It's that time of year again ladies, the annual UK BH fan meet! wooooo! As I am sure most of you know by now, this event is being held in Chiswick in West London and as there are many fans travelling to this event, not only from Europe but also from other parts of the UK, I thought I would be a helpful Londoner (these are rare!) and give you some information that may make your lives a little easier as London is not the most welcoming or easiest city in the world, if you don't know what you are doing. :-)
Arriving into London
By Train
Most people coming into London from other parts of the UK, will arrive into one of the mainline train terminals in and around central London. Once you have arrived, you will then need to get on the Tube or jump in a taxi to get to the venue. Below is a list of the mainline stations and what tube lines you need to get on to get to the venue.
The nearest tube station to the event is Stamford Brook (District Line)
All of the destinations shown on the electronic boards in the stations will tell you where the train terminates, so check your map to make sure you are on the right one as some of the lines branch off in two different directions.
Euston
- Follow the signs inside the terminal for the Underground.
- Get on the Northern Line (black line), Southbound. Get off at Embankment.
- At Embankment station, follow the signs for the District Line (green line)
- Get on the Westbound, District Line. Get off at Stamford Brook (the destination on the electronic board should say Richmond). Stamford Brook is four stops before Richmond.
Kings Cross
- Follow the signs inside the terminal for the Underground
- Get on the Victoria Line (pale blue line), Southbound. Get off at Victoria.
- At Victoria, follow the signs for the District Line (green line)
- Get on the Westbound, District Line. Get off at Stamford Brook (the destination on the electronic board should say Richmond). Stamford Brook is four stops before Richmond.
- Follow the signs inside the terminal for the Underground
- Get on the Jubilee Line (grey line), Northbound. Get off at Westminster (one stop) OR get on the Northern Line (black line), Northbound. Get off at Embankment (one stop)
- At Westminster OR Embankment, follow the signs for the District Line (green line)
- Get on the Westbound, District Line. Get off at Stamford Brook (the destination on the electronic board should say Richmond). Stamford Brook is four stops before Richmond.
- Follow the signs inside the terminal for the Underground
- Get on the Jubilee Line (grey line), Westbound. Get off at Westminster (one stop) OR get on the Northern Line (black line), Northbound. Get off at Monument.
- At Westminster OR Monument, follow the signs for the District Line (green line)
- Get on the Westbound, District Line. Get off at Stamford Brook (the destination on the electronic board should say Richmond). Stamford Brook is four stops before Richmond)
- Follow the signs inside the terminal for the Underground
- Get on the District Line, Westbound. Get off at Stamford Brook (the destination on the electronic board should say Richmond). Stamford Brook is four stops before Richmond)
- Follow the signs inside the terminal for the Underground
- Get on the District Line, Southbound. Get off at Stamford Brook (the destination on the electronic board should say Richmond). Stamford Brook is four stops before Richmond)
Tube Tickets and General Information
London is divided up into 6 Zones. The ticket you buy must cover all the zones that you intend to travel within.
All of the mainline stations where you will be boarding the Tube are located in Zone 1. The venue is located in Zone 2 so you must get a Zone 1 - 2 ticket.
Alternatvely, if you intend to do some sightseeing or travelling to other parts of London an All Day Travelcard that covers all zones might be a cheaper option for you.
Purchasing Tickets
Tube tickets can be purchased at any station and are clearly marked. You can purchase tickets using the ticket machines or you can go to the kiosk. If you are unsure which ticket to get, go to the kiosk so you can speak to a member of staff. They will be able to tell you which ticket you need and issue it for you.
NOTE: If you plan to travel on the Tube after midnight on the day you purchased the ticket, check with the attendant at the kiosk if you can use it after midnight
Tube Opening Hours
The Tube does not run all night. The last trains are roughly around 1am. The next train after that is roughly 5:30am so you need to make sure you leave in plenty of time or you may find yourself partying and drinking until the wee hours of the morning.
If you are using the Tube to get back to a mainline station and then leaving from there that evening, the mainline trains stop running earlier. Usually around midnight. Please check ALL of the train times and leave plenty of time to get where you need to be.
All information regarding the Tube can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk
All information regarding National Rail & Mainline trains can be found at www.nationalrail.co.uk
General Information
- Bring a Tube Map with you. You can pick one up at any station or download one online by going to www.tfl.gov.uk and clicking on the Maps link in the top right-hand corner
- Know in your mind where you need to be heading before stepping off of the train. Standing in the middle of the platform to consult your map when thousands of people are trying to get to the exit does not go down too well
- When using the escalators to exit or enter the tube, stand on the right-hand side. Do not move to the left side unless you are walking up the escalator. This is to help people in a rush to catch their train and there are signs telling you to keep to the right. You may be shouted at by people if you do not adhere to this.
- If you find yourself on the wrong train, do not panic. Get off at the next stop and find a member of staff. They are very helpful and will get you on the correct train.
Unfortunately or fortunately for some, The Pope is visiting London this weekend. He will be visiting the Hyde Park area of West London on Saturday which means many roads are blocked off and some train lines are showing travel alerts for the weekend. This could mean a delay or an alteration in your journey so please bear this in mind and allow enough time to get to your mainline station.
Maintenance work
Maintenance is normally carried out on the Tube at the weekends and this sometimes leads to line closures and part suspensions across the network. There are signs located at the stations which will tell you if this is the case. Please bear this in mind and plan your trip accordingly.
Arriving into London Heathrow
If you are flying into London Heathrow you can get on the Piccadily Line, Northbound to Hammersmith. Change at Hammersmith and get on the Westbound, District Line to Stamford Brook.
Heathrow Express
Alternatively, you could jump on the Heathrow Express, a super speedy train that will get you from Heathrow to Paddington station in 15 minutes. Follow the directions posted above for train travel from Paddington in order to get to the venue.
More information and booking can be found at www.heathrowexpress.com
If I remember correctly, the ticket price is roughly £16.
Taxis
If you intend to travel from your station to the venue by taxi, here are some rough price guidelines.
Euston - Chiswick: £35
Kings Cross - Chiswick: £35
Waterloo - Chiswick: £32
London Bridge - Chiswick: £32
Paddington - Chiswick: £18
Victoria - Chiswick: £22
London Heathrow - Chiswick: £40
DO NOT get in an illegal taxi. Make sure you get in a black cab or a registered taxi.
I hope this has been helpful. If you require any further information about London please feel free to send me an email at katewhinesalot@googlemail.com
If you have any concerns about getting lost, please feel free to ask for my mobile number so I can help you on the night.
LETS GET THIS!!! wooooo! See you on Saturday x
No comments:
Post a Comment