Californian is England Bound, Needs Advice

[Gardyloo]

Hello, and greetings from California. A poster on Quora recommended this site as being very knowledgeable and helpful, so here I am.
Quick Background, In the US I've traveled the Coast Starlight, the California Zephyr, Capitol Corridor Commuters and regularly used Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). I like trains.

I’m taking my first solo England trip since losing my DH last summer; and he never wanted to leave London. No London this trip unless I have to end up at St Pancras Station.

I’m planning to fly SFO to LHR then some sort of transport to Reading (I think there’s a direct bus), and then to a Thames Hotel Boat cruise for 5 days. From Reading, I train to Bath and stay for a few days, then to Moreton-on-Marsh for a few days, then Windsor for a few, and then to my last two stops which is where I need advice.

I’m staying at Hever Castle, and then to (probably) Ashford for a night to catch the Eurostar the next day. I have to figure out how to get to these last two places. In addition, I really need to try out UK driving so see if it’s a viable option for my next trip to the UK. And I need an automatic transmission.

Ideally I could get a car at a train station somewhere away from Windsor/LHR, drive to Hever Castle, stay there with the car, then drive back to a town with a train station with direct access to Eurostar. The day before Eurostar, I need to do some laundry (how unexciting). As mentioned, I booked a room in Ashford, but it’s cancelable if you folks suggest a better option.

Another option is train to a station near Hever, train to Ashford and try to find a driving school in Ashford that could take me on for a few hours.

Suggestions, ideas?

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Automatic transmissions should be available at most big rental places. Airports will be the best place to look.

Hever Castle isn't far from Gatwick Airport, you could get a train to there and rent a car from there (I did similar in the US a few years back). There are frequent express services from London Victoria.

Not many Eurostars stop at Ashford. You could always return the car to Gatwick, get the train into London and stop overnight before getting a Eurostar from St. Pancras. Gives you many more departures to look at.

 

[James Wake]

The closest bus service to Hever Castle is the 234: timetable here: http://www.travelinesoutheast.org.u...tdLPxx_spTr=1&itdLPxx_operatorCodeForTTB=GOCH

Ashford is do-able by bus from Hever, all for an £8.50 Discovery ticket, either by 234 to Tunbridge Wells, then on either the 7 to Maidstone for 10X to Ashford, or the 297 to Tenterden then the 2 or 2A to Ashford.

There is a station at Hever, served by Southern trains on the Uckfield Line.

From Windsor and Eton Riverside, the quickest way to Hever by train is to get a South West Trains service to Clapham Junction, for example there is one at 1353 which arrives at 1438, then any Southern train down to East Croydon from platform 13, the first one after 1438 is 1442, then 1453, 1456 and 1459.

Then the 1524 Southern service from East Croydon to Hever arrives at 1549. It is a bit of a walk it seems down to the castle of about 25 minutes according to Google Maps, along country lanes.

 

[30907]

Assuming you have baggage, Hever rail station would be uncomfortably far from the castle, and with such a limited bus service you might need a taxi from Edenbridge Town.

If you are travelling on the right day of the week (Monday, Friday or Saturday) the bus journey via Tunbridge Wells and Tenterden runs through a very pleasant slice of rural Kent.
It is also possible to get from Edenbridge (a different station!) to Ashford with one change of train.

If you decide to drive, and are not catching an early morning train from Ashford, you might consider staying overnight in somewhere like Tenterden (or even off-route in Rye).

Eurostar partner with Avis, so you should be able to do a one-way hire to Ashford - or to Ebbsfleet, which has a wider choice of departures (but if you already have a ticket, be aware that trains serving Ashford don't all call at Ebbsfleet).

 

[bangor-toad]

Hi there,
As others have mentioned, there is a railway station at Hever. It's a pleasant walk to the Castle if it's good weather and you haven't got luggage.

Assuming you will have then the option I'd consider would be:

Get a train from Windor & Eton Riverside to Clapham Junction, change there and get a train to Gatwick Airport.
At Gatwick, collect a hire car. It'll be easy to get an automatic one there.

