I've searched this board and found you can take a train from London
out of Victoria to Dover and they run 2X per hour in rush hour.
However, what I need to know is can I just show up and buy a ticket
and get on or do I need to get this ticket in advance? If so, how
much in advance (I am only in London 1 night).

"MC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] om...
    > I've searched this board and found you can take a train from London
    > out of Victoria to Dover and they run 2X per hour in rush hour.
    > However, what I need to know is can I just show up and buy a ticket
    > and get on or do I need to get this ticket in advance? If so, how
    > much in advance (I am only in London 1 night).

To this ignorant North American, the British train fares are completely
incomprehensible. I think the various operating companies stole the U.S. air
carriers approach to fares. You can buy a ticket just before boarding. It
might be more expensive than if you bought it earlier, but you can buy it
just before boarding.

Please note that British trains run rather different schedules on weekdays,
Saturdays and Sundays.

Paul

You'll be able to turn up at Victoria Station and buy a ticket before you get on the train. Allow sufficient time for queuing and finding the right platform (Victoria is a bit station) etc. I have no idea how much it will cost - more than you think, probably, since train fares are not cheap in the UK.

Virtually all trains in the UK are 'turn up and go'. For major
intercity routes, prices will be lower the further in advance you
commit yourself, but I think this probably doesn't apply to this
route. Try www.thetrainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk to see
what's available.

PJW

On 4 Oct 2004 09:06:07 -0700, [email protected] (MC) wrote:

    >I've searched this board and found you can take a train from London
    >out of Victoria to Dover and they run 2X per hour in rush hour.
    >However, what I need to know is can I just show up and buy a ticket
    >and get on or do I need to get this ticket in advance? If so, how
    >much in advance (I am only in London 1 night).

"MC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] om...
    > I've searched this board and found you can take a train from London
    > out of Victoria to Dover and they run 2X per hour in rush hour.
    > However, what I need to know is can I just show up and buy a ticket
    > and get on or do I need to get this ticket in advance? If so, how
    > much in advance (I am only in London 1 night).

Yes you can just turn up and get on the train. If you buy in advance you
might save some money. Train fares in the UK are horrendously complicated.
Just say 'bloody Tories' under your breath and move on.

There's a pretty efficient journey planner here:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmy...7_200410418419

It's a shame the trains aren't :-)

The ticket booths are a nightmare at Victoria (I know, I've just come back from the hellhole) so, yup, allow plenty of time. Alternatively you can use the self-serve ticket machines on the foyer - if you trust putting a note in there, I don't! About £20, I'd say, off-peak.

You can buy tickets online www.qjump.co.uk or www.nationalrail.co.uk or (more money) BritRail on 1877 677 1066.

You can also buy them on the day (hectic station)

On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 17:31:10 +0000, CPW
<member24794@british_expats.com> wrote:

    >> I've searched this board and found you can take a train from London
    >> out of Victoria to Dover and they run 2X per hour in rush hour.
    >> However, what I need to know is can I just show up and buy a ticket
    >> and get on or do I need to get this ticket in advance? If so, how
    >> much in advance (I am only in London 1 night).
    >You'll be able to turn up at Victoria Station and buy a ticket before
    >you get on the train. Allow sufficient time for queuing and finding the
    >right platform (Victoria is a bit station) etc. I have no idea how much
    >it will cost - more than you think, probably, since train fares are not
    >cheap in the UK.

A Network Railcard might be cost effective as well.
http://www.railcard.co.uk

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

In article <[email protected] >,
[email protected] (MC) wrote:

    > I've searched this board and found you can take a train from London
    > out of Victoria to Dover and they run 2X per hour in rush hour.
    > However, what I need to know is can I just show up and buy a ticket
    > and get on or do I need to get this ticket in advance? If so, how
    > much in advance (I am only in London 1 night).

There is no need to buy in advance. At the station, you will probably find
that a machine will sell you a ticket (they cover the major destinations;
not always all the minor ones, but Victoria->Dover is a pretty major
route). If not, you can queue to buy one from the ticket office.

See if there is a window marked something like "Tickets for Travel Today"
and, if so, queue there - the line will probably be quicker than at other
windows where people are reserving round-trips to Katmandu for a party of
30. Tell the person serving you where you are going and when you plan to
come back (if you plan to come back) and they should find you the cheapest
fare.

Incidentally, most tickets are good all day (there are odd exceptions
about certain tickets at rush hours), so if you tell the ticket seller you
are planning to take the 2:15 but then decide to take the 2:45 instead,
that shouldn't be a problem.

You /must/ buy the ticket before getting on the train, though. In
non-urban areas you can often get away without doing this if you're in a
hurry, and just buy it from the conductor on the train, but strictly
speaking this is against the rules and on London-area services they're
rarely so tolerant; boarding without a ticket will land you with a fine at
least.

In any case it's getting tricky to get onto trains without tickets these days, Victoria has ticket barriers for every platform.

In article <[email protected]> ,
member26837@british_expats.com (Deadmeat) wrote:


    > In any case it's getting tricky to get onto trains without tickets these
    > days, Victoria has ticket barriers for every platform.

Do they use them, though? At Liverpool St. they hardly ever seem to be
active, and I think last time I was at Waterloo they weren't being
employed. It's a while since I've taken a train from Victoria.

Been operational every time I've been there weekdays and weekends ... don't go too often ... thank God ...