How not to use public transport. Now Mercedes camper shenannigans.

[Talbot]

As I have very rarely been a "bus wanker" or used very much public transport over my life, I am a bit out-of-touch as to how to go about making a journey.

Essentially, I need to get to a location up country.   To drive it would be easy, but I can't do so in this case.  To get there via public transport would appear to have two main options:

1. Walk/get a lift/bus to localish railway station.  Train to London Victoria.  Tube to London Euston.  Train to railway station near destination.  Bus for the last 5 miles of journey to final location.
2. Cycle to localish railway station.  Train to London Victoria with Bike on board.  Cycle from Victoria to Euston (bike cannot go on underground).  Train to station near destination with bike on board.  Cycle last 5 miles to destination.

I have no problem with cycling anywhere, and it would be a lot easier to be "self sufficient" and cycle the three segments that get me to the trains I need, but I'm not sure about bikes on trains anymore.  Not done it in a long time.
I've also not used the tube or busses away from home for a long time either, and can see some stress in doing that.  Particularly the bus at the far end, as the last time I used a bus, I paid with cash monies.

The transfer from Victoria to Euston is a bind too, as it's apparently under 10 mins on the tube, but would be 30 mins by bike.  But I am sure I can select trains to give me enough time to transfer.  Can you even get bikes in and out of Victoria or Euston?  I have so many questions.

My other alternative is to drive the C6 up, abandon it at the destination, and then go back and get it at a later date, which might be simpler.

And yes, I am being deliberately vague about destinations.

Given the absurd issues with travelling at certain times of the day, I'm inclined to just drive the C6 (or C250 maybe) up and just leave it there until I can get someone to give me a lift up and retrieve it.

Public transport really is pants.

[Dead_E23]

Option 1 is going to be easier by far and will involve less risk of your bike getting nicked by roadmen or you coming a cropper cycling in city traffic when you're not used to it.

[Talbot]

I've no issue with cycling in traffic, and my bike is worth bugger all, but I very much see your point.

I am leaning towards driving up for the moment and then working out how to retrieve the car later..

[warninglight]

If it's in and around SW Scotland shout up, may be able to offer a lift!

[Dead_E23]

Unless time is no object, I'd just jump on the bus and train rather than turn it into a multi-day task.   

Use Google maps to plan you a route then it can guide you as you travel.

YouTubers manage to travel through places like Kyrgyzstan without even speaking the language, so London and the home counties should not be insurmountable.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Talbot said:

The transfer from Victoria to Euston is a bind too, as it's apparently under 10 mins on the tube, but would be 30 mins by bike.  But I am sure I can select trains to give me enough time to transfer.  Can you even get bikes in and out of Victoria or Euston?

VIC to EUS transfer time by tube is more like 30 minutes, in reality. I do it a few times a year. If your train from EUS is timed to a specific train and your train to VIC is not, you can just get an earlier train to VIC - this doesn't work on supercheap tickets, just off peak ones.

You can carry bikes on overground trains (at least on Southern), easiest by the disabled loo, and just push it in and out using the wide barriers (no riding in the station). Not sure I've seen bikes on trains to the W Midlands tbh.

 

[N19]

Victoria to Euston is a doddle on the tube. Go down at Victoria (you want the northbound victoria line (light blue) - all trains go to Euston) and get off at Euston. Trains run every 2 minutes (sometimes up to 90sec headway at peak times). When you come out at Euston just follow the way out signs and it'll bring you to the gateline. After the gateline you can turn left for some stairs which bring you out on the British Rail concourse at Euston, but even if you miss this you'll be at the main entrance. If you have a contactless credit/debit card, just touch in and out with the same card and you will be charged the relevant fare, no ticket or pre-activation needed.

[lisbon_road]

If you book your ticket on line, such as with the Trainline, it will normally show you which trains are ok for bikes.  With some you have to book the bike, but not all.  Obviously booking well in advance can save a lot of money.  Also, if you can get some sort of discount card - I'm old enough to get a senior discount, just, though I suspect you aren't.  The cycling across London should be ok really, as if you've time, you can always walk difficult bits of the journey.  You can book individual tickets to get as long as you like in London.  

I use trains and buses a lot, partly because I think there are just too many cars, and partly perhaps I am a "bus wanker"!  I regularly get to work which requires four miles at each end.  Last year, I went to north of Inverness and oddly I had a seemingly very flexible ticket which just gave the destination, and allowed a lot of choice over trains.

One point I am seeing currently is that the Trainline on my PC seems cheaper than on my phone app.  You often end up comparing more than one site.  On a long journey, split tickets are essential, so the software splits up the tickets and finds the cheapest option.  If you want to go very cheap, you find the tickets are split so end up getting off in the middle of nowhere and waiting for another train, which all seems very odd but can save £££.

