BEST LONDON STATION FOR…

[Tractor86]

Hello, I would appreciate any insight you clever people have regarding the best place to drive to in or near London so I can complete the journey by train? I usually get the train from Preston but have been let down by Avanti a couple of times now and it will probably cost just as much or even less, and with less hassle, if I just drive us down. I was wondering if there is an outlying tube/overground station with a good car park and frequent trains?

 

[yorkie]

What part of London are you trying to get to?

 

[Tractor86]

I want to get into the centre just for general touristy stuff

 

[zero]

Are you staying overnight?

From Preston you would typically follow the M6 then M40. Hillingdon is often recommended by other people though I have not been to that car park myself.

If you want to take the M1 you could also park for free at Brent Cross Shopping Centre and work out how to walk to Brent Cross tube (not that far unless you get lost).

 

[matt]

I've driven to Stanmore a few times now. A large car park and not too far from the M1

 

[Mojo]

From Preston you would typically follow the M6 then M40. Hillingdon is often recommended by other people though I have not been to that car park myself.

Absolutely the right answer. If you’re coming down the M40 (A40) Hillingdon is the obvious choice as it’s a few seconds off the slip road at the “Hillingdon Circus” junction.

If you wanted to save a bit of money, about 3 minutes further along the same road from Hillingdon, is Ickenham station, which is cheaper to park at on weekdays only (at weekends Hillingdon is the cheapest).

The benefit of Ickenham is that it is only 10 Min walk from West Ruislip, which means if the Met/Piccadilly lines are down, or you want to start or finish your day on the Central or Chiltern lines, it’s a good option. Don’t park at West Ruislip yourself though as it’s run by Chiltern rather than LU and accordingly the parking costs almost twice as much as the LU car parks!

 

[37078xotTE]

Another vote for Stanmore if you are coming down via the M1

 

[50002Superb]

If you’re coming down the M1 then Stanmore for me, every time

 

[Tractor86]

Ickenham looks like it might be the best option guys, thank you

 

[Mojo]

I don’t know when you’re planning on making this journey, but there’s posters up at Hillingdon station advising the car park will be closed this Sunday and Monday (18th and 19th) to allow the station to be used for coach parking for the commemorative events in relating to the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth. They’re instead advising customers to use Ruislip station, not sure why there instead of Ickenham.

 

[Hadders]

Consider Luton Airport Parkway - just off M1 J10. Large car park, fast frequent service to St Pancras. Cheap weekend fares (but buy a traditional ticket for these rather than contactless)

 

[miklcct]

If you want to take the M1 you could also park for free at Brent Cross Shopping Centre and work out how to walk to Brent Cross tube (not that far unless you get lost).

I second this. Brent Cross is the closest to the M1 exit, and close enough to inner London, and if it's free I highly recommend this.

 

[boiledbeans2]

I have a similar question so I thought I'd tag along here instead of starting a new thread.

On 8th Oct, I need to be in Brixton from approx 1900 to 2300. Note that this is the NR strike date.

I am coming from Guildford. Getting to London would be alright with various alternative options (e.g. buses). But going home after the event would be problematic.

I have considered various options, such as staying overnight till 9th Oct (too expensive, hotels in the area are ~£140), or getting National Express back (last coach is too early, 2200 from Victoria).

So now my plan is to get a hire car and drive there, going into London via the A3.

Where would be a convenient (and cheap) place to park near Brixton? If there's nothing good in Brixton, I could park further out, say somewhere along the Northern Morden branch, and get the tube (unaffected by the strike I believe) or bus in.

 

[30907]

Can't advise on parking, but how does the Croydon Central Premier Inn at £100 compare with your hire car option. Night bus from Brixton. Sutton and Tolworth are coming up cheaper but I don't know my bus routes these days.

 

[boiledbeans2]

Can't advise on parking, but how does the Croydon Central Premier Inn at £100 compare with your hire car option. Night bus from Brixton. Sutton and Tolworth are coming up cheaper but I don't know my bus routes these days.

Thanks for your suggestion. The hire car option is actually ~£50, excluding any London ULEZ/congestion surcharges or parking. It's actually a car-sharing scheme, so that's why it's cheaper.

I'm now reconsidering my hire-car option as I believe I can push the costs down further. My current plan is to take the N9 night bus to Heathrow, then bum around Heathrow until 4am, when I can get the first RA2 bus to Guildford. Of course, this cost saving would be at the expense of sleep. I think Heathrow would be safer to spend the night than roaming around Central London.