Yank Trying to Weave His Way From London to Liverpool

[BWinCalifornia]

Hello,

Been having a terrible time with the whole train 'buying tickets' process and am hoping to receive some valuable information on here.

I will be visiting the UK from the U.S. this summer and would like to go from London St Pancras International to Liverpool Lime Street.

When I attempt to buy a ticket on Nationalrail.com it tells me Avanti is the line I should use. Then when I attempt to purchase a ticket on Avanti i get a pop-up saying 'Oops...something is wrong', though what it is I haven't a clue. I have tried changing the dates and I get the same results. It appears that they want me to figure it out instead of telling me.

Is this particular for me (e.g. I am trying to buy tix from the States) or are they having substantial problems with their ticket-buying process? I have read many negative reviews about Avanti and have tried Chiltern and LNWR but their price/performance ratio is not as good. Thoughts? TIA.

 

[td97]

You need to go from London Euston as your origin station, as this is the terminus for Liverpool services.
If you want to visit St Pancras (you definitely should!), it's only a 10 minute walk from Euston along a signposted route, so factor this into your plans. The station is free to enter even if you don't have a ticket from that station, apart from the actual platforms. Similarly, King's Cross is across the road and also worth visiting.
It is possible that your travel date for Euston to Liverpool is too far in advance to book, so check your travel dates on this site to check if booking is available.

Train Timetables | Train Schedule | Avanti West Coast

Plan your journey with our train timetables for services in the UK. Download train schedules at Avanti West Coast to check times & special services.

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

 

[Gaelan]

As td97 said, you want Euston - the ticket sites are smart enough to figure that out for you, probably including the one stop on the tube in your fare, but there's no reason not to just buy a ticket from Euston and walk.

The train companies, as well as some third-party retailers, all sell each other's tickets at the same prices, so if you're having issues with Avanti's website just buy from someone else. I've successfully bought from LNER in the US, if that helps.

I have read many negative reviews about Avanti and have tried Chiltern and LNWR but their price/performance ratio is not as good.

With regard to reliability: though the reliability of any individual train varies wildly, the British train system is incredibly reliable at getting you there eventually. If your train is cancelled, you'll get put on the next train (in an hour's time) with no fuss, and if you get there more than half an hour late, you'll even get some or all of your ticket price refunded.

Nationalrail.com

Oh jeez, I just noticed you said nationalrail.com and not nationalrail.co.uk - no idea what that is, but it's certainly not anything official. I'd be incredibly wary of them and book either from a train company directly (eg https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/ or https://www.lner.co.uk/, like I said it doesn't really matter which one you use) or nationalrail.co.uk (which will just send you to a train company's site for the final booking).

TrainSplit is also worth a look - they're a highly reputable third-party retailer who can often save money by splitting your trip into two or more tickets. It's a bit of a cost-convenience trade-off, but quite often it's worth it.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I just noticed you said nationalrail.com and not nationalrail.co.uk - no idea what that is, but it's certainly not anything official. I'd be incredibly wary of them and book either from a train company directly...

Think this may be a website connected with a certain Alex Nelson who used to run the independent 'Chester-le-Track' rail ticketing operation up in the North East for several years.

ALEX NELSON STARS IN TRAIN MAN - Northern Insight Magazine

ALEX NELSON STARS IN TRAIN MAN - Insight Magazine Travel - 5th July 2019 - Up until 1994, buying a railway ticket in this country was a fairly straightforward business. Let's face it, how complicated can it be to, for example, want a return ticket from Newcastle to London?

northern-insight.co.uk

 

[BWinCalifornia]

Thanks for the quick replies. My comments:
1) I saw that Euston was the origin (or terminus) but thought that if Kings Cross/St Pancras wasn't a stop then the search engine wouldn't accept it. Wrong assumption there. Maybe if I looked more closely it might have shown Euston as the origin in the details. (My luggage will be close to St Pancras which is why I preferred it but it sounds like Euston is an easy walk). Didn't know that Kings Cross/St Pancras was worth a visit by themselves just for the visuals (as I think about the cruddy mess of SF BART's stations). Will definitely schedule an extra 15 minutes there. Thanks.
2) My travel plans are actually for September but I am testing it out by inputting July.
3) Good to hear about reliability.
4) My bad. I freelanced and put in the wrong url. Yes, I was at nationalrail.co.uk . Good catch. Will also check out TrainSplit. Thanks.

