If you were stranded in London after missing the last train what would you do?

[busestrains]

edit - split from here

If you had the choice of either sitting around in Eastbourne all night long in the freezing cold for about six hours to wait for the first bus or walking to Hastings then i think the latter is a far more sensible choice. Hopefully the staff at Eastbourne would book a free taxi but in the unlikely event that they did not then walking to Hastings would be a far more sensible option than sitting around in the freezing cold all night long for six hours. The walk from Eastbourne to Hastings can be easily done in around four hours if you walk quickly. Also when you walk you get warm very quickly even in the freezing cold weather so within twenty to thirty minutes of walking you would actually be very warm. So while walking is not ideal it is a far more sensible choice than sitting around in the freezing cold for hours.

 

[35B]

Right now an Uber from Victoria to Hastings is showing as costing £151. That could well be £250 or more, late at night and with the usual surge pricing.

Whilst I don't doubt that hotels can be expensive in London, I would be surprised if something couldn't be found for less than that. Again, we can't do a perfect retrospective comparison, but Premier Inn has plenty of rooms at £80-90 in central London tonight.

Either way, it is not an unreasonable course of action in the circumstances. It's not like as if the OP was just travelling to, say, Redhill - where a taxi would undoubtedly have been the cheaper option.

Prices are sky high right now - if rooms are even available at no notice. I looked recently for one at short notice, and found nothing less than £400 - and that with corporate pricing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Prices are sky high right now - if rooms are even available at no notice. I looked recently for one at short notice, and found nothing less than £400 - and that with corporate pricing.

A bit of thinking helps here. Central London hotels are extremely expensive, but you can often get quite cheap ones a short way out, e.g. Croydon, Feltham, Milton Keynes etc. I'd look at Croydon first for that journey as it's in the right direction and there'd still be trains.

£80.75 for a Premier Inn in Croydon tonight for instance. No doubt this will go up a bit later on, but from experience of booking PIs last minute which I've done a few times I very much doubt it'll go over £100 even by midnight. Given PI's general approach to pricing post-COVID this wouldn't be a terrible price booked a month ago, let alone last minute!

 

[Haywain]

A bit of thinking helps here. Central London hotels are extremely expensive, but you can often get quite cheap ones a short way out, e.g. Croydon, Feltham, Milton Keynes etc. I'd look at Croydon first for that journey as it's in the right direction and there'd still be trains.

This is all very well when it's a personal booking but if a TOC is going to use a hotel for customers they will look to use something very close to the station, so for a customer at Victoria they would be looking for a hotel close to Victoria, especially if it is late at night. This is one reason why they would so often prefer to use taxis - because a couple of hundred pounds for a taxi to Hastings suddenly doesn't look anywhere near so expensive.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This is all very well when it's a personal booking but if a TOC is going to use a hotel for customers they will look to use something very close to the station, so for a customer at Victoria they would be looking for a hotel close to Victoria, especially if it is late at night. This is one reason why they would so often prefer to use taxis - because a couple of hundred pounds for a taxi to Hastings suddenly doesn't look anywhere near so expensive.

I know, I was talking about a passenger doing it themselves because the TOC had stood them up, as happened here, then choosing to pursue it (or not) later.

That said, easyJet tend to book hotels in Annemasse when people get stuck at Geneva, because hotels in Geneva are very expensive - that's very similar. Even easier now it has a decent train service, though when it happened to me I was put in a taxi. Only downside was that a lot of duty free got seized at the customs post - it was like they'd been tipped off about it!

I know they do often use taxis when other options might be cheaper - my best one was Preston to Edinburgh - I hate to think what that cost them! (It wasn't on the meter.)

 

[Haywain]

That said, easyJet tend to book hotels in Annemasse when people get stuck at Geneva, because hotels in Geneva are very expensive - that's very similar.

