The Shard -> Waterloo -> Southampton rail question

[KikisDad]

We are staying at the hotel in the Shard, I know that it is adjacent to London Bridge station. The trains that go directly to Southampton depart from Waterloo station. I was thinking that instead of switching trains at Waterloo, we would take a taxi from the hotel to Waterloo and take a direct train, either the mega train or regular tickets, and then another taxi in Southampton to the ship. We will have three large and two smaller suitcases. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Do you check the big bags on the train or bring them with you? if you bring them with you, where do you stow them?

Thanks

[insanemagnet]

It is a reasonable plan.

 

You take the bags with you on the train.

 

Most of the trains heading towards Southampton are commuter trains and are not designed with luggage racks, but the trains are not normally busy heading south in the morning, so there is not normally a problem finding somewhere to put them.

[John Bull]

There are direct train & tube services between London Bridge & Waterloo, it needs a Londoner to tell you how easy or difficult with luggage but five cases sounds like it needs more than four hands.

Two of you paying full fares on either (about £5 each) would equate to the bulk of a black cab fare for the journey, which is under two miles - so I'd simply use a cab.

 

Keep your luggage with you. As per the magnet's post there's no decent luggage stowage on the train because these are commuter trains, which will be busy into London but quiet out-bound.

That's the reason for the megatrain prices, and the reason why those megatrain prices aren't available mornings in the Southampton to Waterloo direction.

 

For best prices (£1 if you don't mind travelling at daft o'clock in the morning, £5 to £10 at a sociable hour) book megatrain about 6 weeks out. Remember, they're only valid for the train that you booked - miss that train & you'll have to throw away your ticket and buy at the station for the next train at about £40 each.

Megatrain tickets aren't available for sunday travel.

 

A taxi from Southampton central station to any cruise terminal will cost £6 to £10.

 

JB :)

[Cotswold Eagle]

It is a very short tube journey (ignore rail options), but with that amount of luggage I'd take a cab, even though there are lifts serving the Jubilee Line at both stations, I believe.

[Hatters cruiser]

It is a very short tube journey (ignore rail options), but with that amount of luggage I'd take a cab, even though there are lifts serving the Jubilee Line at both stations, I believe.

 

I would agree, although it is only a short distance the number of cases means a taxi would be better.

London Bridge station has been undergoing a rebuilding that means some facilities such as lifts have been out of service at various times.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Hatters cruiser

[Morgans]

As has been said, aim to get a morning train to Southampton - less busy than in the afternoon therefore slightly more space for luggage. Be aware that at Waterloo Station, your destination of Southampton may not be the final stop of the train so look carefully at the listings on the departures board. Try to get there in good time as its a pretty big station.

[KikisDad]

Thank you all for your very helpful advice.

[John Bull]

As has been said, aim to get a morning train to Southampton - less busy than in the afternoon therefore slightly more space for luggage. Be aware that at Waterloo Station, your destination of Southampton may not be the final stop of the train so look carefully at the listings on the departures board. Try to get there in good time as its a pretty big station.

 

Good thinking.:)

On the destinations board at the station, the train's end-destination will be either Bournemouth or Weymouth.

 

And check that the train start time on that board is exactly as your ticket, often trains on this route are as little as ten minutes apart.

 

JB :)

[Kenswing]

Is there any reason they don't sell Megatrain tickets for Sunday? It's just our luck that our cruise starts on a Sunday.. LOL

[John Bull]

Is there any reason they don't sell Megatrain tickets for Sunday? It's just our luck that our cruise starts on a Sunday.. LOL

 

It's supply & demand, Kenswing, it's not to deliberately annoy cruisers from the top left-hand corner of the map, I promise ;)

 

Trains rely on commuters & business travellers for the vast bulk of their trade, they're the life-blood of the railways.

Prices on commuter routes & at commuter times are high because demand is high.

The idea of megatrain pricing is to encourage folk onto under-utilised trains, the trains that have to run but don't suit commuters & business people.

For instance, in the mornings there's high demand for trains into London, but not for trains in the opposite direction. Hence there are Megatrain tickets for trains out of London in the mornings, but not into London until the afternoons.

Same idea behind day-return tickets. For instance, encourage folk to visit London for the day by offering cheap return tickets - but only on trains that arrive in London after 10am, because earlier trains are packed with commuters & business travellers.

 

There are effectively no commuters or business travellers on a sunday. And sundays are the best time for track maintenance because it causes least disruption. So there's only a skeleton timetable.

Low supply of trains on sundays means no need for promotions, hence no megatrain tickets.

So you lose :p

JB :)

[Kenswing]

It's supply & demand, Kenswing, it's not to deliberately annoy cruisers from the top left-hand corner of the map, I promise ;)

 

~Snipped~

 

It's a conspiracy I say.. :D

 

Thanks for the explanation, John..

