Planning ahead.. LONDON GTG 16.03.08

03/12/2008 05:52:31 AM · #376

Woo hoo!!!!! Yes, I'm rather excited about the whole adventure... :-)

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR

03/12/2008 07:01:06 AM · #377

Deb, when you buy a ticket on "thetrainline.com" you can choose to pick it up at a station with a suitable ticket printing machine. These were limited for awhile (Norwich didn't have one until just recently), but I'm pretty sure all the London stations have them. It'll tell you when you try to put in what station you want to go to, and this is before you confirm and pay. If you use it, you go to the station, put the credit card you used to make the reservation into the machine, and then put in the confirmation number. Whoop. Out come your tickets. Easy.

Some trains and lines have good advanced rates, but I'm guessing by now they may be done (many are seven day advanced, I think). Do you want to send me where you're going and when (dates and times, please) and I'll take a look? Cheapest way to go these days seems to be to use advance single tickets, but if you miss your train, you're out of luck and paying from scratch (walk-up fares). So I'd go for some sort of open return ticket . . .

Let me know if I can help!

03/12/2008 07:24:50 AM · #378

When I looked last night, I didn't see any advance single tickets, so I suspect you're right - I'm too late for those. The "open" tickets weren't too horribly priced (as long as I don't allow myself to factor in the exchange rate - then it's kinda painful).

I think Sara has us covered for Sunday, so I'm looking to go from York to Cambridge Tuesday morning, and from Cambridge to London (Waterloo) Tuesday night. From what I could tell yesterday, the Cambridge to London is a train to Picadilly, then the tube to Waterloo with a change in there somewhere.

So I'm a wee bit bummed - my order from B&H is not here. I suspect it may be lost, since the USPS tracking system still shows it's ready for pickup from B&H and no more than that. It's been two weeks. Sigh. I wanted it for this trip. It has my monopod and a flash. Sigh.

Message edited by author 2008-03-12 07:49:40.

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR

03/12/2008 10:02:18 AM · #379

Originally posted by Melethia:

B&H can't tell you anything more? That's insane :/ You need your stuff!!!

Trains look like around Â£26 if you're willing to leave at 9:45 (takes 45 minutes to get there) on Tuesday; pretty open for return times. Do you want more details from "thetrainline.com" or are you just going to order? The site says the fair (saver return, I think it was called) is a "walk-up" (based on the train times), so you should be able to get that at a station, as well. Let me know if I can help.

03/12/2008 10:06:37 AM · #380

Originally posted by Melethia:

I think Sara has us covered for Sunday, so I'm looking to go from York to Cambridge Tuesday morning, and from Cambridge to London (Waterloo) Tuesday night. From what I could tell yesterday, the Cambridge to London is a train to Picadilly, then the tube to Waterloo with a change in there somewhere.

There's two Cambridge to London trains - one from/to Liverpool Street, the other from Kings Cross. Get the Kings Cross one - it's direct, and only takes 45mins (make sure it's a direct one before you get on it though - the ones that stop in random places take up to 2 hours). Don't know of any from Picadilly, but that doesn't mean they don't exist...

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

03/12/2008 10:08:24 AM · #381

Here's the train schedule.

talj

Canon EOS-40D

03/12/2008 10:10:34 AM · #382

Originally posted by Melethia:

So I'm a wee bit bummed - my order from B&H is not here. I suspect it may be lost, since the USPS tracking system still shows it's ready for pickup from B&H and no more than that. It's been two weeks. Sigh. I wanted it for this trip. It has my monopod and a flash. Sigh.

If things dont get to you in time (though I really hope they will!) I'll have a monopod and my dSLR zoom Gorillapod with me Deb which you'd be welcome to use if you needed to :o) I also have a flash which I got the other week and have no idea how to use (am waiting for lessons!) so you're welcome to use that too :o)

03/12/2008 10:35:44 AM · #383

What time is everyone sticking around in London till?

menele

Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM

03/12/2008 10:45:49 AM · #384

Originally posted by purpleflutterby13:

What time is everyone sticking around in London till?

So long as I make the last train back to Cambridge I'll stick around till people go home / get bored with me / call the police :)

I seem rather excited about the whole trip and can't wait! Don't even mind the 6am start on a Sunday, and I like my lie-ins too. :) Looking forward to meeting you guys.

03/12/2008 11:00:11 AM · #385

Originally posted by menele:

Originally posted by purpleflutterby13:
What time is everyone sticking around in London till?

So long as I make the last train back to Cambridge I'll stick around till people go home / get bored with me / call the police :)

I seem rather excited about the whole trip and can't wait! Don't even mind the 6am start on a Sunday, and I like my lie-ins too. :) Looking forward to meeting you guys.

