GOOD trains to London

[pikey]

forsure said:

'First Capital Connect'.
...
No air-con

UK trains have Air Con now??? When did that happen?

[pikey]

oyster said:

Is it me or do most posts to this thread have little to do with answering the OP's question,

OP says:
Parking at station needed

PH'er response:
I don't know about parking as I walk to the station

Ah, but that's PH for you - it's par for the course!

Just like occasionally someone will come along with nothing to add but feel the need to say something like "Oh FFS, I can't belive you lot are talking about train car parks"

Amongst all the shit, there will be useful information - it just needs sifting through to find!

[Podie]

Anyone else find it amusing / ironic that someone with the login “oyster” is giving travel advice..?

Anyway… Pikey, article in today’s Metro (I know, I know) claims that MK is the place to live if you want to save a few quid…

Plus is plenty of land for the mutt, nice houses just outside of MK, but would bring you into Euston.

[Nuggs]

kiwisr said:

I think the Southern Trains London-Brighton line is probably one of the best, certainly the best I've used.

I'm on that line. I commute Haywards Heath-London Bridge every day.

The trains are punctual and clean (although pretty packed by the time they get to HH).

Parking at HH station shouldn't be a problem.

Full marks to Southern. It's a shame that First Capital Connect are so poor in comparison - filthy carriages and often late...

ETA: around 45-50mins into Lon Bridge.

Edited by Nuggs on Thursday 17th January 08:42

[Fourmotion]

Guildford station has a multi story car park next to it, which is £5.50 a day. It takes about 35 mins to get to Waterloo, and you get a seat more often than not.

[pikey]

Podie said:

Anyway… Pikey, article in today’s Metro (I know, I know) claims that MK is the place to live if you want to save a few quid…

Yuch! I think MK rates amongst worst places I would ever want to live! (Apologies to anyone who does live there, but... actually, bugger the apologies - MOVE!!! )

[Podie]

pikey said:

Podie said:

Anyway… Pikey, article in today’s Metro (I know, I know) claims that MK is the place to live if you want to save a few quid…

Yuch! I think MK rates amongst worst places I would ever want to live! (Apologies to anyone who does live there, but... actually, bugger the apologies - MOVE!!! )

Just giving you the options!

[Puggit]

pikey said:

forsure said:

'First Capital Connect'.
...
No air-con

UK trains have Air Con now??? When did that happen?

All trains from Reading in to London have Aircon, whether intercity or not. One of the other benefits of Reading is that if the main line to P'ton is shut (does happen a bit) then you can always get the slow service to Waterloo (or vice versa).

In IT we call it fault-tolerance

[pikey]

Nuggs said:

I'm on that line. I commute Haywards Heath-London Bridge every day.

The trains are punctual and clean (although pretty packed by the time they get to HH).

Parking at HH station shouldn't be a problem.

Ahhh, hello

There have been quite a few places around there we have been looking at which have the commuting as a 'drive to HH'. So you reckon parking's ok, but will have to stand?

We were also looking at a place another stop up, Balcombe. Looks nice, but I suspect not enough trains so when there is a stopping train, it'll be rammed.

[pmanson]

pikey said:

Podie said:

Anyway… Pikey, article in today’s Metro (I know, I know) claims that MK is the place to live if you want to save a few quid…

Yuch! I think MK rates amongst worst places I would ever want to live! (Apologies to anyone who does live there, but... actually, bugger the apologies - MOVE!!! )

Leighton Buzzard where I live (and commute) into Euston from (well that's what I keep telling myself anyway! Some very nice areas nearby if you want the quiet village thing - Soulbury, Heath & Reach etc

[oggs]

pikey said:

Podie said:

Anyway… Pikey, article in today’s Metro (I know, I know) claims that MK is the place to live if you want to save a few quid…

Yuch! I think MK rates amongst worst places I would ever want to live! (Apologies to anyone who does live there, but... actually, bugger the apologies - MOVE!!! )

I popped up to MK yesterday on the bike and it felt like I was going round in circles!!

[pmanson]

oggs said:

pikey said:

Podie said:

Anyway… Pikey, article in today’s Metro (I know, I know) claims that MK is the place to live if you want to save a few quid…

Yuch! I think MK rates amongst worst places I would ever want to live! (Apologies to anyone who does live there, but... actually, bugger the apologies - MOVE!!! )

I popped up to MK yesterday on the bike and it felt like I was going round in circles!!

Very square circles though!

[Dougal]

Pikey,

I was in this position a year or so ago and had the same criteria, I worked out that the best places to commute from were Bromley and Surbition, but like you this didn't really feel like getting out of London, so looked further afield. Chose Farnham in the end for family reasons, excellent schools, nice surroundings etc.

Haywards Heath is nice with good parking, but is pushing it with your time limits if it doesn't run to plan.

For Waterloo, good area, good transport links and within your time limits, Brookwood. Saves having to drive into Woking and the car park there is actually quite nice, open, well lit and never full. You should be able to get a seat most of the time, air con.

For LB, which is better for you, Woldingham, good trains, lovely place, good parking, goes via EC for good links to almost anywhere.

A bit left field but, excellent travel links, especially for you, good area, schools etc, Shenfield, cross rail to start from there to, good car park.

Just some of the ideas I had when looking.

[pikey]

Thanks - some useful stuff there

[evoesque]

oyster said:

Is it me or do most posts to this thread have little to do with answering the OP's question, and more to do with encouraging one more resident in your area and so raising your house's
OP says:

Need to get to Canary Wharf via London Bridge

PH'er response:
My train goes to Paddington. and so on and so on.

FFS

Think you'll see from my post that I go straight past London Brindge on my way to Canary Wharf from Paddignton.

FFS

[sday12]

Can believe noone has mentioned 'one' service to Stratford, DLR/Jubilee to Canary Wharf

50 minutes from Shenfield, outside M25, parking, within 15 minutes of countryside. House prices expensive though.

If you are looking for around an hour to East London seem the best option.

[pikey]

sday12 said:

Can believe noone has mentioned 'one' service to Stratford, DLR/Jubilee to Canary Wharf

Needs to be South or West as MrsP sometimes works in a location to the West.

[Wacky Racer]

You Southerners must either be mad or loaded.......

£10 a day to park your friggin' car.......Most of the railway stations within commuting distance of Manchester/Liverpool/Leeds offer free parking, at least if you can show you have purchased a railway ticket......

[furtive]

Pikey - you are me. We've been working on this exact problem for a couple of years now and are no closer to deciding where to move to. And we have schools to consider as well, which makes the move even harder. I've even got a spreadsheet of commute times!

So once you've done all your homework, let me know what you decide and why

[kiwisr]

forsure said:

One or two have mentioned 'First Capital Connect'.

A useful service, but:
It uses rolling stock that's now 20 years old. It's all being lightly refurbished, but no new trains on order.
No air-con, no high-back seats.

I've been preferring them to Southern at the moment - 1st class isn't too bad and you can open the windows to get fresh air, the a/c trains can get a bit stuffy and hot.