Camper van pick up point - help requested

DarloRich · 22 Apr 2022

In need to ask the RUK hive mind for some advice.

Next week we are going to Bala lake for the long BH weekend. Due to work I cant get up to Leeds to meet my partner and drive the van over. Therefore I need to find a station that i can be picked up from en route.

The route the van will take is M62> M6>M56>A55>A5105>A494. I will get the train from Bletchley.

My suggestions were Warrington BQ or Chester but bringing the van into the town centre might be difficult. Therefore I have discovered Penyffordd. It is very near the road and has a car park.

Can anyone suggest me somewhere better?

RailUK Forums

Cheshire Rover · 22 Apr 2022

Helsby? Off the M56 at J12, through Frodsham, into Helsby then back on the M56 at J14?

Bletchleyite · 22 Apr 2022

Warrington BQ isn't in the town centre, it's in a southern (and rather industrial) suburb, thus this is unlikely to be in any way difficult.

Runcorn is another possibility that presently has a few direct services from MKC (1630 and 1930 today for instance if those times suit), or you can do it on the cheap changing at Brum/Stafford/Crewe with LNR. The station isn't in the centre and it has a freeflowing segregated road system not dissimilar to MK, so again easy.

Cheshire Rover · 22 Apr 2022

Bletchleyite said:
Warrington BQ isn't in the town centre, it's in a southern (and rather industrial) suburb, thus this is unlikely to be in any way difficult.

It's a bit of a pig though around the rush hour times getting out via Bridgefoot...

AndrewE · 22 Apr 2022

Cheshire Rover said:
It's a bit of a pig though around the rush hour times getting out via Bridgefoot...

So bad in fact that a friend who commuted there over the Thelwall viaduct used to stay in a hotel in Warrington several nights a week to avoid the traffic. If there is a problem on the M6 you can write off any chance of diverting.

Llanigraham · 22 Apr 2022

Cheshire Rover said:
Helsby? Off the M56 at J12, through Frodsham, into Helsby then back on the M56 at J14?

Frodsham Station is also easy to get to, and if the van stopped on the main road through it is a very short walk down to there from the Station.
I think one of the pubs (Cheshire Cheese?) on ther main road has quite a big car park too.

30907 · 22 Apr 2022

Penyffordd doesn't strike me as particularly accessible from Bletchley, and is the service reliable? Diverting via Wrexham or Ruabon adds (according to Googlemaps) 4 or 6min to the road journey (NB Ruabon means going through Llangollen), so those might be an option, and the road access is reasonable (buses serve Ruabon station; at Wrexham a pickup at Majestic Wine or the Premier Inn might be easier on the driver!).
Another possibility, depending on your timings, might be to meet at Boughton Heath or Wrexham Road P+R just off the A55. (The latter is near bus routes from Chester station, even in the evening).

DarloRich · 24 Apr 2022

Thanks all - will take a look at pptions this evening

Cheshire Rover · 25 Apr 2022

Llanigraham said:
Frodsham Station is also easy to get to, and if the van stopped on the main road through it is a very short walk down to there from the Station.
I think one of the pubs (Cheshire Cheese?) on ther main road has quite a big car park too.

Cheshire Cheese is no more I'm afraid.. Knocked down for housing.. Plenty of parking on Main Street though..

paul1609 · 25 Apr 2022

DarloRich said:
In need to ask the RailUK Forums hive mind for some advice.

Next week we are going to Bala lake for the long BH weekend. Due to work I cant get up to Leeds to meet my partner and drive the van over. Therefore I need to find a station that i can be picked up from en route.

The route the van will take is M62> M6>M56>A55>A5105>A494. I will get the train from Bletchley.

My suggestions were Warrington BQ or Chester but bringing the van into the town centre might be difficult. Therefore I have discovered Penyffordd. It is very near the road and has a car park.

Can anyone suggest me somewhere better?

I'd suggest Chester is a no brainer. Park the van up somewhere just off the motorway and get a taxi to it, it's about 3 miles.

Mcr Warrior · 25 Apr 2022

DarloRich said:
Therefore I need to find a station that i can be picked up from en route.

The route the van will take is M62> M6>M56>A55>A5105>A494. I will get the train from Bletchley.

DarloRich said:
Can anyone suggest me somewhere better?

Doubt the van will actually be using the A5105, but Morecambe or Bare Lane would be handy stations to be picked up at if you really do want to go that way.

PY33 · 25 Apr 2022

DarloRich said:
In need to ask the RailUK Forums hive mind for some advice.

