Any London train experts?

mrbrightside842

Hi!

Sorry for the daft questions but I don't know London at all, nor am I used to using trains!

I have a return ticket for Manchester-Euston. I've reserved seats and I understand that the reserved seats can only be used on the train times which I've booked.

However, when the tickets have arrived, they state Manchester-London Terminals and don't have a time on them, just the date and price. Only the seat reservation ticket has the times on them.

My questions are:

• Can I get off at Kings Cross, or will this train terminate at Euston?

• Do I have to get back on at Euston, or are there other stations we can get on at (could save us walking past stations to get to Euston, if we're going to stop at these anyways)

• Can I get an earlier train home? Our tickets were bought and reserved for the 20:40 train, but they leave0 from 19:00 onwards for the same price, I don't really understand the off peak stuff on the website which says they can be used at different off peak times, not sure if I needed to have specifically bought an off peak ticket.

• Also, does anyone know if the platform 9 3/4 closes at Kings Cross at any time, or if it stays open but unmanned? Would like to get a photo there of the kids and don't know whether it needs to be done before a certain time.

Many thanks!

Cycrow

This will depend on what tickets you actually bought. Did you get advance tickets and do they state on them they can only be used for the booked journey ?

if you just got a standard/offpeak return ticket, then the reservation can only be used on the specific trains but the tickets will work on any train.

if you have the tickets already, just check what type they are.

afaik, all trains terminate at Euston, to get you kings cross you can either use the tube or walk

mrbrightside842

Thank you! Looking closer at them, they say 'bookdtrainonly' so it looks like I'll have to stick to the right time. That's fin, at least I'll have a seat! I just wondered if we could return any earlier if needed. Thanks again!

p00hsticks

mrbrightside842 wrote: »

Also, does anyone know if the platform 9 3/4 closes at Kings Cross at any time, or if it stays open but unmanned? Would like to get a photo there of the kids and don't know whether it needs to be done before a certain time.

Unless it's changed since I was there a while back there's not really anything to 'man'. It's not a whole patform - just a brick wall with half a luggage trolley going into it and a sign saying 'platform 9 3/4' . It's just part of the general station layout.

Cornucopia

The train will only call at Euston within London. (Next stop will be Milton Keynes or somewhere similarly distant).

The "London Terminals" designation works better south of the river, where some journeys could conceivably terminate at any one of half a dozen stations.

mrbrightside842

p00hsticks wrote: »

Unless it's changed since I was there a while back there's not really anything to 'man'. It's not a whole patform - just a brick wall with half a luggage trolley going into it and a sign saying 'platform 9 3/4' . It's just part of the general station layout.

A friend went recently and it is still a luggage trolley sticking out of a wall, but there were staff there with hogwarts scarves taking your photo to put on a keyring etc. I'm not so fussed on them taking a photo, as long as it doesn't get closed off after a certain time. Thanks.

Little_Gem

mrbrightside842 wrote: »

Hi!

My questions are:

• Can I get off at Kings Cross, or will this train terminate at Euston? This train will terminate at Euston, Kings Cross is only a 5 minute walk away though.

• Do I have to get back on at Euston, or are there other stations we can get on at (could save us walking past stations to get to Euston, if we're going to stop at these anyways) You would have to go back to Euston to get the train back to Manchester.

• Can I get an earlier train home? Our tickets were bought and reserved for the 20:40 train, but they leave0 from 19:00 onwards for the same price, I don't really understand the off peak stuff on the website which says they can be used at different off peak times, not sure if I needed to have specifically bought an off peak ticket. If you have booked two advanced singles on specific trains then you would have to travel on those trains, if you have booked an off-peak return then you can travel on any off-peak train which I believe is after 10am Monday- Friday and not on the peak evening train which is usually around 5/6 in the evening. Off-peak is all day on Saturday and Sunday.

• Also, does anyone know if the platform 9 3/4 closes at Kings Cross at any time, or if it stays open but unmanned? Would like to get a photo there of the kids and don't know whether it needs to be done before a certain time. You will be able to see it as long as the station is open and Kings Cross is open until very late so you should be fine. Kings Cross can be a bit of a maze of a station though so probably best to ask someone where it is straight away, I regularly get lost wandering around that station!!

Many thanks!

Have a great time in London!!

cookie365

Platform 9 3/4 is now in the new, very swanky departure hall on the west side, opposite St Pancras station.

You don't need a ticket or anything, it's just there.

If you're walking down from Euston turn left immediately after St Pancras, along Pancras Rd, then enter Kings X to your right, and it'll be right ahead of you.

timbo58

little gem is 100% spot on.
I worked for revenue protection for a major TOC for 15 years and little Gems advice is 100% correct IME (left 5 years ago mind but doubt it's changed).