[Twickenham]

It's a conspiracy I say.. :D

It was the same for our cruise...

 

In the words of the great Dr. Johnny Fever: 'When the world really is against you, paranoia is just good thinking'

:D;)

[h3rjp]

I always find an indispensable tool for train travel is an app on my phone. As I get to the station i type in where in going to and it'll tell me the right platform for the train I'm wanting to catch. And whether it's on time or not (which they mostly are, contrary to popular opinion!)

 

There's lots of apps out there, but if you have the use of your smart phone when in the U.K., I would recommend downloading one as it means you can pass through the station with a lot more confidence.

[celle]

It is a very short tube journey (ignore rail options), but with that amount of luggage I'd take a cab, even though there are lifts serving the Jubilee Line at both stations, I believe.

 

I agree. Managing luggage at London Bridge station is difficult, even if the lifts are working - that station is quite deep underground.

[Kenswing]

Is there an official website to buy tickets? I see Southwest Trains and The Trainline. Just not sure who is the right site to buy from..

[Morgans]

The official megabus/train website is good as is South west trains. The Trainline costs marginally more as you pay a booking fee to them. Don't worry if you see Megabus come up as there is an option to select "train" when inputting your requirements. You print your ticket at the end of the process.

[Kenswing]

The official megabus/train website is good as is South west trains. The Trainline costs marginally more as you pay a booking fee to them. Don't worry if you see Megabus come up as there is an option to select "train" when inputting your requirements. You print your ticket at the end of the process.

 

Thank you for the information. :) We are travelling on a Sunday so unfortunately Megatrain isn't an option.. :( So Southwest Trains it is..

 

Thanks again..

[John Bull]

Thank you for the information. :) We are travelling on a Sunday so unfortunately Megatrain isn't an option.. :( So Southwest Trains it is..

 

Thanks again..

 

On a sunday there are two direct trains per hour from London Waterloo.

No direct trains from London Victoria on sundays.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

You also have the option of travelling by coach from Victoria coach station.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

About 2.15 hrs journey time compared to 90 minutes by train, only an hourly service on sundays, & you do need to book in advance to be sure of a seat.

But because there are no megatain tickets on a sunday, the coach at just £5 pp offers a significant saving over the train at around £40 pp.

 

JB :)

[Kenswing]

On a sunday there are two direct trains per hour from London Waterloo.

No direct trains from London Victoria on sundays.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

You also have the option of travelling by coach from Victoria coach station.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

About 2.15 hrs journey time compared to 90 minutes by train, only an hourly service on sundays, & you do need to book in advance to be sure of a seat.

But because there are no megatain tickets on a sunday, the coach at just £5 pp offers a significant saving over the train at around £40 pp.

 

JB :)

Thanks JB..

 

We love to travel by train and don't often have the chance at home. We're staying at the Premier Inn County Hall so Waterloo Station is an easy walk for us.. We're on vacation.. It's only money.. :p

[countrykel]

We are travelling by train from Waterloo to Southampton on a Saturday. Is it a good idea to buy tickets ahead of time? Or can we just wing it when we are ready to go and buy them at the station?

 

Thanks in advance!

[John Bull]

We're on vacation.. It's only money.. :p

 

We are travelling by train from Waterloo to Southampton on a Saturday. Is it a good idea to buy tickets ahead of time? Or can we just wing it when we are ready to go and buy them at the station?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Depends whether you take Kenswing's attitude to the folding stuff :D

 

Buy at the station for about £40 per person & take the next train - they run approx. every 20 minutes.

 

Or buy ahead via the https://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx website.

You have a limited choice of trains, and your ticket is only good for the train you selected - miss it & you'll have to buy a ticket at the station for the afore-mentioned £40 per person.

But the megatrain tickets only cost between £1 & £15 per person, depending on the train time that you choose and how far out you book (available from about 6 to 8 weeks out).

 

Due to a conspiracy against folk from Washington State :p, there are no megatrain tickets for a sunday, Kenswing's day of travel.

But for other days of the week it's well worth the trouble to pre-book :).

 

JB :)

[Kenswing]

 

Due to a conspiracy against folk from Washington State :p, there are no megatrain tickets for a sunday, Kenswing's day of travel.

But for other days of the week it's well worth the trouble to pre-book :).

 

JB :)

You would think us Washington folks would get preferential treatment. After all I'm only an hour away from Canada which is a sibling of England.. :D

[Bob++]

You would think us Washington folks would get preferential treatment. After all I'm only an hour away from Canada which is a sibling of England.. :D

 

It's only a couple of hundred years since you Washington folks tried to annex Canada. We have made up since, but you aint getting no favours...

[Kenswing]

It's only a couple of hundred years since you Washington folks tried to annex Canada. We have made up since, but you aint getting no favours...

Fair enough.. :D