Next week we are going to Bala lake for the long BH weekend. Due to work I cant get up to Leeds to meet my partner and drive the van over. Therefore I need to find a station that i can be picked up from en route.

The route the van will take is M62> M6>M56>A55>A5105>A494. I will get the train from Bletchley.

My suggestions were Warrington BQ or Chester but bringing the van into the town centre might be difficult. Therefore I have discovered Penyffordd. It is very near the road and has a car park.

Can anyone suggest me somewhere better?

Penyffordd would work. The car park is large and the station is on the
A5104 which will take you to Corwen and thence to Bala in an hour or so. The biggest problem will be in your getting there from Bletchley. Your quickest route would be train to Chester then a taxi. Otherwise you probably need to travel via Birmingham New St., Shrewsbury & Wrexham.

As far as the van is concerned Penyffordd is around 10 miles from the western end of the M56, mostly on dual carriageway.

High Dyke · 25 Apr 2022

Would Bletchley to Ruabon, via Chester be feasible? Not sure about access at Ruabon, then back onto the A5 or A539 through Llangollen and onto the A494 after Corwen.

30907 · 25 Apr 2022

High Dyke said:
Would Bletchley to Ruabon, via Chester be feasible? Not sure about access at Ruabon, then back onto the A5 or A539 through Llangollen and onto the A494 after Corwen.

Indeed - with a through Voyager from MKC to Wrexham giving a journey just over 2 hours (Wrexham, as I suggested upthread, is itself a possibility, though peehaps less easy on the driver.)

Djgr · 25 Apr 2022

What about Shotton?

30907 · 26 Apr 2022

Djgr said:
What about Shotton?

Good call, but awkward to do a pickup with a campervan even at the High Level end I would have thought.

Bletchleyite · 26 Apr 2022

30907 said:
Good call, but awkward to do a pickup with a campervan even at the High Level end I would have thought.

I still maintain Runcorn would be easiest. It's a bit off the route, but with its uncongested MK-like New Town roads driving to the station would be simplicity itself. And the OP could travel with LNR and save a packet over Avanti.

30907 · 26 Apr 2022

Bletchleyite said:
I still maintain Runcorn would be easiest. It's a bit off the route, but with its uncongested MK-like New Town roads driving to the station would be simplicity itself. And the OP could travel with LNR and save a packet over Avanti.

About +15 driving time compared with Warrington/Wrexham/Ruabon.
Both it and Bank Quay allow one to avoid Thelwall viaduct which might be an advantage.

DarloRich · 28 Apr 2022

We have decided upon Wrexham. Thanks for the advice.

Meole · 28 Apr 2022

Runcorn East is a quiet spot, however Wrexham is easily accessible off the by pass 483, if the vehicle is early there is a retail park immediately left off the 483 turn off with free parking, allowing quick pick up at the station when called, a couple of minutes away past a speed camera careful, the other side of the Hollywood owned football club. If you are early do not walk the other way into town as the first pub is a well known chain best avoided as terrible even by its low standards.

DarloRich · 2 May 2022

And just for completeness: i ended up at Penyyford due to various traffic cock ups en route. Really easy to use the car park easy access and a short run to Bala.

We had a great weekend and a cheeky run on the Bala lake railway.

Cowley · 2 May 2022

DarloRich said:
And just for completeness: i ended up at Penyyford due to various traffic cock ups en route. Really easy to use the car park easy access and a short run to Bala.

We had a great weekend and a cheeky run on the Bala lake railway.

Nice!

DarloRich · 2 May 2022

Cowley said:
Nice!

we are trying to make up fr lost time of the lockdowns. A return to north wales for "cute little trains" has been authorised by central command!

Cowley · 2 May 2022

DarloRich said:
we are trying to make up fr lost time of the lockdowns. A return to north wales for "cute little trains" has been authorised by central command!

We’re doing a van trip to your old stamping ground at the end of June. Hopefully Whitby, Durham, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (it’d be rude not to) and possibly Holy Island if we can fit it in.
I might get a bit of advice from you about places to visit at some point.

DarloRich · 2 May 2022

Cowley said:
We’re doing a van trip to your old stamping ground at the end of June. Hopefully Whitby, Durham, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (it’d be rude not to) and possibly Holy Island if we can fit it in.
I might get a bit of advice from you about places to visit at some point.

oh yeah! give me a shout. Get Holy Island in. honestly.

Cowley · 2 May 2022

DarloRich said:
oh yeah! give me a shout. Get Holy Island in. honestly.

Will do.

Camper van pick up point - help requested

Veteran Member

RailUK Forums

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

On Moderation

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Forum Staff

Veteran Member

Forum Staff

Veteran Member

Forum Staff