5-Day Travel from Luton to London

OsamaMustafa

I am a PhD student at King's and my accommodation is in Luton. I have to travel daily 5 days a week from luton to london. Right now, I travel from luton to west hampstead, and than to waterloo underground station. 

Please advise on how can I save on my travel cost?

Cloth_of_Gold

How about getting the coach to Victoria, using a season ticket or, if you're 26 or under, a Young Persons Coachcard and walking form there? Or you could try finding a car share - there are various apps to help you do this, and you could split the cost.

Also, as a PhD student, do you need to be at the university 5 days per week? Couldn't you conduct some of your research/writing at, or nearer, home and so reduce your travelling?

Richard1212

I have owned a  home in Putney and lived there, off and on as career has dictated , for many years and I actually know someone who travels regularly from Luton to SW1 ( and he often meets us for a meal when he's in town).

He travels from Luton direct to St Pancras for what I think is £19 and then pays about £2 for tube to The Strand. Hope that might help, bit of course Southern Region are known for their differing price changes and different charges for different times of the day, so you'd have to check.

Goudy

Can you not get a season ticket for the Thameslink?
It's around £124 a week or £480 a month.
That will take you from Luton to Blackfriars, then Kings College's main campus is just a short walk from there.

Thameslink do "student connect" which can save 34% but it only covers stations north of Kentish town, so you'd still need to split the trip but would save you if you still carried on with the Luton - West Hampstead route.
Or
A buy a Carnet, they are prepaid books of 5 or 10 trips and will save you 10% on the normal same day price.

Car_54

Richard1212 said:

He travels from Luton direct to St Pancras for what I think is £19 and then pays about £2 for tube to The Strand. Hope that might help, bit of course Southern Region are known for their differing price changes and different charges for different times of the day, so you'd have to check.

Do keep up. Southern Region hasn't existed for a quarter of a century.

MDMD

Car_54 said:

Richard1212 said:

He travels from Luton direct to St Pancras for what I think is £19 and then pays about £2 for tube to The Strand. Hope that might help, bit of course Southern Region are known for their differing price changes and different charges for different times of the day, so you'd have to check.

Do keep up. Southern Region hasn't existed for a quarter of a century.

It’s actually even longer — over 30 years

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Region_of_British_Railways

born_again

OsamaMustafa said:

I am a PhD student at King's and my accommodation is in Luton. I have to travel daily 5 days a week from luton to london. Right now, I travel from luton to west hampstead, and than to waterloo underground station. 

Please advise on how can I save on my travel cost?

Given this is in motoring section.

In reality a car is not going to be cheaper due to ULEZ & parking, never mind the rest of the running costs.

Car_54

born_again said:

OsamaMustafa said:

I am a PhD student at King's and my accommodation is in Luton. I have to travel daily 5 days a week from luton to london. Right now, I travel from luton to west hampstead, and than to waterloo underground station. 

Please advise on how can I save on my travel cost?

Given this is in motoring section.

In reality a car is not going to be cheaper due to ULEZ & parking, never mind the rest of the running costs.

The OP's car may be ULEZ-compliant. He may be lucky enough to have cheap or free parking.

However, the congestion charge seems inevitable.

Richard1212

Car_54 said:

Richard1212 said:

He travels from Luton direct to St Pancras for what I think is £19 and then pays about £2 for tube to The Strand. Hope that might help, bit of course Southern Region are known for their differing price changes and different charges for different times of the day, so you'd have to check.

Do keep up. Southern Region hasn't existed for a quarter of a century. 

I'd prefer not being told to "do keep up" like a schoolboy, thank you. And in any case, what has your input got to do with the price of Luton to London tickets ? Below is the link for network rail current regions. One of the regions is "southern" , so it is the southern region !

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-regions/#:~:text=Our five regions are Eastern,help us improve train performance.

Car_54

Richard1212 said:

Car_54 said:

Richard1212 said:

He travels from Luton direct to St Pancras for what I think is £19 and then pays about £2 for tube to The Strand. Hope that might help, bit of course Southern Region are known for their differing price changes and different charges for different times of the day, so you'd have to check.

Do keep up. Southern Region hasn't existed for a quarter of a century. 

I'd prefer not being told to "do keep up" like a schoolboy, thank you. And in any case, what has your input got to do with the price of Luton to London tickets ? Below is the link for network rail current regions. One of the regions is "southern" , so it is the southern region !

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-regions/#:~:text=Our five regions are Eastern,help us improve train performance.

No offence intended - it was a joke.

You actually said "Southern Region are known for their differing price changes". The current Southern Region of Network Rail doesn't sell tickets, let alone set prices. That's the job of the Train Operating Companies.

Richard1212

ForCar_54 : as you are saying that no offence was intended and you are being humorous, then I most certainly do not take offence; perhaps I am getting sensitive due to the nature of this forum LOL. As for my mention of differing price changes, the reference is to differing price changes in the Southern Region ( whichever company ).