Whereas, by contrast, when Eurostar cancelled a train in Amsterdam a few weeks ago (after it had made it a few yards along the platform) they left the stranded passengers to make their own arrangements. But this drifts further and further off topic.

 

[Doppelganger]

A bit of thinking helps here. Central London hotels are extremely expensive, but you can often get quite cheap ones a short way out, e.g. Croydon, Feltham, Milton Keynes etc. I'd look at Croydon first for that journey as it's in the right direction and there'd still be trains.

Milton Keynes?

Croydon is a fair call with pretty much 24hr trains, but going from central to Buckinghamshire??? Really?

 

[zwk500]

Milton Keynes?

Croydon is a fair call with pretty much 24hr trains, but going from central to Buckinghamshire??? Really?

MK is 30 minutes from Euston and trains run until about 0130 (or used to)

 

[Doppelganger]

MK is 30 minutes from Euston and trains run until about 0130 (or used to)

So head in the opposite direction?

That is massively counter intuitive.

No-one heading for the south coast will be heading north.

 

[paul1609]

If the OP is stranded in Central London with no assistance from railway staff. Id suggest that they took the next train to Gatwick Airport and wait there for the first train in the morning. Theres normally a lot of people in the south terminal departures waiting for the early morning flights. It's relatively warm and there is good security.

 

[3rd rail land]

If the OP is stranded in Central London with no assistance from railway staff. Id suggest that they took the next train to Gatwick Airport and wait there for the first train in the morning. There's normally a lot of people in the south terminal departures waiting for the early morning flights. It's relatively warm and there is good security.

That's actually a rather good idea. It's in the correct direction which would hopefully have meant getting home sooner when trains/buses started running again in the morning and as you say relatively warm which is probably the most important thing given the temperature on the evening/night the OP was stranded.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So head in the opposite direction?

That is massively counter intuitive.

No-one heading for the south coast will be heading north.

It's a cheap place to get a hotel provided there's no major event on. It's massively, massively overcapacity on hotels, for instance there are about 4 Premier Inns (possibly 5 now). It's also really cheap due to the competition between the two main TOCs and has a last train at 0010 Saturday and 0134 every other day, plus a very frequent service back to London again with the first train on every morning except Sunday at about 0330.

My first choice would be Croydon, but I'd not limit it to places in the right direction, I'd be looking at where the cheapest hotels were. About half an hour out of a London terminal in fairly nondescript places is where you'll usually find them. Slough might be another.

If the OP is stranded in Central London with no assistance from railway staff. Id suggest that they took the next train to Gatwick Airport and wait there for the first train in the morning. Theres normally a lot of people in the south terminal departures waiting for the early morning flights. It's relatively warm and there is good security.

Good point, one of the major airports is quite a good plan if you are happy to sit up all night - it's at least somewhere safe to wait as you say.

 

[Doppelganger]

It's a cheap place to get a hotel provided there's no major event on. It's massively, massively overcapacity on hotels, for instance there are about 4 Premier Inns (possibly 5 now). It's also really cheap due to the competition between the two main TOCs and has a last train at 0010 Saturday and 0134 every other day, plus a very frequent service back to London again with the first train on every morning except Sunday at about 0330.

My first choice would be Croydon, but I'd not limit it to places in the right direction, I'd be looking at where the cheapest hotels were. About half an hour out of a London terminal in fairly nondescript places is where you'll usually find them. Slough might be another.



Good point, one of the major airports is quite a good plan if you are happy to sit up all night - it's at least somewhere safe to wait as you say.

No one in their right mind would head 80km north, when they want to be heading 100km south.

It's great if you have some local knowledge of MK, as your handle suggests, but for normal people it wouldn't even their heads to take such a massive backwards step.

I'm not convinced and neither would most of the general public be, especially at close to midnight.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No one in their right mind would head 80km north, when they want to be heading 100km south.

It's great if you have some local knowledge of MK, as your handle suggests, but for normal people it wouldn't even their heads to take such a massive backwards step.

