7 day ALR Itinerary - looking for advice

[mistuk]

Also posted on r/uktrains

Taking my 84 year old father on a 7 day ALR trip later in Feb. He has a disabled adult pass so we’re going to get the first class one. I want to make it special as you never know what is around the corner….

Nowhere in particularly he wants to go, but this is what I’ve got so far…. Looking to cover as many miles as possible!

Mon - meeting him at Reading - travelling to Paddington then across to Liverpool Street - getting the train to Norwich and back. Dinner in London then Caledonian sleeper to Inverness

Tue - Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and back. Night stop in Inverness

Wed - Inverness to York (avoiding Crosscountry trains) - night stop York

Thu - National railway museum then train to Newport (back to night stop with my mum for a night)

Fri - Newport to either Edinburgh or Glasgow - night stop

Sat ??

Sun ?? - need to arrive back in Newport early evening

Any thoughts / suggestions- particularly for Sat & Sun

 

[ChrisC]

A lovely idea, but my advice would to be take it at a leisurely pace and don’t try to do too much. Trying to pack too much into 7 days is very easy to do without considering the stamina it needs and how tired an 84 year old could become.

Around 15 years ago when staying near Lancaster, I spent 7 days with 2 elderly relatives, both then in their late 70s, travelling around using a 7 Day North West Rover. We didn’t have any really long days out, mostly starting out at around 9.30am and returning late afternoon. We did days out along the Cumbrian Coast, Settle to Carlisle, visiting Skipton Market etc. By the end of day 6 they were both so tired that they opted out of a 7th day and I went to Liverpool on my own.

It wasn’t just the travelling, but walking around the places we visited and from stations which were not always in the centre of towns. Above all, it was the physical climbing up and down steps to get to platforms, often when just changing trains that tired them out. I had totally not taken into consideration how tiring lots of consecutive days out by train would be for an elderly person.

I hope you have a great time but an ALR is a big thing to do travelling all over the country at the age of 84, especially if you are also intending doing activities like visiting museums.

 

[mrcheek]

A lovely idea, but my advice would to be take it at a leisurely pace and don’t try to do too much. Trying to pack too much into 7 days is very easy to do without considering the stamina it needs and how tired an 84 year old could become.

Around 15 years ago when staying near Lancaster, I spent 7 days with 2 elderly relatives, both then in their late 70s, travelling around using a 7 Day North West Rover. We didn’t have any really long days out, mostly starting out at around 9.30am and returning late afternoon. We did days out along the Cumbrian Coast, Settle to Carlisle, visiting Skipton Market etc. By the end of day 6 they were both so tired that they opted out of a 7th day and I went to Liverpool on my own.

It wasn’t just the travelling, but walking around the places we visited and from stations which were not always in the centre of towns. Above all, it was the physical climbing up and down steps to get to platforms, often when just changing trains that tired them out. I had totally not taken into consideration how tiring lots of consecutive days out by train would be for an elderly person.

I hope you have a great time but an ALR is a big thing to do travelling all over the country at the age of 84, especially if you are also intending doing activities like visiting museums.

I second this. Ive been doing ALRs for many years, but having now passed the age of 50, its all become a bit too much for me!

 

[Magdalia]

Taking my 84 year old father on a 7 day ALR trip later in Feb. He has a disabled adult pass so we’re going to get the first class one.

My advice would be to start by thinking very carefully about whether your 84 year old father has the physical strength and stamina for 7 consecutive days of travel.

Above all, it was the physical climbing up and down steps to get to platforms, often when just changing trains that tired them out. I had totally not taken into consideration how tiring lots of consecutive days out by train would be for an elderly person.

I'm nowhere near 84 yet, but I find travel on two consecutive days is too much. Last autumn I did 3 days in 6 and was exhausted for almost a fortnight afterwards.

Mon - meeting him at Reading - travelling to Paddington then across to Liverpool Street - getting the train to Norwich and back. Dinner in London then Caledonian sleeper to Inverness

Tue - Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and back. Night stop in Inverness

Wed - Inverness to York (avoiding Crosscountry trains) - night stop York

Looking at your itinerary, I would have had more than enough by day 3. I did something similar to this part of your itinerary with my parents about 20 years ago for a family wedding. They were then in their 70s, not 80s, but I allowed us 4 days, not 3, and I went to Kyle on my own while my parents did almost nothing in Inverness. That was in August, bear in mind that the weather in the north of Scotland in February is unlikely to be very friendly. I also avoided the sleeper, too much risk of not getting much sleep and feeling dreadful next day.

especially if you are also intending doing activities like visiting museums.

I rarely visit museums for this reason. A lot of time standing and walking is very tiring. I wouldn't even contemplate the idea of visiting the National Railway Museum after 3 days of travel.

Fri - Newport to either Edinburgh or Glasgow - night stop

Sat ??

Sun ?? - need to arrive back in Newport early evening

Any thoughts / suggestions- particularly for Sat & Sun

If you still think that your father is able to do this, then I would advise not having any firm plans for days 5-7. Instead have various options, of different distances and durations, one of which has to be do nothing. Bear in mind the impact of engineering work and major sporting events on the train service on your chosen weekend. In particular it probably isn't a good idea to plan travel to and from Newport on a weekend when there is Six Nations rugby in Cardiff.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Mon - meeting him at Reading - travelling to Paddington then across to Liverpool Street - getting the train to Norwich and back. Dinner in London then Caledonian sleeper to Inverness

Are you planning on a night in the seats on the sleeper or paying extra for a berth?