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Heathrow to Central London
Will be arriving at Heathrow early AM and plan to take the tube to Euston. Will be burdened with the usual luggage to cart around. Need some opinion on the degree of difficulty traveling with luggage on the train. Can I purchase an Oyster (Pay as you go) pass at Heathrow? Comments appreciated.
MLD |
Heathrow to Central London
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message ... On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:18:29 -0400, "MLD" wrote: Will be arriving at Heathrow early AM and plan to take the tube to Euston. Will be burdened with the usual luggage to cart around. Need some opinion on the degree of difficulty traveling with luggage on the train. Can I purchase an Oyster (Pay as you go) pass at Heathrow? Comments appreciated. MLD You haven't indicated the day on which you will be travelling but generally the tubes are not too busy if you are on one of the early arrivals (e.g. 0500 at Heathrow). Once you get to 0630 onwards then the trains will be very busy as you head in to town and all the way through the centre. You can buy an Oyster card at Heathrow - either at a travel information centre or at a ticket office. You may even be able to order one from abroad before you set off - look at the Oyster part of the TfL website. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1067.aspx You should make sure you check if there are any engineering works if you are travelling at a weekend. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravel...e/default.html and use the "this date" function on the screen to check. You have to be able to carry your luggage yourself and not be so laden down that you have to leave it unattended at the top or bottom of stairs or escalators. If heading for Euston then I would suggest either of the following two options. From Heathrow take the Piccadilly Line to Green Park and follow the way out signs (NOT the Victoria Line signs). This takes you to an escalator to the ticket hall where you can then descend down an escalator to the Victoria Line platforms - take any train from the Northbound platform on your right. No stairs involved. At Euston you have escalators on each stage from the tube platform to street / main line station level. Euston is a bit of warren but follow the "Way Out" signs and you'll be fine. Alternatively go to Kings Cross and again follow the way out signs (NOT the Victoria Line signs) and once in the ticket hall you will see the escalators down to the Victoria Line on your left. Go down the escalator and take any train from the southbound platform (on your left). *Do not go through the ticket gates at either Green Park or Kings Cross when making your interchange.* These are the only two step free routes I can think of for the journey you suggest. I've certainly done the Kings Cross interchange before with luggage and it's much better than dragging bags up the short but cumbersome stairs on the advertised connecting corridor. Have a safe journey. -- Paul C - works for LUL Paul Thank you for your excellent comments, they will be put to good use. Scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at 6:30 am on a Saturday--Does this changes things much? Clarification needed on the following: Euston is a bit of a "warren"--another way of saying "can be confusing"? "Engineering works"--Do you mean--"construction or the like going on?? Got another question--after about 6 days in London will be heading to Wigan, again on a Saturday morning with a return on the following Friday. Plan to take a train out of Euston station. How much in advance do I need to purchase tickets? Also, as asked before, will luggage be much of a handicap? Thanks again. MLD |
Heathrow to Central London
"MLD" wrote in message ... "Paul Corfield" wrote in message ... On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:18:29 -0400, "MLD" wrote: Will be arriving at Heathrow early AM and plan to take the tube to Euston. Will be burdened with the usual luggage to cart around. Need some opinion on the degree of difficulty traveling with luggage on the train. Can I purchase an Oyster (Pay as you go) pass at Heathrow? Comments appreciated. MLD You haven't indicated the day on which you will be travelling but generally the tubes are not too busy if you are on one of the early arrivals (e.g. 0500 at Heathrow). Once you get to 0630 onwards then the trains will be very busy as you head in to town and all the way through the centre. You can buy an Oyster card at Heathrow - either at a travel information centre or at a ticket office. You may even be able to order one from abroad before you set off - look at the Oyster part of the TfL website. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1067.aspx You should make sure you check if there are any engineering works if you are travelling at a weekend. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravel...e/default.html and use the "this date" function on the screen to check. You have to be able to carry your luggage yourself and not be so laden down that you have to leave it unattended at the top or bottom of stairs or escalators. If heading for Euston then I would suggest either of the following two options. From Heathrow take the Piccadilly Line to Green Park and follow the way out signs (NOT the Victoria Line signs). This takes you to an escalator to the ticket hall where you can then descend down an escalator to the Victoria Line platforms - take any train from the Northbound platform on your right. No stairs involved. At Euston you have escalators on each stage from the tube platform to street / main line station level. Euston is a bit of warren but follow the "Way Out" signs and you'll be fine. Alternatively go to Kings Cross and again follow the way out signs (NOT the Victoria Line signs) and once in the ticket hall you will see the escalators down to the Victoria Line on your left. Go down the escalator and take any train from the southbound platform (on your left). *Do not go through the ticket gates at either Green Park or Kings Cross when making your interchange.* These are the only two step free routes I can think of for the journey you suggest. I've certainly done the Kings Cross interchange before with luggage and it's much better than dragging bags up the short but cumbersome stairs on the advertised connecting corridor. Have a safe journey. -- Paul C - works for LUL Paul Thank you for your excellent comments, they will be put to good use. Scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at 6:30 am on a Saturday--Does this changes things much? Clarification needed on the following: Euston is a bit of a "warren"--another way of saying "can be confusing"? yes "Engineering works"--Do you mean--"construction or the like going on?? http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravel...offset=weekend Note that you can change the date to the one you want Got another question--after about 6 days in London will be heading to Wigan, again on a Saturday morning with a return on the following Friday. Plan to take a train out of Euston station. How much in advance do I need to purchase tickets? If you want an advanced purchase ticket, the earlier you buy it, the cheaper it will be. But if you do buy an AP (actually you need 2 APs as they are one way tickets) they are valid only on the exact train(s) that you booked for and are worthless if you don't catch that train (unless this is because you were delayed by a *national rail* connection). Alternatively, you can buy an "off peak" return ticket for 66.40 GBP. This will be valid on any train on the Saturday but is not valid for early morning trains for return on Friday. Also, as asked before, will luggage be much of a handicap? Thanks again. Same as before. If you can carry it, it won't be a problem. tim |
Heathrow to Central London
Euston may not be on the Piccadilly line but King's Cross - St.
