Strike day travel advice - Greenwich to Dover

[Joey Beauchamp]

Hello all,

This isn't exactly fares advice, but I don't know where else to post it (mods please move if there's a more suitable section).

I have a lovely Swiss family of four staying in my holiday let. They check out on Sunday 24th, but have a ferry from Dover booked on Wednesday 27th. They have booked a hotel in Greenwich for Sunday - Weds and were planning on driving to Dover, parking their hire car there and getting the train to Greenwich and back, until the strike got in the way! They don't want to drive to Greenwich due to low emissions zone.

I've come up with these options using the planned services that are running and public buses. I'm looking for a sweet spot of cheap and simple, but haven't quite found it yet!

1. Park at Dartford and train both ways.
2. Park at Sevenoaks and train both ways.
3. Park at Ashford and train both ways.
4. Park at Longfield, train in, train and bus from Dartford on return.

I am assuming option 4 would be free street parking and would probably work out cheapest, but if anyone has knowledge of places to park for a few days in Dartford, Sevenoaks or Ashford I would be most grateful. Other curveball ideas also welcomed (local stations on Dartford or Sevenoaks lines?)

Thanks, Tom

 

[AlterEgo]

They don't want to drive to Greenwich due to low emissions zone.

Sorry that this isn't a direct answer, but what hire car do they have that doesn't meet the low emissions zone?? Are they sure they'd be caught by that? It's £12.50 a day, why are they driving to Dover? Sorry I just don't understand the logic here.

 

[sonic2009]

Is the Car a UK Hire Car? I suspect that most of the car's that car hire companies rent out these days would meet the ULEZ zone requirements and not face the charge. Happy to stand corrected though.

Cars

Check to see if your car complies with the ULEZ standards

tfl.gov.uk

Minimum emission standards​

Petrol: Euro 4
Diesel: Euro 6

The ULEZ is enforced based on the declared emissions of the vehicle rather than the age. However:

• Petrol cars that meet the ULEZ standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after 2005, although cars that meet the standards have been available since 2001
• Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after September 2015

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

It's definitely a Swiss car, but may not actually be a hire car, that wasn't completely clear, they said they had to get the car back by Friday so I assumed.

They also told me it wouldn't meet the emissions zone because it was a diesel car. I can now see that this isn't the criteria, so I will investigate the car first before I continue. I think driving to Greenwich is definitely most sensible but it's possible they also don't want to drive in London (would have thought it would be okay approaching from the South).

Thanks for your help.

 

[AlterEgo]

It's definitely a Swiss car, but may not actually be a hire car, that wasn't completely clear, they said they had to get the car back by Friday so I assumed.

They also told me it wouldn't meet the emissions zone because it was a diesel car. I can now see that this isn't the criteria, so I will investigate the car first before I continue. I think driving to Greenwich is definitely most sensible but it's possible they also don't want to drive in London (would have thought it would be okay approaching from the South).

Thanks for your help.

You do have to have quite a smelly, polluting car to fall under the LEZ (I live next door to it!). I would be surprised a modern diesel hire car would fall foul; most hire cars are almost brand new.

Driving to Greenwich is most sensible anyway even if they do get charged, as it costs £12.50 a day for the vehicle. It seems they have misunderstood the LEZ as a ban on diesel vehicles.

 

[sonic2009]

It's definitely a Swiss car, but may not actually be a hire car, that wasn't completely clear, they said they had to get the car back by Friday so I assumed.

They also told me it wouldn't meet the emissions zone because it was a diesel car. I can now see that this isn't the criteria, so I will investigate the car first before I continue. I think driving to Greenwich is definitely most sensible but it's possible they also don't want to drive in London (would have thought it would be okay approaching from the South).

Thanks for your help.

You can check whether the car meets emissions and safety standards required to drive in London on the TFL website - although with it being Non-UK it may not check correctly.

Check your Vehicle

tfl.gov.uk

Check your vehicle​

Find out if your vehicle meets emissions and safety standards required to drive in London, or if you need to pay a daily charge.

 

[sonic2009]

Quite possibly also might want to check where the hotel is in Greenwich also as part of Greenwich falls into the ULEZ.

 

[30907]

1. Where is your property?
2. Ashford is the least easy of your options for access to Greenwich.