Cricklewood - Windermere

[Skiddaw]

The Lake District is one of the most beautiful places in the whole of the UK, the 555 is perhaps the best bus journey in the UK (non-bus fans love it too) and the walking round there is incredible. Unless you hate the outdoors (which is highly unlikely since you are doing these runs) you will love the Lakes and be way happier spending time there rather than taking late night/early morning buses to make it to the Nottingham race

Hear, hear. OP, I know it doesn't do it for you, but I so agree. That's why we moved here. As I type, I can see the Ullswater fells from the front of the house (we have the privilige to be within walking distance of Ullswater) and the Northern Pennines from the back. And I love the 555. It's not only scenic, it's a really useful bus if you want to do a big, linear fell walk. As is the 508 come to that. Anyway, I digress....

 

[Bletchleyite]

There is no way I will sack off that race in Windermere - one of my bucket list item in the UK.

That's the BLDSA Windermere race.

Ah, a swimming race? The total opposite of urban though! Didn't realise you did that, thought you were just an orienteer.

I think I have to make up my mind now, to book overnight coaches from Preston to Nottingham and cancel my accommodation. Maybe I will go to fast food / a pub for my dinner after getting to Preston at 22:07 as I won't have my dinner yet after completing the race at Windermere. All the coaches added from Preston to Nottingham to Finchley Road will be cheaper than a night of accommodation at Preston.

But utterly grim and sleepless.

At that time of night in Preston you'll manage a dodgy kebab but little else. You might find a curry house still serving, possibly, maybe. But not a lot else. Preston is nominally a city but acts like a town still. It is not an Asian megacity!

I don't understand why you do these things to yourself sometimes...if I'd done a 10 mile swim the last thing I'd want to be doing is taking an overnight coach!

 

[Watershed]

Ah, a swimming race? The total opposite of urban though! Didn't realise you did that, thought you were just an orienteer.

I understand @miklcct is a triathlete

I don't understand why you do these things to yourself sometimes...if I'd done a 10 mile swim the last thing I'd want to be doing is taking an overnight coach!

Indeed. There are certainly times when it's a good idea to cut back and go for the absolute cheapest option... but this isn't one of them.

 

[Haywain]

There are certainly times when it's a good idea to cut back and go for the absolute cheapest option... but this isn't one of them.

Having seen entry fees for the swimming event, that's pretty clear!

 

[miklcct]

Ah, a swimming race? The total opposite of urban though! Didn't realise you did that, thought you were just an orienteer.

I highly prefer doing urban swimming races.

Unfortunately we don't have races in London as long and spectacular as the 20 Bridges in New York, so I have made a compromise here to travel out of London and South East in order to race.

But utterly grim and sleepless.

At that time of night in Preston you'll manage a dodgy kebab but little else. You might find a curry house still serving, possibly, maybe. But not a lot else. Preston is nominally a city but acts like a town still. It is not an Asian megacity!

I don't understand why you do these things to yourself sometimes...if I'd done a 10 mile swim the last thing I'd want to be doing is taking an overnight coach!

If the railway doesn't fail me I'd rather reward myself a night in a cozy hotel in Manchester, to recover and prepare for the race in Nottingham.

However, unfortunately my rail journey to Manchester will fail and the overnight coach is the only remaining option left for me to get to Nottingham, so without anything quality available I'd just go for the cheapest option if the torture can't be avoided.

 

[miklcct]

I have finally made the coach bookings. Unfortunately the total fares have already been increased by about £12 compared to yesterday.

Thanks for everyone above, my itinerary has now been fixed.

I have finally made the coach bookings. Unfortunately the total fares have already been increased by about £12 compared to yesterday.

Thanks for everyone above, my itinerary has now been fixed.

Unfortunately due to the death of our Queen the strikes have been called off. As a result I'll probably write off my coach tickets as such overnight coaches are an undesirable mean of travel between two sports events, which I am only willing to endure if I run out of any other options.

I hope that I won't see the same happens again in my remaining lifetime.

R.I.P.

I have just discovered that the EMR engineering works have been called off, which means I will be able to use the train back from Nottingham back home direct. I am going to write off my remaining Nottingham - Finchley Road coach ticket again.

I have cancelled all my Advance tickets for my trip from Manchester to Windermere, and from Windermere to Derby just in time before 18:00, and bought a through ticket for my whole trip on Trainsplit with the exact same route I want to use, including the overnight stay at Derby and my layover at Nottingham, instead, and travel with complete flexibility on the first train back immediately after completing my races.