All line rover

[YorkshireBear]

bad thing about my life is a dont drink for medical reasons that i wont bore you with on here, unfortunate but helps keeps a tighter budget than most students

ive gone off idea of tent anyway :/ shame as i have a lovely one but its for me plus girlfriend minimum so would be hard to carry it around

 

[Bevan Price]

To those of us who remember when 2 weeks cost less than £ 80, the current ALR seems very expensive. However, if you can save the money, go for it.

With limited funds, I suggest doing as much as possible with trips to/from home each day - even if you have to start earlier than you would like. From your Leeds / Sheffield area, you should be able to reach most lines in East Anglia, Southern England, North Wales and parts of South Wales, and still get home each night. Even parts of Scotland will be possible - maybe as far north as Perth / Dundee.

For further north in Scotland - 2 to 3 days B&B in somewhere near Inverness would help. Likewise, to do West Wales, Devon / Cornwall, a couple of nights B&B might help. Search internet for tourist information offices to locate B&B's in preferred towns.

If you don't mind camping, and can find a safe, recommended site, than that might be OK - but don't risk trying to pitch your tent in an unknown site in / near big towns & cities - you never know what low life types might inhabit that area, and if they think you have money or cameras, etc., you might be "unsafe".

Unless you go in peak holiday periods, you can often find a B&B without prebooking, although booking in advance is safer. Seaside resorts and smaller towns usually have more "low price" B&B's than big cities. 20 or so years since I last went, but Stirling or Perth were quite a lot cheaper than central Glasgow or Edinburgh.

If you want to SEE all the lines, avoid overnight travel - you will probably find yourself falling asleep at times during the next day's journey.

Bevan

 

[Chapeltom]

Planning an all-line rover myself, hopefully in the Summer. Based these plans on winter timetables.. came up with it in half an hour.

Some connections are very tight so I'll end up condensing it! With a Y-P the All-Line Rovers works out about £250 cheaper than buying individual ticket

Day One
0634 to 0728 - Chapel to Manchester Picc
0745 to 0822 - Manchester Picc to Preston
0838 to 1005 - Preston to Barrow
1011 to 1239 - Barrow to Carlisle
1335 to 1456 - Carlisle to Newcastle
1528 to 1858 - Newcastle to London Kings Cross
2000 to 2155 - London Euston to Stockport
2205 to 2238 - Stockport to Chapel
£43.05

Day Two -
0634 to 0708 - Chapel to Stockport
0716 to 0815 - Stockport to Wolverhampton
0843 to 1046 - Wolverhampton to Machynlleth
1100 to 1253 - Machynlleth to Pwllheli
1343 to 1551 - Pwllheli to Machynlleth
1648 to 1725 - Machynlleth to Aberystywth
1730 to 1925 - Aberystywth to Shrewsbury
1953 to 2058 - Shrewsbury to Stockport
2105 to 2138 - Stockport to Chapel en le Frith
£31.70

Day Three
0701 to 0737 - Chapel to Stockport
0754 to 1213 - Stockport to Norwich
1300 to 1421 - Norwich to Chelmsford
1426 to 1438 - Chelmsford to Shenfield
1459 to 1534 - Shenfield to Southend
1557 to 1644 - Southend to West Ham
TUBE to London Bridge
1742 to 1821 - London Bridge to Haywards Heath
1826 to 1849 - Haywards Heath to Brighton
1900 to 1947 - Brighton to Barnham
1953 to 2101 - Barnham to Southampton
2130 to 2249 - Southampton to Waterloo
TUBE to Paddington
2345 to 0759 - Paddington to Penzance

Day Four
1000 to 1302 - Penzance to Exeter St Davids
1326 to 1516 - Exeter St Davids to Salisbury
1644 to 1825 - Salisbury to Newport
1839 to 2030 - Newport to Paddington
TUBE to Euston
2115 to 0954 - Euston to Fort William

Day Five
1212 to 1334 - Fort William to Mallaig
1605 to 2129 - Mallaig to Glasgow Q.S

Day Six
Night in Glasgow Q.S
0706 to 1029 - Glasgow Q.S to Inverness
1038 to 1455 - Inverness to Wick
1600 to 2009 - Wick to Inverness

Day Seven
Night in Inverness
0940 to 1458 - Inverness to Newcastle
1507 to 1734 - Newcastle to Manchester
1752 to 1838 - Manchester to Chapel

 

[37372]

All this talk of sleepers and budget hotels, not when I did my ALR in 07!
I was 15 at the time and wanted to do one before my CHPRV expired. The first night I spent it travelling around on overnight TPE's around Manchester/Blackpool. The morning after I made my way down to Cardiff, spent the day there, did the late night train to Fishguard and back to Carmarthen where I spent 2 hours on a platform bench awaiting the 04something to Milford Haven!

