Advice please

My girlfriend has a job interview down in London next Wednesday. Just a few minutes walk from Liverpool Street Station. She only found out today so its a bit short notice.

What would be the best and most affordable way of getting down their. We live in Leeds by the way, which although isn't much further away from London than Barnsley, it means one less train change if we went down that route.

Trains looking at somewhere around £150. Don't fancy driving in London around rush hour and thinking a hotel may be a bit pricey. Any recommendations would be very welcome.

Thanks

 

Walk? Might take 3-4 days but might be worth it

 

£150 to London?

Can't you get a flight for less than that?

 

Hi Archey
Probably a choice of either the train or the bus, the bus is cheap i.e megabus from Leeds is £10 each return but takes over 4 hours www.megabus.com the train as you say is expensive but she gets there quick and will feel better for the interview, Leeds to kings cross then tube to Liverpool Street.
Dave

 

National express? Mega Bus?

 

Train, stress free and she can prepare/relax as best she can. The company interviewing her should cover any reasonable expenses.

 

A bit of messing around, but drive so far and the tube it in I think might be an idea.

Sure one of the London tykes can help but thats my suggestion pal

 

Drive to edgware miles better than Stanmore to

 

Drive down to Stansted Airport, park up there, and get the Stansted Express down to Liverpool Street Station.

 

No advice I'm afraid but I have in my time visited a number of establishments a short walk from Liverpool Street Station, mostly on or just off Shoreditch High Street.

I do have to ask what the job is that she's going for!

 

I used to be in there most nights after work! Supposed to be haunted, if you believe that kind of thing.

With regard to the original post, have you looked at Grand Central trains? There are only a couple of these each morning and they set off from Halifax to London. They actually take just as long to get from Halifax to Donny as they do from Donny to London! I used to prefer these ones when I was still travelling down to the City for meetings.

If you're going to drive down, your best bet is to get to the end of the M1 and park up near a Northern Line station (Edgware, Finchley Central, Brent Cross, Hendon) and get the Northern Line down to Moorgate, which is a stone's throw from Liverpool Street. Alternatively, aim for a station on the First Capital Connect line from Luton into London (Mill Hill Broadway is right at the end of the M1). You can then get the overground to Farringdon and get a tube from there to Liverpool Street as it's only a couple of stops.

If you can, I'd avoid the rush hour on the First Capital Connect though, as they're no fun getting into London. If you get on high enough up the Northern Line it's not too bad, as they tend to get busier the closer they get to central London, but I've stood at Mill Hill Broadway watching one packed train after the other going past and not being able to get on them. If you're going to use that route in rush hour you'd be better aiming for Luton or St Albans. God I don't miss the days of commuting into the City!

 

Try ticketysplit, the new tool from Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis. Because of the way that train companies set their prices and offers, it's often cheaper to split the journey - so buying a ticket from Leeds to Grantham then from Grantham to Kings Cross can be much cheaper than buying a through ticket. You don't have to get off the train. The only stipulation is that the train calls at the station where you at splitting. You don't say what time she needs to be in London but I've just tried ticketysplit and it does come in cheaper on some services. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/sp..._medium=email&utm_campaign=solus_TicketySplit

 

What this man said.

I've just been on the national rail site, Leeds to Peterborough return (6am) £50, Peterborough to London Liverpool Street return (2.30pm from London) £62. Should add that you only have to change trains (at Peterborough) on the way back. £38 knocked off already with no effort at all.

 

What time does she need to be down there? Might be worth looking at Grand Central - you can get an anytime day return to Doncaster for £15.10, then there are Grand Central services from there to London at 08.30 (arriving at 10.14) and leaving London at 16.03 (arriving just after 17.30) for £39.50 each way.

Or you could drive down and get a train from somewhere cheap-ish along the way, or the tube.

Alternatively, a trick I've picked up from my trips from Birmingham to Barnsley is to try and work out the stations which let you travel on a day return. Possibly day returns between Leeds/Doncaster, Doncaster/Newark North Gate, Newark North Gate/Peterborough and Peterborough/London might work? I do it Birmingham/Derby, Derby/Sheffield and Sheffield/Leeds on my trips up, but it might be more difficult to London because tickets into there cost so much. If you've got the time and the inclination it might be worth seeing if you could do something via the East Midlands - it seems like a massive faff but you can't beat the feeling you get when you finally work out a route which costs you about twenty quid!

(Also, do check hotels. If you check a site like lastminute.com you may well find something at a reasonable price. It may well not be the most salubrious joint, but it could end up cheaper than you think when compared with peak train fares).

Good luck!

(I've just found a journey - splitting at Grantham - for about £75 return. Depends on timings, but it really is worth playing around)

 

I used to live in New Southgate. Drive to A1 until it ends, the through barnet to Friern Barnet. Park up, then get over ground to Moorgate or Kings Cross... Hop on to circle line and it's either next stop or one after.

Alternatively you can get underground from short walk from their to Kings x on Piccadilly line but over ground quicker.

 

I'd advise her to get First Class rail travel (via Doncaster?). It's quick and comfortable. She'll get there feeling fed and refreshed and ready to give her best in the interview. Look on it as an investment. And it's much cheaper than a hotel (check-in/out times are unlikely to be convenient). Good Luck to her.

 

What time is the interview mate?