all Londoners or knowledgable folk a question:-

Devonshire dumpling

Devonshire dumpling

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We are lucky to have tickets for the Cross Country at Greenwich Park for the Olympics!

We are a party of 4, myself, my husband and 2 daughters aged 11 and 4!

In your opinions what would be the least stressful way to get to watch it for the day, we are coming from Devon.

We do go to London once a year and stay at travelodge docklands and tube it around London, but feel a bit anxious with such a young child in tow, is it going to be absolutely manic??

Do I:-

1) drive up for the day, park somewhere like a park and ride or railway carpark, heathrow? and tube into Greenwich

2) camp somewhere and tube in?

3) stay in London for dirty money and tube/bus to Greenwish


If i was to drive up and dump car, where would i do this??

I am VERY nervous having the 2 little ones in tow, and bit apprehensive about the underground with a very small 4 yr old


ANY advice welcome!!

XX
 
You could either train it into London and then use underground(book singles as usually works out best value)...trains are so easy peasy. But You will be tied to times but at least if you home late you can find plenty to do locally! Sooner you book it the cheaper. Look on the trainline.

If you decide to drive into London you are looking at about £30 to park for the day in an NCP and this is where I would park if coming for a long stay. Just google NCP to area you are staying ie near hotel(they should be able to tell you) as they have security guards cameras. Travel out of rush hour I am sure you wont need to as its Greenwich but if you end up in the centre (city etc you have congestion charging which I would pay before going as its not easy to stop and pay at a shop or you can register and text) but you should nt need this.I only go into congestion zone if all other options are unavailable

You could park out at the end of the train line on underground but I wouldnt leave my car overnight in an unattended car park.

Its a long drive so train would be easier but could cost? Book early

Re 4 year old getting tired...etc take a blanket ie picnic one in case she needs a nap. She is a bit big cheapo umbrella buggy lightweight?? Take a backpack to put it all in etc. But at least you can all sit down on it. lightweight rain macs etc. Good luck am sure it will be busy London always is but Greenwich is a nice part so just try to travel out of the main peak hours. Take water bottle as the underground can be really hot.
 
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mmmm I think it sounds a terrible day and I would recommend not travelling at all - infact send me the tickets and you stay at home in sunny devon :D:D

Personally I would book (though sooner or later) a hotel nearer london and stay the night before and after so you are all chilled for your day (grrrr) and then travel in on the underground / bus. Hopefully for the Olympics there should be a lot more transport around, just travel outside of main rush times.

Very jealous, hope you have a brill time.
 
We were planning to go by train & then tube it around london......but then didn't get tickets so am watching it on the telly instead :( xx
 
I've also got some x country tickets and what me & my mum are doing is driving down from Yorkshire, staying just outside London (Hatfield I think) night before & after (prices are a bit steep to actually stay in central London!) & we're going to get train in from there and then take the tube / DLR from there. You can get these day travelcard things if you're travelling in from outskirts of London that will do your return train journey and the tube as well (someone told me recently they also work on some buses as well), think they're around £10 or so (I have a student railcard courtesy of NatWest so I pay a bit less than that hehe). I really would not try to travel there and back in the same day if I were you (specially not with the kids) you'll drive yourself mad with stress and it'll be one heck of a long day for you (plus parking will cost you a bomb I'd imagine!)
 
I would drive up the A303 and leave the car at Hook station, near Basingstoke and just off the M3. From Hook Station you can get a train into Waterloo, walk across the bridge to Waterloo East to get the train to Greenwich. There are special train fares for ticket holders at the Olympics. If you want to stay overnight, I would aim to stay in the Basingstoke area. There are plenty of trains back to Hook/Basingstoke all evening.
 
There is going to be a park and ride somewhere for the cross country day, not entirely sure where exactly, I think there are some details on the Olympics website! I shall be in a similar boat with a 5 year old in tow, perhaps we can have a creche somewhere for when the little ones get fed up with walking!!!!!
 
Stay at the Bexleyheath Marriott hotel. Leave car at hotel car park. Get an 89 bus to blackheath common and walk through Greenwich park from top end where the observatory and time line is. You will also pass a new purpose built equestrian centre specially built for the games on shooters hill when you are on the bus (this is great as it will be within walking distance from my house). Check this route out as it would be far better then coming from central London way. Good luck and lucky you, I didn't get any of the equine tickets that I went in for.
 
Workspace said:
Stay at the Bexleyheath Marriott hotel. Leave car at hotel car park. Get an 89 bus to blackheath common and walk through Greenwich park from top end where the observatory and time line is. You will also pass a new purpose built equestrian centre specially built for the games on shooters hill when you are on the bus (this is great as it will be within walking distance from my house). Check this route out as it would be far better then coming from central London way. Good luck and lucky you, I didn't get any of the equine tickets that I went in for.
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Thanks for taking the time to reply!

i have decided to catch the train from here to waterloo... walk over to the london eye pier, then catch the olympic River bus to greenwich pier ( 2 min walk to the park) xx
 
If you drive up into London make sure your vehicle meets the low emissions regulations which come in force early next year or you could face a £200 fine.
I live just outside London (Warlingham) right near a train station straight into London in half an hour, I would park outside london if I were you. We have a travel lodge near the station too, park there and train into London on an all day travel card so you can use the buses and tubes as you need to, so much easier.
 
Get the train to Blackheath, not Greenwich. Much easier - just walk over the heath and you're at the gates to Greenwich Park
 
Might be worth waiting for a couple of months - they are still working on the transport plans for getting around. However, try not to drive into London itself -it will be chaos - and you will probably end up leaving the car miles away from the venue.
 
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