Getting There

[pensnest]

I don't know at what point it's appropriate to start talking about travel arrangements, so it may as well be now!

Our booking actually starts at 4pm on the Friday evening, but apparently there is a pub about half a mile away (looks as though it is called the Craven Arms), and I propose that those of us who travel to Ludlow earlier that day should make our way to this pub and have a convivial luncheon there.

We have to be out of the place by 10 on Monday morning (though I imagine many if not most of you will leave at some point on Sunday).

Anyway, the point of this post is,Travel Arrangements. Can I suggest that people comment to this thread with things like

- where in the UK you're travelling from, and when you expect to be travelling

- if you have discovered a convenient and reasonably-priced means of making the journey via public transport, do share the details

- if you can give a lift/would appreciate a lift. If there are some who can collect others on the way, I'm sure suitable arrangements regarding petrol can be made.

ephemera_pop and I were discussing travel arrangements a few weeks ago - unfortunately her might-have-been-available minibus Is No More. But perhaps there is among the London contingent someone who would be willing to hire a car for the weekend, and could make it a peoplecarrier, and thus bring a good handful of you? I know there are several London-dwellers who, ahem, will be signing up, and probably some of our Euro-sparklers will be flying in, and glad of a journey in company. Cost shared between six or seven ought to be quite reasonable, and a lot more convenient than trains.

It may well be necessary for us to figure out who will be dashing off to not-too-distant bus or railway stations to pick up people, so if you're planning on driving and are willing to be drafted for this duty, say so!

I hope this will be a reasonably easy way for us all to figure out where we can help each other. At least, it should provide a place to start.


The postcode of the cottage is SY7 0HH, if you want to check it on www.streetmap.co.uk, and I'll put up a reminder of this, plus the directions I have received, when we get into March.

Comments

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

Oh, I would definitely like to go by car if it's doable (you know, enough space for everyone and not costing a fortune) but there's also a cheap bus from London to Birmingham (around 4h of travel time and starting from 1 GBP one way - megabus.com (http://www.megabus.com/uk/index.php)) that might be an alternative if the car thing doesn't work out.

[rikes]

I noticed the megabus thing earlier, too, but the problem is that it only runs four times a day, and we miss the 14:00 one and the next one is at 18:00.

Assuming that we all go together, of course you can leave earlier as you'll have arrived several hours earlier too.

I'm looking at normal couches now, and those aren't looking too bad either.

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

Oh, the latest arrival time I saw somewhere up there was around 12:00 so I thought the 14:00 one would be totally doable.
And I'd absolutely be for joined traveling when we are already arriving at the same airport anyway :-) .
Also, if you find a nice other offer than I'm totally open to suggestions!

[rikes]

Oh my god, I cannot spell. What the hell I was thinking about up there? Couches? Ahahahahaha.

Anyway.

When I wrote that comment I was apparently thinking about taking a coach from Stansted to London instead of a train for some reason. Of course we'll have more time in that case. It might still be a close call, but definitely more doable than I thought.

But Pen might have found us a minibus driver! That's excellent news. But a backup plan or two never hurt anyone. :)

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

Haha, I so did not even notice the couch thing. *g*

Ah, okay.

And Pen maybe having us found a minibus driver sounds indeed fabulous. *crosses fingers that'll work out*

[stellamira]

You want to travel by couch? ;)

I looked up some rental car rates (though I know, there's still the luggage problem), if you're still interested. It's a couple of comments down.

[rikes]

I know, I just noticed the couch thing! :D

[stellamira]

The main problem with public transport, I think, apart from the price (except for the 1 Pounds bus), is that we'd have to travel to London center, take the bus or train and then figure out a way to get from Birmingham to the cottage. I also found a bus (www.nationalexpress.com) going from Stansted to Birmingham for 33.50 Pounds.

I've looked for the cheapest option for 5-seat cars with various rentals. Rates are as follows, from Friday, 13:00 to Monday, 12:30 (car rentals charge per 24 hours, usually, and since we have to leave by 10 anyway, I figure it would be best to try to make it back before we'd have to pay for another day):

- 186 Euros; www.car-rental-hire.co.uk
- 111 Euros; www.thrifty.co.uk, doesn't rents cars to people under 25, or students
- 100 Euros; Avis, if you book in advance
- 118 Euros; Sixt, that has no office at Stansted, but offers cars anyway
- 162 Euros, Budget, if you book in advance
- 120 Euros; Hertz
- 111 Euros; Europcar, who sadly have such a strange system that they make it impossible to find out if that's indeed 5 seats or 4

For a car with 7 seats, it would be:

- 345 Euros; www.car-rental-hire.co.uk
- 223 Euros; www.thrifty.co.uk
- 150 Euros; Avis, if you book in advance, no information about luggage space
- 322 Euros; Sixt
- 305 Euros; Budget, if you book in advance
- Hertz won't show me a price
- Europcar again make it impossible to find out anything

Some of them might charge extra for insurance that covers more than a certain amount if something happens to the car (as I had to painfully experience in Sweden...).

Oh, and I finally booked the flight, by the way. I'll arrive 7:25 in the morning.

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's really too bad that they just can't offer a bus or train from the airport directly to the cottage. *pout*

But some of this car rates look totally doable to me if you would indeed offer to drive (I don't think I'd be comfortable driving on the wrong side and I also only turn 25 a month after Camp Sparkle).

And yay! You booked your flight! Finally :-D .

[stellamira]

Well, I'm not exactly comfortable driving on the other side, either, but I'd try it if it means that I won't have to switch busses and trains and take 6 hours in the end (and also that I won't have to deal with the Britsh public transport system anymore).

[pensnest]

I know - most inconsiderate of the public transport system!

I did look into the possibility of getting an actual coach, with a driver, but it's difficult to figure out which companies do them. One local coach company here didn't fancy the job at all, and another that I found would want nearly £900, so I don't think that's a goer!

I'm definitely hopeful about being able to acquire a minibus driver somehow, though.

[nopseud]

The 150 Euros from Avis for a 7-seater looks like a pretty good deal! If everyone packed lightly, that might work out okay.

I managed to persuade Europcar to hand over some rates. They seem to be quite pricy overall, but I was offered a Kia Caren for £99/eur147.


As for as the driving itself, almost all of it is on motorways or dual carriageways, so it shouldn't be to bad, and there's no city driving at all.

[nopseud]

Having looked at the Kia website, the Carens with the seven seat configuration has very, very little space for luggage -- basically, there is no boot. So everyone would have to sit with their bags by their feet/on their laps.

[stellamira]

Yes, that's the problem with the Avis car, too. As far as I found out, the two additional seats are fold-out seats in the boot (? I'm so used to the American English.), so you have to decide between carrying people or luggage. There is an offer for a bigger 7-seater on the British Avis site, but that's more expensive.

[nopseud]

I'm waiting for e-mail back from Pen about things, but I have another scheme in the planning which would mean only having to hire an ordinary-size car, and would also mean that people who need to get back to Stansted on Sunday would have a lift.

(Quick summary: On Friday, my Other Half and I drive down to Stansted in two cars to collect the overseas people + the Londoners. With a hired car too, that will give us three cars, and twelve people + luggage. Other Half will go back home on Sunday via Stansted, to take back those who need dropping off then. Then you and I can drive back Monday.)

Iconis was also volunteering to drive, I think, so if you could split it between you that wouldn't be too bad.