Edit- Any idea why Avanti won't let me buy a 'test' ticket (in July)?

 

[dvboy]

2) My travel plans are actually for September but I am testing it out by inputting July.

Wait a bit for September
Booking horizons for Avanti are currently

• Saturday service: 8 July
• Sunday service: 9 July
• Monday to Friday service: 10 August

and can be checked at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/advance-booking-dates/

Edit- Any idea why Avanti won't let me buy a 'test' ticket (in July)?

As well as the booking horizons above, this could also be the reason:

Notes:
Reservations are currently closed from 17 - 21 July.
Reservations are currently closed on all dates affected by industrial action

 

[yorkie]

Thanks for the quick replies. My comments:
1) I saw that Euston was the origin (or terminus) but thought that if Kings Cross/St Pancras wasn't a stop then the search engine wouldn't accept it. Wrong assumption there. Maybe if I looked more closely it might have shown Euston as the origin in the details. (My luggage will be close to St Pancras which is why I preferred it but it sounds like Euston is an easy walk).

St Pancras to Euston is not a bad walk; the west entrance at StP (near the Thameslink entrance) to the east entrance at Euston is only 10 minutes and there isn't much traffic via the signposted backstreets (see map). Avoid the congested Euston Road!

Didn't know that Kings Cross/St Pancras was worth a visit by themselves just for the visuals (as I think about the cruddy mess of SF BART's stations). Will definitely schedule an extra 15 minutes there. Thanks.
2) My travel plans are actually for September but I am testing it out by inputting July.
3) Good to hear about reliability.
4) My bad. I freelanced and put in the wrong url. Yes, I was at nationalrail.co.uk . Good catch. Will also check out TrainSplit. Thanks.

Are you just doing London to Liverpool, or any other journeys? Presumably you want the convenience of the fast direct train, rather than a slower route? If so you simply want to book an Avanti train once bookings open. E-tickets are available, which you can show on any electronic device or can optionally be printed, if you prefer.

If you want to see different countryside and see other places en-route, you could do a different way back, if you are returning; it depends what you want to do. If you let us know what your preferences are, we can advise accordingly.

 

[BWinCalifornia]

St Pancras to Euston is not a bad walk; the west entrance at StP (near the Thameslink entrance) to the east entrance at Euston is only 10 minutes and there isn't much traffic via the signposted backstreets (see map). Avoid the congested Euston Road!


Are you just doing London to Liverpool, or any other journeys? Presumably you want the convenience of the fast direct train, rather than a slower route? If so you simply want to book an Avanti train once bookings open. E-tickets are available, which you can show on any electronic device or can optionally be printed, if you prefer.

If you want to see different countryside and see other places en-route, you could do a different way back, if you are returning; it depends what you want to do. If you let us know what your preferences are, we can advise accordingly.

Looking to get to Liverpool in a reasonably quick time (2.5-3.5 hours) as we will be doing the Beatles thing for a few days before going to Hadrian's Wall for 5-6 days. But will be stopping off to see The Strid which I am very excited about! Then off to the D-Day beaches. Will be renting a car in Liverpool and taking it thru to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne before flying to France.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Will you be travelling Mon-Fri, Saturday or Sunday? Any particular time of day?
It makes a difference as tickets for weekends are often released later than weekdays, because of engineering work, and peak trains will be more expensive.
It sounds like you will be looking for Advance tickets, as walk-on* tickets aren't usually good value if you are not booking a return journey.
All the train company web sites will sell you the same tickets, the fastest trains being Avanti's who offer an hourly through train taking just over 2 hours.
LNWR trains are somewhat slower and can be cheaper, but you would need to change at Stafford or Crewe and that can be a hassle with luggage.
It should really be child's play to book Euston-Liverpool like you need, with full confidence, but just now there are several issues with the railway which make it harder than it needs to be.
Hopefully it will be easier by the time you can actually book a ticket.

