Quiet times/routes to travel Leeds<->London

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ClarkeKent
ClarkeKent Posts: 336 Forumite
edited 18 March 2017 at 6:54PM in UK holidays, days out & entertainments
Planning a London day with someone who hates/ get's panicky about busy trains, so we will be avoiding the rush hours for in and out of London (and the tube!)

We'll be coming from Leeds. Can anyone recommend the best time of day or even best day of the week to travel to London?

Looking for plenty of spare seats and a non-packed feel.

Don't want to be doing a Corbyn and sitting on the floor ;-)
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  • k3lvc
    k3lvc Posts: 4,174 Forumite
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    Good luck with this - as an indicator if you book last minute online then the cheaper prices will show you the quieter trains but you've no way of being certain. What happens if you're the only passengers on it when you get on at Leeds but the world then descends on the train at Doncaster ?

    Not a very moneysaving idea but I'd be looking for a non-stop train (if there is one, if not look at travelling from York/Doncaster) and reserving seats in 1st class

    In Switzerland (where I travel regularly) the national train site shows the likely occupation for each train (for both 1st/2nd class) based on their forecasting and it's generally fairly accurate
  • ClarkeKent
    ClarkeKent Posts: 336 Forumite
    edited 18 March 2017 at 6:48PM
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    Good note on cheaper prices, thanks. First Class, was an option - but didn't want to end up getting a table and then load of people clumbering on. Essentially paying £200 to sit opposite someone for the whole journey.

    From veterans of the route, just looking for best times and days really.
  • k3lvc
    k3lvc Posts: 4,174 Forumite
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    I use York-London frequently and it really is pot luck - same day/time on a different week gets very different results. Add into that the lack of consistency from Virgin/East Coast re delays/problems and what should have been an almost empty train becomes packed to the rafters.
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 12,571 Forumite
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    You wont be on the floor as you should get reserved seats. From my experience most services are busy. First class has far fewer seats so is by default much quieter.

    Book at the right time and first class can be very reasonable.

    An alternative is the Grand Central service orginating in Bradford via Doncaster as Doncaster is the last stop. Downsides are you need to change and there are fewer services.
  • Alan_Bowen
    Alan_Bowen Posts: 4,851 Forumite
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    Your real problem is that you only want to go for a day, the quiet times will give you very little time in London and defeats the purpose of your visit. I travel from London to Yorkshire on almost a weekly basis, the 1003 from London to Leeds is empty but that is not much use to you to know!

    If you book advance tickets you are guaranteed a seat on the trains you book, they run every 30 minutes and the price will indicate the less busy trains but arriving in London at noon to leave again at 3pm makes the day in London rather short. As a general rule returning from London on later trains is better, but not on a Friday for example. If the person can't deal with crowded trains, I am not sure a day to London is a good idea at all, the tube trains from Kings Cross tend to be busy all day but especially before 0930 and after 1600.
  • ClarkeKent
    ClarkeKent Posts: 336 Forumite
    edited 19 March 2017 at 3:47PM
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    daveyjp wrote: »

    An alternative is the Grand Central service orginating in Bradford via Doncaster as Doncaster is the last stop. Downsides are you need to change and there are fewer services.

    Like the sound of this Grand Central route, thanks. This could be a goer. I see this goes from Bradford Interchange, is this a direct to London with stops at Mirfield, Doncaster etc https://www.grandcentralrail.com/tickets-timetables/routes/
  • ClarkeKent
    ClarkeKent Posts: 336 Forumite
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    Alan_Bowen wrote: »
    Your real problem is that you only want to go for a day, the quiet times will give you very little time in London and defeats the purpose of your visit. I travel from London to Yorkshire on almost a weekly basis, the 1003 from London to Leeds is empty but that is not much use to you to know!

    We can do an overnight if it makes the whole trip less stressful, that 10.03am London to Leeds sounds like a cracker.
  • knightstyle
    knightstyle Posts: 7,001 Forumite
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    Don't forget to get some 2 for 1 vouchers with your train tickets. Get several as thy are free and it does not matter if you don't use them.
    https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 12,571 Forumite
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    ClarkeKent wrote: »
    Like the sound of this Grand Central route, thanks. This could be a goer. I see this goes from Bradford Interchange, is this a direct to London with stops at Mirfield, Doncaster etc https://www.grandcentralrail.com/tickets-timetables/routes/

    Its direct.
  • ScarletBea
    ScarletBea Posts: 2,913 Forumite
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    Try to book a seat in the quiet carriage: I never travel anywhere else, now...
    Being brave is going after your dreams head on
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