Country bumpkin here - can someone help me plan transport into London

[RiderGirl]

My lovely DH has bought us a weekend in London for my birthday - we live in the west country and I haven't been to London for about twenty years (hardly managed to get out of my own, rural county!) Train prices are horrendous so we are planning to drive as close to outer London as possible (along the a303, avoiding congestion zones as my car is a big old diesel), and leave the car at a suitable train station/car park/pay to park on someone's drive, and get the train/tube. We need to get to Fenchurch st station. If anyone can suggest and actual train station along the way I'd be so grateful! Help!

If you are coming from the West Country could you go on the Elizabeth Line? It starts at Reading.

Alternatives - forgive me if you've thought of them already:

A Two Together railcard should take 1/3 off the train price.
Split Ticketing might cut it a lot too
Are you trying to get to London before about 9:30 or leave after 5 but before 7?
How far in advance can you buy?

https://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/

Two Together railcard would be worth considering. I know you can get some railcards using Tesco club card points.

I will have a look at the Elizabeth line thank you!

Fenchurch Street is only on the C2C line that comes in from Essex but its 5 min walk from Tower Hill Tube on the circle or district line and Tower Gateway on the Docklands line and is well signposted. Once you're on the Tube Network you can get anyway very easily - don't be intimidated by it, just follow the signs and there are maps everywhere.

If you take the Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street, it’s about a 10 minute walk from there to Fenchurch Street station.

Make sure you have the Citymapper app, it’s free and really good - it should tell you which exit to use, and even which part of the train to sit in.

Lizzie line - park at Maidenhead as there’s a huge car park at the station and it’s almost certainly cheaper than Reading.

Do you need to go to Fenchurch Street specifically or are you just staying nearby?

Could you not just train it tactically? Get on at Gillingham or Tisbury for example.

My family drive from Somerset to Richmond, park there and then get the train or tube in from there. Train is better though if possible just as it's easier and you won't have to pay for parking/ petrol maybe look at railcards etc and split ticketing.

Park near the station at egham and head up to Waterloo?

As PP said, get Citymapper app and ask it for options from different places to Fenchurch st. It will give you them all, together with cost/time. The app will also be incredibly helpful while you are there, I live in London and know it well but use Citymapper all the time, it is awesome.