Andover to South Kensington.

[Muzer]

I'm travelling with my mum on Sunday to South Kensington from Andover. I have a 16-25 Railcard, and she has a Network Railcard. We're planning on leaving on the 0746 train. We'd like a day return.

I believe the fastest route to be to change at Clapham Junction, get on a Southern service to Victoria, then get the tube to South Kensington. Going from Waterloo on the tube appears to be a little slower, correct me if I'm wrong.


I believe the cheapest way given this route is to buy railcard-discounted super off-peak day returns to CLJ (£18.20 per person), then use Oyster from there to South Kensington (£1.40 each way for me, £2.10 each way for her). This comes to a total of £21 for me and £22.40 for her, both of which are cheaper than the Super Off-peak Travelcard (£23.30 per person).

Am I missing a better route or a cheaper ticketing situation?

 

[Eagle]

I believe the fastest route to be to change at Clapham Junction, get on a Southern service to Victoria, then get the tube to South Kensington. Going from Waterloo on the tube appears to be a little slower, correct me if I'm wrong.

Clapham Junction > West Brompton > South Kensington is probably a little faster. That's the way I did it for the couple of times I went up to Imperial (which was back in '07/08, when London Overground had just started).

 

[Muzer]

Really? Wouldn't you have to change an additional time (West Brompton and Earl's Court rather than just Victoria), making it slower unless connections are timed well? Also, that passes through zone 2, would we have to ensure not to touch the validators at West Brompton to avoid a zone 2 charge, or does it not matter?

EDIT: Yeah, I think you're right looking at the journey planner (don't know why I didn't consider that earlier)

 

[Eagle]

Really? Wouldn't you have to change an additional time (West Brompton and Earl's Court rather than just Victoria). Also, that passes through zone 2, would we have to ensure not to touch the validators at West Brompton to avoid a zone 2 charge, or does it not matter?

No, there are direct District line trains, the ones that go between Wimbledon and Tower Hill. Also I don't get what you're saying about the zones; CLJ to SK is a zone 2 to zone 1 journey whichever way you go (via West Brompton or via Victoria).

 

[Muzer]

No, there are direct District line trains, the ones that go between Wimbledon and Tower Hill. Also I don't get what you're saying about the zones; CLJ to SK is a zone 2 to zone 1 journey whichever way you go (via West Brompton or via Victoria).

Oh, duh. For some reason I thought CLJ was in zone 1 for a minute. Brain failure!

TfL journey planner is giving me journeys only ever half hour from CLJ.

 

[greatkingrat]

Both Victoria and West Brompton involve going a bit out of your way, I think getting the bus (either 49 or 345) direct from Clapham Junction would probably be quicker.

 

[rww100]

If it were me, I would change at CLJ and walk from West Brompton saving the Zone 1 fare. In the time taken to wait for a District Line train from Wimbledon, travel the distance via Earls Court and Gloucester Road and negotiate your way through the crowds of tourists visiting the museums at South Kensington, you could nearly be there on foot. It's about one mile if you're up for it, and should take no more than about 20 mins. Quite a straightforward route as well - turn right on your way out of WBP and just keep walking along the Old Brompton Road: http://goo.gl/maps/rqXAS

The Overground from CLJ should be every fifteen minutes, even on Sundays, and there's also the additional Southern service you can take.

greatkingrat's suggestion of taking the bus from CLJ is also a good and probably quicker option, but will also be very slightly more expensive: £1.40 + £1.40 = £2.80 by bus vs £1.00 + £1.50 = £2.50 for CLJ - WBP by train.

 

[Muzer]

I probably should also have mentioned that I'm going to South Kensington to get to the Royal Albert Hall (I know the tunnel leads to round about there) - so if there's an optimisation that would involve the same or less walking from South Kensington itself, that would be better. (Yes, we ARE seeing the Doctor Who prom )

My mum has something against buses, and I'm not keen on them myself either - we'd both much prefer to get the tube and walk, especially from South Kensington because we know the route and it's a rather easy tunnel .

 

[causton]

What immediately springs to mind is to catch a direct train from West Brompton to High Street Kensington and then walk from there - not too sure about the distance though but I'll check!

Edit: Easy 15 minute walk - I *did* remember where the Royal Albert Hall was! Of course you could time it right and get a Routemaster bus for the standard Oyster fare but it's not that hard to walk it! http://goo.gl/maps/9Eaiw

 

[Eagle]

What immediately springs to mind is to catch a direct train from West Brompton to High Street Kensington and then walk from there - not too sure about the distance though but I'll check!

But there are just as many direct trains from West Bromwich to South Kensington as there are to High Street Kensington. South Kensington is a shorter walk (and it's mostly in the subway, so no need to negotiate streets and crossings).

 

[causton]

But there are just as many direct trains from West Bromwich to South Kensington as there are to High Street Kensington. South Kensington is a shorter walk (and it's mostly in the subway, so no need to negotiate streets and crossings).

Each to their own I guess! I hate that subway as it's dirty, dark and full up normally of people stopping in the middle for no reason! :P

(Google Maps shows it as 15 minutes walk from either station, but doesn't route you through the subway as I'm assuming it doesn't know the subway exists!)

Perhaps you can turn up at West Brompton and get whatever train turns up first to either South Kensington or High Street Kensington

 

[Muzer]

Gah, I knew I was doing something wrong - I'd accidentally disabled national rail in the TfL journey planner.

When I enable it, it shows me via Victoria as being one of the best routes, along with via West Brompton (but that route is much rarer to get a good connection on, it implies). I think via Victoria it is. Plus it'll give us a decent chance to get breakfast (there are cafés at Victoria, I assume?)

 

[sonic2009]

What immediately springs to mind is to catch a direct train from West Brompton to High Street Kensington and then walk from there - not too sure about the distance though but I'll check!

But there are just as many direct trains from West Bromwich to South Kensington as there are to High Street Kensington. South Kensington is a shorter walk (and it's mostly in the subway, so no need to negotiate streets and crossings).

Have Midland metro expanded to London now then I sure would like to see a tram running on the Chiltern main line :P

 

[tsr]

Plus it'll give us a decent chance to get breakfast (there are cafés at Victoria, I assume?)

There are plenty of cafés and shops all over the London Victoria NR concourse, and also just beyond the bus station in the Victoria Street area - I'm sure there will be somewhere selling what you want!

 

[Muzer]

Went via Victoria in the end, because of the fewer changes and to minimise the amount of time spent underground on such a hot day.


The South Kensington foot tunnel is surprisingly cool!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh. I seem to have been charged £2.20 each way for this and I can't work out how - single fare finder says it should be £1.40 with a railcard and £2.10 without...


EDIT: Ah, figured it out, it was in the "alternative fares" section. Grr...

 

[Starmill]

There are plenty of cafés and shops all over the London Victoria NR concourse, and also just beyond the bus station in the Victoria Street area - I'm sure there will be somewhere selling what you want!

I have often remarked that London Victoria Station appears to contain more shops than the whole of Oldham Town Centre

 

[Be3G]

The South Kensington foot tunnel is surprisingly cool!

I went to the Doctor Who Prom on Saturday and found the same thing. The coolest place I've yet found on London's transport network during the present heatwave!

 

[Oscar]

Oh. I seem to have been charged £2.20 each way for this and I can't work out how - single fare finder says it should be £1.40 with a railcard and £2.10 without...

EDIT: Ah, figured it out, it was in the "alternative fares" section. Grr...

You have been charged the Zones 1-2 National Rail and TfL Rail combined single fare (£3.30 full fare).