I'm not convinced and neither would most of the general public be, especially at close to midnight.

What I would do is open the Premier Inn app and look where vaguely nearby is cheapest, with regard mainly to how long it'd take to get there, and if there was an acceptable one book it and go there, if not try the same with the Travelodge app.

Yes, I have actually done that (on a car journey because I was too fatigued to continue).

 

[Doppelganger]

What I would do is open the Premier Inn app and look where vaguely nearby is cheapest, with regard mainly to how long it'd take to get there, and if there was an acceptable one book it and go there, if not try the same with the Travelodge app.

Yes, I have actually done that (on a car journey because I was too fatigued to continue).

80km north of central London and thus 180km of my destination is not nearby by anyone's stretch of the imagination.

Your car comparison is not a good one. Did you drive 80km in the opposite direction to where you were heading? Furthermore you would be warm and comfortable in your car and not on the verge of being stranded outside your comfort zone...

 

[zwk500]

For clarity, in this situation I'd have said head to Croydon or Gatwick. However I was mentioning that MK is not a totally mad idea depending on the individual journeys if stranded in London overnight.

 

[WesternLancer]

So having closed down the walk/swim between Eastbourne and Hastings option, it looks like the thread has morphed into a discussion on the best places to spend the night when missed the last train out of London towards the south coast.

But the OP wanted advice on how to get compensated by LNWR.

Would it not be best to start a new thread on the overnight options - after all that would help future readers find that advice when doing a quick search at Vcitoria at circa 1am....

 

[Doppelganger]

So having closed down the walk/swim between Eastbourne and Hastings option, it looks like the thread has morphed into a discussion on the best places to spend the night when missed the last train out of London towards the south coast.

But the OP wanted advice on how to get compensated by LNWR.

Would it not be best to start a new thread on the overnight options - after all that would help future readers find that advice when doing a quick search at Vcitoria at circa 1am....

It's obvious if you're at Victoria and want to head South, you should instead head 50 miles north to Milton Keynes

 

[WesternLancer]

It's obvious if you're at Victoria and want to head South, you should instead head 50 miles north to Milton Keynes

I'm with the Gatwick airport option (very good idea) - but maybe some would say Luton airport might be an option?

As per the orig thread I'd prob have chosen night buses, but from now on I will indeed always bear the airport option in mind.

Or a night bus to Heathrow?

 

[Cowley]

Would it not be best to start a new thread on the overnight options

The only thing is, we just can’t read every post in every thread so it’s always better if someone reports it (and if you want to be really helpful then letting us know which posts need moving is even more helpful ).

Anyway. Carry on.
Return to Milton Keynes anyone..?

 

[sheff1]

I'm with the Gatwick airport option (very good idea) - but maybe some would say Luton airport might be an option?

A major airport is always a one of the better option in such circumstances - warm, secure and with facilities. (I know people who regularly hang out at Manchester when unable to complete their journey that evening). In the case of London the choice of airport would likely depend on which direction you wanted to travel onwards in the morning.

If looking for a hotel, MK would be a good option if in London wanting to head north the next day but frankly bizarre if you were aiming for the Sussex coast.

*******
On a personal level I have twice been 'stranded' after landing in London this year due to lack of trains, once due to the hottest day of the year and the other time due to strike action. In both cases I booked a hotel upon arrival (Stratford & Wandsworth respectively) - in my younger days I would have just camped out at the airports.

 

[zwk500]

Genuinely not 5 minutes between the posts....

 

[Haywain]

In the case of London the choice of airport would likely depend on which direction you wanted to travel onwards in the morning.

However, consideration might also be taken of how to get from an airport to the final destination. If there are not good transport links (and strikes can make things much worse) then the airport is not a lot of use.

 

[Non Multi]

I'm with the Gatwick airport option (very good idea) - but maybe some would say Luton airport might be an option?

