Questions on commuting to London

[AliceBlackwell]

My DH and I are in the throes of making the decision to move to Bristol from London for a job he's been offered. We're move excited and looking forward to getting to know a new area, but there are a few things which are making me a little apprehensive. Do you mind if I ask you some questions? I am really not sure where on the net I can find this sort of information.

We are looking at renting somewhere central for 6-12 months so we can get a feel for where we would like to 'settle'. (We don't have children yet but are planning to start trying to conceive at the end of the year). We've been out house hunting and have narrowed it down to two flats: one in Clifton and one in Bishopston. They are both lovely and I think we would be happy in either, but I think the 'vibe' of Gloucester Road might be more our thing (organic, free-trade etc etc). My questions mainly relate to transport.

DH will ride a bicycle to work, so he's easily sorted. I'll be commuting to London two days a week. What is the best way to go about this? There seem to be two main stations in Bristol - Temple Meads and Parkway. I have spent hours on National Rail website, so I know all about the cost (eek!) and the length of the journey. But can you park at these stations? What do people do with their cars when they go to London for the day? If there is no parking, is there a bus that goes from Gloucester Road to either/both of the stations? Is it feasible to take a taxi to/from the station twice a week?

Are the trains reliable in terms of timing? If I had to be in west end London by, say, 10am, would I be safe booking the 8am train every week? Are the trains crowded? Do you always find a seat?

Sorry to bombard you with questions, but I just don't know where else to ask. if anyone has any links to useful websites I'd be grateful to see them. Also, any comments on living either in Bishopston or Clifton are welcome.

You can park at Parkway, but I think you need to get there early to get a space - I think a lot of people commute from there. Parkway is easy to get to from Bishopston, much easier than Temple Meads, just because of the traffic, I'm not sure which buses go from gloucester road to parkway, you might need to walk to Filton Ave and pick one up there. Check out the First bus website.

Bishopston is a lovely area (I live there), very family orientated. Clifton is snootier but very pretty. If you chose Clifton you could get a local train into TM to commute to London - but they only go once an hour (severn beach line).

Feel free to ask any more questions

I think the trains are crowded, they certainly are on the return journey at rush hour and no, you won't always get a seat. They run to schedule as much as any trains do

I'm currently in Redland (in between Clifton and Bishopston) and am moving to Bishopston very shortly. I would say Bishopton has a much nicer feel for the reasons you gave, also much more chilled.

The trains to London are much quicker from Parkway, they come from Cardiff and only stop at Swindon and Reading after Bristol. You can get a season parking ticket at Parkway, not sure about TM. Otoh, if you choose Clifton the 8/9 bus runs every 10 mins right into TM station.

Come to Bristol and we'll take you out for coffee :)

Thanks everyone. Sounds like Bishopston is the place to be - luckily we have chosen to go with that flat!
I've been looking at First's bus website, but can't see any pictures of the routes. Anyone know a website where I can see exactly where the buses go?

Hi Alice

I have commuted from Bristol to London by train two days a week. It is much easier and quicker to do it in and out of Parkway. That 15 minutes makes a big difference- 15X4= one hour a week saved- and the trains felt a lot more reliable than to Temple Meads. You can get a bus up the Gloucester Road, they are pretty frequent.

It is unlikely you'll be in the West End at 10am if you catch the 8am train, you'd need to allow a bit more time than that.

I have got to tell you the truth and say that when I did it the trains were frequently very crowded- lots of sitting on the floor in the vestibule, joy . Also, after London, you are going to be very shocked at the truly abysmal traffic and public transport in Bristol.

I can balance this by saying that Bristol is a lovely place to live, and hopefully the trains have got a lot better since I did the commute four years ago!

Thanks for your honesty Stroudgreenie. Yes, I figured there may well be some sitting on train floors to be done, but I look at it as a necessary evil - I'm so keen to move out of London.

Reading this thread has made me glad we've chosen Bishopston. I can't wait to be settled and getting to know our new hometown.

Just shout if you need to know anything :)

Bus fares may be expensive but so is the cost of car parking at Bristol stations !

I caught a bus there the other day and it was only £1.30 - was it a weekend special?
Riven your description of the total lack of 'where the fark do they go' maps is spot on! I actually can't work out where buses go. Does anyone know if there if is a bus which goes up Gloucester Road directly to Parkway? We will be near Claremont Road.

I'm really not sure about cycling. I've not been anywhere near a bike since I was small, and I was never very confident cycling as a child. Think I'll leave that to DH and get by with a combination of walking/buses/car when necessary.

Hmm, if they do know they are not letting on, if their website is anything to go by!
£4.80 on a bus is expensive - what area do you live in? I really need to start learning my Bristol geography.

No.73, Glos Road to Bristol Parkway, £4.00 a day with a day rider. Bus map on Council website under public transport.

The buses are completely crap. Dh has had the car most days recently so I've had to use them a few times. Cost me nearly a bloody tenner to get me and the kids to the school uniform shop could have got a cab for that!

It's no wonder the traffic is so bad.

