[Richard Mason]

Both sons will be heading to the UK in next 3-6 weeks; might be geting flights that land in London and will be looking to get to relatives in York or Manchester for the first few days.

Looked at trains but it's hit & miss, I was wondering which coach networks run on that route and if anyone has a good or bad reputation?

 

[19696]

Not sure what you meant by 'hit &miss', but from both LHR and LGW there are direct trains regularly to the centre of London. From there, anyone with more than one working brain cell can get to King's Cross (for York) or Euston (for Manchester).

Personally, I wouldn't get on a bus for than length of journey.

 

[yazzyfooty]

National Express from Victoria runs regular (hourly)coaches to Manchester but not sure about York, but as it is the biggest coach network service in the UK I would imagine it would do similar.

To buy a train ticket on the day from London to Manchester will cost about £80one way is very expensive and if book train travel in advance you risk problems with flight delays, so coach travel is a good suggestion.

Other coach services is Stage Coach, I have used them once to Oxford and it was cheap and ok. I dont know where else they cover though.

 

[ray]

Hi.

If you travel with National Express Coach // Luxury Coach Tickets & Travel to Destinations including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton & Portsmouth they do cheap fares from London to York, when I looked at the green find the lowest fares button the cheapest was a pound and the dearest was £16.00 if booked on line.

 

[Richard Mason]

Not sure what you meant by 'hit &miss', but from both LHR and LGW there are direct trains regularly to the centre of London. From there, anyone with more than one working brain cell can get to King's Cross (for York) or Euston (for Manchester).

Personally, I wouldn't get on a bus for than length of journey.

It wouldn't be more than about 4 hrs would it?

Well this is what I was thinking of:

To buy a train ticket on the day from London to Manchester will cost about £80one way is very expensive and if book train travel in advance you risk problems with flight delays, so coach travel is a good suggestion.

 

[Richard Mason]

Hi.

If you travel with National Express Coach // Luxury Coach Tickets & Travel to Destinations including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton & Portsmouth they do cheap fares from London to York, when I looked at the green find the lowest fares button the cheapest was a pound and the dearest was £16.00 if booked on line.

Thanks Ray, that's excellent.

 

[19696]

It wouldn't be more than about 4 hrs would it?

both journeys are timetabled at 5 1/4 hours.

Both journeys take about 2 hours by train.

 

[Lou]

both journeys are timetabled at 5 1/4 hours.

Both journeys take about 2 hours by train.

Christ on a bike. I wouldn't pay for a plane fare half way across the world and then balk at the cost of an off-peak train ticket in comparison to spending 5 1/4 horrendous hours on a coach.

Bugger that. At least on the train you can get up, walk about, go and buy a sandwich and a coffee or beer, and there isn't only one toilet that will break done in the first 45 minutes when the first person blocks it up with a real stinker!

 

[Bantam]

If you go onto the East Coast Rail website (Cheapest Train Tickets for the East Coast > East Coast) you can get decent fares if you book far enough in advance.

For example - I got a single from York to Edinburgh for £10.00 instead of £55 and a single from Newcastle to York for £4.90 - both including bike reservations.

Having just looked at the website, I could get a Single from Kings Cross to York on the 21st June at 10:30am for £18.70 - but they sell the cheapest tickets first, and when they're gone the prices get progressively higher. It's all dependent on the time you choose.

When I have to go to London for work and get the 07:00 returning on the 18:00-ish, it's around £200 return.

 

[BSH]

When I book rail tickets I always use TheTrainLine and check out 2 singles rather than a return I always find them the cheaper option, so much so I book 1st class

 

[19696]

When I book rail tickets I always use TheTrainLine and check out 2 singles rather than a return I always find them the cheaper option, so much so I book 1st class

yup - that is what i do. mostly, if I am on the train, i is work, and I can claim up to the return open, which is mostly a lot more than 2 first class singles, if i book even a day or two in advance, and go off peak.

 

[ray]

Christ on a bike. I wouldn't pay for a plane fare half way across the world and then balk at the cost of an off-peak train ticket in comparison to spending 5 1/4 horrendous hours on a coach.

Bugger that. At least on the train you can get up, walk about, go and buy a sandwich and a coffee or beer, and there isn't only one toilet that will break done in the first 45 minutes when the first person blocks it up with a real stinker!

Yes but you two are refined ladies, his lads are young and would ride in a cattle truck I expect if it didn't bite too much into their drinking vouchers..:teeth:..

 

[Jay_Benson]

Richard
If you click on the link in my sig then it will take you to a web site that will give details of what trains / coaches are available. To buy tickets you can use the National Rail web site. To collect the tickets can be as simple as going upto a machine and putting in the credit card punching in a code and the tickets are printed off for you. To get the best prices you do need to book in advance - much like many airlines. Tickets allowing you to board any train to your destination are obviously the most expensive but the most flexible.

HTH

Jay

 

[JasonP]

Personally, I wouldn't get on a bus for than length of journey.

Me either. I'd go to www.thetrainline.co.uk and have a look for tickets. Bizarrely, two singles is often cheaper than a return and it's a lot cheaper if you pick specific trains. As long as you can pick a train time you can definitely make, it's the way to go. I assume they'll overnight in London first. I wouldn't want to get off a flight from Oz and onto a bus or train to Manchester.

Jason

 

[Mrs Calamity]

Have you looked a megabus. They offer cheap seats on coaches and trains. T+C are bit limiting but if they are young travelling spirits on a budget it may well suit.
megabus.com - low cost intercity travel in the UK

 

[cheryl t]

shuttle flights

You havent said what date and which London airport they are flying into, but have you thought about a flight from London to Manchester airport - can usually pick one up for about 50quid from BA - bear in mind BA are talking about more strikes tho.

cant help with York - sori

 

[Richard Mason]

Sorted - he's flying into M/Cr now and probably staying with other rellies there.

Now, what's the going rate working in various jobs? He's been offered work in a cafe at 5.80 pounds/hr. He's on the equivalent of 13.20 pounds/hr working on front counter in a supermarket deli dept here, although that also reflects recent changes in the exchange rate with the ar$e dropping out of the pound and the AU$ going skyward but even so, it will be an eye opener for him.

 

[Richard Mason]

Yes but you two are refined ladies, his lads are young and would ride in a cattle truck I expect if it didn't bite too much into their drinking vouchers..:teeth:..

Hah, so you know them then?

 

[Richard Mason]

ooops

 

[Lou]

Sorted - he's flying into M/Cr now and probably staying with other rellies there.

Now, what's the going rate working in various jobs? He's been offered work in a cafe at 5.80 pounds/hr. He's on the equivalent of 13.20 pounds/hr working on front counter in a supermarket deli dept here, although that also reflects recent changes in the exchange rate with the ar$e dropping out of the pound and the AU$ going skyward but even so, it will be an eye opener for him.

Not a chance in a blue moon of getting anything at £13.20 /hr unless he is a skilled worker. Certainly not shop work. Probably up to maybe £7 /hr for shop work, but someone else will probably tell you better. £5.80 is national minimum wage for anyone 22 yrs or older.