Author Topic: Train stations north of London with good parking  (Read 2126 times)

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Train stations north of London with good parking
« on: 21 October, 2014, 10:14:07 pm »
Coming down to London next week for a couple of night.

Trains from our end are stupid money except for one train in each direction, at inconvenient times. So I'm thinking of driving down to somewhere like Luton, or Stevanage, and getting the train in from there. Any suggestions of good alternatives welcome.

Alternatively I *could* drive into London - what would I be likely to pay for congestion charging and parking for 2.5 to 3 days?

Thanks.

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #1 on: 21 October, 2014, 10:22:05 pm »
Where are you coming from?

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #2 on: 21 October, 2014, 10:37:11 pm »
Cheshire - so M6/M1 is the natural route.

Edit - M40 as an alternative

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #3 on: 21 October, 2014, 10:37:58 pm »
Something I have done before is to park at Newbury Park underground station. It's an easy drive from Southend and all you pay is the tube fare (central line), which isn't a lot. It's inside the M25 but well away from the Congestion Charge zone. http://www.ncp.co.uk/find-a-car-park/car-parks/newbury-park-stn-lul/ refers.

I would imagine that there are other car parks in North London which would do the same job, but I just don't know them.

Edit: Cockfosters looks to be an identical arrangement to Newbury Park, is quite close to the M1 and is entirely in keeping with the YACF ethos.

http://www.ncp.co.uk/find-a-car-park/car-parks/cockfosters-stn-lul/
Quote from: Dez
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Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #4 on: 21 October, 2014, 10:46:31 pm »
I often use Milton Keynes when heading north. Convenient for the M1.  I have also used Cockfosters when heading into London, but you have to contend with the M25 and the car park can fill at weekends (same goes for Stanmore which is near the M1).

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #5 on: 21 October, 2014, 10:54:23 pm »
Mill Hill Broadway is two miles from here, has a big car park and has frequent trains to central London. The M1 runs above the station but you could exit at J4 and take the A41 thereafter.

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #6 on: 21 October, 2014, 11:06:19 pm »
Bletchley is a good location for parking up at reasonable cost in secure environment and with good advance fares.
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Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #7 on: 21 October, 2014, 11:09:08 pm »
Somewhere at the end of the Metropolitan line, like Ricky? Plenty of residential streets fairly close by.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #8 on: 21 October, 2014, 11:16:15 pm »
High Wycombe is just off the M40 and is 30 mins into Marylebone with Chiltern Railways. There is parking, but I don't know if it's cheap.
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tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #9 on: 22 October, 2014, 07:40:53 am »
Thanks for all the suggestions - I'll check them all out tonight.

I knew YACF was the place to ask :-)

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #10 on: 22 October, 2014, 07:54:56 am »
Milton Keynes station is next to the A5.   Over the ped and cycle bridge which crosses both the rails and the A5 is a housing estate where you may be able to park your car and take a ten minute walk to the station.   IIRC there is no resident parking scheme so you should be ok but perhaps a local forumite could confirm this.

The area is I believe Loughton and the shared use path comes out at the junction of  Redland Drive and Linceslade Grove. 

essexian

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #11 on: 24 October, 2014, 09:02:25 am »
Hi

Not sure if its too late to reply but.... I would suggest Stanmore as its only a mile away from J4 of the M1 and has a large (400+ car park). Basically, off at J4, up and over the motorway, join the Watford Road heading south, third exit at first roundabout, straight over the A5 roundabout and then left into the car park just before the railway bridge. It couldn't be easier.... and not a great deal of London traffic to deal with!

Its quite an easy trip from there into central London on the Jubilee line, or to the City via the Met at Wembley Park.




Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #12 on: 24 October, 2014, 10:09:17 am »
Tring or Hemel - Hemel is right on the M1 and it's station is on the Euston line and about 2 miles from the motorway.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #13 on: 24 October, 2014, 10:25:48 pm »
What days? You can always park outside our house, ten minutes' walk from Hitchin station.

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #14 on: 28 October, 2014, 10:42:20 pm »
If you came down the M40 you could stop at J6 (Lewknor) and park there (free) for the Oxford Tube coach service into London.  Seem to recall it drops off various points and terminates at Victoria.  Reasonably frequent too.

C

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #15 on: 02 November, 2014, 11:20:10 am »
Thanks all for the further suggestions. We stopped at Stevenage where there are two largish long stay car parks - both of which were full.

After a few minutes of "what now?" and wondering where the nearest suitable residential street might be - someone exited the car park, and we went in.

@drossall - bearing that in mind, I might take you up on that next time. :-)

Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #16 on: 02 November, 2014, 06:59:30 pm »
 :) This is commuter-land. Not too surprised that long-stay car parks were full. There are few residential streets within close walking distance in Stevenage, except perhaps in the Old Town, which you have to know how to find. There are more in Hitchin, though the closest ones have parking restrictions, because otherwise residents can't move for cars parked day-long. We're just outside the restricted zone.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Train stations north of London with good parking
« Reply #17 on: 02 November, 2014, 07:26:13 pm »
My own forecourt has unused OSP for two and is only a few minutes drive from the M1.
It's on two bus routes and 10 minutes walk from the Northern Line or 15 from the Jubilee (both Zone 4).
Just ask...