Pancras station is very close to it. I would suggest you get on a Piccadilly line train from Heathrow (completely step-free) and just stay on all the way to King's Cross - St. Pancras. There you go up the escalator and walk to the exit. From there it's a very short 5 minute walk along the Euston Road to Euston Station. This saves you the extra interchange with your luggage, and it's probably faster than changing again anyway. Here's the walking route, it's 0.4 miles according to Google. http://tinyurl.com/cafjty |
Heathrow to Central London
On Mar 24, 11:12*pm, "MLD" wrote:
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message ... On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:18:29 -0400, "MLD" wrote: Will be arriving at Heathrow early AM and plan to take the tube to Euston. Will be burdened with the usual luggage to cart around. Need some opinion on the degree of difficulty traveling with luggage on the train. Can I purchase an Oyster (Pay as you go) pass at Heathrow? *Comments appreciated. MLD You haven't indicated the day on which you will be travelling but generally the tubes are not too busy if you are on one of the early arrivals (e.g. 0500 at Heathrow). Once you get to 0630 onwards then the trains will be very busy as you head in to town and all the way through the centre. You can buy an Oyster card at Heathrow - either at a travel information centre or at a ticket office. *You may even be able to order one from abroad before you set off - look at the Oyster part of the TfL website. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1067.aspx You should make sure you check if there are any engineering works if you are travelling at a weekend. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravel...fault.html*and use the "this date" function on the screen to check. You have to be able to carry your luggage yourself and not be so laden down that you have to leave it unattended at the top or bottom of stairs or escalators. *If heading for Euston then I would suggest either of the following two options. From Heathrow take the Piccadilly Line to Green Park and follow the way out signs (NOT the Victoria Line signs). *This takes you to an escalator to the ticket hall where you can then descend down an escalator to the Victoria Line platforms - take any train from the Northbound platform on your right. No stairs involved. At Euston you have escalators on each stage from the tube platform to street / main line station level. Euston is a bit of warren but follow the "Way Out" signs and you'll be fine. Alternatively go to Kings Cross and again follow the way out signs (NOT the Victoria Line signs) and once in the ticket hall you will see the escalators down to the Victoria Line on your left. *Go down the escalator and take any train from the southbound platform (on your left). *Do not go through the ticket gates at either Green Park or Kings Cross when making your interchange.* These are the only two step free routes I can think of for the journey you suggest. *I've certainly done the Kings Cross interchange before with luggage and it's much better than dragging bags up the short but cumbersome stairs on the advertised connecting corridor. Have a safe journey. -- Paul C - works for LUL Paul Thank you for your excellent comments, they will be put to good use. Scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at 6:30 am on a Saturday--Does this changes things much? *Clarification needed on the following: Euston is a bit of a "warren"--another way of saying "can be confusing"? "Engineering works"--Do you mean--"construction or the like going on?? Got another question--after about 6 days in London will be heading to Wigan, again on a Saturday morning with a return on the following Friday. *Plan to take a train out of Euston station. *How much in advance do I need to purchase tickets? *Also, as asked before, will luggage be much of a handicap? *Thanks again. MLD Euston - yes it can be a bit confusing due to the network of corridors. As I said just follow the "Way Out" signs consistently and you'll be OK. Engineering works - at weekends and evenings there can be construction / renewal / upgrade works which mean either sections of line and / or stations are closed. It is important that you check the TfL website for the dates you may be travelling. The Victoria Line, in particular, is subject to a lot of large scale (often the whole line) closures at weekends. This would affect the advice I provided to you. As others have indicated the earlier you book then the cheaper a ticket will be for the train to Wigan. The Virgin Trains website can show the discounted tickets that are available per train. Note that cheap tickets are train specific and NOT valid for other trains. Other ticket options may be a bit more expensive but may give you some more flexibility as to which train you can catch. You should be able to transport luggage on the main line trains without too much issue although the Pendolino trains Virgin use on the route don't have very big overhead racks although there are other luggage stacks. Note that Fridays can be extremely busy in terms of people travelling - especially afternoons onwards. It is important that you check as to whether engineering works may affect your planned trip on the Saturday - www.nationalrail.co.uk is the link to the National Rail website which will allow you to plan your times and find out if there are planned engineering works. -- Paul C via Google |
Heathrow to Central London
In message
, at 05:04:00 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, sweek remarked: Euston may not be on the Piccadilly line but King's Cross - St. Pancras station is very close to it. I would suggest you get on a Piccadilly line train from Heathrow (completely step-free) and just stay on all the way to King's Cross - St. Pancras. There you go up the escalator and walk to the exit. At the top of the escalator at Kings Cross, go through the barriers then look to your left. In the corner is a very small lift, which will take you up to street level. And here's another set of options: Rather than taking the tube from Heathrow, what about using Heathrow Connect? It's a relatively new service that's cheaper than Heathrow Express (but runs the same route, more slowly), £6.90. At Paddington, the simplest thing would be to take the short escalators down to the Underground ticket hall, then it's level to the clockwise Circle Line platform. Get off at Euston Square (but this involves steps). Or stay on until Kings Cross, there's a pair of lifts (one each side of the barriers) to street level then walk (OK if you have luggage with wheels, perhaps, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it). My own "extreme stepless" route would be Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Piccadilly Circus, cross platform to northbound (I hope...), then cross platform to Victoria Line at Oxford Circus, Victoria Line exit at Euston. -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
