Help with Train travel ..please

BOJANGLES_4

Hi, can anyone help me please ......Im a muppet when it comes to arranging train travel- maybe as -I have never done it before !!
What I would like to do is -
On the 18 April ,go to the Stamping show at Alexandra Palace in London.
I live in Lincolnshire and can travel from either Boston or Skegness.
I would like to get there as early as possible. Apparently our trains dont go to the nearest train station (Piccadily)- so I have to go to Kings Cross.
I have looked on National Rail Website and I just cannot get my head around it !!
Please would anyone be able to have a quick look for me -or advise me on how to get the best and cheapest fare
Thanxs in advance XX

p00hsticks

Have to confess that it's not a journey I'd really like to do there and back in one day....
Also not sure what you mean by 'Piccadilly' - there is a rail station at Alexandra Palace called 'Alexandra Palace', or the nearest tube is Wood Green.

Using the journey planner on the national rail website with a starting point of Boston and a final destination of Alexandra Palace, and asking for the first journey of the day on 18th April gives a journey time of nearly three hours....use the 'show details' button to get info on the changes...

Stage 1: Depart Boston 06:14 Arrive Grantham 07:06 (East Midlands train to Nottingham)
Stage 2: Depart Grantham 07:23 Arrive London Kings Cross 08:40 (NXEC train from Leeds)
Stage 3: Depart Kings Cross 08:56 Arrive Alexandra Palace 09:08 (First Capital Connect service to Hertford North

The return fare is quoted as £53.50 (click on the 'check fares' button).(You can get an advance single there for only £16, but there don't appear to be any at that price for the return journey. ) If you qualify for a student or senior citizen railcard you could possibly save some money by getting one just for this one journey....

From Skegness it seems to take much longer - the first trip of the day is

Stage 1: Depart Skegness 07:08 Arrive Grantham 08:42 (East Midlands train to Nottingham)
Stage 2: Depart Grantham 09:06 Arrive London Kings Cross 10:20 (NXEC train from Bradford Forster Square)
Stage 3: Depart Kings Cross 10:41 Arrive Alexandra Palace 10:53 (First Capital Connect service to Hertford North

The return fare is quoted as £58.20.

If it's a big exhibition (which presumably it must be if it's at Ally Pally) , an alternative might be to look to see if any local coach companies are running day trips there ?

gner_ex

As you're going back the same day, you could get the flexible tickets a little bit cheaper by booking Skegness to Grantham (£17.90 return) and Grantham to London Kings Crosss (£30.00 day return).

If you are not used to the hustle and bustle of train travel particularly in London, you may like to consider changing trains at Stevenage, from where you can get a direct train to Alexandra Palace - the tickets mentioned above will allow this (could also change at Stevenage then again at Potters Bar).

KeithP

Bojangles, it would be cheaper and quicker to use Boston rather that Skegness (you say you can use either). Every train that leaves Skegness calls at Boston.
Building on gner_ex's solution, a flexible off peak return from Boston to Grantham is only £12.10.... a further saving of £5.80.