautiful place, theatre, loads of history, and easy to get to.
I think these would suit your party far more.
Jul 27th, 2006, 04:41 PM
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Here's a link to a thread that has a lot of discussion about history, especially in London and Oxfordshire:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34832203
Scroll down and see the reply by flanneruk for lots of intriguing historical information.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34832203
Scroll down and see the reply by flanneruk for lots of intriguing historical information.
Jul 28th, 2006, 03:25 AM
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Hi
I was also going to recommend York - all the beauty and history you could possibly want.
York is easily accessible by GNER train from Kings Cross, London. The train station is close to the city centre - you can be off the train and into the centre in minutes. The city centre is also fairly compact and quite easy to get around.
I am sure you daughter would love to visit York Minster. I'll give you a couple of websites for you to have a look at -
www.yorkminster.org
www.york-tourism.co.uk
Let me know if this appeals to you - I live near York and could assist with Hotesl, B&B suggestions etc.
I was also going to recommend York - all the beauty and history you could possibly want.
York is easily accessible by GNER train from Kings Cross, London. The train station is close to the city centre - you can be off the train and into the centre in minutes. The city centre is also fairly compact and quite easy to get around.
I am sure you daughter would love to visit York Minster. I'll give you a couple of websites for you to have a look at -
www.yorkminster.org
www.york-tourism.co.uk
Let me know if this appeals to you - I live near York and could assist with Hotesl, B&B suggestions etc.
Aug 2nd, 2006, 11:16 AM
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I loved Glastonbury when I was there a couple years ago, just because it was so weird and different. The ground of the Abby are fun to wander and so are one or two of the shops.
Hastings. If you are going for genealogy then I agree with the poster who mentioned that the records are not there...unless you know what church/parish your ancestors lived in. Then you need to check and see if the church still has the records and if it is open. I don't recall your saying when your ancestors lived there. If it is before 1538 then there may not be any church records for them. If they left after 1841, then you can check the census records to find where they were living. I do genealogy every couple years in England and understand why you want to go to the land where your people lived. Those who do not do this hobby can't understand the thrill a genealogist feels when finally getting to the area where the roots are. But you do need to know where they lived. Also, before going to London get on the website of the Society of Genealogists and see what records they have. It might be worth your time to go there for a few hours while you are in London. You can also check the United Kingdom geneloagy site and see what they have to say about the area of Hastings.
I hope you can make it all work out.
vegasms
Hastings. If you are going for genealogy then I agree with the poster who mentioned that the records are not there...unless you know what church/parish your ancestors lived in. Then you need to check and see if the church still has the records and if it is open. I don't recall your saying when your ancestors lived there. If it is before 1538 then there may not be any church records for them. If they left after 1841, then you can check the census records to find where they were living. I do genealogy every couple years in England and understand why you want to go to the land where your people lived. Those who do not do this hobby can't understand the thrill a genealogist feels when finally getting to the area where the roots are. But you do need to know where they lived. Also, before going to London get on the website of the Society of Genealogists and see what records they have. It might be worth your time to go there for a few hours while you are in London. You can also check the United Kingdom geneloagy site and see what they have to say about the area of Hastings.
I hope you can make it all work out.
vegasms