On Mar 25, 1:48*pm, Roland Perry wrote:
My own "extreme stepless" route would be Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Piccadilly Circus, cross platform to northbound (I hope...), then cross platform to Victoria Line at Oxford Circus, Victoria Line exit at Euston. I don't think southbound Bakerloo to northbound Bakerloo is step-free at Piccadilly Circus. Perhaps Roland meant to write Charing Cross. John |
Heathrow to Central London
In message
, at 09:06:04 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, "John @ home" remarked: My own "extreme stepless" route would be Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Piccadilly Circus, cross platform to northbound (I hope...), then cross platform to Victoria Line at Oxford Circus, Victoria Line exit at Euston. I don't think southbound Bakerloo to northbound Bakerloo is step-free at Piccadilly Circus. Perhaps Roland meant to write Charing Cross. I was guessing that it was stepless at Piccadilly Circus, but now you come to mention it, I think it's not an island platform because there's a crossover. Is Charing Cross the closest island platform? -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
On 25 Mar, 16:57, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:06:04 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, "John @ home" remarked: My own "extreme stepless" route would be Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Piccadilly Circus, cross platform to northbound (I hope...), then cross platform to Victoria Line at Oxford Circus, Victoria Line exit at Euston. I don't think southbound Bakerloo to northbound Bakerloo is step-free at Piccadilly Circus. Perhaps Roland meant to write Charing Cross. I was guessing that it was stepless at Piccadilly Circus, but now you come to mention it, I think it's not an island platform because there's a crossover. Is Charing Cross the closest island platform? -- Roland Perry Yes it would be. The island platforms on the original Bakerloo seem to have been Paddington, Trafalgar Square and Elephant & Castle. The terminuses I can understand, due to using both sides. I don't know why Trafalgar Square (now Charing Cross) was different from the rest. |
Heathrow to Central London
On 25 Mar, 16:57, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:06:04 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, "John @ home" remarked: My own "extreme stepless" route would be Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Piccadilly Circus, cross platform to northbound (I hope...), then cross platform to Victoria Line at Oxford Circus, Victoria Line exit at Euston. I don't think southbound Bakerloo to northbound Bakerloo is step-free at Piccadilly Circus. Perhaps Roland meant to write Charing Cross. I was guessing that it was stepless at Piccadilly Circus, but now you come to mention it, I think it's not an island platform because there's a crossover. Is Charing Cross the closest island platform? -- Roland Perry Just thinking that you could do it with less mileage by changing to the Victoria southbound, then doing a cross-platform at Green Park. |
Heathrow to Central London
On 25 Mar, 16:57, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:06:04 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, "John @ home" remarked: My own "extreme stepless" route would be Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Piccadilly Circus, cross platform to northbound (I hope...), then cross platform to Victoria Line at Oxford Circus, Victoria Line exit at Euston. I don't think southbound Bakerloo to northbound Bakerloo is step-free at Piccadilly Circus. Perhaps Roland meant to write Charing Cross. I was guessing that it was stepless at Piccadilly Circus, but now you come to mention it, I think it's not an island platform because there's a crossover. Is Charing Cross the closest island platform? -- Roland Perry Just thinking that you could do it with less mileage by changing to the Victoria southbound, then doing a cross-platform at Green Park. |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , at 19:50:57 on
Wed, 25 Mar 2009, Paul Corfield remarked: Rather than taking the tube from Heathrow, what about using Heathrow Connect? It's a relatively new service that's cheaper than Heathrow Express (but runs the same route, more slowly), £6.90. Jolly nice but remember he wishes to use a PAYG Oyster. I doubt his airline takes Oyster, so why the problem paying for the first part of his land trip using non-Oyster? Yes, getting an Oyster for use later on the trip is a good idea, but he can do that at Paddington. If you're going to send our friend to Paddington then why bother dumping him onto the subsurface network? You might as well direct him up the former taxi exit road into Praed Street, turn left and along to the Post Office and then on to the pretty frequent 205 bus which starts at Paddington so nice and empty and which will drop him at the front door of Euston Station. Only £1 using PAYG for the bus. Sounds plausible. But I don't normally recommend buses for the unfamiliar (in any big city), as it's often difficult for them to know exactly where to get off. My own "extreme stepless" route would be Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Piccadilly Circus, cross platform to northbound (I hope...), then cross platform to Victoria Line at Oxford Circus, Victoria Line exit at Euston. Err no - there are steps at Picc Circus down from the Bakerloo and then down again to the Picc from the intermediate level subway. Yes, I was only "hoping" that it was an island platform. You could send the poor soul to Charing Cross to head north again but what a waste of time and effort. It's the fun of doing the route with no steps at all. Hence my "extreme stepless" expression. -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message ... On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:32:46 +0000, Roland Perry wrote: In message , at 19:50:57 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, Paul Corfield remarked: Rather than taking the tube from Heathrow, what about using Heathrow Connect? It's a relatively new service that's cheaper than Heathrow Express (but runs the same route, more slowly), £6.90. Jolly nice but remember he wishes to use a PAYG Oyster. I doubt his airline takes Oyster, so why the problem paying for the first part of his land trip using