Not really recommended though...

 

[Track Basher]

Planning an all-line rover myself, hopefully in the Summer. Based these plans on winter timetables.. came up with it in half an hour.

Some connections are very tight so I'll end up condensing it! With a Y-P the All-Line Rovers works out about £250 cheaper than buying individual ticket

Day One
0634 to 0728 - Chapel to Manchester Picc
0745 to 0822 - Manchester Picc to Preston
0838 to 1005 - Preston to Barrow
1011 to 1239 - Barrow to Carlisle
1335 to 1456 - Carlisle to Newcastle
1528 to 1858 - Newcastle to London Kings Cross
2000 to 2155 - London Euston to Stockport
2205 to 2238 - Stockport to Chapel
£43.05

Day Two -
0634 to 0708 - Chapel to Stockport
0716 to 0815 - Stockport to Wolverhampton
0843 to 1046 - Wolverhampton to Machynlleth
1100 to 1253 - Machynlleth to Pwllheli
1343 to 1551 - Pwllheli to Machynlleth
1648 to 1725 - Machynlleth to Aberystywth
1730 to 1925 - Aberystywth to Shrewsbury
1953 to 2058 - Shrewsbury to Stockport
2105 to 2138 - Stockport to Chapel en le Frith
£31.70

Day Three
0701 to 0737 - Chapel to Stockport
0754 to 1213 - Stockport to Norwich
1300 to 1421 - Norwich to Chelmsford
1426 to 1438 - Chelmsford to Shenfield
1459 to 1534 - Shenfield to Southend
1557 to 1644 - Southend to West Ham
TUBE to London Bridge
1742 to 1821 - London Bridge to Haywards Heath
1826 to 1849 - Haywards Heath to Brighton
1900 to 1947 - Brighton to Barnham
1953 to 2101 - Barnham to Southampton
2130 to 2249 - Southampton to Waterloo
TUBE to Paddington
2345 to 0759 - Paddington to Penzance

Day Four
1000 to 1302 - Penzance to Exeter St Davids
1326 to 1516 - Exeter St Davids to Salisbury
1644 to 1825 - Salisbury to Newport
1839 to 2030 - Newport to Paddington
TUBE to Euston
2115 to 0954 - Euston to Fort William

Day Five
1212 to 1334 - Fort William to Mallaig
1605 to 2129 - Mallaig to Glasgow Q.S

Day Six
Night in Glasgow Q.S
0706 to 1029 - Glasgow Q.S to Inverness
1038 to 1455 - Inverness to Wick
1600 to 2009 - Wick to Inverness

Day Seven
Night in Inverness
0940 to 1458 - Inverness to Newcastle
1507 to 1734 - Newcastle to Manchester
1752 to 1838 - Manchester to Chapel

An excellent attempt if I may say so but only 7/10 I'm afraid.

You have missed two opportunities to do something a bit different and you have very large double backs, when you don't need to.

The ALRR includes the Ffestiniog Railway. On the way back from Pwllheli you could have walked across Porthmadog to the FR station or changed at Minffordd then returned via Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno Jn. This is easier in the summer months as the FR run a lot more trains.

The second one was at Mallaig. You could catch the ferry to Armadale (Skye) and there is then a bus from Armadale to Kyle of Lochalsh (some buses you have to change at Broadford Post Office) then the last train from Kyle to Inverness. You then have the choice of returning south on the other sleeper portion or staying in Inverness for the Far North.

If this is in winter you have to do it the other way round sleeper to Inverness then Kyle bus to Broadford and Armadale the train back to Fort William and sleeper back south again. The ferries from Mallaig are very infrequent in the winter months.

I did this between Christmas and New Year last year with over a foot of snow on the ground in places. If you are interested in the times use the link below.

