On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 02:21:14 -0800 (PST), Paul Weaver
wrote:

But (off-peak) the company is better

Which, if LM have any sense, might lead them to offer First Savers and
First Day Travelcards at 150% of the Standard rate. Last time my Mum
came down to visit we went to London, and I considered "treating" her
to first class (for the prestige rather than a lot else, though it's
quite nice in the 321s compared with the horrid Standard) but the only
available fare from MK to London return was around 50 quid, which is
silly.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

"Paul Weaver" wrote in message
...
On 3 Dec, 06:26, (Neil Williams) wrote:
On Sun, 2 Dec 2007 13:53:25 -0800 (PST), Paul Weaver

wrote:
But more likely to need the guarenteed seat (exSilverlink being an
exception, no catering, but no seating problems)

On the Desiros, the First Class seats are worse than the Standard
ones...

But (off-peak) the company is better

If youre referring to fellow passengers then during my 10 years Nuneaton to
Euston there certainly was a nicer and more scenic set of persons in
standard. First class did seem to contain a snotty, miserable and self
important lot. Were they all BR/Virgin managers :-)

Cheers,
Simon

"Jim Brittin" [wake up to reply] wrote in
message m...
In article ,
says...


Many years ago (mid/late 70s) I worked in a travel agency in Fleet
Street.
Customer came in and I needed his address which he gave me as somewhere
near
Coventry. When I asked if he was just in London for the day he said
"no"
and explained that he had found that the season fare from Coventry was
less
than somewhere like Brighton or Worthing. He also pointed out that
Coventry
took no longer than Brighton and plenty of people did that journey.

Much the same arguement (timewise, don't know about the fares) can be
made
for Stafford versus plenty of South Coast "commuter" towns where nobody
would bat an eyelid.



I had wondered if you were 'that' Graham Harrison, now I know [I was
your successor at that agency]!

That's me!

On 3 Dec, 22:49, "simon" wrote:
"Paul Weaver" wrote in message

...

On 3 Dec, 06:26, (Neil Williams) wrote:
On Sun, 2 Dec 2007 13:53:25 -0800 (PST), Paul Weaver

wrote:
But more likely to need the guarenteed seat (exSilverlink being an
exception, no catering, but no seating problems)

On the Desiros, the First Class seats are worse than the Standard
ones...

But (off-peak) the company is better

If youre referring to fellow passengers then during my 10 years Nuneaton to
Euston there certainly was a nicer and more scenic set of persons in
standard. First class did seem to contain a snotty, miserable and self
important lot. Were they all BR/Virgin managers :-)

Yes, in peak time, but off peak they wouldn't be seen dead on a train,
leaving first practically empty

It looks like my move to Stafford is imminent (And hence my commute to EUS).
Do I need a photocard for a monthly season to London ?

Also, can I make seat reservations with a season ticket. If yes, can this
be done online anywhere ?

Many thanks



"MrMr" wrote in message
...
"Sam" wrote:
Hi All

Due to my partner's working commitments it looks like we will be moving
from London to the Stafford area

Has anyone experience of commuting from Stafford to EUS ? Needing to
arrive into EUS about 0900 and leaving at 1700 ish, chances of getting
seats, frequency of delays etc etc ?

Yep, I do it every day and have done for the past 18 months. A monthly
season ticket cost 775.80 with the underground included.

The 6:43 gets into EUS at about 8:20. One the way back there is the 17:21
which is heaving as it stops at Rugby and Nuneaton or the 17:45 which is a
bit quieter. Your best bet is to reserve a seat as all the trains can get
a
bit full. Not really many delays but it seems worse on trains leaving
London. The worst part is the seats on the Virgin trains which appear to
have been designed by a legless dwarf. First class is better but the
prices
are a bit steep, well over 1000 per month last time I looked.

On 14 Jan, 11:14, "Sam" wrote:
It looks like my move to Stafford is imminent (And hence my commute to EUS).
Do I need a photocard for a monthly season to London ?

Yes, a photocard is required for any such season ticket (including a
weekly). I dunno if TfL / LU photocards are acceptable for such a
season, but I suggest a National Rail issued photocard would be best -
you should be able to get one from any ticket office.


Also, can I make seat reservations with a season ticket. If yes, can this
be done online anywhere ?

Sorry, don't know about reservations, though I'm sure others will
know.

