traveling to london

rufff_2

Hi everyone

First off I'm going to be travelling to Cambridge to see family with my girlfriend. First point I've never been to london so on the way back the enxt day after visiting we were going to stop over in london.

Now what im asking is the best way to travel? I drive and am trying to keep costs/stress down (traffic). I looked at train costs from cambridge and its £30pp which is rediculously high in my eyes, or what i would want to pay anyway.

So whats the best method of having a short day in london? Any kind of park and ride i presume, but where how much how etc!

Any help would be greatly appriciated, theres far too many methods of gettin round in london for me to understand haha

Thanks

newfoundglory

There is no where to really park in London... and the car parks which are around are very expensive. Some I have seen charge up to £10 PER HOUR.

Westminster council operates a car park at Park Lane / Marble Arch, with a bus service. Wouldnt trust what it says about it being outside congestion charge zone - as I dont think it is.

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/transportandstreets/parking/masterpark/carparks/

angeltreats

You could drive to a tube station in one of the outer zones, leave the car there and take the tube in. There's a list of tube stations with car parks and their prices here.

AdrianHi

OK so the train seems expensive but it gets you into the edge of central London quickly giving you more of the day available for site seeing or whatever you want to do.
Take the car and more of your day will be taken up with crawling through the streets, finding somewhere to park and you'll end up spending a lot of that £30x2 train fare anyway. You'll probably need underground travel as well so might as well get a travel card which covers train, underground and bus.

dzug1

If you forgo the night's stop in London and return to Cambridge the same day £30 (and a few pence) total will cover both of you on an off peak day return to Liverpool Street (only - not Kings Cross)

The National Express coach is usually cheaper than train travel as well.

dzug1

newfoundglory wrote: »

.

Westminster council operates a car park at Park Lane / Marble Arch, with a bus service. Wouldnt trust what it says about it being outside congestion charge zone - as I dont think it is.

It is outside the congestion zone - Edgware Road/Park Lane/Grosvenor Place/Vauxhall Bridge Road provide a free corridor through the zone.

rufff_2

Thanks for the all the quick replies, I think getting the tube in would be the best idea, and a bit of an experience aswell!

Parking at all the stations on a sunday seems to be £1 or £1 an hour which is fine..

How much does using the tube cost and theres SO many different tube station car parks which one do i use?!

rufff_2

Okayyyyyy, i just had a look on google maps and tube maps etc. It seems if im coming from cambridge ill drive down to South woodford tube station (central line) then park there...IF i can? Bare in mind it is a sunday so shouldnt be full of commuters? Im probly completely wrong! lol

then park there for £1? :S or £1 an hour?

get the tube into (I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE! haha) how much would that be?

thanks if anyone can help me :P

dzug1

South Woodford is in zone 4 and an off peak one day travel card is £6.30 each. Covers all the travel you need. Into central London (anywhere) around all day and back in the evening.

The first interesting place the Central line (from S Woodford) stops at is probably St Pauls and if that doesn't grab you Oxford Circus.

AdrianHi

dzug1 wrote: »

South Woodford is in zone 4 and an off peak one day travel card is £6.30 each. Covers all the travel you need. Into central London (anywhere) around all day and back in the evening.

The first interesting place the Central line (from S Woodford) stops at is probably St Pauls and if that doesn't grab you Oxford Circus.

Which is where I am sitting right now, well just round the corner in Great Marlborough Street.
All the big department stores are here but is that what you really want to be doing on a Sunday sight seeing tour of London?
One more stop eastwards along the Central Line is Tottenham Court Road which is close to the British Museum if that's your thing (I love it). You could spend the whole day in there. Or change at Oxford Circus and head south on the Victoria Line and the Natural History Museum is in that direction. You could spend a whole day in there (I have several times).
Another option, change at Oxford Circus and head south on the Bakerloo Line, get off at Charring Cross, Trafalgar Square is on the surface where you could go to the Nation Gallery and National Portrait gallery, or walk south to Embankment and walk over the west side of the bridge, admire the houses of parliment. On the south bank of the Thames you will see the Millenium Wheel which is worth a trip, you might need to book tickets in advance.
If you really want to see Buck. Palace walk west from Trafalgar Square through the arches and you'll be there in 10-15 minutes.

A day just ain't enough

TimothyEBaldwin

rufff wrote: »

Hi everyone

First off I'm going to be travelling to Cambridge to see family with my girlfriend. First point I've never been to london so on the way back the enxt day after visiting we were going to stop over in london.

But where are you starting from and returning to? Without that info we can't give specific advice.

What journey is the £30pp train fare for?
Will you be wanting to leave your luggage somewhere in London?