This is one of my favourite journeys and I have done it may times, regrettably 156 and 158s these days as the 37s have been gone for neary 20 years. My personal view is that Fort William - Mallaig and Inverness to Kyle are the best scenic railways in the UK and you can do both on the same day.

Just a couple of ideas.

 

[Chapeltom]

I'll have to edit that some time! It's not going to happen until the Summer. If I do it, plan it fully by Easter time and then buy the ALR for July time

 

[Peter Mugridge]

You have a number of cross London tube connections; you do realise the ALR isn't valid for that don't you?

 

[W-on-Sea]

You have a number of cross London tube connections; you do realise the ALR isn't valid for that don't you?

Kings Cross-Euston: short walk.

1557 to 1644 - Southend to West Ham
TUBE to London Bridge
1742 to 1821 - London Bridge to Haywards Heath

I'd say (unless you really wish to use the jubilee line extension - not that you will really get to see any of its fine pieces of architecture from the train) you might as well stay on the train from West Ham to Fenchurch Street, and then walk from there to London Bridge. It's no more than a 20 minute walk (and the journey from West Ham to Fenchurch Street is 8 or 9 minutes), so your timetable leaves plenty of allowance for that.

Waterloo-Paddington: definitely best done by tube.

Paddington to Euston is certainly too far to walk in the time that you leave yourself, and even going by bus (205 or 18) might be cutting it a bit fine, so probably the only option is to do that one by tube. In fact, I'd worry that that connection (for such a long onward journey) doesn't leave long enough for delays or for things to go wrong.

The other thing to remember about crossing London is, if you are doing that at the weekend, to check the Underground engineering works situation. Large swathes of the network tend to be shut down on Saturdays and, especially, Sundays.

 

[duffman82]

I recently planned my own All Line Rail Rover as well

Its Going to be my first one here mind.

