Travelling from Dorset to Essex, Advice please 27 August 2014 at 10:37PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Public Transport & Cycling 18 replies 1.2K views

SapphireDreams

My brother died suddenly a couple of weeks ago, and I have to get from Dorset to Essex, to deal with his house and stuff, funeral as well. I was seeking advice, since I'm contemplating whether to drive or go by train, or use other methods, such as taxi or 'airport cars' and for various reasons if I went by train I'd probably want to avoid london and using the underground.

With train, is there anyway I could do the journey but not have to go on the london underground? I know this might make the journey alot longer, but I have an extremely severe phobia of heights, can't even use certain stairs in my local shopping centre without feeling ill and dizzy. And from what I remember of using the underground 20 years ago, very long steep escalators were common.

I also need to take a small dog with me, and I'm not sure if dogs are allowed on the underground? And if it would be problematic taking one by train?

I don't drive, but I have a friend who would drive me, though they've never driven on the M25 before, and that worries me. Also every single time I've been on the M25, it's been blocked solid, and the journey has been horrendous. I need to travel sometime between sunday and tuesday or wednesday, can't do it overnight or late at night. Is there any less busy times, or directions on the M25? I've always done the clockwise route in the past. I loathe the M25, and am always a nervous wreck on it, so I'm thinking would train be more relaxing or easier?

Is there any other alternative ways to do the journey? Something similar to those taxis that take you to airports or anything? Or are they horrendously expensive?

And then there is things in my brothers place that I'd like to keep, and without a car it'd be impossible to carry them, so I know this question doesn't exactly fit here, but is there any reliable trustworthy ways to get items transported to dorset, like courier or something?

Thanks for any advice. I'm being completely indecisive, and struggling to think clearly at this difficult time, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Tuesday_Tenor

A difficult journey for a difficult reason; you have my sympathy.
Wherever your start and destimations in Dorset and Essex, the only obvious routes on public transport seem to be via London.

Not answering all your issues, but to help you start to focus, even if only to eliminate some things.

Train:
Simplest would be to go via London but to avoid the underground get a taxi between your two London stations (Waterloo and Liverpool St?). From this site, seems taxi would cost about £10.
https://yourtaximeter.com/.

From the rail network map, the routes to avoid London would mean you'd have to go up to Birmingham and across from there. A very long journey.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/css/OfficialNationalRailmaplarge.pdf


National Express Coach
I used Sherborne and Colchester as examples. You can get a coach and change at London Victoria. Seems simple, but unfortunately there is a 5 hour wait at Victoria, so the whole journey would take about 11 hours.

HTH to start with,

[Deleted User]

The Circle Line is not a deep tunnel, it's just like a flight of domestic stairs at Liverpool Street. (I know because I've used it numerous times with the bike, and bikes are banned from the deep tunnels because they're considered a safety hazard on the long escalators.)

Tuesday_Tenor

For transporting items back to Dorset, there are all sorts of parcel, courier and 'man-with-a-van' services. How much and exactly what you have to transport will determine which is most suitable.
Hopefully others can give you some recommendations.

Just googling to find examples, the first 'man-with-a-van' site that came up is this one, which is a network of many such services:
http://www.anyvan.com

You can put in what you want transported, from where, to where,
and quotes will be emailed to you.

dzug1

You can avoid central London by getting off the Waterloo train at Clapham Junction and taking the London Overground service to Stratford


Airport taxi firms would certainly take on this trip - at a cost of course

flea72

Where in essex are you going, as flying might be an option. Newquay-southend.

If driving, clockwise M25 is best, then up M11 or A12 depending which side of essex you are heading

Train is easy too. You could take bus or taxi across city, if not wanting to go underground

dzug1

flea72 wrote: »

Where in essex are you going, as flying might be an option. Newquay-southend.

A 3 hour drive in the wrong direction to avoid a 3 hour drive in the right direction doesn't really sound sensible


Exeter airport to London City sounds - a bit - more promising. You land up on the right side of London for just about anywhere in Essex. (Edit - or would be when the service starts later in the year)

giraffe69

If you end up driving or being driven then although the M25 can behave poorly at any time avoiding hitting it between 7 and 10a.m. and 4 and 7.30p.m. reduces the chance of aggravation.
Train to Waterloo and then taxi/bus to Liverpool Street if you wish to avoid the tube sounds best.
The 26 bus does the journey and you need to leave 40 minutes whereas tube would take you 12.

yorkie2

The Circle Line is part of London Underground but is not a tube tunnel route; there are no escalators, the trains are full-sized "surface" stock (not the smaller tube stock). It runs just under the street. No reason why you can't take a dog on it.

Browntoa

dzug1 wrote: »

A 3 hour drive in the wrong direction to avoid a 3 hour drive in the right direction doesn't really sound sensible


Exeter airport to London City sounds - a bit - more promising. You land up on the right side of London for just about anywhere in Essex. (Edit - or would be when the service starts later in the year)

think this part of post 1 makes this unlikely

but I have an extremely severe phobia of heights

flea72

dzug1 wrote: »

A 3 hour drive in the wrong direction to avoid a 3 hour drive in the right direction doesn't really sound sensible


Exeter airport to London City sounds - a bit - more promising. You land up on the right side of London for just about anywhere in Essex. (Edit - or would be when the service starts later in the year)

If OP wants to avoid london, whether underground or driving, then heading 3hrs in wrong direction is an option. Seeing as the drive from devon to essex will take about 5hrs with no stops So travel to newquay and flight to southend, would be similar timing.

Who knows, OP might need to be in southend area, so little further travel needed. If heading to north essex, the drive/train could take 6hrs or more