Drive over to Hever. It's not far at all - about 20 to 25 miles depending on which route you take.

Then when you want to get to the Eurostar, go back to Gatwick, drop off the car and there are many direct train from Gatwick to St Pancras. You then get the widest choice of Eurostars and you don't need to restrict your times to the few that call at Ashford. Plus there's no one-way car rental fee.

Hope you have a good trip,
Mr Toad

 

[Gardyloo]

Thank you so much for all your replies; this info is exactly what I need. I'll be researching your suggestions on Sunday.

The Charity organization where I volunteer is having its big annual event tomorrow, and I'll be working like a crazed person from now until late Saturday night. We invite local families to come ride horses in the hopes they'll become interested in our equine friends.

Anyway, I may have a few more questions in a few days. I haven't purchased my Eurostar ticket yet; I wasn't sure which station I'd be using and was willing to accept the probable rate increase.
The assumption that I'd have luggage is correct; my total trip time is about 3 weeks, hence rolling luggage and the need for a launderette.

All continued recommendations are very welcome!

 

[YorkshireBear]

In a future visit can I highly recommend the North of England. Very different (Better ) than London and the South.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[telstarbox]

There's a reason Kent is called the Garden of England

In the local area you might also enjoy Chartwell or Tunbridge Wells and its surrounding villages if you have time. I would recommend the car option from Gatwick as outlined above as it will give you more flexibility in the rural areas.

There is a laundrette in Tunbridge Wells open 7 days a week - http://www.washerteria.co.uk/
There might also be one in Tonbridge or Sevenoaks. It may be best to call ahead to check opening hours in particular as some businesses close on Sundays in the UK.

Although Ashford is a large town there isn't much for the visitor there.

 

[DarloRich]

It is a shame you have limited yourself to the London/ South East /Kent. You will have to come back and see more of our country. There is so much more ( and much more spectacular parts) to see than Kent but you have picked some lovely spots. Windsor ( take a walk in the Great Park if you can ) & Bath would be on any UK grand tour and Hever Castle is the ancestral home of Anne Boleyn (Divorced, beheaded, died etc). Not sure about Ashford mind!

An Automatic transmission car should be easily available form any of the larger hire companies ( Enterprise/Hertz/Europacar) but make sure you tell them first.

If you are looking for somewhere sensibly priced to stay I would suggest you check out Premier Inn. I have never stayed in a bad one and the quality is good for a reasonable price. They are a country wide chain.

Do you have an itinerary sorted out for the days out? Come back if you need/want any ideas.

 

[70014IronDuke]

If you are spending all that time in SE/Kent then you surely have to visit at least one of the preserved lines? I'd opt for the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch (OK, it's not strictly preserved, but you know what I mean.)

It really is something different, even if the scenery is not the best.

http://www.rhdr.org.uk/

 

[30907]

In a future visit can I highly recommend the North of England. Very different (Better ) than London and the South.

Enjoy your trip.

As a Kentishman living in Lancashire and retiring to Yorkshire I half agree, but at least the OP isn't trying to see all of England at once.

 

[30907]

If you are spending all that time in SE/Kent then you surely have to visit at least one of the preserved lines? I'd opt for the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch (OK, it's not strictly preserved, but you know what I mean.)

It really is something different, even if the scenery is not the best.

http://www.rhdr.org.uk/

IF the OP is a rail enthusiast, and IF she has slack in her schedule at Hever, then the short drive to the Bluebell at East Grinstead would make more sense IMO.

 

[70014IronDuke]

IF the OP is a rail enthusiast, and IF she has slack in her schedule at Hever, then the short drive to the Bluebell at East Grinstead would make more sense IMO.

Yearh, he should do that too. But the RHDR is uniqueer than the Bluebell.

 

[Gardyloo]

This is very exciting! The Quora poster who recommended this forum was exactly right; you folks are wonderfully helpful. Even telling me about a launderette in Tunbridge Wells-Yes!!!

Several of you are correct about not seeing all of England this trip. I love your country and want to take it in small bites. Plus this is my first trip by myself since my husband passed away in July and I need to be comfortable.