Good luck.  

[Dave_Q]

As above some train companies will just let you turn up, some you have to book.

Last time I did this I found messaging the train company on Twitter to see if they had a space was the best way, it can be done before booking the ticket.

Any major station will have a disabled version of the ticket gate you can take your bike through.

This part is probably not much use but if you have a Brompton you can take it on any train with you and stick it in the luggage rack.

I paid £400 for mine which is about as cheap as it gets for one that works but it's absolutely ideal for this sort of journey and probably gets used as such 3 or 4 times a year.

[Talbot]

18 minutes ago, lisbon_road said:

 perhaps I am a "bus wanker"!  

All of what you said was very useful, thanks.  I am definitely leaning towards driving up in this instance and leaving the car there to then get a very cheap train up later and collect it.  Possibly as part of another ongoing journey.  Mainly because I can get there a lot quicker/earlier for this journey, which would cost even more on the train (well over £100 as far as I can see)

[martc]

Get a 

35 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

This part is probably not much use but if you have a Brompton you can take it on any train with you and stick it in the luggage rack.

A Brompton is the answer. You don't need to pre-book on any form of public transport including the tube and they ride almost like a normal bike.

I wouldn't try and get one in an overhead luggage rack though, but there are plenty of nooks and crannies you can leave it, you'll soon find them.

[High Jetter]

47 minutes ago, Talbot said:

well over £100 as far as I can see

That's in the territory where a railcard can help with 1/3 off fares. £35 for a year, (or £17.50 worth of Tesco Clubcard vouchers) - depending on how far you're going (for a Network card) or your age for the others for solo travel.

[Rustybullethole]

When I go West to work I peddle across town to Paddington, train out into the sticks then cycle the 18 or so miles to work. Love the contrast with the city/country bike ride and find for me it fully takes the stress out of making the connections. Have to book the bike on my ticket though it costs nowt on GWR.

Chucked my muddy mtb on the south eastern to get back home today with no drama. 

They buzzed me through the barrier at Lewisham as the buggy gate wasn't working. Double handy was that as Id forgot to tap in when I jumped on at Hayes! 

Edited February 26 by Rustybullethole

[tapir]

folding bike or brompton is the easiest bike solution, decathlon sell cheapish reasonably decent folding bikes that frequently come up on ebay/FB

Obviously not a comparison with a brompton but will serve it's purpose!

If decathlon - You could pre-order and pick one up in London en-route

[Talbot]

4 hours ago, martc said:

A Brompton is the answer.

Not for a single-use journey, where I likely won't take a bike on any form of public transport again for many years!

£400 buys a lot of travel.  Not spending that on a bike for a single use.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Rustybullethole said:

When I go West to work I peddle across town to Paddington, train out into the sticks then cycle the 18 or so miles to work. Love the contrast with the city/country bike ride and find for me it fully takes the stress out of making the connections. Have to book the bike on my ticket though it costs nowt on GWR.

Chucked my muddy mtb on the south eastern to get back home today with no drama. 

They buzzed me through the barrier at Lewisham as the buggy gate wasn't working. Double handy was that as Id forgot to tap in when I jumped on at Hayes! 

Hayes Kent? I knew it well

[Rustybullethole]

8 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Hayes Kent? I knew it well

Yeah Bromley way. Bit hilly, good bit of riding and nice views.

[High Jetter]

10 minutes ago, Rustybullethole said:

Yeah Bromley way. Bit hilly, good bit of riding and nice views.

My Grandparents lived on Pickhurst Lane. He made me ride for hours, never drove a car. 

[angle]

As has been said, Victoria to Euston on the Tube is a piece of piss - contactless on the Victoria line, four stops. Roughly where is the end destination?  Most buses will take contactless now as well...

[wuvvum]

9 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

This part is probably not much use but if you have a Brompton you can take it on any train with you and stick it in the luggage rack.

Greater Anglia will let you take any folding bike on their trains without booking.  I may* have pushed the limits of this once or twice with my folding mountain bike.

[LightBulbFun]

12 hours ago, Talbot said:

The transfer from Victoria to Euston is a bind too, as it's apparently under 10 mins on the tube, but would be 30 mins by bike.  But I am sure I can select trains to give me enough time to transfer.  Can you even get bikes in and out of Victoria or Euston?  I have so many questions.

if you need a hand, I am happy to offer a lift if you think the bike will fit in the back of an ADO16!, granted I imagine your probably quicker on a bike getting through London then I would be in a car!also happy to venture a bit outside of London if it helps smooth things out, (but Scotland might be a bit far! tho @Tickman does have a nice pile of vintage fluorescent lights for me that I still think about regularly...)