* for reference, the off-peak single fare Euston-Liverpool is £72.70 - use any train on the route within the off-peak hours, using either Avanti or LNWR.
There's no need to reserve a seat, or even buy in advance, although you can if you wish (free), to be sure of a seat.
If you tie yourself to LNWR trains, the super off-peak fare is £40, but the journey will be at least an hour longer, and there are no refreshments on board.
Both Avanti and LNWR offer cheaper Advance fares which tie you to specific trains, but you have to wait to book until they are made available, and the price varies with demand.
Again, you should be able to buy these tickets on any operator's site, the sale is not tied to the specific operator.
You can get tickets issued as e-tickets which you can show on a device or print out.

 

[Feuillesmortes]

@BWinCalifornia arguably the only correct answer is eurail.com from $281

 

[30907]

@BWinCalifornia arguably the only correct answer is eurail.com from $281

Not for a single journey London-Liverpool, surely.

But will be stopping off to see The Strid which I am very excited about!

OT for a railway forum but just be aware that the Strid is spectacular after heavy rain but might disappoint in dry weather - and parking on the Bolton Abbey Estate is expensive. But the whole area is lovely anyway, and to reach the NE I recommend driving on via Grassington and Buckden into Wensleydale.

 

[John Webb]

.....OT for a railway forum but just be aware that the Strid is spectacular after heavy rain but might disappoint in dry weather - and parking on the Bolton Abbey Estate is expensive. But the whole area is lovely anyway, and to reach the NE I recommend driving on via Grassington and Buckden into Wensleydale.

If this is your first visit to the UK then if you want to sample a preserved railway, the The Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is only a short distance away or the The Keithley & Worth Valley Railway a few more miles to the south.

 

[BWinCalifornia]

Thanks again for all the wonderful advice. Just as an fyi, and thanks for indulging a little bit on this OT, but I found online a possible way to beat the high price for parking at Bolton Abbey. If you go there drive past Wharfedale Montessori school a ways to Dales Way. Make right and start looking for parking. You'll be right next to The Strid. A warning- I don't know how accurate this is until I try it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thanks again for all the wonderful advice. Just as an fyi, and thanks for indulging a little bit on this OT, but I found online a possible way to beat the high price for parking at Bolton Abbey. If you go there drive past Wharfedale Montessori school a ways to Dales Way. Make right and start looking for parking. You'll be right next to The Strid. A warning- I don't know how accurate this is until I try it.

I've parked there and it can get full early with e.g. walkers!

 

[BWinCalifornia]

I've parked there and it can get full early with e.g. walkers!

Sorry for letting the cat out of the bag!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sorry for letting the cat out of the bag!

It was less that and more that I think the OP has a fair chance of not getting in, if driving in another country for the first time (our roads are rather narrower and windier than in the US!) then it might be easier just to pay!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

...the high price for parking at Bolton Abbey...

Am I right in saying it's now £15 for the day? The last time I went it was "only" a tenner, so just drove in and straight back out again and went to visit the Embsay steam railway instead.

 

[algytaylor]

Thanks for the quick replies. My comments:
1) I saw that Euston was the origin (or terminus) but thought that if Kings Cross/St Pancras wasn't a stop then the search engine wouldn't accept it. Wrong assumption there. Maybe if I looked more closely it might have shown Euston as the origin in the details. (My luggage will be close to St Pancras which is why I preferred it but it sounds like Euston is an easy walk). Didn't know that Kings Cross/St Pancras was worth a visit by themselves just for the visuals (as I think about the cruddy mess of SF BART's stations). Will definitely schedule an extra 15 minutes there. Thanks.
2) My travel plans are actually for September but I am testing it out by inputting July.
3) Good to hear about reliability.
4) My bad. I freelanced and put in the wrong url. Yes, I was at nationalrail.co.uk . Good catch. Will also check out TrainSplit. Thanks.

Edit- Any idea why Avanti won't let me buy a 'test' ticket (in July)?

Another recommendation for spending a little longer at Kings Cross / St Pancras. It's a beautiful station, one of my favourites.

 

[Silenos]

Edit- Any idea why Avanti won't let me buy a 'test' ticket (in July)?