Next year tentatively I plan to cruise with my sister and her husband from Lisbon to Tower Bridge; then take the train to King's Lynn (my sister wants to see Sandringham). From there, I'd like to visit York and we'll see. I'll return here for suggestions in a future post.

So back to this trip: I definitely will take recommendation to rent the car at Gatwick and drive to Hever for two nights. Hever sounds interesting because it was also home to Anne of Cleves; I always thought she was was the smartest of Henry's wives. She took his very generous offer and lived a long and well honored life.

When I travel by myself, I like to take my time and not rush. I wish I could spend a week in each of these places. But this is the first trip and in a way, a test run. I have to figure out a way to remind myself to keep left when I drive those two days. I've started watching YouTube British driving videos to orient my brain. And I've been taking sample UK driving tests on TopTest.

The Bluebell at East Grinstead sounds very intriguing; especially since it's close to Hever. I'll check into that; thank you.

I'm staying at the Premier Inn in Reading my first two nights after arrival; thanks for the recommendation.
My last lodging I need to figure out is the one night before Eurostar. Should I stay one night near Gatwick after I return the car, or one night in London to make it easy to get to St Pancras? If London I can go to evensong at Westminster Abbey. We don't have much evensong in the US, and it's a very relaxing way to end a day of touring.

I need to figure out if I should get some sort of rail pass. I qualify for a disabled and just qualified for a senior pass, but apparently need a UK address for those. My train trips are: Reading to Bath; Bath to Moreton on Marsh; Moreton on Marsh to Windsor; Windsor to Gatwick; Gatwick to St Pancras Int'l. If I stay in London the last night I have an Oyster card.

I'll be back with more questions shortly

 

[W-on-Sea]

Reading to Bath is a straightforward enough journey by train (direct train). Moreton in Marsh to Windsor should be too (usually just one change of train required, at Slough), Gatwick to St Pancras also no problem (a direct train). Windsor to Gatwick...hmm..there are various options, most of them reasonable enough.

Bath to Moreton-in-Marsh though...will be painfully slow, for the distance covered - you might have to go via Reading, and the connections might not be great. That stretch would work out much better by car - not least as it would give you access to thoroughly delightful places in the Cotswolds (between Bath and Moreton) that have no railways. T

 

[simonw]

I'm sure you are aware, but there are several premier inns in Reading, so make sure you know which one you are staying at. Premier Inns are fine but a bit basic, nothing premier about them. I think US citizens can get a britrail pass which may be a cheaper way to travel than buying tickets over here.

Looking ahead, I wouldn't take a ship from Lisbon to the UK, if only because you may well travel through the Bay of Biscay which can be pretty rough. If the ship doesn't call anywhere , it would seem a waste of time as well, but that's a personal opinion.

 

[30907]

A Senior Railcard doesn't need UK residence, and you don't need to buy it in advance. You might well recoup the cost on the basis of your plans.

W-on-Sea makes a good point about Bath to Moreton, though it's fairly quick by train. If you don't mind a bus for the last leg, take the train via Bristol to Cheltenham, then a bus via Bourton-on-the-Water, which is a nice run.

 

[Gardyloo]

I'll check out the bus option for Bath - Moreton; thank you both for that recommendation.

My last lodging I need to figure out is the one night before Eurostar. Should I stay one night near Gatwick after I return the car, or one night in London to make it easy to get to St Pancras? What would you do? I need to book soon, the Eurostar prices have started to rise.

 

[30907]

It depends a little on the time your Eurostar leaves, of course. In general, though, you are more likely to be able to reach your hotel by public transport or on foot in central London than at Gatwick, if that is important to you.

The Cheltenham-Moreton bus I found via Googlemap's, but haven't checked further.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm sure you are aware, but there are several premier inns in Reading, so make sure you know which one you are staying at. Premier Inns are fine but a bit basic, nothing premier about them.

They're premier compared with Travelodges. The cheap hotel brand I would really recommend if there is one where you are going is Motel One, though, despite the very cheapo-sounding name it is generally to a very high standard. (Though the breakfast is Continental as the concept is basically lifted straight from Germany without change).