One other thing - I don't know where you're end destination is in
London, but depending on to how extensively you'll be travelling
around London, where you'll be going and by what means it may be
cheaper to just buy a Stafford to London rail only season ticket (i.e.
without an inclusive Travelcard element) and then use Oyster Pay-as-
you-go for any further Tube or bus journeys in London (with Oyster
PAYG a zone 1 Tube journey is £1.50 at any time, and a bus journey is
90p at any time).

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...
On 14 Jan, 11:14, "Sam" wrote:
It looks like my move to Stafford is imminent (And hence my commute to
EUS).
Do I need a photocard for a monthly season to London ?

Yes, a photocard is required for any such season ticket (including a
weekly). I dunno if TfL / LU photocards are acceptable for such a
season, but I suggest a National Rail issued photocard would be best -
you should be able to get one from any ticket office.


Also, can I make seat reservations with a season ticket. If yes, can this
be done online anywhere ?

Sorry, don't know about reservations, though I'm sure others will
know.

One other thing - I don't know where you're end destination is in
London, but depending on to how extensively you'll be travelling
around London, where you'll be going and by what means it may be
cheaper to just buy a Stafford to London rail only season ticket (i.e.
without an inclusive Travelcard element) and then use Oyster Pay-as-
you-go for any further Tube or bus journeys in London (with Oyster
PAYG a zone 1 Tube journey is £1.50 at any time, and a bus journey is
90p at any time).

####
It will be a 5 - 7 minute walk at Euston, otherwise I probably wouldn't
consider the daily commute from Stafford. I am slightly concerned it will
be too far with just the rail journey, let alone a LU trip as well !!!!

On Nov 29 2007, 10:33*pm, Rupert Candy wrote:
On Nov 29, 7:12 pm, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at
19:03:21 on Thu, 29 Nov 2007, Tom Anderson
remarked:

Even a few places inside London - plenty of places on the southern and
eastern side of zone 6 take an hour to get to Euston from.

Up with which I would not put.

Though presumably not many people who commute therefrom actually work
near Euston, and can probably walk to their offices from the Southern
termini... (Yes, I know the original poster was asking about Stafford
to Euston.)

Funnily enough, I have had a couple of jobs near termini, including
Euston for years, which I would arrive via the Underground, which most
poeple were travelling the opposite way into, at.

On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:44:01 -0000, "Sam" wrote:

Also, can I make seat reservations with a season ticket. If yes, can this
be done online anywhere ?

Sorry, don't know about reservations, though I'm sure others will
know.

I *think* you can't reserve with a season ticket, but some TOCs may
allow it. Don't think VT do, else the Milton Keynes Central masses
would do.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On Jan 14, 1:44 pm, "Sam" wrote:
"Mizter T" wrote in message

...
On 14 Jan, 11:14, "Sam" wrote:

It looks like my move to Stafford is imminent (And hence my commute to
EUS).
Do I need a photocard for a monthly season to London ?

Yes, a photocard is required for any such season ticket (including a
weekly). I dunno if TfL / LU photocards are acceptable for such a
season, but I suggest a National Rail issued photocard would be best -
you should be able to get one from any ticket office.



Also, can I make seat reservations with a season ticket. If yes, can this
be done online anywhere ?

Sorry, don't know about reservations, though I'm sure others will
know.

One other thing - I don't know where you're end destination is in
London, but depending on to how extensively you'll be travelling
around London, where you'll be going and by what means it may be
cheaper to just buy a Stafford to London rail only season ticket (i.e.
without an inclusive Travelcard element) and then use Oyster Pay-as-
you-go for any further Tube or bus journeys in London (with Oyster
PAYG a zone 1 Tube journey is £1.50 at any time, and a bus journey is
90p at any time).

####
It will be a 5 - 7 minute walk at Euston, otherwise I probably wouldn't
consider the daily commute from Stafford. I am slightly concerned it will
be too far with just the rail journey, let alone a LU trip as well !!!!

I did an early morning Virgin from Crewe once, I didn't notice any
seating issues, I'd be surprised if you had problems on the way in. On
the way back I guess you have to get used to the platform it normally
leaves from and take a gamble.

90 minutes on a train isn't too bad, assuming you live near Stafford
station it's under 2 hours, not much more than some of my colleagues
that live in Zone 6, and less than the ones that live on the Kent
coast. Any chance you can do work on the train with a laptop and 3G
modem? You could then shave an hour or so a day off.

The only thing that would make me wince about a Stafford-Euston
commute is the £750pcm ticket.