non-Oyster? Yes, getting an Oyster for use later on the trip is a good idea, but he can do that at Paddington. I was simply pointing out what the OP had stated about wishing to use the tube and buying a PAYG Oyster. Nearly all the other responses have offered alternatives outside of the remit the OP set. If you're going to send our friend to Paddington then why bother dumping him onto the subsurface network? You might as well direct him up the former taxi exit road into Praed Street, turn left and along to the Post Office and then on to the pretty frequent 205 bus which starts at Paddington so nice and empty and which will drop him at the front door of Euston Station. Only £1 using PAYG for the bus. Sounds plausible. But I don't normally recommend buses for the unfamiliar (in any big city), as it's often difficult for them to know exactly where to get off. I understand what you're saying but in some cases the use of a bus is unavoidable. Anyway London buses have I-Bus installed which tells you what stop is next and anyway it's virtually impossible to miss Euston Station - especially on routes that pull in to serve the bus station as the 205 does heading east. Visitors who avoid using buses miss a fascinating perspective on a city although I accept it can be a big step to actually start using them - took me a while to get used to using HK and Singapore buses but I use them more than trains now when I visit. -- Paul C Enjoying all the comments, especially seeing that it's all being done in such a very pleasant and courteous manner. Don't see that too often. After reading all the comments----- The WINNER is: Get a PAYG Oyster upon arrival at Heathrow, Piccadilly Line to King's Cross St. Pancras. Walk down Euston to final Destination which is the Ibis Hotel Euston (on Cardington St). This seems like the least complicated and the walk looks very doable--just be adding a little mileage to the luggage wheels. Modifications anyone?? I must add--coming from the Boston area, your tube system makes ours look like a kindergarten toy set. However, the cost is much less--we use a Charlie card (similar to the Oyster) and as a senior, pay $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) MLD |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , at 22:43:38 on
Wed, 25 Mar 2009, Paul Corfield remarked: Rather than taking the tube from Heathrow, what about using Heathrow Connect? It's a relatively new service that's cheaper than Heathrow Express (but runs the same route, more slowly), £6.90. Jolly nice but remember he wishes to use a PAYG Oyster. I doubt his airline takes Oyster, so why the problem paying for the first part of his land trip using non-Oyster? Yes, getting an Oyster for use later on the trip is a good idea, but he can do that at Paddington. I was simply pointing out what the OP had stated about wishing to use the tube and buying a PAYG Oyster. Nearly all the other responses have offered alternatives outside of the remit the OP set. That's called "making him aware of possibilities he maybe hadn't considered". If you're going to send our friend to Paddington then why bother dumping him onto the subsurface network? You might as well direct him up the former taxi exit road into Praed Street, turn left and along to the Post Office and then on to the pretty frequent 205 bus which starts at Paddington so nice and empty and which will drop him at the front door of Euston Station. Only £1 using PAYG for the bus. Sounds plausible. But I don't normally recommend buses for the unfamiliar (in any big city), as it's often difficult for them to know exactly where to get off. I understand what you're saying but in some cases the use of a bus is unavoidable. I've avoided using buses in London most of my life. In fact despite periods when I've been travelling three days a week in the centre of London I honestly can't remember when I last caught a bus. Maybe 30 years ago. A combination of tube and walking is fine. Anyway London buses have I-Bus installed which tells you what stop is next and anyway it's virtually impossible to miss Euston Station - especially on routes that pull in to serve the bus station as the 205 does heading east. Visitors who avoid using buses miss a fascinating perspective on a city although I accept it can be a big step to actually start using them - took me a while to get used to using HK and Singapore buses but I use them more than trains now when I visit. For me it's usually one step up the learning curve too far on an initial visit. But once I'm happy, I use them all the time (not London, obviously). -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:18:21 -0400, "MLD" wrote:
Modifications anyone?? If feeling lazy, bus from outside Kings Cross (far side of the road) to Euston bus station. Either 59 or 4-hundred-and-something (the latter says Euston on the destination blind, but I forget the number) will get you into the very obvious bus station, or 205 onto the main road next to it. gbp1 on your Oyster card. Walking is perfectly viable, though. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , MLD
writes I must add--coming from the Boston area, your tube system makes ours look like a kindergarten toy set. However, the cost is much less--we use a Charlie card (similar to the Oyster) and as a senior, pay $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) Seniors in London travel free - but I'm afraid you have to be resident in London for that. :) (good news for your trip: $1.60 is currently 1.09 pounds) -- Paul Terry |
Heathrow to Central London
On Mar 26, 6:42*am, (Neil Williams)
wrote: On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:18:21 -0400, "MLD" wrote: Modifications anyone?? If feeling lazy, bus from outside Kings Cross (far side of the road) to Euston bus station. *Either 59 or 4-hundred-and-something (the latter says Euston on the destination blind, but I forget the number) will get you into the very obvious bus station, or 205 onto the main road next to it. *gbp1 on your Oyster card. 476 is the number you're grappling for. The 10, 30, 73 and 390 also run as the 205 does - i.e. opposite KX and then stopping opposite Euston. A bus literally every minute or so. Walking is perfectly viable, though. Indeed. -- Paul Corfield via google. |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , at 19:18:21 on Wed, 25
Mar 2009, MLD remarked: Walk down Euston to final Destination which is the Ibis Hotel Euston (on Cardington St). It would be useful to specify a precise destination when asking for directions. I think there's a slight US-UK terminology issue here. To the Brits "Euston" means "Euston Station". To an American "Euston" can easily mean "Euston Road" (as we see above). -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
