UK trip planning - a question

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

Trip to UK is booked for July. Have flights and lodging. Now I have a question. Is it better/cheaper to buy things like train tickets, Oyster card, any admission stuff ahead of time? I think I heard, or read, somewhere that it's cheaper to buy the train passes, or tickets here rather than waiting until we get to the UK. Dd said we can get the Oyster card there, and probably should wait. I think the only train we'll be taking is from London to Liverpool and back, and it looks like I can buy it online and change the date/time if needed. I know the dates we'll be going, but not exact times.

TIA for any input.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Trip to UK is booked for July. Have flights and lodging. Now I have a question. Is it better/cheaper to buy things like train tickets, Oyster card, any admission stuff ahead of time? I think I heard, or read, somewhere that it's cheaper to buy the train passes, or tickets here rather than waiting until we get to the UK. Dd said we can get the Oyster card there, and probably should wait. I think the only train we'll be taking is from London to Liverpool and back, and it looks like I can buy it online and change the date/time if needed. I know the dates we'll be going, but not exact times.

TIA for any input.

Train tickets in the UK are definitely cheaper ahead of time, BUT do NOT buy them from a US-based site, which will usually add on extra fees that will cost you more.

[logan115 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close logan115]

From Heathrow you can take the Heathrow Express (but not the Hogwarts Express) into Paddington, then switch to one of the other rail/underground trains.

London has a GREAT site for public transportation, Tube | Transport for London, or thetube.com if the link doesn't work. Can also check hear for the prices, Ticket Prices | Heathrow Express on the Heathrow Express.

I highly recommend that you check out these two sites. Pretty easy to use, it will show the current trains running now, but can use that as a proxy. Also shows any work being done on any of the lines that may affect your journey.

I don't know if it's better/cheaper to buy ahead of time, but within Heathrow you can buy both your tickets for the Heathrow Express as well as your Oyster Card at Heathrow. You pay a 3 pound deposit on the Oyster Card, which is returned along with any remaining credit on the card if you return it when you get back to Heathrow on your trip home.

I've also just taken the Heathrow Express into Paddington and hopped into a cab to my final destination, which was the London Bridge area when I was there last month. BEWARE - if arriving on a Sunday cab fares are something like 1.5 times the normal rate. My 20 min cab ride ended up being 28 pounds, which was about $45

Happy to answer any more questions (if I can).

Chris

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

...........hopped into a cab to my final destination,
Chris

On the subject of cabs in and around London - only use registered black cabs. Particularly at the airport you may be approached by touts working for unlicenced minicabs. Unlicenced also means uninsured and unregulated. You stand a very high chance of being ripped off by them.

This link will give an indication of likely costs.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

And if you are arriving at the better of London's two major airports, Gatwick, you can take the Gatwick Express or the Southern service (the latter is a good bit cheaper but makes a couple of stops on the way) to Victoria Station, where you can take the tube all over London.

The ''In Your Pocket'' series of travel guides surveyed their writers on airports in Europe, and they ranked Heathrow as the worst airport in Europe. The old Bucharest airport that the LCC's use, Banesa, ranked second worst.

From Heathrow you can take the Heathrow Express (but not the Hogwarts Express) into Paddington, then switch to one of the other rail/underground trains.

London has a GREAT site for public transportation, Tube | Transport for London, or thetube.com if the link doesn't work. Can also check hear for the prices, Ticket Prices | Heathrow Express on the Heathrow Express.

I highly recommend that you check out these two sites. Pretty easy to use, it will show the current trains running now, but can use that as a proxy. Also shows any work being done on any of the lines that may affect your journey.

I don't know if it's better/cheaper to buy ahead of time, but within Heathrow you can buy both your tickets for the Heathrow Express as well as your Oyster Card at Heathrow. You pay a 3 pound deposit on the Oyster Card, which is returned along with any remaining credit on the card if you return it when you get back to Heathrow on your trip home.

I've also just taken the Heathrow Express into Paddington and hopped into a cab to my final destination, which was the London Bridge area when I was there last month. BEWARE - if arriving on a Sunday cab fares are something like 1.5 times the normal rate. My 20 min cab ride ended up being 28 pounds, which was about $45

Happy to answer any more questions (if I can).

Chris

[IreneLF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close IreneLF]

Re Heathrow to London - we took the tube from the airport to central London and paid a very small amount which came off our Oyster. (we also used the Oyster later that day so that knocked the price of the trip down even further; i think we paid 2 pounds, definitely less than 3.) The trip took about 45 minutes, 1 line straight through with no transfers, but an 8 block walk from that tube stop (which was no problem with our wheelie luggage) to the hotel. It was early Saturday AM (traveled between 7:45- 8:30) , the tube wasn't crowded, regardless of the time and day you are there you'll get a seat as you are the first stop. There was enough room for us to have a 21" suitcase in front of us comfortably even when the train started to crowd up in the center of town. I'd recommend it - and now you can spend those extra pounds saved on wine and beer.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Re Heathrow to London - we took the tube from the airport to central London and paid a very small amount which came off our Oyster. (we also used the Oyster later that day so that knocked the price of the trip down even further; i think we paid 2 pounds, definitely less than 3.) The trip took about 45 minutes, 1 line straight through with no transfers, but an 8 block walk from that tube stop (which was no problem with our wheelie luggage) to the hotel. It was early Saturday AM (traveled between 7:45- 8:30) , the tube wasn't crowded, regardless of the time and day you are there you'll get a seat as you are the first stop. There was enough room for us to have a 21" suitcase in front of us comfortably even when the train started to crowd up in the center of town. I'd recommend it - and now you can spend those extra pounds saved on wine and beer.

Actually, we did the same thing two years ago.....
The 'tube' to central London and then we walked.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

Thanks for the input.

I'd been looking at the Britrail website for the ticket purchase. I don't think they add on any fees.

And, we already booked a cab from Heathrow through the B&B we're staying at. They assured us by booking through them we wouldn't be ripped off. The driver will meet us at the airport holding a sign with our name. Yeah, yeah, we could have gotten to the hotel cheaper, but dh is spoiled.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Thanks for the input.

I'd been looking at the Britrail website for the ticket purchase. I don't think they add on any fees.

And, we already booked a cab from Heathrow through the B&B we're staying at. They assured us by booking through them we wouldn't be ripped off. The driver will meet us at the airport holding a sign with our name. Yeah, yeah, we could have gotten to the hotel cheaper, but dh is spoiled.

Some of the US sites are tricky. They don't show extra fees, they just quote a fare price that is higher, sometimes a lot higher, than what the railroad charges. Rail Europe is notorious for that, and they are not the only one.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

Some of the US sites are tricky. They don't show extra fees, they just quote a fare price that is higher, sometimes a lot higher, than what the railroad charges. Rail Europe is notorious for that, and they are not the only one.

Thanks again. I hadn't been looking at Rail Europe, only Brit Rail. Do you know anything about that one?