UNIQ travel arrangements

[Fredscheesethins]

My DC has a UNIQ place in the summer & will soon have to book travel through their agent. Does anyone know if they can choose train/coach/flight etc or whether they are told which method of public transport they must use? I'm trying to work out the logistics at my end, as I'll be working at the opposite end of the country that week.

They are definitely encouraged to travel independently by public transport - I guess as a sort of trial run for going there for uni. I think we booked the train ourselves and they reimbursed us. I don’t think they specified the mode of travel

Train is standard. Also, just e-mail first thing tomorrow - you'll almost certainly get a reply by return. Flying would be a bit extreme!!!!

Thanks Decorhate. That's exactly what I needed to know.

Well it is tricky to get a train or coach from Belfast and it's not really practicable to get the train from Cross Country service from Aberdeen for a 2pm start, so not really extreme, whereas Dorset or Bristol to Oxford gives you a few more public transport options.

We find my DSS's plane fares from Stansted to Belfast are quite a bit cheaper than DS's train fares to Lancaster were so I guess they will just be looking at whether the mode taken is sensible for location and price.

The easiest route is to fly to Heathrow and then get the bus from Heathrow to Oxford. If that works for you.

Decorhate do you know if they are expected to take a laptop with them for the work they have to do whilst there for the tutorial? Which course did your DC do? The students & schools celebrating/ commiserating when they received the emails covered such a broad spectrum - I saw one girl had been given a place on an MFL course for a language she didn't apply for or speak. They must think she has great potential.

I think when DC gets sent the transport link and can book, it will seem more real. At the moment, where they are only aware of one other person who is going on a different course at a different time and with exams to get through first, it still seems quite a way away.

I found one of the old emails from when dd went & they do cover flights from NI & Scotland

Posted too soon. They suggested flying into Birmingham.

Dd did not bring a laptop. There is a full programme of evening entertainment so I think the work is done during the day. She did need to bring a fancy dress costume - they will tell you the theme

Dd did the Cambridge programme, you booked your travel independently (we didn't qualify for a travel grant) a lot of kids were dropped by car but dd took the train and they met her at the station (she has autism so it was a big thing). Going forward for university travel, coaches are usually the cheapest option, we book months ahead, though for dd2 we have another family locally going to the same university so are planning on carpooling at Christmas and Easter when fares are highest

Hi, if you're in NI book for him to fly to Birmingham then train to Oxford (change at Birmingham New Street) or National Express bus from the airport. My DS started on Oxford this year & this is definitely easiest route home to NU and back.

NI not NU obviously!

Is your DC going to the one based in St Catz? If so my DS is volunteering at it! He absolutely loves it & your DC will have a great time

They don't get told which college they've been given until they arrive. That is so good to hear wanna.

Stuck the UNIQ scheme funds absolutely everything & the emphasis is on independent travel by public transport. It's targeted at certain POLAR/ACORN groups with between 1 in 4 and 1 in 7 accepted depending on the subject. It was worse that GCSE results day waiting for the emails to come out.

Fancy dress! It sounds like an a holiday camp for geeks!

Fredscheesethins of course its absolutely fine to fly for those few people who come to Oxford/ UNIQ from NI or the far North of Scotland. And from anywhere other than those two exceptions it would be extreme and your description of your DC's school strongly suggested your area wasn't either of those.

Heathrow is easiest Bubbles because the buses stop right outside Queen's etc but of course those are the priciest flights to NI. While UNIQ does cover the cost it is probably socially responsible to minimize the cost - maybe I'm just a killjoy but I always do my best with things like this.

To be honest (and my DC have frequently commuted to Scotland), the train is better in terms of straightforwardness than a plane, overall. Oxford isn't ideally placed for airports. NI is obviously different.

wannabebetter same - one of my DS's is helping out too as far as I know.

Yes. I was thinking of ease of travel for a young person on their own. Heathrow is easier. However definitely more expensive!

This is from the email we received last year:

UNIQ Travel - We’ve had a number of enquiries about travel to/from UNIQ so we would like to clarify the arrangements:

We expect all UNIQ students to travel on public transport to Oxford, unless there are specific access reasons why they are not able to. Travelling independently is part of the summer school experience. If you live in Northern Ireland or the Highlands/Islands of Scotland, we will contact you in due course to arrange flights and transfers.

You will need to arrive in Oxford between 13:00 – 15:00 on the Sunday afternoon. Ambassadors will wait at the train and bus stations to meet the UNIQ students. We will book your train or coach tickets for you, which is why we asked for those details in the form. Train or coach departures on the Friday should be from 14:30 on Friday. We will aim to purchase tickets that do not restrict you to a specific time of departure. This will enable you to be flexible about your return journey

Also, DD has just reminded me that she met a boy who was joining the train from Birmingham International having flown from NI. He told her they had made all the bookings and arrangements for him.

Can’t believe it’s been almost a year since DD was there. Such an exciting opportunity for them all, she really had a fantastic time and made some lovely friends.

I appear to have missed the post where OP says where her DC is at school?

Why is it a tit for tat post?