"Roland Perry" wrote in message
... I've avoided using buses in London most of my life. In fact despite periods when I've been travelling three days a week in the centre of London I honestly can't remember when I last caught a bus. Maybe 30 years ago. A combination of tube and walking is fine. Absolutely. I'd rather have needles stuck in my eyes than get a bus in London. I'd tell you why but would rather not be branded a troll! Oh, OK then, I'll take a chance - aggressive, snarling, charmless drivers; foul-smelling chav passengers; no hint of a timetable; stuck in traffic for hours at a time; sailing past stops ignoring furious bell-ringing... I'd rather shell out for a cab, or walk. Ian |
Heathrow to Central London
On 26 Mar, 07:33, Paul Terry wrote: In message , MLD writes I must add--coming from the Boston area, your tube system makes ours look like a kindergarten toy set. *However, the cost is much less--we use a Charlie card (similar to the Oyster) and as a senior, pay $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) 70 pence indeed - thankfully we ditched the confusing non-decimal money back in 1971! Seniors in London travel free - but I'm afraid you have to be resident in London for that. *:) And seniors (60+) resident in England now have free off-peak travel on local bus services across England - again unfortunately no good for you! (good news for your trip: $1.60 is currently 1.09 pounds) |
Heathrow to Central London
On 26 Mar, 09:13, Roland Perry wrote: In message , at 19:18:21 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, MLD remarked: Walk down Euston to final Destination which is the Ibis Hotel Euston (on Cardington St). It would be useful to specify a precise destination when asking for directions. I think there's a slight US-UK terminology issue here. To the Brits "Euston" means "Euston Station". To an American "Euston" can easily mean "Euston Road" (as we see above). Please do take note of this MLD! If you ask the way to Oxford then you're likely to be told how to get to Oxford, a city more than 50 miles away from London. If you want to get to Oxford Street, or Oxford Circus, then make sure you say so! Same applies for Liverpool Street, Victoria Street, Euston Road etc etc. |
Heathrow to Central London
In message
, at 03:52:13 on Thu, 26 Mar 2009, Mizter T remarked: $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) 70 pence indeed - thankfully we ditched the confusing non-decimal money back in 1971! Although the rate is 1.445 at the moment so £1.10 (plus/minus 5% if you are changing cash at a bureau). -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
In message
, Mizter T writes On 26 Mar, 09:13, Roland Perry wrote: In message , at 19:18:21 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, MLD remarked: Walk down Euston to final Destination which is the Ibis Hotel Euston (on Cardington St). It would be useful to specify a precise destination when asking for directions. I think there's a slight US-UK terminology issue here. To the Brits "Euston" means "Euston Station". To an American "Euston" can easily mean "Euston Road" (as we see above). Please do take note of this MLD! If you ask the way to Oxford then you're likely to be told how to get to Oxford, a city more than 50 miles away from London. If you want to get to Oxford Street, or Oxford Circus, then make sure you say so! Same applies for Liverpool Street, Victoria Street, Euston Road etc etc. I'm sure if you Google you'll unearth me telling a quite incredible story emanating from that confusion....... -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , Ian F.
writes "Roland Perry" wrote in message ... I've avoided using buses in London most of my life. In fact despite periods when I've been travelling three days a week in the centre of London I honestly can't remember when I last caught a bus. Maybe 30 years ago. A combination of tube and walking is fine. Depends on the journey of course but in Central London it is frequently the best solution for me, I find. Absolutely. I'd rather have needles stuck in my eyes than get a bus in London. I'd tell you why but would rather not be branded a troll! Oh, OK then, I'll take a chance - aggressive, snarling, charmless drivers; foul-smelling chav passengers; no hint of a timetable; stuck in traffic for hours at a time; sailing past stops ignoring furious bell-ringing... Must be a different London from the one I work in. Are you sure you're not getting them confused with buses in **Birmingham**, where I recognise the description much more readily! :-) I'd rather shell out for a cab, or walk. I often enjoy walking, too. However, I reserve the "needles in eyes" routine for cabs. I can't explain it but I feel distinctly uncomfortable using a cab. Somehow it's conditioned into me as being "wrong". Can't explain it (other than resenting paying what it costs) but there you go. -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , MLD
writes Enjoying all the comments, especially seeing that it's all being done in such a very pleasant and courteous manner. Don't see that too often. After reading all the comments----- The WINNER is: Get a PAYG Oyster upon arrival at Heathrow, Piccadilly Line to King's Cross St. Pancras. Walk down Euston to final Destination which is the Ibis Hotel Euston (on Cardington St). This seems like the least complicated and the walk looks very doable--just be adding a little mileage to the luggage wheels. Yes, I;d say the same. From King's Cross Saint Pancras, you walk past Euston Station (on your right hand side; it will look more like a set of sixties office blocks than what you might expect a railway station to look like!), then turn right into Melton Street immediately after the station. The Ibis in then just past the second turn on the left. (You won't miss it; they don't exactly hide them,!) Modifications anyone?? I must add--coming from the Boston area, your tube system makes ours look like a kindergarten toy set. I confers I rather like the MBTA system. Boston was the first American city I ever visited and I still think it's the most charming of all of the ones I've seen. (Interestingly, the other contender, San Francisco, shares with Boston an extremely good public transport system.) Not that I've been to that many, to be fair. However, the cost is much less--we use a Charlie card (similar to the Oyster) and as a senior, pay $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) More than that now. Over 60s resident in England now get free bus travel throughout Eng;land. Those resident in London also get free railed transport, as they do in most other of our Metropolitan areas. I appreciate that that won't help you. Perhaps if there hadn't been that unfortunate incident with tea in your harbour all those years ago the concession would have extended to you? :-)) I'll get my coat....... -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