As per the orig thread I'd prob have chosen night buses, but from now on I will indeed always bear the airport option in mind.

Or a night bus to Heathrow?

I'd expect the night bus to be LIVELY and somewhat slow.

I rode the night bus (N207) from central London to Uxbridge a decade ago, then paid £25 for a long minicab ride home from there. I wouldn't recommend the night bus, especially if you're wanting a quiet journey.

Oxford Tube coach (from Victoria or Marble Arch) to Hillingdon might be a quicker option, then a bus to Heathrow.

On most Friday and Saturday nights there's also the Night Tube, so a journey on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow will also be quicker than the N9 bus.

 

[sheff1]

However, consideration might also be taken of how to get from an airport to the final destination. If there are not good transport links (and strikes can make things much worse) then the airport is not a lot of use.

Clearly onward travel would be a consideration, but the London airports generally have above average public transport links, not just by rail. Gatwick for example has frequent coaches to Brighton from where there is an even more a frequent bus to Eastbourne.

 

[WesternLancer]

The only thing is, we just can’t read every post in every thread so it’s always better if someone reports it (and if you want to be really helpful then letting us know which posts need moving is even more helpful ).

Anyway. Carry on.
Return to Milton Keynes anyone..?

well indeed, but distract the mods from seasonal preparations (at the inn)?

 

[Cowley]

well indeed, but distract the mods from seasonal preparations (at the inn)?

I did actually go to the Inn tonight!

 

[bangor-toad]

If the OP is stranded in Central London with no assistance from railway staff. Id suggest that they took the next train to Gatwick Airport and wait there for the first train in the morning. Theres normally a lot of people in the south terminal departures waiting for the early morning flights. It's relatively warm and there is good security.

This is a good suggestion.

In the past my friends and I often would stay out in London in the evening and miss the last trains home to various places in Sussex and Surrey. We'd do exactly this and head down to Gatwick. The terminal is open and there were plenty of people about. Importantly there were, at least then, various options for food and non-alcoholic drink throughout the night. If you were moderately well behaved and not being a drunken idiot (!) there were no issues hanging about until the morning trains started.

Of course, I'm older and wiser now and wouldn't actually plan to do this too often
It's a good option though if you're otherwise looking at hanging around central London all night when you really want to do is go home...

May all you December trips be smooth and hopefully none will have to remember this at midnight on Victoria concourse!
Cheers,
Mr Toad

 

[Bletchleyite]

80km north of central London and thus 180km of my destination is not nearby by anyone's stretch of the imagination.

It's about half an hour (OK, nearer an hour on the local service) and not expensive. I think those factors are more important when travelling by rail than exactly how far it is geographically.

Croydon would, as I say, be my first choice, but that would depend on what was available.

Your car comparison is not a good one. Did you drive 80km in the opposite direction to where you were heading? Furthermore you would be warm and comfortable in your car and not on the verge of being stranded outside your comfort zone...

If I recall rightly I went near enough due west for the cheapest one (just £35). So neither further nor closer. Some would I suppose have kipped in the car, but I didn't want to be just as tired the next day as that would negate the point!

Clearly onward travel would be a consideration, but the London airports generally have above average public transport links, not just by rail. Gatwick for example has frequent coaches to Brighton from where there is an even more a frequent bus to Eastbourne.

One thing worth doing fairly early on is sticking your journey into Google Maps. It is just possible it'll find something you wouldn't think of, it has done for me on a number of occasions now.

 

[danm14]

What I would do is open the Premier Inn app and look where vaguely nearby is cheapest, with regard mainly to how long it'd take to get there, and if there was an acceptable one book it and go there, if not try the same with the Travelodge app.

Having had cause to try to do this in the past, I found that it's not possible to book a Premier Inn or Travelodge online for tonight once it passes midnight, as you're then trying to book for check in yesterday, which the website obviously won't allow you to do.

I will try in half an hour out of curiosity in case it's changed since May, but I doubt it.