12 hours ago, Talbot said:

My other alternative is to drive the C6 up, abandon it at the destination, and then go back and get it at a later date, which might be simpler.

buy cheap car and flog it at the other end?  

[BorniteIdentity]

Don’t overestimate the cost of Uber, even in the sticks. I paid £16 for an 11 mile ride just the other day. That could help you at the end.

Victoria Line is a doddle. Afaik you can take on a folding bike as long as it’s not electrical. The cycle from Victoria to Euston is easy just not quick. Don’t forget Victoria is also a coach station and if you’re going anywhere north or south you stand a good chance of getting nearby with a bus. 

All sounds quite adventurous but if you’re in no rush could make a nice day out. I always use things like this as an excuse to see a bit of the country. 

[willswitchengage]

I use bike/train combos for most long distance journeys these days. Congestion is endemic these days - driving is stressful and tedious. On the train I can relax and read or browse autoshite or whatever. It's usually quicker too, even with a ride at either end. Price is hit and miss compared to petrol - sadly usually more expensive though.

Taking a bike on a train is unnecessarily complex but when you've figured out how to do it it works fine, other than on Cross-country which is usually too busy to even get on, let alone with a bike.

[castros_bro]

20 hours ago, Dead_E23 said:

Unless time is no object, I'd just jump on the bus and train rather than turn it into a multi-day task.   

Use Google maps to plan you a route then it can guide you as you travel.

Autoshiters manage to travel through places like Kyrgyzstan without even speaking the language, so London and the home counties should not be insurmountable.

 

Try travel details in   https://www.rome2rio.com/    they usually produce a selection of transport routes/prices/times to cover the journey.

[EyesWeldedShut]

Bugger about on the train ticket sites too - I'm often seeing fairly hefty differences between RailEasy and TrainLine for example

[horriblemercedes]

4 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Don’t overestimate the cost of Uber, even in the sticks. I paid £16 for an 11 mile ride just the other day. That could help you at the end.

In plenty of areas though there simply isn't Uber, so it's worth checking.

 

Plenty of times I've checked the app in a small town and there simply are not any drivers.

[Dan_ZTT]

23 hours ago, Talbot said:

To get there via public transport would appear to have two main options:

1. Walk/get a lift/bus to localish railway station.  Train to London Victoria.  Tube to London Euston.  Train to railway station near destination.  Bus for the last 5 miles of journey to final location.
2. Cycle to localish railway station.  Train to London Victoria with Bike on board.  Cycle from Victoria to Euston (bike cannot go on underground).  Train to station near destination with bike on board.  Cycle last 5 miles to destination.

I'd pick option 1 but if the 5 miles at the end is not a big town and you'd be waiting a while for a bus, I'd be walking if the weather's alright or taxiing if it's not. Even if there's no uber there's always a local taxi phone number at a railway station.

I don't think option 2 is worth it, I would say the amount of bike-on-train faff outweighs the saving at each end. Plus odds are it'll be pissing down with rain like every other day this year and you'll arrive at your destination soaking wet and mud-splattered.

Even if the train is a bit more expensive the driving option means using up another day, I'd say the train is the better option

Check if splitting tickets can save money, it often does on longer journeys - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets/#needtoknow-4 

[EyesWeldedShut]

6 minutes ago, Dan_ZTT said:

I'd pick option 1 but if the 5 miles at the end is not a big town and you'd be waiting a while for a bus, I'd be walking if the weather's alright or taxiing if it's not. Even if there's no uber there's always a local taxi phone number at a railway station.

I don't think option 2 is worth it, I would say the amount of bike-on-train faff outweighs the saving at each end. Plus odds are it'll be pissing down with rain like every other day this year and you'll arrive at your destination soaking wed and mud-splattered.

Even if the train is a bit more expensive the driving option means using up another day, I'd say the train is the better option

Check if splitting tickets can save money, it often does on longer journeys - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets/#needtoknow-4 

^^ this but get a Boris Bike (or whatever they're called now) from the rack in Euston Square, through the back doubles down to Trafalgar Square, The Mall, Wedding Cake, Victoria.
That was my plan a few years back but I couldn't unlock the bloody bike from the rack after paying for it - so I walked then jumped a bus from o/s Parliament after I'd done the old reminiscing walkabout. I did have a 90 minute connection time though.

[martc]

17 hours ago, Talbot said:

Not for a single-use journey, where I likely won't take a bike on any form of public transport again for many years!

£400 buys a lot of travel.  Not spending that on a bike for a single use.

Yeah but it's only money!

On the other hand you may enjoy it and use it many times, they really are a quality product.

[chris667]

Bring a massive pair of bolt croppers and steal a bike at each end of the train journey?