I’m not sure if you are getting errors when booking with the Avanti site directly, but it’s quite common to get the ‘Oops’ message when clicking on the ticket you want to buy on the National Rail site.This is supposed to send you to the individual train operating company website and transfer your journey requirements into their system, but it frequently fails to do so. The best option, once you know what trains you want to take, is to go directly to the operating company website and book directly there. (aApologies if this is what you are doing.)

 

[Feuillesmortes]

Not for a single journey London-Liverpool, surely.

plus Heathrow Express
plus France!

 

[weepingwillowb]

It was less that and more that I think the OP has a fair chance of not getting in, if driving in another country for the first time (our roads are rather narrower and windier than in the US!) then it might be easier just to pay!

Pre-Covid I went to a local car rental firm to pick up a car I'd booked, and when I got there an American woman was just returning a car she'd had for a week. It had been her first time in England, so had never driven here before, and was very upset, saying she'd never come back here. My guess was she'd tried to drive in either the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales, and hadn't expected to be on such narrow, winding roads, where you can meet an oncoming tractor or car, with only enough room for one vehicle.

 

[BWinCalifornia]

Pre-Covid I went to a local car rental firm to pick up a car I'd booked, and when I got there an American woman was just returning a car she'd had for a week. It had been her first time in England, so had never driven here before, and was very upset, saying she'd never come back here. My guess was she'd tried to drive in either the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales, and hadn't expected to be on such narrow, winding roads, where you can meet an oncoming tractor or car, with only enough room for one vehicle.

Well, as many of you know it's not unusual for an American (for which I am one) to get overly upset when they are outside their comfort zone. Having driven extensively on Route 1 in California, the Amalfi Coast and Naples, and Australia I think it will be ok (not to mention Boston, whose roads were formed from old cow paths when you guys were first there). Having said that, if you see a post in early September asking where are some good car repair shops in NE do me a favor and forget I wrote this post!

 

[Wallsendmag]

Well, as many of you know it's not unusual for an American (for which I am one) to get overly upset when they are outside their comfort zone. Having driven extensively on Route 1 in California, the Amalfi Coast and Naples, and Australia I think it will be ok (not to mention Boston, whose roads were formed from old cow paths when you guys were first there). Having said that, if you see a post in early September asking where are some good car repair shops in NE do me a favor and forget I wrote this post!

Route 1 is a freeway compared to some of the roads in the Lake District

 

[Flying Snail]

plus Heathrow Express

Not valid on Eurail

plus France!

He made no mention of rail travel in France.

 

[wilbers]

Route 1 is a freeway compared to some of the roads in the Lake District

Hardknott pass could be a surprise to a driver unfamiliar with the area.

 

[30907]

I've parked there and it can get full early with e.g. walkers!

Not being an earlier starter, I have failed more than once.

An alternative to paying £15 (or walking several miles!) is to take advantage of the buses through the area which run except Tue and Thur. Not frequent, but do-able, especially if the field car park at Burnsall is open.

 

[steamybrian]

Well, as many of you know it's not unusual for an American (for which I am one) to get overly upset when they are outside their comfort zone. Having driven extensively on Route 1 in California, the Amalfi Coast and Naples, and Australia I think it will be ok (not to mention Boston, whose roads were formed from old cow paths when you guys were first there). Having said that, if you see a post in early September asking where are some good car repair shops in NE do me a favor and forget I wrote this post!

Can I ask if you have driven in Britain before..?
Driving in Britain is completely different to USA, Naples or Australia.
Narrow Roads, different road signs as well as keeping to the left hand side of the road.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hardknott pass could be a surprise to a driver unfamiliar with the area.

It increasingly does surprise people due to satnav, when looking at a map you wouldn't think to do it. I've turned people around on it before, suggesting that if they thought it was that bad so far they should really go round.

Would help if satnavs gave the default route avoiding places like that unless explicitly selected, even if quicker.

 

[Western Sunset]

And whilst in London, if you want to see the zebra crossing immortalised by the Beatles on Abbey Road, head for St John's Wood underground station on the Jubilee Line - it's only a short walk from there. DO NOT head for Abbey Road station on the Docklands Light Railway, as that's in a completely different part of London.

 

[XAM2175]

Driving in Britain is completely different to USA, Naples or Australia.
Narrow Roads, different road signs as well as keeping to the left hand side of the road.

Australia drives on the left too, you know