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Just a thought

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NathanPrior

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But when you have to wait overnight for a train at a station, is this actually allowed as the station does have to shut..just popped into my head as I might go to Birmingham to a gig on 13/4 then get the last train back to Euston then back out again on the 09:30 to Carlisle. But when I arrive at Euston where would I in reality be allowed to stay to get some sleep for 8 hours?
 
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SS4

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No, you would be obliged to leave the station although it is not break of journey. St Pancras was/is open round the clock if you needed somewhere to stay.

IIRC Birmingham New Street is open all night so you could stay there before going onto Carlisle from Brum.
 

NathanPrior

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It just crossed my mind. I would stay at BHM and go to Carlisle from there but I've already booked my train from Euston.

Anyways, its just a possibility so wanted to know my options
 

blanco

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if you are drinking at the gig and then trying to sleep in a train station i would imagine your chances of being arrested for vagrancy will be quite high.:lol:
 

NathanPrior

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if you are drinking at the gig and then trying to sleep in a train station i would imagine your chances of being arrested for vagrancy will be quite high.:lol:

Alcohol doesn't make me tired for some reason and infact it turns me mightly funny.

I've seen nothing about staying in the station on the NR site when searching for overnight journies so was just more of a question in wonder than anything.
 

SS4

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I found out that one the hard way after missing my train back to Birmingham, ended up in St Pancras with the 24 hour starbucks.

Kings Cross, Euston and Marylebone close after the last train/tube departs. St Pancras does not and the other London terminals are unknown to me.
 

Ivo

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I found out that one the hard way after missing my train back to Birmingham, ended up in St Pancras with the 24 hour starbucks.

Kings Cross, Euston and Marylebone close after the last train/tube departs. St Pancras does not and the other London terminals are unknown to me.

Paddington at least must be open. It's got a 24-hour booking office.
 

Cherry_Picker

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I think I'd rather just find an all night internet cafe and wait there than at a railway station. There should be several in zone 1. There is definitely one right by Baker Street tube.
 

Mutant Lemming

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If at St.Pancras you could get a return to Bedford and at least you'd have a seat for a couple of hours (well maybe on the return journey). ... providing it isn't a Saturday night
 

sprinterguy

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IIRC Birmingham New Street is open all night so you could stay there before going onto Carlisle from Brum.
It closes after the last train on a Saturday night. I've definitely found New Street station all locked up prior to the first train of the day on a Sunday morning. Other than that it's open all the time apparently.
 

ACE1888

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In this day and age, there should be a common sense policy at large termini with staff on 24/7 to HELP those who for whatever have got to wait at the station, if someone has missed their last train (and obviously can prove the fact), there should be a 'safe' place, carefully monitored by the TOC. After seeing AC/DC at the 02 in 2009, due to delays on the Tube , we missed the Sleeper train home, there was no one or anywhere to stay at Paddington (we had allowed plenty of time to get back for the Sleeper btw), luckily for us friends also came back via Paddington and saved the day by putting a roof over our heads for the night. Lesson was learnt obviously, but it really could of been a desperate/awkward situation...
 

Mike395

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Unless you really do have no money (within the 24hr Starbucks at St Pancras is the best place to wait if so) I would be inclined to just book myself into a YHA youth hostel if staying overnight in London, as even on the day, its not that expensive and you at least get somewhere comfortable to rest your head :)
 

DarloRich

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Unless you really do have no money (within the 24hr Starbucks at St Pancras is the best place to wait if so) I would be inclined to just book myself into a YHA youth hostel if staying overnight in London, as even on the day, its not that expensive and you at least get somewhere comfortable to rest your head :)

Mike - very good advice the YHA on Euston Road is really quite nice and very good value. They call it a backpackers hotel now ;)

It is NOTHING like the YHA's you might have stayed in on the Moors :D

A bed in a shared room next wednesday night (chosen at random) is £21.50 (less if you are a YHA member!)
 

tsr

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Unless you really do have no money (within the 24hr Starbucks at St Pancras is the best place to wait if so) I would be inclined to just book myself into a YHA youth hostel if staying overnight in London, as even on the day, its not that expensive and you at least get somewhere comfortable to rest your head :)

Mike - very good advice the YHA on Euston Road is really quite nice and very good value. They call it a backpackers hotel now ;)

It is NOTHING like the YHA's you might have stayed in on the Moors :D

A bed in a shared room next wednesday night (chosen at random) is £21.50 (less if you are a YHA member!)

If you book well in advance, a Travelodge or similar might be able to offer you basic hotel accommodation for a similar price - plus you will get a room to yourself. Walk-up prices may well be very expensive in Central London, though.
 

Smethwickian

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Even as a proud West Midlander I couldn't possibly recommend hanging around Birmingham city centre right through the small hours waiting for a train... I'd crawl home if I had to!

And yes, about five hours or so on a Sunday morning is the only time the booking office is shut and the doors to the station usually closed completely.

An additional problem with hanging around on New Street's platforms during the small hours at the moment might be all the rebuilding and refurbishment work - if that goes on through the night while normal train services aren't running I wouldn't imagine the station staff and workmen would be very encouraging to people trying to kip in the waiting rooms or wherever.
 

button_boxer

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Even as a proud West Midlander I couldn't possibly recommend hanging around Birmingham city centre right through the small hours waiting for a train... I'd crawl home if I had to!

If you can book ahead you can get rooms in the Etap hotel a few minutes walk away from New Street for £20, and the walk-up rate isn't much more.
 

NathanPrior

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I mean yes I could go home, but via night bus which would take about 2 hours from Euston by which point its not worth it.

I'll see how my finances are before making a decision :p
 

Peter Mugridge

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There are actually two 24 hour coffee shops at St Pancras; Costa is open all night as well as Starbucks.
 

swcovas

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I found out that one the hard way after missing my train back to Birmingham, ended up in St Pancras with the 24 hour starbucks.

Kings Cross, Euston and Marylebone close after the last train/tube departs. St Pancras does not and the other London terminals are unknown to me.

Liverpool St is closed as I found out to my the hard way after catching the last train up from Swansea on my way to catch one of the first trains to Stanstead. As you can imagine the area is dead at night!!!
 

daniel3982

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I've slept on the concrete outside Euston before, I wasn't alone there's was loads of people! Eventually when the station opened I went inside but the first train to Manchester (it being a Sunday) wasn't for a few hours so went back to sleep inside near the entrance behind the underground stairs, no one bothered me surprisingly.

Last year had a 6am flight out of Luton so got the train down the night before and was going to stay in St. Pancras but there was a 12am train to Luton so went up and slept in the airport, again no problems. Have slept at Dublin and Stansted airports too.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Forgot I once slept at Crewe station in the waiting room after doing the overnight train from Dublin.
 
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