Help me plan my first ever train journey! Overcoming my phobia

[trainophobe]

Cheekily hoping someone might give me a handhold. I've been trainphobic all my life, ahem, decades... And now I think I'm about ready to give it a go - but - I don't know how to. Can someone tell me how to do it? Do I buy my ticket at the station on the day or is that ruinously expensive? How do I find out when the trains are running? Will my ticket let me use any timed train between my two towns? I want to get from central London to St Albans on Saturday.

OP, just wanted to say that I always find the staff to be really helpful. My elderly and slightly bonkers Mum uses the train when she comes to visit and the staff are always lovely. She also only ever seems to have good things to say about other passengers. Someone always offers to help her with her luggage. I know there are unpleasant people around but generally most people
are happy to help especially outside of rush hour.

I do this trip a lot. You will need to have a paper ticket from the machine or counter (you can’t have one on your phone for this trip). Probably your best train would be the fast train which leaves St Pancras at 0851 and gets to St Albans at 0911. It only has one stop on the way. It will leave from platform B and the destination will be Bedford. There are no guards on these trains but there are people on the platform who can help.

Coming back you probably want to get the 1927 that gets into St Pancras at 1950. It will be the train for Brighton.

Hope it all goes well!

Hi, I make it £8.90 as well. If its showing one chanpge then make sure you are selecting the correct St Albans station .. St Albans city shows no change , St Albans abbey shows 1 change ( which I’m guessing is to get on the direct train st St Albans city ).

I’d probably get to the station about 15 mins before the train arrives and buy a ticket on the spot. I would expect the station to be manned so you can ask a human which platform etc. If there are barriers Walk to the gates put your ticket in face up, it will snatch it and pop it out at the top walk forwards grabbing the ticket and the gates will open ! At the far end do the same, but don’tt be surprised if your ticket doesnt pop out (often you’ll get a ticket for out and one for back so it just keeos it once you’ve completed that bit)

When you get to the platform there will be an announcement or a scrolling sign that says which train is next and probably where it will stop.

On the return St Pancras will probably have big departure boards listing all the stations a train stops at..its easiest to find the one you want by time ie the 19.13. Same routine with the barriers

If the train doors aren’t open when you need them to be ie getting in or off then just look for the big button brightly lit either side and press to open .

Happy travelling !

When I look at train line, all the trains on Saturday are super off peak return, it costs 13.25 return. It also lists each train departure time, on the right hand side it says see stops, click on that and it tells you what platform it leaves from and what stations it stops at and then the arrival time.

Sorry haven't rtft but just wanted to recommend the Trainline app if you haven't tried it

As I said upthread it's definitely only £8.90-I found my ticket receipt from the same journey the other week.

Assuming that, when you buy your ticket, you get two (one for the outward leg, and one for the return):

When you put the ticket in the barrier at the start of the journey it will come out of the machine. When you put it through at the end (so at St Alban's for the first leg) it won't. Don't panic. You still have your return ticket! The barriers will still open and you'll get out.

(Although having been a regular train user it still sometimes concerns me for a sec that it doesn't come back out. Though that's partly because I like to keep my tickets as a reminder of where I've been. But if I'm not paying attention and expect it to come out it can throw me).

Well done Trainophobe!!!!

I was train phobic for years and have succeeded in overcoming it to the point that I now commute in and out of London multiple times a week on the train.

You can do it!

I have no practical advice on St Albans or St Pancras so I'll just congratulate you on your general awesomeness.

How did you get on OP?