How does the average family afford to visit London?

ThatFragranceGuy said:
That's just trains, not London, I regularly decide against trips to leeds or York last minute because they're extortionate despite being just down the road

Peasant wagon to newcastle is cheaper than the train but takes sage amount of time

Bus to London can be £12-20 return. Usually pay about £35 for train as plan visits ahead and set reminders when cheap seats are released (usually 12 weeks ahead)
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Looked into the bus but the time is a major factor for a weekend down there.

We're down there for the first weekend of June, booked way in advance and picked up Premier Inn rooms. Got decent prices on the train, similarly. If you're a regular traveller with a few bob in your pocket (most of us) and know when to book etc it makes it easier and cheaper but as the OP says, how does the average family afford it?
 
afcb_acklam said:
agreed - train prices are horrendous across the uk generally - a disgrace. I tend to use coaches from the south coast.... but not an attractive option from boro to london, I get that :confused:
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Not true at all. You can get the train to Manchester or Edinburgh for a fraction of what it costs to London.
 
20p returns to Hull from York are my favourites. Wish Northern would run those offers again. 🐟 🐠 is loads of fun
 
Sorry if someone's asked already but how do you define the "average family" and does the average family all have the same disposable income and the same priorities on how they spend it?
 
Rail fares have soared since privatisation. My on-the-day return to Middlesbrough for a game has tripled in actual cost since privatisation. This is because the railway companies no longer provide a service, they sell a product. The whole structure of pricing has changed and become more complicated with their (the railway companies) preference for advance ticketing with grudging acceptance of pay-on-the-day. So, next time you fancy a day out on the spur of the moment or someone dies without giving you the courtesy of three months' notice, the fare you pay is subsidising that of Mr/s Smug who happily tells you that they paid much less because they booked on a specific train several months back.. Some of us don't see why we should be forced to live that way I've been on about this for years on here and I don't intend to stop.
 
Capybara said:
Rail fares have soared since privatisation. My on-the-day return to Middlesbrough for a game has tripled in actual cost since privatisation. This is because the railway companies no longer provide a service, they sell a product. The whole structure of pricing has changed and become more complicated with their (the railway companies) preference for advance ticketing with grudging acceptance of pay-on-the-day. So, next time you fancy a day out on the spur of the moment or someone dies without giving you the courtesy of three months' notice, the fare you pay is subsidising that of Mr/s Smug who happily tells you that they paid much less because they booked on a specific train several months back.. Some of us don't see why we should be forced to live that way I've been on about this for years on here and I don't intend to stop.
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Hear, hear.
 
There are plenty of boro fans in London, maybe there could be some who might be up for a house swap who might want to visit family and friends… just a thought. 🤷‍♂️
 
afcb_acklam said:
another way to do it is have stupidly rich friends. a customer of mine has just bought a little flat in battersea as a london bolthole, and I can use it whenever I want, for nought! there's free weekend street parking outside, its right by battersea park. been a few times, bloody brilliant. so - do it the tory way - its not what you know, its who.....
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Spread the love
 
Unravel_Morrison said:
There's always ways to do things cheaply if you want to.

That's not true. The most expensive single to London from Boro is £76 and you can easily do the journey for around £100 for an adult return. I could do Boro to Kings Cross for a long weekend Friday - Monday next weekend for less than £100 total. £98.40 if you're on the LNER website. That includes getting the direct service back.

It's a poor system and way too expensive, but it's not quite as bad as you say.

With your third off, you should be laughing anyway.
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I’m not sure it always seems expensive coming from london to boro- cheapest I could get this weekend was £166 and that was no change tickets ie if you don’t: can’t get the exact train you lose your money. For the banter I looked at an open return first class and it was about five hundred quid!!
 
Charlie said:
Taking the grandson to the Harry Potter experience, so I should really be looking into places to stay etc
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Stay in St Albans. You can catch the special Harry Potter shuttle bus to Leavesden from there or catch the train to Watford from St Albans Abbey station (and it’s a great place to visit). It has a Premier Inn and Travelodge both centrally located.
 
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