Heathrow to Central London
"Roland Perry" wrote in message ... In message , at 03:52:13 on Thu, 26 Mar 2009, Mizter T remarked: $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) 70 pence indeed - thankfully we ditched the confusing non-decimal money back in 1971! Although the rate is 1.445 at the moment so £1.10 (plus/minus 5% if you are changing cash at a bureau). If you go into an exchange bureau you'll find that the spread on most currencies has risen to +/- 10% tim |
Heathrow to Central London
On 26 Mar, 11:16, Roland Perry wrote: In message , at 03:52:13 on Thu, 26 Mar 2009, Mizter T remarked: $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) 70 pence indeed - thankfully we ditched the confusing non-decimal money back in 1971! Although the rate is 1.445 at the moment so £1.10 (plus/minus 5% if you are changing cash at a bureau). Yes sorry I wasn't looking at the exchange rate, just confirming the units in use here and the appropriate terminology! |
Heathrow to Central London
"Ian Jelf" wrote in message ... In message , MLD writes Enjoying all the comments, especially seeing that it's all being done in such a very pleasant and courteous manner. Don't see that too often. After reading all the comments----- The WINNER is: Get a PAYG Oyster upon arrival at Heathrow, Piccadilly Line to King's Cross St. Pancras. Walk down Euston to final Destination which is the Ibis Hotel Euston (on Cardington St). This seems like the least complicated and the walk looks very doable--just be adding a little mileage to the luggage wheels. Yes, I;d say the same. From King's Cross Saint Pancras, you walk past Euston Station (on your right hand side; it will look more like a set of sixties office blocks than what you might expect a railway station to look like!), then turn right into Melton Street immediately after the station. The Ibis in then just past the second turn on the left. (You won't miss it; they don't exactly hide them,!) Modifications anyone?? I must add--coming from the Boston area, your tube system makes ours look like a kindergarten toy set. I confers I rather like the MBTA system. Boston was the first American city I ever visited and I still think it's the most charming of all of the ones I've seen. (Interestingly, the other contender, San Francisco, shares with Boston an extremely good public transport system.) Not that I've been to that many, to be fair. However, the cost is much less--we use a Charlie card (similar to the Oyster) and as a senior, pay $1.60 (about 0.7 pounds--70p?) More than that now. Over 60s resident in England now get free bus travel throughout Eng;land. Those resident in London also get free railed transport, as they do in most other of our Metropolitan areas. I appreciate that that won't help you. Perhaps if there hadn't been that unfortunate incident with tea in your harbour all those years ago the concession would have extended to you? :-)) I'll get my coat....... -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk Oh Ian, you were doing so good g and then you had to remind everyone that at one time there were a few disagreements between UK and the Colonies. Since you've been to Boston you must know that the city is loaded with historic sights and reminders of what went on during the late 1700's--I'm sure that you must have spent some time walking the Freedom Trail. Anyway--back to transportation-- the tube ("Subway" here) Senior fare started out at $0.10 (7p?), followed by rather modest increase for a while. And then in a rather rapid escalation it made it's way up to the current cost of the $1.60 (1.1 GBP). I'm about 10 mi. North of Boston--20 min drive to a subway station and then another 20 min to get into downtown Boston. One never drives into Boston unless you have a Death Wish--what was once cow paths are now one-way meandering streets aimed solely to confuse the driver. But on the other hand, it is a great, very walkable city--no need to use the "tube" to get around, you can just about walk everywhere. You guys have all been so helpful, how about a little off-topic suggestions? With the Ibis Euston Hotel as my base, what is the best way to attack (figuratively,that is) the city. Given six days, what is the best way to break it down into sections? Is it best to take a city tour first or get on one of those "Hop-on-Hop-Off" buses? I'm open to all suggestions on how to maximize our time in your city; we don't want to be running around in random back and forth, wasting lots of time kind of thing. MLD |
Heathrow to Central London
"MLD" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
saying: how about a little off-topic suggestions? With the Ibis Euston Hotel as my base, what is the best way to attack (figuratively,that is) the city. Given six days, what is the best way to break it down into sections? I s'pose the first question is "What do you want to see & do?" I'm presuming you've got a good guidebook - figure out some of the "Must See!" things/places/attractions, and some rough headings to give us something to get our teeth into. D'you want to stay totally in the city, or would you be open to a day out? D'you want to do the "headline" sights, or would be be open to some of the lesser-known joys? Budget's also a factor, I presume - are you 5*-all-the-way people, or are you happy to trade off a bit of luxury for some "reality"? |
Heathrow to Central London
"Adrian" wrote in message ... "MLD" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: how about a little off-topic suggestions? With the Ibis Euston Hotel as my base, what is the best way to attack (figuratively,that is) the city. Given six days, what is the best way to break it down into sections? I s'pose the first question is "What do you want to see & do?" I'm presuming you've got a good guidebook - figure out some of the "Must See!" things/places/attractions, and some rough headings to give us something to get our teeth into. D'you want to stay totally in the city, or would you be open to a day out? D'you want to do the "headline" sights, or would be be open to some of the lesser-known joys? Budget's also a factor, I presume - are you 5*-all-the-way people, or are you happy to trade off a bit of luxury for some "reality"? Didn't want to clutter up the NG with a lot of specific OT subject matter---but since you asked-- I've got the guide book, do want to take in the typical tourist attractions but am open to the the quote: "lesser-known joys"---- the out of the way local places off the beaten path, especially some good eating places. We certainly are not 5* people; maintaining control of the spending is important but. at the same time, we're not the hostel type either. We've traveled many years in a "Pop Up" (Tent Trailer) all over the States, sleeping 4 kids; places with no water or electricity hookups--so "reality" is not something we'll shy away from. Most important, however, is to not waste a lot of time running around in a haphazard inefficient manner. Most likely, will spend all our time in the city. Thanks for your time MLD |
