the tube - Circle line to Victoria - ?

thriftymanc

I'm in London on Thursday and wanted to get the Circle line from Barbican to Victoria as it's direct. But when I search on the TFL journey planner every journey comes up with changes, usually at King's Cross. I'm confused!

It says there are planned works - so at first I thought this meant part of the Circle line was closed in between the two stops. But I searched for more info and it seems that one of the entrances to Victoria is closed and that's it - and it's not the entrance I need to use anyway if I'm coming off the Circle line. So if the Circle line is open and Victoria is open, why does the journey planner tell me to change? Can I still get the tube direct as planned?


Edit: if I search for Aldgate to Victoria, it gives me a direct journey on the Circle line going in the same direction... Are the results I'm getting telling me that I need to change just one of those weird website things where it thinks changing is the "better" journey even though it actually involves more faffing around?! I'd rather not change as I will have a lot of luggage, but the last thing I want is to go to catch a train that isn't running and end up missing my train from Victoria!

soolin

The Circle line is not an unbroken circle if you go anti clockwise- you will need to change. Have a look at this map, it is clearer:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf

It will assume you want the quickest route, so going clockwise is probably not that quick as it is not a fast line and many of the trains will terminate and not go all the way round clockwise either.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

soolin wrote: »

The Circle line is not an unbroken circle if you go anti clockwise- you will need to change. Have a look at this map, it is clearer:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf

It will assume you want the quickest route, so going clockwise is probably not that quick as it is not a fast line and many of the trains will terminate and not go all the way round clockwise either.

Thats all irrelevant really.

The reason it is telling you to go via the Cross is because it will be quicker than going all the way round on the circle line as there are not many circle line trains anyway that go round. Its much quicker for the one or two stops to The Cross and then the Victoria line straight down.

redux

Or walk just over half a mile to Mansion House then Circle Line from there.

Or walk 600 yards to St Pauls, then Central to Oxford Circus then Victoria line

dzug1

I can't get it to work at the moment, but there is an edit journey preferences option in the TfL journey planner that allows you to specify fewest changes

It's about 18 minutes changing at Kings Cross and 25 minutes direct, so not much in it.

ValHaller

thriftymanc wrote: »

II'd rather not change as I will have a lot of luggage, but the last thing I want is to go to catch a train that isn't running and end up missing my train from Victoria!

Let me guess. You want to go to Gatwick.

Direct trains run to Gatwick from Farringdon. Farringdon is but a stone's throw from Barbican

If it is not Gatwick, perhaps if you said where to, we could suggest a better route.

lemontart

where are you traveling from originally ? there may be an alternative route if you are going to gatwick which means avoiding the tube altogether

jbuchanangb

In view of the fact this is for a tiny woman with two suitcase and a back pack, I tried TFL's mobility options. If you tell it you can use stairs but not escalators it will give you the circle line option from Barbican to Victoria, journey time on train 23 minutes.

ValHaller

thriftymanc wrote: »

I'd rather not walk to other stops to start from as Barbican is the closest station to where I'm coming from. Not going to Gatwick - going to Brighton and am booked on specific train from Victoria so no flexibility there.

I would do cab to Farringdon, FCC to EastCroydon (within the Oyster area), change to your booked train.

You'll kick yourself, trains run direct from Farringdon to Brighton.

redux

ValHaller wrote: »

I would do cab to Farringdon, FCC to EastCroydon (within the Oyster area), change to your booked train.

You'll kick yourself, trains run direct from Farringdon to Brighton.

True that it's simpler, but the already bought fare from Victoria might be an advance, costing from £5

If so, joining the booked train at a different station is not allowed

giraffe69

I don't understand why you don't just ignore the TfL planner. The quickest way is, indeed to change but as you say with heavy bags it will not be a pleasure and if you have the time(only an extra few minutes) you can easily take the Circle line. If you go clockwise the train will go straight to Victoria. If you go anti-clockwise you may have to change at Edgware Road.