Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Unexpected trip home just booked this afternoon.

To put it simply, im an idiot and even though my PR card expired 9 months ago the application still sits at home not filled out yet.

sure i can risk it and try and board the plane with no valid PR card, but I dont think I want to risk it.

I want to travel down to London from Manchester to get the travel documents I need from the CHC.

Can anyone recommend the best way to get down there? I need to arrive around 7.30am.

Whats a good low cost airline or train company? I've been in Canada so long that im not sure where to start looking!!!

Any advice appreciated!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

lastminute.com sometimes have good deals on

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

You numpty:rofl:

How about getting the coach down? The national express is pretty cheap, especially last minute. Just had a quick look at their website, and fares were around 30 quid for a return ticket.

Good luck!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Cheers mate i'll have a look... The ones i saw take HOURS!!!

Maybe i'll just try and blag it, Ihave done it before when I forgot my PR card.. they gave me some grief but eventually let me in! If all else fails i suppose i can buy a return ticket.

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

You can have a look at thetrainline.com, I got a train from Manchester Airport to Newcastle for £16, it was cheaper than the coach and takes way less time.

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Thanks Margaret!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

I'd rather take my chances with immigration than subject myself to national express. I probably still carry the emotional scars from my student days when it was the only affordable option.:o

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

I applied yesterday for an emergency PR card...

I made a copy of my expired card before sending it, as well as making copies of my processing payment receipt and recorded delievery receipt, to show that a new card is is process... also will take T4's for the last 4 years and a couple of utility bills.

Hopefully if i whinge and moan that will be good enough... if all else fails i guess i will just buy a return ticket.

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Convincing the immigration people is not the challenge, its getting past the airline jobsworths and getting on the plane. They airline people dont have the latitude that immigration officers have, if their policy needs a PR card then the paperwork wont help. Have you talked to the airline?

Lets face it, the majority of brits on a flight to canada are tourists using the visa waiver program, and no one is going to be refused entry to Canada and have to return at the airlines expense. Even if your PR was expired, my understanding of the situation is that they still legally have to let you in before they can formally boot you out.

If its the return half a a ticket from Canada it should not be an issue, but as I said, talk to the airline. I dont recall anyone posting here to say that with a british passport they were refused boarding due to a PR card problem, but it could happen in theory. More usual are people saying that the immigration people expressed displeasure, but thats about it.

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

I emailed Canadian Affair but they were unhelpful... this was their reply (copy and pasted)

Good Morning,

Please contact The Canadian Embassay who would assist with your questions.

Could you perhaps travel on a different passport?

Maybe I should contract Thomas Cook airlines rather than Canadian Affair come to think of it...

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

car hire might be cheaper, but not good if you need to sleep - we are finding more business visitors driving than we used to

I travel from Leeds to London a lot and it is v pricy at that time, suspect from Manc it would be the same.

A coach to London for that time would be a very early start?

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

My british parents live in Canada and have PR cards - after 33 years there they are finally going to apply for citizenship. Main reason is because of the hassle of having to renew the cards. They were here Xmas 2009. They applied for their PR card in the August, but it hadn't arrived when it came time to fly. They were told by airline (canadian affair I believe) and embassy that they would need a temporary visa to get back into the country. So, on one of the snowest mornings we set off and my husband drove them down. We left at about 3:30/4am and we arrived in time. My parents were about 6 in line. In total it took about 2 hours for them to get a temporary visa. We returned home to Huddersfield by 4pm that day. So if you can handle hiring a car I would recommend it - it wasn't actually that bad. If you can rope someone into going with you they can drive home. When my husband and I move to Canada next month he is going to apply for citizenship as soon as he can - he doesn't want the hassle!! Kicker for my parents was that when they got home they found out their new PR cards had been issued the day after they left to come to England for Xmas!!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Talking to my friend last night....

last month he came into Canada with no work permit, no PR card, no status and NO RETURN TICKET. He said he got questioned a bit but nothing major... this does my head in!!!

I bet if I try and do the same thing loaded with proof that I am legal to live and work here they still wont let me on the damn plane!

But yeah, maybe I can hire a car, i never thought of that!!!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Perhaps, but might be because he might be coming genuinely as a tourist, acting as a tourist, only without a return ticket, and you would be acting as a tourist, but actually a returning resident and NOT a tourist, and diligent people can pick up on that, even though, as you say, you are perfectly entitled to enter.

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Good point, but if rules are rules...

Ah well, im just stressing. It took me near 18 months to get my PR card the first time and not only do I have this trip booked with no card, im off to Vegas in August and I dont fancy messing about with the US immigration guys either!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Id be more concerned about getting back from the states (assuming you are flying), UK passport holders travel from the UK to Canada without PR or travel docs all the time, they are called tourists. Less common for them to come from the US

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

I am more worried about the States for sure! But, I hope to have my new PR card by then... if not, im not going to risk it, I will buy a cheap flight to the UK and just say im visiting friends in Canada before flying home.

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

In regards to travel between Manchester and London...

www.virgintrains.co.uk - you may get a good offer direct with Virgin rather than messing about with the trainline.

www.megabus.com - if you end up doing the coach, check these out, usually have tickets for a quid each way, they depart from the new bus station at Shudehill (or did 12 months ago anyway).

There's always BA too.

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

I am impressed with how fast it was processed... my new PR card arrived at citizenship and immigration today!!!!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

i got a huge amount of grief at immigration when i came back from the UK even with my PR card:thumbdown:

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

What did they hassle you for???

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

i hadnt declared the jeans i was wearing if you can believe it..so got sent to immigration and was given the 100 question routine:thumbdown:

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

nice one.

I once went home for xmas, i declared nothing and they (quite rightly) thought that was weird as i went home to see family and said i had no xmas presents or anything.

When they opened my case they were greeted with about 300 quids worth of stuff i bought, still with labels and price tags... they let me keep anything i could fit in my hand luggage and confiscated the rest :thumbdown:

Learnt my lesson!!!

Re: Getting to London from Manchester?
 

Oh yeah, and if anyone searches this in the future...

I went to pick up my PR card this morning with no government ID or my IMM 5292 (both lost) and they accepted my SIN card and Alberta Health cards instead as long as i had my passport.

I know some people have worried about not having the IMM 5292 in the past, it wasnt an issue, and they gave me the form to apply for a replacement.