Heathrow to Central London
On 26 Mar, 16:05, "MLD" wrote: "Ian Jelf" wrote: [snip] Over 60s resident in England now get free bus travel throughout Eng;land. Those resident in London also get free railed transport, as they do in most other of our Metropolitan areas. I appreciate that that won't help you. Perhaps if there hadn't been that unfortunate incident with tea in your harbour all those years ago the concession would have extended to you? :-)) I'll get my coat....... Oh Ian, you were doing so good g and then you had to remind everyone that at one time there were a few disagreements between UK and the Colonies. Since you've been to Boston you must know that the city is loaded with historic sights and reminders of what went on during the late 1700's--I'm sure that you must have spent some time walking the Freedom Trail. Anyway--back to transportation-- the tube ("Subway" here) Senior fare started out at $0.10 (7p?), followed by rather modest increase for a while. And then in a rather rapid escalation it made it's way up to the current cost of the $1.60 (1.1 GBP). I'm about 10 mi. North of Boston--20 min drive to a subway station and then another 20 min to get into downtown Boston. One never drives into Boston unless you have a Death Wish--what was once cow paths are now one-way meandering streets aimed solely to confuse the driver. But on the other hand, it is a great, very walkable city--no need to use the "tube" to get around, you can just about walk everywhere. You guys have all been so helpful, how about a little off-topic suggestions? With the Ibis Euston Hotel as my base, what is the best way to attack (figuratively,that is) the city. Given six days, what is the best way to break it down into sections? Is it best to take a city tour first or get on one of those "Hop-on-Hop-Off" buses? I'm open to all suggestions on how to maximize our time in your city; we don't want to be running around in random back and forth, wasting lots of time kind of thing. MLD Blimey, where to start! First off, it seems walking is no obstacle to you - that's great, central London can be well explored if you're prepared to put in a bit of shoe leather. I'd advise getting hold of a decent street map of the centre of town (an A-Z for example). I wouldn't suggest walking everywhere as that'll soon knacker you out - but there's no need to resort to public transport for everything. Don't take the Tube map as a literal interpretation of the geography of London either - it's really not! Regent's Park is close to your hotel and well worth a visit, it's one of London's Royal Parks (and, FWIW, hosts London Zoo!). I suspect you may be coming sooner rather than later, so will miss the Open Air Theatre in the park that starts in late May. A trip on one of the open-top tourist guide bus thingies always seems like a fairly good idea. There are two main companies - the "Original London Sightseeing Tour" and "Big Bus", I'm told the latter is perhaps the better of the two. My understanding is that both operate on a hop- on-hop-off principle, so you can jump on and off at one of the frequent stops. A trip by boat down the river is also a good idea, and can be well combined with a (half) day trip to Greenwich. The London Eye is good too. How about a trip down Regent's canal? What are your interests, anything in particular that you'd like to see, do you want to go off the beaten track etc? There's definitely something to be said, I think, for making a foray into slightly less obvious territory - but where to go kind of depends on what your thing is. I dunno when your trip is, but there's often events or various sorts happening which you might find interesting. Lastly, you'll need a decent local pub (!), a couple of suggestions are the Dover Castle and the Horse and Groom... http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs.../Dover_Castle/ http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...rse_and_Groom/ |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , at 16:23:09 on Thu, 26
Mar 2009, Adrian remarked: Budget's also a factor, I presume - are you 5*-all-the-way people, or are you happy to trade off a bit of luxury for some "reality"? He's staying at the Ibis :) Well, nothing wrong with that - I use them quite a bit as well. But 5* it ain't. -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
plcd1 wrote:
Engineering works - at weekends and evenings there can be construction / renewal / upgrade works which mean either sections of line and / or stations are closed. It is important that you check the TfL website for the dates you may be travelling. The Victoria Line, in particular, is subject to a lot of large scale (often the whole line) closures at weekends. This would affect the advice I provided to you. When the line is closed, there are usually replacement buses provided for rail ticket holders. These are shown on the rail timetable websites. I'd allow up to twice the rail journey time if that's the case (because they have to visit the same stations as the train, which often aren't connected by a fast road). As others have indicated the earlier you book then the cheaper a ticket will be for the train to Wigan. The Virgin Trains website can show the discounted tickets that are available per train. Note that cheap tickets are train specific and NOT valid for other trains. Also worth checking the 'special offers' section of the Virgin website, which currently has an offer of tickets on the London-Manchester route starting at a pound - booking site is: http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/...ePurchase.aspx These are sent to your mobile phone... it might work if you have a GSM phone in the US (but they might block non-UK mobiles, don't know), or if you're likely to have a GSM phone operating in the UK (if you can work out some way to register and say 'send me my tickets nearer the time') Theo |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , at 12:05:07 on Thu, 26