Day One
Liverpool Lime Street: D 05.27
Crewe: A 06.00

Crewe: D 07.08
Shrewsbury: A 07.38

Shrewsbury: D 08.06
London Marylebone:A 11.15

Marylebone: D 11.20
Liverpool Street:A 11.45

Liverpool Street: D 12.00
Norwich:A 13.48

Norwich: D 13.57
Ely:A 14.45

Ely: D 15.26
London Kings cross:A 16.32

London Kings Cross: D 16.45
Tower hill:A 17.15

London Fenchurch Street: D 17.30
Shoeburyness:A 18.31

Shoeburyness: D 18.50
Southend Central:A 18.59

Hotel

Day 2
Southend Victoria: D 06.26
London Liverpool Street:A 07.30

London Liverpool Street: D 07.40
Bank: D 07.50
London waterloo:A 08.00

London Waterloo: D 08.35
Southampton Central:A 09.49

Southampton Central: D 10.13
Havant: A 10.55

Havant: D 11.12
Brighton: A 12.18

Brighton: D 13.19
London Victoria: A 14.10

London Victoria: D 14.15
London St Pancras: A 14.30

London St Pancras: D 15.15
Nottingham: A 16.59

Nottingham: D 17.45
Liverpool Lime Street: A 20.35

Liverpool Central: D 21.10
Kirkdale: A 21.19

Day 3
Kirkdale 05.57
Moorfields:A 06.03

Moorfields: D 06.16
Liverpool Lime Street: A 06.18

Liverpool Lime Street: D 06.30
Crewe: A 07.14

Crewe: D 07.32
Cardiff Central: A 09.58

Cardiff Central: D 10.11
Cardiff Queen Street: A 10.15

Cardiff Queen Street: D 10.24
Cardiff Bay: A 10.28

Cardiff Bay: D 10.30
Cardiff Queen Street: A 10.34

Cardiff Queen Street: D 10.40
Cardiff Central: A 10.50

Cardiff Central: D 11.55
London Paddington: A 13.32

London Paddington: D 15.06
Penzance: A 20.39

Penzance: D 21.45
London Paddington: A 06.00

Day 4

London Euston: D 07.30
Glasgow Central: A 12.01

Glasgow Queen Street: D 13.15
Edinburgh: A 14.05

Edinburgh: D 15.00
Aberdeen: A 17.37

Aberdeen: D 18.20
Inverness: A 20.33

Day 5
Inverness: D 07.55
Perth: A 09.58

Perth: D 10.14
Glasgow Queen Street: A 11.15

Glasgow Central: D 12.40
Preston: A 15.00

Preston: D 15.39
Ormskirk: A 16.10

Ormskirk: D 16.20
Kirkdale: A 16.41

Day 6
Liverpool Lime Street: D 08.22
York: A 10.35

York: D 11.04
London Kings Cross: A 12.56

London St Pancras: D 13.12
Ebbsfleet International: A 13.30

Ebbsfleet International: D 13.48
London St Pancras: A 14.08

London Kings Cross: D 15.08
Hull: A 17.47

Hull: D 17.58
Manchester Piccadilly: A 20.00

Manchester Piccadilly: D 20.08
Liverpool Lime Street: A 20.59

Liverpool Lime Street: D 21.40
Kirkdale: A 21.50

Day 7
Kirkdale: D 09:42
Liverpool Central: A 09:50

Liverpool Lime Street: D 10:22
Leeds: A 12:04

Leeds: D 12:40
Doncaster: A 13:09

Doncaster: D 13.41
Newcastle: A 15.12

Newcastle: D 16.30
York: A 17.34

York: D 17.45
Liverpool Lime Street: A 19.58

Liverpool Central: D 20.40
Kirkdale: A 20.50

 

[Track Basher]

What is your aim here?
New track, some loco hauled or spotting or a mix of all three?

 

[W-on-Sea]

I note that the starting and finishing points of the first day's journey match those of the only National Express coach service we have in Southend (305). I've no idea why any such a service exists, not least as it takes a slow and meandering route, and it would usually be quicker to go via London and get a properly express coach. In fact the decidedly non-direct train route proposed here takes a similar amount of time as the coach.

 

[duffman82]

What is your aim here?
New track, some loco hauled or spotting or a mix of all three?

My Aim is New track and Loco Hauled, I want to travel round the majority of the U.K. before i aim to rail networks of another country.

 

[Track Basher]

My Aim is New track and Loco Hauled, I want to travel round the majority of the U.K. before i aim to rail networks of another country.

OK a couple of suggestions.

You have a massive double back on Day 3. You Go Cardiff - London - Penzance - London. Much of the track on the sleeper is duplicated.

After a trip on the Bubble Car on Cardiff Bay to head on the 11:30 to Salisbury then Exeter.

You can then head to Penzance via a couple of brance lines Looe, Falmouth and St Ives are quite good. In the event of late running you miss them out.

When you go to Scotland the following day why not go up the East Coast. You can use a few different 91s to get to Edinburgh. Probably worth going to Glasgow on one as these as they are likely to stop going to Glasgow shortly.
Go while you still have the chance.

You could then go back to Edinburgh by a different route (Falkirk or Bathgate) then do the loco hauled Fife Circle. You can then go the Aberdeen on an East Coast HST and stay there.

The following morning then go to Inverness and then head back home.

Day 7

Why not come back from Newcastle via Carlisle rather than coming back the same way.

A few suggestions but up to you if you use them.

 

[Chapeltom]

Sorry for bringing a 5 day old topic up.

Arriving at Cardiff at 10:55 and needing to leave at 18:50, how many Valley Lines could one reasonably do? I presume I could do all 8 in a day?

 

[Greenback]

I believe it's possible to do quite a few as long as you use buses to avoid having to travel back to Cardiff or Pontypridd. You would only have time for one trip on each line you do though, rather than a return!

I'm pretty sure you couldn't do them all (including Ebbw Vale, Maesteg and the VoG), but I would enjoy trying to plan it, if I had the time!

