Away Day Festive Travel - DISRUPTION - Derby & Swansea

AddickFC81

As I expected travel for our longer distance trips during the festive period is affected by our old friend, engineering works. While Derby is affected, it is not overly terrible; the trip to Swansea provides greater obstacles. Info as follows....

Derby, 29 Dec:

No direct trains between St Pancras and Debry with a rail replacement bus between Bedford and Market Harborough. However it is possible to go to Derby avoiding a rail replacement bus by travelling out of Euston to Birmingham or Nuneaton or Tamworth or possibly Stoke on the way back.

Swansea, 1 Jan:

No direct trains between Paddington and Swansea. Replacement bus between Bristol Parkway and Cardiff. There would be no other reasonable way of avoiding a replacement bus. The only way of doing so would be going up to Shrewsbury and taking the train that goes down through central Wales stopping every flipping where and if it's on schedule would get you into Swansea 40 minutes before kick-off and you would still need to wait for a cab. So that is not suitable. However on the way back there is one possibilty of avoiding a replacemnt bus by getting a train from Swansea to Cardiff at either (reasonably) 17:50 in at Cardiff 18:53 or 18:22 in at Cardiff at 19:18. Then change on to the 19:30 from Cardiff to Bristol Templemeads getting in at 20:15. Though the Nation Rail Site advertises changing Bath Spa. However this 19:30 from Cardiff is the only train to run into England so if that is cancelled or the Swansea to Cardiff are cancelled or badly delayed you are stuck with a replacement bus. But if all is well with the latter out of Cardiff to  Swansea you are left just 8 minutes to make the Cardiff to Bristol TM connection. However if you do make it Bristol TM then there are quite a few direct trains back to London, the last of which leaves at 22:40 but does not get in till just before half-midnight.

So all-in-all Derby is still doable but Swansea is pretty much stay over.

Lincsaddick

one advantage .. hotel prices tend to be lower around winter bank holiday times as most people like to be home with the family .. over the new year, 3 nights at Swansea Travelodge is around £120 saver rate, and just up the road at Llanelli about £85 saver rate for 3 nights

killerandflash

Annoying that there are no direct trains to Derby, the Sunday morning journey up there is seriously slow as a result. Might drive instead

MuttleyCAFC

Driving it will have to be then.

AddickFC81

For Derby I will still persevere one way another with the train as it can still get me there late morning and still get me back to London ok. With Derby you can virtually also approach it from either side as it's in the Midlands.

With Swansea I am most probably going to stay in a hotel unless I drive there and back in a day but that is tiring. Not a fan of a coach. The problem with Swansea is that it's far west and approaching it from the north or the west is that route via Shrewsbury I mentioned in the original post is that it's tight to get there. Thre is no other real adiquate adjacent line westwards like Derby has northwards. And from the South there is the sea. Just for the record the going back via Shrewsbury after the match is a non starter as you would be able to get to Shrewsbury but would have long missed any connection to get you back to London.

ElfsborgAddick

Lincsaddick said:

one advantage .. hotel prices tend to be lower around winter bank holiday times as most people like to be home with the family .. over the new year, 3 nights at Swansea Travelodge is around £120 saver rate, and just up the road at Llanelli about £85 saver rate for 3 nights

Port Talbot £50, for life.

paulsturgess

London to Derby via Stoke? Would have to be a world class away showing to make that torturous journey worthwhile!

AddickFC81

Well the annoucemnt from Sky last week has changed all that.

If you plan on staying in a hotel then for Derby still no direct trains on the Monday or Tuesday. But there are direct trains to Swansea on the 2nd.