What is the best way to get elderly parents from NW to SE

[Mymadworld]

My parents are at the stage where a 5+ hour car journey is no longer a viable option and there are no flights from Manchester to Gatwick (nearest airports) so we're looking at other alternatives as we'd really love for them to join us for Christmas this year. Last time they came by train but the journey across London & multiple changes with luggage really took it out of them so wondering if there's any other smaller airports or possibly considering coach (can you move around in a coach or is it just much the same as driving ie sitting for long periods which is an issue).
What do other people do who don't live near families? Or do we just have to accept that we will only see them when we can make the journey up to them?

I’ve just had a quick google and it looks like you can get a flight from Manchester to Heathrow.

RE coach trips, I have no experience beyond a couple of hours, but it may be that they can get an overnight coach to somewhere near you. AFAIK you can’t move around on coaches

It's a big leap in cost, but I now take taxis between the London stations because of mobility problems. It makes it all possible again.

The taxi ranks are usually very accessible and well signposted at the major stations, because so many people using them will be in a similar situation.

You also have to add a ridiculous amount of time for moving between stations, as cabs are almost always slower than the tube.

On the other hand, a lot of the stations are now nicer places to be than in my yoof, and your parents may be able to get a coffee, a sit down, and a bit of a break before the next stage.

Coaches are hopeless if they need to move around. They'd have more freedom in a car, where they could at least make the decision about where to stop and stretch legs.

Could they do a direct train from Manchester to London then collected by you or a cab as suggested above? Coach would be a nightmare I would say.

Where in the SE?

Ok so coach isn't an option and thanks for looking @LesAnya but we're 1hr45-2 hours from Heathrow which I'd really rather avoid for all our sakes. Train with taxis seems the most sensible option but it's just so expensive (train alone is nearly £100 ) and last time DF insisted on using the tube due to cost which is why it was such an ordeal.
I'm thinking maybe we could make a day of it and meet them in London when they come down so at least they have help part way and give them the money for a cab on the way back. It's hard when you really want to see each other but weekend working & Dc in school makes it impossible expect for the holidays

@MissLingoss without being too specific East Sussex Uckfield direction

Manchester to Reading, Reading to GW - both by train?

If your parents took the flight from Manchester to Heathrow that's mentioned above, could they then manage the fast bus/coach service from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport?

Could you collect them by car from there for the final leg towards Uckfield, maybe stopping for a pub lunch or something if they need to stretch and move around?

Ah, can't be much help then. If it had been Kent I might have been able to suggest some Thameslink or HS1 solutions.

I assume there are no Thameslink services out of KX/St P that go anywhere in Surrey/Sussex near enough for you to pick them up?

Could they get to Liverpool airport as there are flights? Obviously depends where they are in the Northwest but......

Have they triead informing the stations that they need help as it’s usually available for luggage and mobility problems as is support on the train. Book early perhaps and perhaps treat them to first class if available so they will specially looked after.

Also is the luggage the biggest issue? Might be worth getting a courier / post service quote so they can just have hand luggage.

Or do any of your friends have children who are students in London who might want to earn a few pounds by helping with luggage between stations?

We have some experience of this & did find three coaches and railway very helpful.

Much depends on how willingly they would accept help as some of it is quite visible - being in there buggy at the station etc.

To be fair there would be a lot of faffing around at the airport, a car journey with a few coffee breaks is probably a much more relaxed option.

Sorry re the coach - you can’t move about at such but there is usually a toilet and you if it’s preasked for you can get off to stretch your legs if it’s one with stops. Can be a long journey though and not as much room as on a train.

Huge rise in costs but im paying £130 for a taxi from nottingham to Heathrow i am guessing Manchester to heathrow maybe £200? Or could you drive with them but maybe do an over nighter in a cheap hotel somewhere half way?

I was once travelling on a train from the North to London and got talking to someone who was going to get off the train at Luton, fly to Gatwick, and there be met by her sister who would drive to sister's home in Hayward's Heath. It sounded like an enormous amount of faff that wouldn't in the long run be any quicker than crossing London by Tube.

Can you see if you can book a car service, not a limo, but nicer than a taxi. Explain when booking that they will need to stop every 2 hrs for 20 mins so your parents can stretch their legs. We did this for my DF from SE to SW when his hips were really bad. It actually turned out to be less expensive than the train (2 tickets) and the driver was lovely and chatted to them.

Coaches often have quite steep steps so may be difficult to get on or off.

Maybe ask at the station for a route that avoids London? It must be possible?

Would a flight from somewhere like Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds to Southampton be any good, depending on where in NW and SE?

Would it be an option for you to collect them? Is it the sitting that’s an issue or the driving?

Hope you can work something out.

My Mum in her 80's is in Isfield, very close to you and we are in Cheshire so similar travel issues.

What works best is driving down to pick her up as it is the crossing London with trains bit that's hard.

Coach Brighton to Manchester worked well a few years ago.

I would precook their train tickets with a railcard and spend the savings on a taxi connection.

PreBOOK not precook

I have some experience with logistics of elderly parents, trains, cars, flights etc and creative thinking. Few things spring to mind:

1 - would it make more sense for you to do Xmas at their house so you travel to them and they can stay put in the house they know and are comfortable in. If you were very clear you are bringing all the food/supplies and they are not to do it all, could this be an option eg to bring Xmas to them?

2 - a compromise could be a flight to say Southend (nice small local airport which makes pick up much quicker and easier than somewhere massive like Gatwick or Heathrow) and you drive there to collect them - under 2 hours so not horrific.

3 - are there other family members who can help by doing a leg of the journey eg driving them from Manchester to Nottingham, Birmingham etc and you meet there to collect this halving your journey time. They could stay over at the halfway point if their energies are best with shorter journeys. Have done this with my mum and it worked well.

4 - relatively similar to above but using train if that is an option for them - order them assistance so they are helped on and off train. Look for creative routes where they could break the journey in a smaller place than London for an overnight stay or rest before then doing next leg.

5 - long distance taxi - worth asking around quotes may vary wildly but for 2 people it may not be hugely more expensive than the flights, train or petrol x

If you search on Trainline from their nearest station to your nearest station, but put in 'Avoid' eg Euston, so that they dont go through central London but change elsewhere, does that bring up any doable journeys, even if they have to change once or twice? At least it might only be a change of platform, so not quite so much of a struggle.

We recently arranged for my parents to travel from Southampton to York, there was a direct train, which avoided them having to change and cross London, although it did take quite a long time.

We also used Senior Railcards, and found the best priced tickets are released 12 weeks (I think) before date of travel, buying off peak Advanced singles, which brought the cost down hugely (though they may already have gone for travel at Christmas)

Why can't you collect them from Heathrow? It's not that far or difficult to drive from East Sussex. It would be the easiest method for them. Book them wheelchairs through the airport, which means they get transported on a buggy to the gate.

Exec taxi/car service?