 

[Chapeltom]

0603 to 0641 - Chapel to Stockport
0651 to 0715 - Stockport to Crewe
0733 to 0958 - Crewe to Cardiff Central

1012 to 1016 - Cardiff Q.S to Cardiff Bay - Butetown branch
1036 to 1050 - Cardiff Central to Radyr - City Line branch
1050 to 1144 - Radyr to Treherbert - Rhondda Line (same train)

1217 to 1248 - Treherbert to Pontypridd
1311 to 1349 - Pontypridd to Aberdare - Merthyr Line 2

1351 to 1413 - Aberdare to Abercynon
1434 to 1503 - Abercynon to Merthyr Tydfil - Merthyr Line 1

1508 to 1609 - Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Central
1616 to 1717 - Cardiff Central to Rhymney - Rhymney Line

1729 to 1829 - Rhymney to Cardiff Central
1850 to 2158 - Cardiff to Stockport
2205 to 2238 - Stockport to Chapel

Very quick mess around with the journey planner, most of the trains I'd step off, take a photo and get back on. Pontypridd seems like a good interchange. Its a definite alternative to the North Welsh coast on Day Two of my ALR which I'm planning for next year. The VoG, Coryton Line couldn't be possibly done. It would be a 14 hour day but more fufilling that just doing a couple of mainlines I could do anytime.


Having taken on board another poster's comments I'll probably go from Penzance on day four up to London. Sleeper to Fort William, day five (would be a Friday) up to Mallaig, onto Skye, Kyle then Inverness if the times work out. Day Six up to Wick as planned but arrive 4 hours earlier. Head onto John O Groats, back to Wick for the 1600 train to Inverness, Saturday evening in Inverness. Back home the next day

As the first train after the sleeper to Mallaig is at 1212 and reaches Mallaig at 1335. It is possible to get to Inverness via Skye and Kyle on the same day?

 

[blackfive460]

As the first train after the sleeper to Mallaig is at 1212 and reaches Mallaig at 1335. It is possible to get to Inverness via Skye and Kyle on the same day?

Should just be do-able as there's a Cal-Mac sailing at 15:10 or 16:00 depending on when you travel but have a look at the Stagecoach Highland web site for bus timetabels. They do a handy pdf to download.
Bear in mind that the bus isn't guaranteed to connect with the ferry even if it appears to.
If I needed to be certain of getting to Inverness I'd go back to Fort Bill and use the bus from there.

 

[junglejames]

Should just be do-able as there's a Cal-Mac sailing at 15:10 or 16:00 depending on when you travel but have a look at the Stagecoach Highland web site for bus timetabels. They do a handy pdf to download.
Bear in mind that the bus isn't guaranteed to connect with the ferry even if it appears to.
If I needed to be certain of getting to Inverness I'd go back to Fort Bill and use the bus from there.

I havent checked all of this thread, but looking at your plans for Scotland, you are pushing it a lot. When are you doing this trip? Next year? Well the last train from Kyle is at 1715, and the only ferry available to you is the 1600 from Mallaig, arriving Armadale at 1630. So even without checking buses on Skye, it is highly unlikely you would make it to Kyle in time to catch the last train.
Also, your not leaving yourself a lot of time up in Wick. Although its possible to do Inverness to Wick to John O Groats, and back, all in 1 day, it is going to be a day full of travelling. It takes up to 45mins on the bus from Wick to John O Groats. I am doing a similar thing myself next year, and ive done it in the past, and I always stay at least 1 night in Wick to give myself some time. Next year im spending 2 nights in Wick, before heading back to Inverness.
Anyway, I have checked train and bus times, and it is possible to get to John o Groats and back. You even have 1hr in JoG. You need to leave on the 1st train from Inverness though. 0706.

Right, just checked buses on Skye, and its a no go. Unless your going to chance it and hope you can get a cab (unlikely in Armadale) then your best bet is to either spend a night in Mallaig before heading to Skye, or to not go to Skye at all.

James

 

[Track Basher]

0603 to 0641 - Chapel to Stockport
0651 to 0715 - Stockport to Crewe
0733 to 0958 - Crewe to Cardiff Central

1012 to 1016 - Cardiff Q.S to Cardiff Bay - Butetown branch
1036 to 1050 - Cardiff Central to Radyr - City Line branch
1050 to 1144 - Radyr to Treherbert - Rhondda Line (same train)

1217 to 1248 - Treherbert to Pontypridd
1311 to 1349 - Pontypridd to Aberdare - Merthyr Line 2

1351 to 1413 - Aberdare to Abercynon
1434 to 1503 - Abercynon to Merthyr Tydfil - Merthyr Line 1

1508 to 1609 - Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Central
1616 to 1717 - Cardiff Central to Rhymney - Rhymney Line

1729 to 1829 - Rhymney to Cardiff Central
1850 to 2158 - Cardiff to Stockport
2205 to 2238 - Stockport to Chapel

Very quick mess around with the journey planner, most of the trains I'd step off, take a photo and get back on. Pontypridd seems like a good interchange. Its a definite alternative to the North Welsh coast on Day Two of my ALR which I'm planning for next year. The VoG, Coryton Line couldn't be possibly done. It would be a 14 hour day but more fufilling that just doing a couple of mainlines I could do anytime.