QueenofWhatever you genius! Now why can't the bus company produce this on their website?
They seem to be quite infrequent. I foresee myself being best mates with a cab company before too long.

Hi Alice,

I did the commute 5 days per week from Bishopston for about 2 years. Lived very near Claremont Rd. I can honestly say I'd never consider biking/bussing it to Parkway. Way to far. Driving is the easiest by a mile however parking then was 5 GBP p/day so probs a lot more now (was 3 years ago) and you had to get there by 7.30am latest to get a space. I'd cab it to be honest; like Stroudgreenie says, that 15 mins will make such a difference each day.

To get to the West End for 10am I'd have got the 7.45am train at the latest but would have gone for the 7.15am one to be safe. There's always a seat in the morning (I get on at Swindon now) but if you just make the train in the evening you will be standing til Reading.

It's not that much of a pain and you do get used to it very quickly.

PS - I've lived in Bishopston (most of my life) and Clifton (where I bought my first flat) and I'd definitely be a Bishopston girl now although Clifton Village is rather lovely...

Good luck!

Thanks Hooey, I'll definitely go for cabs to begin with. I can't believe you commuted five days a week - hardcore! I was beginning to think I had bitten off more than I can chew committing to two days. You have given me faith

Haven't read other replies - so sorry if duplicating.

Choose Bishopston. We had the same dilemma and rented in Clifton for 1 1/2 years. It put us off completely and we now live just off the Gloucester Road ("the Glouc").

Number 73 goes up the Glouc to Parkway.

Parking at the station is ok as long as you're there for at least the 7.30am train (or earlier). The 8am train is always very awkward for parking.

Taxis are easy, but get expensive unless your work is paying for this commute. It's about £10 - £12 each way from the mid-point of the Glouc.

Reliability is UK-train standard. Ie - any inclemency and you're delayed. Generally it's pretty good.

It's rarely crammed at Bristol for the earlier trains, so you should always get a seat.

Clifton looks very nice and has lovely shops and restaurants. It's also full of rich students and reet poshos. We found it a bit cold - if you're neither a student nor very posh, you may find there's no real niche for you. There are also no good state schools and even the private ones are a bit of a faff, depending on what you count as 'Clifton'. We found that there were some problems with very careless and quite noisy students in our block of flats and we were on the Royal York Crescent - which is quite posh.

We chose Bishopston as it has great schools; state and private. The housing is more affordable (compared to Clifton). It's within 30 minutes' walk of the city centre. It's close to the motorway and a mainline station. There's a lovely big park (St Andrews) and a lovely big common (Horfield). The students and neighbours are generally nicer and more considerate. There are more families. The Glouc is brilliant - if you're within walking distance of it you do not need to own a car as you can buy everything you need there. The cafes and restaurants on the Glouc are also rapidly improving and some are fab.

If you do chose Bishopston, let us know when you're moving!

Hi WhatTheWhat - thanks so much for your thoughtful post. We are indeed moving to Bishopston and I am so excited! I am convinced we have made the right decision and so look forward to getting to know the community.

I have more (boring) questions on commuting, regarding train tickets. I've just been on National Rail's website, looking at booking tickets. I will definitely be going every Wednesday; other days will be variable but I will know in advance. The first day I will need to travel to London is Wednesday Oct 6. I realise this is now too late to buy an Advance ticket, but luckily I have arranged with my work that for the first month after our move I won't be there before 11am, so I can take an off-peak train. My question is: if I buy an off-peak ticket for a particular train, do I need to use it for that train? And actually, do I need to buy the ticket in advance? If I plan to take the 9.01 train from Parkway, do I need to buy a £59 ticket now, or will it still be £59 if I rock up at 8.45 on the morning of the 6th and buy it then?
Also, to add to the confusion, that night I have a work do on. I'm not sure what time it will finish - it could be 9.30 or 10 or later. If I buy an off-peak ticket online and I choose a return train, do I then have to travel on that train? Or does the fact that it's an off-peak ticket mean I can use any off-peak train? Does it need to be on the same day, or can I stay on a colleague's sofa and come home on an off-peak train the next day?

So sorry for all the questions. I am confusing myself going round and round the National Rail website, and thought I'd ask you guys in the hope some seasoned traveller will take pity on me and set me straight!

Re the train ticket queries - I have no idea! Maybe call FGW and speak to someone? I think that th standard walk-up London off-peak is £49 or £59, but don't often buy it, so not sure.
Sounds like you're travelling entirely off-peak that day, so maybe the easiest thing is to go for the walk-up ticket on the day and maybe queue at the counter this first time and ask? Get an open one-month off-peak return if you want to come home the next day.
You're really better off speaking to the train ticketing company!
The only tip I have is that if you have a week when you will be making several trips, check out the weekly travel pass as it is often cheaper, especially if you're also going back on the weekend.
Claremont Road is very nice. Check out Tart and Coffee#1 which are very near your street. Ezo restaurant is also a 'hidden' gem, just at the end of your road. (Google them).