Advice on getting a train from Manchester - London

daz69kay

Hello.
Im taking my gf to London although we have never been :-/

I want to book a weekend hotel where i can go shopping, facial, pedacure. somewhere really nice as i am also proposing to her.

Can anyone advise of what stop i need and any hotels central to shopping etc.

Any good ideas where i can propose in London?

Thank you

:beer:

dzug1

On the train side they run from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston - book early (but not too early - wait until the advance fares have been released.) for cheap fares. Soimetimes cheap advance first class can be worth considering.

Livingthedream

Maybe the Valentine's Champagne Flight on the London Eye to propose? and I find Premier Inn very reasonable pricewise for somewhere to stay.

Also agree with dzugs if you want it to be that little bit more special then get some cheap 1st class Advance train tickets from £34.50 Each one way.

Livingthedream

Should have also said, if you want to save a bit of money and travel standard class, then the Advance ticket price is £11.50 Each one way. Use this website (Virgin Trains) to see when the cheap advance tickets are released up to.

10JH

Premier Inns are pretty good. Or leave it very last minute and try lastminute.com for a bargain.

To propose - Maybe London Eye?

daz69kay

thank you guys

spooky25

If you are interested in staying in a nice hotel then try last min .coms secret hotel rooms there is a guide on this site on how to find these secret hotels. they are normally the high end hotels and sure to impress the other half.

Also when travelling in london dont bother with travel cards its better to get an oyster card for both of you and use it to travel this will allow you to get around london cheaper. https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do

also
www.GROUPON.co.uk/London_restaurant


try this site also for discounts on top restraunts

www.LivingSocial.com for spa discount rates to make it easier on your wallet

if you need anything else let us know and ill see if I can help

all the best

spooky25

Janie1975

Travel Inn have a big hotel right on the South Bank near the London Eye which you should get for around £100 a night (more expensive in London unfortunately) but is so convenient for everywhere.
Tara Copthorne on Kensington High Street sometimes have good deals on too and is a great hotel (make sure you get rooms on the left side of the hotel, otherowse you are next to the train tracks!!0 there is a great restaurant down there too which is fab food http://www.roofgardens.virgin.com/en/the_roof_gardens

Train goes to Euston which is on the Northern Line and Victoria Line and you can also walk to Euston Sq in 2 mins for other lines, get a daily tube pass, this will get you all over London for around £6 each.

Also, think about using TopTable http://www.toptable.com/ for dinners, will let you know of good restaurants local to where you are that have offers on etc. and you can even book online!!

Have a look on www.groupon.co.uk and keep checking on London deals for facials, manicures etc. as there are loads of fab offers on at the moment (I just love this website!!)

Have a great time and Good Luck with the proposal!!

P.S> I completely agree with the advance fares, just keep checking on www.thetrainline.com but I travel Manc to London at least once a month and you get first class return for £60 sometimes!! Just make sure you book singles, and if you can trust yourself to use timed trains this will make it cheaper than an open return! Just don't miss the train!!

HTH

Livingthedream

^^^^ Some nice advice and some good weblinks, however, avoid buying your tickets from the Trainline.com if possible as they charge booking/credit card fees, best to buy from Virgin Trains as not only is it cheaper but sometimes they might have a special offer on that route.

opinions4u

If you're travelling on a weekend, buy second class tickets in advance (the nice cheap £11.50 ones if possible) but seat yourselves in first class - the guard will charge you an extra £30 (£15 each) and then it all feels a little bit more special. Free(ish) crsips, biscuits and drinks too . Don't do this on a weekday as the additional charge may shock!!

If you're likely to buy any food or drink in Piccadilly or Euston Station, a Bite Card will save you 20% at most of the concession.

If you're likely to use the tube, getting an Oyster Card each (I think you can get them at Euston) will ensure that you get the cheapest possible fares while in London, calculated automatically.

As for hotel, I wouldn't lose too much sleep about central location for shopping - if you find one within walking distance of the tube you should be able to get where you want to within minutes! I did once win a stay in a suite at the Radisson Hampshire in Leicester Square - very nice! Perhaps making yourself familiar with an underground map before you travel would be a good idea.

I think there's some excellent posts above too.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

http://www.farefinder.virgintrains.co.uk/ as said before hidden in links for some reason which i still cant fathom why they do that..

Dont propose on the Eye - do it on a boat trip down the thames instead.