London, car, tube and a carpark

hellokitty08

Hi, I've searched for a similar answer but coulnt come up with an exact match so hoping you will be able help. I've got tickets for the ideal home show on Monday and was thinking of driving to London down the m1 from Northampton, parking just outside the centre and getting the tube in. Any ideas where would be best to do this? Train tickets cost £60 so this has to be cheeper if you include the £10 car parking fee I'd pay here too! Any help would be great, have been told free car parking at Brent cross shopping centre might be a plan.

susancs

Here is a list of tube stations, that have car parks. Stanmore is probably the best one for those coming from the M1 as one of the bigger car parks. It does get busy though.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/tubestationcarparks/default.aspx

Here is the information on Brent Cross shopping Centre for you. They do offer free parking, but you might need to check that they do not have a maximum stay time, as a lot of shopping centre car parks now have a max of 3 hours.
http://www.brentcross.co.uk/visitor-information/getting-here/

www.tfl.gov.uk and use the journey planner to plan your tube journey.

hellokitty08

Hi,

Obviously available spaces needs to be a consideration as I wont get there until about 10.30am, so does anyone have inside info on where I would likely to be able to park at this time. I know if i look at the websites mentioned above it will tell me where there is a car park, but ideally i need to know of one that is most likely to have spaces, if anyone has their crystal ball available? hehehehe

MzFitz

Brent Cross is free all day, good safe car parks (shuts at 8pm) it's a bit of a hike to the tube tho - either Brent Cross or Hendon Central Stations, both on the Northern Line. Park near Fenwicks if you are heading to Brent Cross Station, then you have to navigate the underpass under the North Circular Road. It is signposted.
You could also consider getting in via First Capital Connect trains - car parks at Mill Hill or Hendon, takes you to Kings Cross St Pancras.

dzug1

The train is not quite as expensive as you think - an off peak return from Northampton to West Brompton changing at Watford Junction is £20.50 a head.

Probably still more than you want to pay though

hellokitty08

Hi, Mzfitz, it might even be worth parking at brent cross shopping centre and getting a taxi to the tube station, if the brent cross parking is free. If its £5 each way in the taxi, and £5-6 for the tube ticket, that still £20 compared to £70, which isnt too bad.

KeithP

hellokitty08 wrote: »

Hi, Mzfitz, it might even be worth parking at brent cross shopping centre and getting a taxi to the tube station, if the brent cross parking is free. If its £5 each way in the taxi, and £5-6 for the tube ticket, that still £20 compared to £70, which isnt too bad.

Need to build something into your budget for getting from Northampton to Brent Cross, don't you?

susancs

dzug1 wrote: »

The train is not quite as expensive as you think - an off peak return from Northampton to West Brompton changing at Watford Junction is £20.50 a head.

Probably still more than you want to pay though

There is a big car park at Watford Junction Station ( jct 25 on M1). Not sure how much it would cost to park there, but you could ring up and ask, plus ask hwo full it gets. Apparently the direct train from there to West Brompton takes 32 minutes. It is on the oyster extended overground route, so if you use Oyster fares will be a lot cheaper than cash train fare prices.

hellokitty08

KeithP wrote: »

Need to build something into your budget for getting from Northampton to Brent Cross, don't you?

no, my petrol is free! hehehe it isnt really the round trip would be about £20 in petrol.

Stageshoot

There is loads of Free On Street Parking within 5 mins walk of Oakwood Tube, (M1 South to M25 - M25 to Jnc 24)

We park there for evenings out at the Threatre and also for longer trips (Have left the car there for 2 weeks on more than one occasion whilst going on Holiday), and never had any problems,

It saves loads as its easy to get to and then you just have the Tube Costs,

If you are interested lmk and I will post a google map showing the best streets to park in.