Having taken on board another poster's comments I'll probably go from Penzance on day four up to London. Sleeper to Fort William, day five (would be a Friday) up to Mallaig, onto Skye, Kyle then Inverness if the times work out. Day Six up to Wick as planned but arrive 4 hours earlier. Head onto John O Groats, back to Wick for the 1600 train to Inverness, Saturday evening in Inverness. Back home the next day

As the first train after the sleeper to Mallaig is at 1212 and reaches Mallaig at 1335. It is possible to get to Inverness via Skye and Kyle on the same day?

I have had a quick check but you cannot see the bus times on Skye for the Summer yet. The time are there until the end of March but not beyond. If you are going after May you have to do this on a Saturday as the Fort William to Mallaig train departs later Monday to Friday and makes the 15:10 sailing. Probably because the steam is running. This is a bit tight on time.

If you do that there is a 13:45 sailing to Armadale (shown as a connection in the Caledonian MacBrayne timetable) and arrives at 14:15. This gives you 3 hours to get to Kyle of Lochalsh.

The fallback is if you miss the ferry go back to Fort William and get the bus to Inverness. You are then back in position for the following day. This is not a bad bus ride as it goes along Loch Ness.

I suspect you will be able to do this but are going to have to wait until the Summer bus timetable comes out in 2011.

Also when going up the far North there is also a bus between Thurso and Wick. Thurso is also nearer to John o' Groats.

 

[90019]

Right, just checked buses on Skye, and its a no go. Unless your going to chance it and hope you can get a cab (unlikely in Armadale) then your best bet is to either spend a night in Mallaig before heading to Skye, or to not go to Skye at all.

Or spend a night on Skye

 

[Chapeltom]

Or do it the other way round:

Day Four: London Euston to Inverness (not Fort William)
Day Five: Inverness to Wick/Thurso. Instead of Mallaig, Skye, Inverness. Night in Inverness as planned.
Day Six: 9am Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, Skye, Mallaig then stop night in Fort William. Instead of Inverness, Wick and back.
Day Seven: Come back from Fort William instead of coming back from Inverness

Probably a lot easier doing it that way.

 

[junglejames]

Having looked back through the thread, I assume nobody is aware of the restrictions coming into force next month? These are for real as well, not rumours/ unfulfilled threats like earlier on this year.
If using EC, VT, EMT or XC, you cannot alight or board at the following stations before 1000hrs:
Birmingham NS, Bedford, London Eus, London KX, London SP, Luton, Luton Airport, Milton Keynes Central, Stevanage, Watford.
It only applies to those 4 operators though. Plus you can travel through the station, just not board or alight.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Or do it the other way round:

Day Four: London Euston to Inverness (not Fort William)
Day Five: Inverness to Wick/Thurso. Instead of Mallaig, Skye, Inverness. Night in Inverness as planned.
Day Six: 9am Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, Skye, Mallaig then stop night in Fort William. Instead of Inverness, Wick and back.
Day Seven: Come back from Fort William instead of coming back from Inverness

Probably a lot easier doing it that way.

Only one problem. The sleeper gets in too late for the first train to Wick. Meaning you wont make it to John O Groats if you intend to get back to Inverness that day.

 

[transportphoto]

Having looked back through the thread, I assume nobody is aware of the restrictions coming into force next month? These are for real as well, not rumours/ unfulfilled threats like earlier on this year.
If using EC, VT, EMT or XC, you cannot alight or board at the following stations before 1000hrs:
Birmingham NS, Bedford, London Eus, London KX, London SP, Luton, Luton Airport, Milton Keynes Central, Stevanage, Watford.
It only applies to those 4 operators though. Plus you can travel through the station, just not board or alight.

Yep, we are aware we have another thread for this subject if you wish to further discuss it .

