London travel advice

[teuchter]

For minimum faffing around with interchanges and multiple transport legs:

Get the DLR direct to Bank. Then walk at street level from Bank to Liverpool St - it will only take you 10-15 minutes.

You can also walk from Bank to City Thameslink in about 15 minutes. There are direct trains from City Thameslink to Cambridge too.

 

[Hellsbells]

If you book it and miss it, could you just hop on the next train? If not I wouldn't bother booking it.

no

at the possible risk of stating the bloody obvious -

from City Airport, you want a DLR going to Stratford International, but get off at Stratford - not Stratford High Street and not Stratford International.

On the DLR, either buy a ticket from the ticket vending machine at City Airport station (these are usually before you start going up / down stairs to the platforms) or tap in (and remember to tap out when you get to Stratford) with an oyster card or contactless card. DLR generally just has card readers (something with a yellow circular pad) not barriers.

You will need to go to the national rail ticket office (or a national rail ticket vending machine) at Stratford to get your ticket to Cambridge, as the oyster / contactless thing only works in (and at a few stations just outside) London. You might save a few pence by doing this at Tottenham Hale not Stratford, but not sure it's worth the effort.

I haven't the foggiest where the ticket office is at Stratford - I haven't quite got the hang of Stratford station since they rebuilt it before the olympics.

Some longer distance trains strongly advise pre-booking, but it's not compulsory on more local trains like this. And the chances of the railways being able to restrict number of people getting on at intermediate stations like Stratford / Tottenham hale is unlikely.

Booking in advance might just save you a few pence (and time and effort in going to the ticket office at Stratford) but if you do, make sure it's not tied to a specific train, some advance tickets are valid on the next train if you happen to miss the one you were going for, some aren't.

This is Greater Anglia trains website - I've never tried buying tickets online from them so can't offer advice.

And you do need to wear a face covering of some sort (unless you are in one of the exempt categories) on the DLR and trains.

View attachment 225074

from TFL's journey planner (although not giving time to go and get ticket at Stratford) - I did have to reject a few offers of slightly faster but less convenient routes.)

Wow thanks so much for all this info.

at the possible risk of stating the bloody obvious -

from City Airport, you want a DLR going to Stratford International, but get off at Stratford - not Stratford High Street and not Stratford International.

On the DLR, either buy a ticket from the ticket vending machine at City Airport station (these are usually before you start going up / down stairs to the platforms) or tap in (and remember to tap out when you get to Stratford) with an oyster card or contactless card. DLR generally just has card readers (something with a yellow circular pad) not barriers.

You will need to go to the national rail ticket office (or a national rail ticket vending machine) at Stratford to get your ticket to Cambridge, as the oyster / contactless thing only works in (and at a few stations just outside) London. You might save a few pence by doing this at Tottenham Hale not Stratford, but not sure it's worth the effort.

I haven't the foggiest where the ticket office is at Stratford - I haven't quite got the hang of Stratford station since they rebuilt it before the olympics.

Some longer distance trains strongly advise pre-booking, but it's not compulsory on more local trains like this. And the chances of the railways being able to restrict number of people getting on at intermediate stations like Stratford / Tottenham hale is unlikely.

Booking in advance might just save you a few pence (and time and effort in going to the ticket office at Stratford) but if you do, make sure it's not tied to a specific train, some advance tickets are valid on the next train if you happen to miss the one you were going for, some aren't.

This is Greater Anglia trains website - I've never tried buying tickets online from them so can't offer advice.

And you do need to wear a face covering of some sort (unless you are in one of the exempt categories) on the DLR and trains.

View attachment 225074

from TFL's journey planner (although not giving time to go and get ticket at Stratford) - I did have to reject a few offers of slightly faster but less convenient routes.)

Thanks for all the info. This is really helpful and not atall obvious to someone who's not been to London in several years!
I'm going to book my ticket in advance as I don't want to waste time trying to find ticket offices and waiting in queues, but will make sure I book for any train not a specific time.

 

[Hellsbells]

Another question - are paper tickets no longer accepted on the tube/DLR/train etc? Do they not go through the barriers?
I don't have an oyster card & my bank card isn't contactless...

 

[marty21]

Another question - are paper tickets no longer accepted on the tube/DLR/train etc? Do they not go through the barriers?
I don't have an oyster card & my bank card isn't contactless...

Paper tickets still work as far as I know .

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Another question - are paper tickets no longer accepted on the tube/DLR/train etc? Do they not go through the barriers?
I don't have an oyster card & my bank card isn't contactless...

yes, you can use paper tickets - underground and DLR stations have ticket vending machines (last time I tried, they took cash as well as cards). many national rail stations have ticket offices as well, although staffing hours are gradually reducing. what you can't do (for the last few years) is pay cash on buses, or at stops on the croydon tram - although if you end up using the croydon tram on this journey, you've got lost...

 

[Badgers]

Good Twotter thread this

 

[teuchter]

Good Twotter thread this

He claims that Kings Cross is sometimes referred to as KCX.

As far as I'm concerned that is complete nonsense.

You can call it KGX (official 3 letter code designation) or you can call it KX where the K stands for Kings and the X stands for Cross.

KCX though? No.

 

[Badgers]

He claims that Kings Cross is sometimes referred to as KCX.

As far as I'm concerned that is complete nonsense.

You can call it KGX (official 3 letter code designation) or you can call it KX where the K stands for Kings and the X stands for Cross.

KCX though? No.

Interesting question

I use KGX when booking travel but KX when telling friends where I am.

 

[Pickman's model]

He claims that Kings Cross is sometimes referred to as KCX.

As far as I'm concerned that is complete nonsense.

You can call it KGX (official 3 letter code designation) or you can call it KX where the K stands for Kings and the X stands for Cross.

KCX though? No.

some people use it

 

[teuchter]

So what? They are wrong.

 

[Badgers]

So what? They are wrong.

Unusual to see you inviting disagreement over a tiny thing

 

[StoneRoad]

Use Trainline app or similar to buy train ticket. Ticket office for Stratford is a nuisance to get to from the DLR as need to leave the station and come back to where the trains are.

Preferably, buy from Greater Anglia - the Train Operating Company - itself.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

He claims that Kings Cross is sometimes referred to as KCX.

As far as I'm concerned that is complete nonsense.

As usual you are very wrong.

 

[A380]

He claims that Kings Cross is sometimes referred to as KCX.

As far as I'm concerned that is complete nonsense.

You can call it KGX (official 3 letter code designation) or you can call it KX where the K stands for Kings and the X stands for Cross.

KCX though? No.

But more importantly, did the ticket have a CROSS ON IT?