Ah, perfect, that's about my plan. Actually, I need to wait for a friend to come in from Oxford that evening, then we're both going back to Cambridge.

6am start? Dear god, that is what I signed up for, isn't it... Damn :p

menele

Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM

03/12/2008 11:30:50 AM · #386

Are you going from Cambridge in the morning too? If so we can travel up together if you like.

CAMBRIDGE STATION 07:32
LONDON LIVERPOOL STREET 08:44

Looks like my best bet. The Kings Cross trains don't appear to be running till 8:40, according to thetrainline.com. That would get in at 9:45, which makes it tough to get to the Eye for 10am :/

03/12/2008 11:39:29 AM · #387

Got it on the trains from Cambridge - I think the one I looked at is indeed the one to King's Cross, and from there it's underground connections - I'll check again when I get home. Appreciate all the assistance!

SaraR

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

03/12/2008 11:42:46 AM · #388

Originally posted by Melethia:

Deb, if you do book on online, you can have the tickets sent to my address - they take two to three days, so would have to be ordered by first thing tomorrow morning to guarantee arrival in time for Tuesday.

03/12/2008 02:54:25 PM · #389

Originally posted by menele:

Why not, sounds cool :)

Heh, apparently from the 30th March onwards, there will be a nice convenient Kings Cross train at 7:55, but it's not running this weekend. So, yeah, 7:32 it is... Though the 8:40 one would sorta get us to the Eye by 10ish... (ok, ok, just being lazy, I'll get up on time...)

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR

03/12/2008 03:34:20 PM · #390

Originally posted by SaraR:

Originally posted by Melethia:
Got it on the trains from Cambridge - I think the one I looked at is indeed the one to King's Cross, and from there it's underground connections - I'll check again when I get home. Appreciate all the assistance!

Deb, if you do book on online, you can have the tickets sent to my address - they take two to three days, so would have to be ordered by first thing tomorrow morning to guarantee arrival in time for Tuesday.

She can also order online and pick up at the station (from a machine), but it looks like she needn't even do that (being able to buy the ticket walk up at the station).

It's all up to Deb now!

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

03/12/2008 03:50:19 PM · #391

I'll just buy 'em when I get there. May buy them on Saturday at a station somewhere - I'd imagine the prices will be about the same. Besides, I'm splurging. I'm on holiday! (See? I'm trying to pick up on the language...)

talj

Canon EOS-40D

03/12/2008 03:52:44 PM · #392

Originally posted by Melethia:

*wonders what 'splurging' means* ;o)

menele

Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM

03/12/2008 04:06:23 PM · #393

Originally posted by talj:

Originally posted by Melethia:
I'll just buy 'em when I get there. May buy them on Saturday at a station somewhere - I'd imagine the prices will be about the same. Besides, I'm splurging. I'm on holiday! (See? I'm trying to pick up on the language...)

*wonders what 'splurging' means* ;o)

Well, it generally involves custard...

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR

03/12/2008 04:45:06 PM · #394

Originally posted by menele:

Originally posted by talj:

Originally posted by Melethia:
I'll just buy 'em when I get there. May buy them on Saturday at a station somewhere - I'd imagine the prices will be about the same. Besides, I'm splurging. I'm on holiday! (See? I'm trying to pick up on the language...)

*wonders what 'splurging' means* ;o)

Well, it generally involves custard...

. . . and bellybuttons . . .

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

03/12/2008 05:00:57 PM · #395

Pete and I are intending to meet you guys at the Eye at 10 am...

Anywhere in particular we are gathering?

SteveJ

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

03/12/2008 05:15:11 PM · #396

Originally posted by Kavey:

Pete and I are intending to meet you guys at the Eye at 10 am...

Anywhere in particular we are gathering?

Under the clock wearing red carnations:)) Sorry, couldn't rsist!!

Don't know the layout near the Eye, but I think 20+ muppets wandering around shouting DPC might be a good clue??

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

03/12/2008 05:21:32 PM · #397

You'd be surprised... if the weather is good it'll be HEAVING and we may not be the only folks wandering around with cameras and big lenses. Certainly I've organised GTGs for both this and other communities that have visited the Eye so it's definitely possible that there may be other groups there too...

How about one of these:

1) Next to the river wall just outside/ opposite the entrance to the ticket office.

2) There's an outdoor coffee kiosk near where folks queue to get onto the Eye and it has some seating, we could meet in that coffee area?

SteveJ

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

03/12/2008 05:27:54 PM · #398

Originally posted by Kavey:

Coffee sounds good to me, it is a prime spot, the smell guides you in and I can remember coffee easily! :)

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

03/12/2008 06:00:37 PM · #399

Mmmmm coffee!

PS Can I just say that if it's pissing it down I may chicken out... otherwise, I'll be there!

SteveJ