Mar 2009, MLD remarked: With the Ibis Euston Hotel as my base, what is the best way to attack (figuratively,that is) the city. Given six days, what is the best way to break it down into sections? Is it best to take a city tour first or get on one of those "Hop-on-Hop-Off" buses? I've shown American relatives around London many times. Here's a few things they liked. By the way, you should really call it "London" (which means the whole caboodle) and not the "City" which strictly speaking is the 'square mile' near St Pauls that's the UK's Wall Street. Euston is a very good place to be based, you can get everywhere you need to very easily. I'd suggest the following are good value: Take one of the bus tours, you'll find them near Baker St station, if not Euston itself. That will orientate you for the rest of the week, as well as briefly showing you most of the important sights. Also take a boat trip from (probably) Westminster Pier, which will give you amongst other things views of Tower Bridge, the "Dome", Greenwich and (usually) the Thames Barrier. It's worth exploring the Greenwich area (Naval Museum, Observatory on top of the Hill, Cutty Sark - currently being renovated). Have lunch in the village, and for a change return via the Docklands Light Railway with a stop to look around the Canary Wharf area. Back in Central London, walk west along the south of the river starting just east of London bridge near London Bridge Station - as much as possible stick to the waterfront; go as far as the Tate Modern museum (inside an old Power station) from where you can cross the river on the "wobbly bridge" and go see St Pauls cathedral. Go see the Tower of London, and if it interests you, inside Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast. The area immediately southeast of Tower Bridge has retained a lot of its original character. In the very centre of London, visit Trafalgar Square and walk up the Strand to at least as far as the Ritz. To the north is Covent Garden, and the London Transport museum. Back at the square there's the National Gallery, although I find visitors often prefer the smaller Portrait Gallery which is on the side. Then south on Whitehall to Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey, maybe across the river to the Aquarium and London Eye. Further west, visit the Natural History Museum, preferably using the underground passage from South Ken station. If you are interested in social history and engineering there's the V&A museum and the Science Museum nearby. If there's time for a day outside the centre, the first choice is probably Windsor (30 minutes from Paddington, change at Slough). Oyster not accepted. -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
"MLD" wrote in message ... "Adrian" wrote in message ... "MLD" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: how about a little off-topic suggestions? With the Ibis Euston Hotel as my base, what is the best way to attack (figuratively,that is) the city. Given six days, what is the best way to break it down into sections? I s'pose the first question is "What do you want to see & do?" I'm presuming you've got a good guidebook - figure out some of the "Must See!" things/places/attractions, and some rough headings to give us something to get our teeth into. D'you want to stay totally in the city, or would you be open to a day out? D'you want to do the "headline" sights, or would be be open to some of the lesser-known joys? Budget's also a factor, I presume - are you 5*-all-the-way people, or are you happy to trade off a bit of luxury for some "reality"? Didn't want to clutter up the NG with a lot of specific OT subject matter---but since you asked-- I've got the guide book, do want to take in the typical tourist attractions but am open to the the quote: "lesser-known joys"---- the out of the way local places off the beaten path, especially some good eating places. We certainly are not 5* people; maintaining control of the spending is important but. at the same time, we're not the hostel type either. We've traveled many years in a "Pop Up" (Tent Trailer) all over the States, sleeping 4 kids; places with no water or electricity hookups--so "reality" is not something we'll shy away from. Most important, however, is to not waste a lot of time running around in a haphazard inefficient manner. Most likely, will spend all our time in the city. Another correction is that in London the term "City" refers to the "square Mile" City of London which is the region to the east of Holborn. The bit of London where most of the tourists go, is referred to as "The West End". (Though there are lots of sights in the City as well and whilst there are resturants there, usually they close early in the evening and don't open at all at the weekend) tim |
Heathrow to Central London
"Roland Perry" wrote in message ... In message , at 12:05:07 on Thu, 26 Mar 2009, MLD remarked: With the Ibis Euston Hotel as my base, what is the best way to attack (figuratively,that is) the city. Given six days, what is the best way to break it down into sections? Is it best to take a city tour first or get on one of those "Hop-on-Hop-Off" buses? I've shown American relatives around London many times. Here's a few things they liked. By the way, you should really call it "London" (which means the whole caboodle) and not the "City" which strictly speaking is the 'square mile' near St Pauls that's the UK's Wall Street. And cutting from a post that I made elsewhere - Here's a list of "sights" that are around the city The Bank of England Mansion House Guildhall of London Tower of London Tower Bridge The Monument St Paul's St Mary Le Bow Petticote Lane Smithfield Market Billingsgate Market Museum of London The (roman) London Wall Old Bailey Inns of Court (The Temple) Old Curiosity Shop(pe?) Lloyds Building |
Heathrow to Central London
On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:50:29 -0000, "tim....."
wrote: Here's a list of "sights" that are around the city snip And it is in some ways worth going on a Saturday or Sunday, just to see how dead it is! Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Heathrow to Central London
In message , at 20:50:29 on Thu, 26
Mar 2009, tim..... remarked: Here's a list of "sights" that are around the city That should really be "... around the City". The Bank of England Mansion House Guildhall of London Tower of London Tower Bridge The Monument St Paul's St Mary Le Bow Petticote Lane Smithfield Market Billingsgate Market Museum of London The (roman) London Wall Old Bailey Inns of Court (The Temple) Old Curiosity Shop(pe?) Lloyds Building All within the 'Square Mile' -- Roland Perry |
Heathrow to Central London
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Heathrow to Central London
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