London - Dunblane

[3rd rail land]

I'm planning a trip Scotland in the final week of 2022. I will be travelling from London to Dunblane.

I need to arrive before 13:00 on Tuesday 27th December
I can depart back to London from 18:00 on Friday 30th December

In order to get to Dunblane in time it seems the only rail option is 05:45 out of Kings Cross with a change in Edinburgh
As for the return the only option I can find for the 30th is to get to Edinburgh for the 19:58 Lumo train arriving in London at 01:38.

I can always stay an extra night and come back the following morning and I see there are plenty of trains out of Edinburgh and Glasgow although I am not sure I'd want to risk Avanti.
Flying is an option and the only option better than the 05:45 train on the 27th is a BA flight out of London City but at £160 I think I'd rather postpone my trip to next year.

Thoughts? Any better travel options people can find or is should I just postpone my trip until next year? If I did postpone it would probably be until August 2023.

 

[WizCastro197]

I'm planning a trip Scotland in the final week of 2022. I will be travelling from London to Dunblane.

I need to arrive before 13:00 on Tuesday 27th December
I can depart back to London from 18:00 on Friday 30th December

In order to get to Dunblane in time it seems the only rail option is 05:45 out of Kings Cross with a change in Edinburgh
As for the return the only option I can find for the 30th is to get to Edinburgh for the 19:58 Lumo train arriving in London at 01:38.

I can always stay an extra night and come back the following morning and I see there are plenty of trains out of Edinburgh and Glasgow although I am not sure I'd want to risk Avanti.
Flying is an option and the only option better than the 05:45 train on the 27th is a BA flight out of London City but at £160 I think I'd rather postpone my trip to next year.

Thoughts? Any better travel options people can find or is should I just postpone my trip until next year? If I did postpone it would probably be until August 2023.

Hi

By any chance are you completely solid on those dates or are you slightly Flexible?

On easyJet those dates seem quite expensive but on 26th December there is the 08:25 Gatwick to Edinburgh arriving at 09:55 with 1 seat left. If you want to fly back from Edinburgh, would you alright flying on the 31st? As there is a 20:00 flight to Gatwick arriving at 21:30.

Total cost would be £101.98



It also depends would you rather travel in warmer conditions in August? Or at the same time flights and other stuff may be a little expensive around Children's summer holidays?

 

[3rd rail land]

Hi

By any chance are you completely solid on those dates or are you slightly Flexible?

On easyJet those dates seem quite expensive but on 26th December there is the 08:25 Gatwick to Edinburgh arriving at 09:55 with 1 seat left. If you want to fly back from Edinburgh, would you alright flying on the 31st? As there is a 20:00 flight to Gatwick arriving at 21:30.

Total cost would be £101.98

The 27th is fixed and can't be changed. I must arrive at Dunblane station by around 13:00. As for the return journey I can either leave Dublane around 6pm 30/12 or return the following morning instead. I don't mid flying if the price is reasonable.

I would be taking my violin with me and quite a few airlines insist on a ticket being purchased if a violin is to be brought onboard. EasyJet and BA are reasonable and just charge for an extra item of cabin luggage.

Not fussed if I go via Glasgow or Edinburgh.

 

[WizCastro197]

The 27th is fixed and can't be changed. I must arrive at Dunblane station by around 13:00. As for the return journey I can either leave Dublane around 6pm 30/12 or return the following morning instead. I don't mid flying if the price is reasonable.

I would be taking my violin with me and quite a few airlines insist on a ticket being purchased if a violin is to be brought onboard. EasyJet and BA are reasonable and just charge for an extra item of cabin luggage.

Not fussed if I go via Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Okay That is fine. Perhaps it would be worth considering taking the train there and flying back?

The 05:45 has sold out so I don't think train is an option if you don't want to use Avanti.

 

[3rd rail land]

Okay That is fine. Perhaps it would be worth considering taking the train there and flying back?

Let me have a quick look.

Any railcards?

I have a disabled persons railcard.

 

[WizCastro197]

I have a disabled persons railcard.

Ah Alright,

Although I am entitled I am not sure if I will apply because I don't think you can use two railcards at once!

I'll keep looking for viable travel solutions.