Thanks for Posting it in here anyway

 

[Chapeltom]

Having looked back through the thread, I assume nobody is aware of the restrictions coming into force next month? These are for real as well, not rumours/ unfulfilled threats like earlier on this year.
If using EC, VT, EMT or XC, you cannot alight or board at the following stations before 1000hrs:
Birmingham NS, Bedford, London Eus, London KX, London SP, Luton, Luton Airport, Milton Keynes Central, Stevanage, Watford.
It only applies to those 4 operators though. Plus you can travel through the station, just not board or alight.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---



Only one problem. The sleeper gets in too late for the first train to Wick. Meaning you wont make it to John O Groats if you intend to get back to Inverness that day.

Damn! Knew there a flaw in my plans :-x

I'll probably be doing it Aug/Sept but I wanted to get an idea of routing together. I'll see what else can be put together, its not easy at all

----------

There is an alternative, 1015 bus to Kyle which will be x tens of pounds. Arrive at 1207, walk/bus over to Skye. 1435 to Dingwall. 2 hour connection and wait for the 1829 to Wick. Means I can get to Wick/Thurso without an overnight stop and still do Skye, plus probably do John O Groats the next morning.

Being in Wick on the Friday night and not Saturday means I've two days to get home via any route I like. Cheers for the help, I'm hoping I can turn this into a reality. I've wanted to tour the country by train for a long time, hopefully next year it happens.

The first 2 days are going to be day trips. Valley Lines, Cumbrian Coast most likely.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Only one problem. The sleeper gets in too late for the first train to Wick. Meaning you wont make it to John O Groats if you intend to get back to Inverness that day.

You can - provided you spend an awful lot on a taxi from Thurso to Wick via Groats and spend only literally 5 minutes at Groats; that's how I did it during my record trip back in June. Land's End to John O'Groats and back by rail witrh taxi for the extremities in 49 hours 49 minutes. It's described down in the stories or somewhere on this forum.

I would agree, though, that it would be better to spend more time at Groats if you were doing a normal trip.

 

[Chapeltom]

Sorry to keep bothering everyone but I want to know as much info as I can before these plans certain in the New Year. Do bus services between Penzance and Lands End increase in the warmer months? There is only a couple of services a day shown. Reason I ask is because I want to go from Penzance to there and back in a couple of hours, arrive from sleeper at 8am and get 1046 back out to Plymouth, onto Exeter, Salisbury etc

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Two hours? That's probably a taxi job as well as it's almost ½ hour each way by taxi - the bus will surely be slower...

 

[philjo]

Sorry to keep bothering everyone but I want to know as much info as I can before these plans certain in the New Year. Do bus services between Penzance and Lands End increase in the warmer months? There is only a couple of services a day shown. Reason I ask is because I want to go from Penzance to there and back in a couple of hours, arrive from sleeper at 8am and get 1046 back out to Plymouth, onto Exeter, Salisbury etc

The current bus timetable is here

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/timetables_xhtml/timetable_pdf.php?source_id=2&service=1/1A&routeid=1763121&operator=6&op_id=6&from_timetable1=1&day=1

From 09:40 there is a bus every 2 hours on weekdays. (earlier bus at 06:15) - so these will not fit in with your train times.
Journey time is about 53 minutes each way. Looks like the bus comes back from Land's End almost immediately. (so if you stayed on the bus it is almost a 2 hour round trip to/from Penzance bus station)

In the summer I believe this route is hourly so it might be easier then.

 

[Chapeltom]

Thank you. Hourly would mean it doesn't really matter what time I leave, I'd just need to be in London for 8:30pm for the train to Scoltand but I'm planning on going back via Exeter and Salisbury and could probably leave as late as 12pm.

 

[Track Basher]

Or do it the other way round:

Day Four: London Euston to Inverness (not Fort William)
Day Five: Inverness to Wick/Thurso. Instead of Mallaig, Skye, Inverness. Night in Inverness as planned.
Day Six: 9am Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, Skye, Mallaig then stop night in Fort William. Instead of Inverness, Wick and back.
Day Seven: Come back from Fort William instead of coming back from Inverness

Probably a lot easier doing it that way.

This is definately possible I did it last winter. You don't have to be on the first train from Inverness to Kyle you can make it off the second one.