 

[James Wake]

There's a Premier Inn on Fleming Way, On the Industrial Estate just south of Gatwick on the outskirts of Crawley. Bus route 100 links the airport to it (and my house) so it would be a short bus ride in the morning, route 100 and nearby route 10 both run 24 hours, then a Thameslink to St Pancras.

 

[DarloRich]

TBH you cant go wrong with Premier Inn - I am not sure what anyone complaining expects. A large comfortable bed, a decent sized and clean room along with a decent bathroom. They give you a decent priced, decent quality overnight stay.

 

[IanD]

I'll check out the bus option for Bath - Moreton; thank you both for that recommendation.

My last lodging I need to figure out is the one night before Eurostar. Should I stay one night near Gatwick after I return the car, or one night in London to make it easy to get to St Pancras? What would you do? I need to book soon, the Eurostar prices have started to rise.

Push the boat out and stay at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel?

 

[Sleeper]

Regarding your choice of staying at Gatwick or London prior to your Eurostar journey, my own preference would usually be to stay near to the Eurostar check-in. That way you minimise the risks and worries associated with any delays or mishaps on the way to catching your train.

It also makes it more practical to choose an early train if that helps.

There are branches of Premier Inn for St Pancras and for Kings Cross - these stations are right next door to each other, by the way. The distance from lobby of either to the Eurostar check-in is probably less than the length of a Eurostar train!!

I wish you have a good trip.

 

[Gardyloo]

I decided to stay close to St Pancras in a studio apartment with a free launderette in the basement. This allowed me to take a mid morning train to Paris the next day.
Wow, I leave in 20 days!

The newest wrinkle on this trip is with the African Queen hotel boat I've booked for five days. I made the final payment last month and they left me a voice message late Friday that they've gone into administration. However they say the trip will still go on. I will call my new Travel Agent this morning for advice.

 

[Gardyloo]

Push the boat out and stay at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel?

Ha! I wish I could afford it; unbeknownst to me, my Marriott points expired when my DH was so ill last year. Otherwise I could've stayed there, I had enough points.

 

[Gardyloo]

Planning is almost complete; I leave the US in about 10 days.
I calculated the individual train trips and with a Senior Pass, my trips are cheaper than any of the BritRail passes covering the areas I'll be in.

Could any of you please help with how to figure out and book the recommended bus trip from Cheltenham Spa train station to Moreton-In-Marsh train station via bus? I'm having a hard time finding bus info, and I don't want to buy my train ticket from Bath to Cheltenham before I know the bus times available.

 

[IanD]

Looking at the traveline website the service is the 801 run by Pulham coaches.

The traveline websites are quite useful for finding out about bus services in the UK. There are different versions for different regions but they all seem to bring up the info for all of the UK.

http://www.traveline.info/ is the national one and http://www.travelinesw.com/ is the local one for the South West (covering Cheltenham and Moreton in Marsh) but I find the south east one I linked to first better, but that may be just me!

You shouldn't have to book this bit as it is a turn up and go service. It runs from the bus station in Cheltenham but does not go past the train station.

 

[30907]

My apologies for not spotting when I suggested it that you would need to change buses en route in Cheltenham. There are local buses up to the bus station, or you could get a taxi.

I could suggest an even more scenic route via Swindon, Cirencester and Northleach, but that's an extra change as you can get a local train through from Bath to Cheltenham, while the bus from Cirencester to Northleach is infrequent.

However, I wonder whether you might find it easier simply to go by train changing at Didcot and Oxford (set the search to "avoid Reading" to make sure) - at Didcot it's across the platform and at Oxford the same platform.

 

[Gardyloo]

Thanks Ian, the Traveline website is great; good details

30907, you gave me an idea. I probably will take a taxi; but I might also ask the flat fare cost to MiM via taxi, with him/her telling me about some sights along the way. Unless the road edge is all hedges, in which case, I'll be better off on a higher bus.

Ideas are still welcome!