Alright, I am not sure if you are alright with this one I just thought it was worth asking as this is the next earliest one that isn't sold out.

07:30 Kings Cross to Dunblane arriving at 13:48.

It is a quite a bit over the time requirement but I thought I might as well ask. That will be £52.00 with Railcard Discount.

 

[3rd rail land]

Ah Alright,

Although I am entitled I am not sure if I will apply because I don't think you can use two railcards at once!

I'll keep looking for viable travel solutions.


Alright, I am not sure if you are alright with this one I just thought it was worth asking as this is the next earliest one that isn't sold out.

07:30 Kings Cross to Dunblane arriving at 13:48.

It is a quite a bit over the time requirement but I thought I might as well ask. That will be £52.00 with Railcard Discount.

I shall ask the organiser if 13:48 is acceptable. The only other option in a price range I'd be willing to pay is an 08:10 flight of out Stanstead on the 27th but that would mean a taxi to Liverpool street for the 05:40 Stanstead Express. Plus it only gives 1hr 40 mins from arrival to take off.

Realistically if 13:48 is too late an arrival I'll have to cancel and try again next year. Thanks for the advice!

 

[mangyiscute]

I think the reason the 05:45 might appear as sold out is because it isn't gonna run - since this is very soon after christmas the Lumo train times are not confirmed (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/282648.aspx) - LNER have confirmed and the first LNER service from Kings Cross on that day is at 07:06 (its usually 05:55) so I highly doubt that the 05:45 will run.
If it does run, you can always book an anytime single (which is fairly cheap on Lumo) to Edinburgh and then a single to Dunblane even if it is 'sold out' - you just wouldn't be confirmed to have a seat.

 

[WizCastro197]

I think the reason the 05:45 might appear as sold out is because it isn't gonna run - since this is very soon after christmas the Lumo train times are not confirmed (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/282648.aspx) - LNER have confirmed and the first LNER service from Kings Cross on that day is at 07:06 (its usually 05:55) so I highly doubt that the 05:45 will run.
If it does run, you can always book an anytime single (which is fairly cheap on Lumo) to Edinburgh and then a single to Dunblane even if it is 'sold out' - you just wouldn't be confirmed to have a seat.

LNER have recommended to buy a reservation as there are engineering works at York and it is post Christmas so trains will be busy

 

[3rd rail land]

I think the reason the 05:45 might appear as sold out is because it isn't gonna run - since this is very soon after christmas the Lumo train times are not confirmed (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/282648.aspx) - LNER have confirmed and the first LNER service from Kings Cross on that day is at 07:06 (its usually 05:55) so I highly doubt that the 05:45 will run.
If it does run, you can always book an anytime single (which is fairly cheap on Lumo) to Edinburgh and then a single to Dunblane even if it is 'sold out' - you just wouldn't be confirmed to have a seat.

I can't find an 07:06 LNER service on 27th December only the 07:30. I can't hope there that a particular train will run and buy a walk up fare, I need to know this week that I can get to Dunblane for a reasonable price.

Even the cheapest flight & train combo would set me back upwards of £160 and that doesn't include the taxi I would need to take to get to Liverpool Street for the 05:40 Stanstead Express.

I have emailed the organiser to see if a 13:48 arrival is acceptable. In all honesty I suspect I'll cancel if 13:48 is too late. I don't think I can justify the best part of £200 for a flight/train combo to get me there before 13:48.

 

[mangyiscute]

I can't find an 07:06 LNER service on 27th December only the 07:30. I can't hope there that a particular train will run and buy a walk up fare, I need to know this week that I can get to Dunblane for a reasonable price.

Even the cheapest flight & train combo would set me back upwards of £160 and that doesn't include the taxi I would need to take to get to Liverpool Street for the 05:40 Stanstead Express.

I have emailed the organiser to see if a 13:48 arrival is acceptable. In all honesty I suspect I'll cancel if 13:48 is too late. I don't think I can justify the best part of £200 for a flight/train combo to get me there before 13:48.

the 07:06 only goes to York so the first train for you is the 07:30 - I would say with 90% certainty the 05:45 is not running on that day, so you cannot get there by train before 13:48