Trains
General Information
- The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest and one of the most well-established in the world. Fortunately, most major lines run through the country's capital, connecting you directly to other major cities and beautiful towns. So if you fancy a change of scenery; a visit to another major city such as Birmingham, Bristol or Manchester; or a day-trip to Brighton to experience a British seaside town, then catch a ride from one of the designated stations taking you outside of London.
- The Heathrow Express, which runs from London Paddington Station, provides the most cost-effective and fastest rail route between Heathrow and the capital.
- Journey time by train is just fifteen minutes and you shouldn't have to wait longer than fifteen minutes for a train, even off-peak.
WHEN TO CATCH TRAINS
- The main train stations within London connecting you to cities and towns outside the capital, are London Euston, Marylebone, Paddington, King's Cross St. Pancras, Stratford, Charing Cross, Victoria and Liverpool Street. Specific stations serve specific destinations.
- Please find below some train companies and their destinations:
- South West Trains:
- Train services based in South West of England
- Popular Destinations:
- Bournemouth
- Bracknell
- Windsor
- London Waterloo
- Winchester
- Richmond
- Kingston upon Thames
- Brighton
- Greater Anglia:
- Train services based in East London
- Popular destinations:
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Windsor
- Cardiff
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Gloucester
- Surrey
- c2c:
- Train services based in East London, Southend-on-Sea and South Essex.
- Popular destinations:
- Battle
- Hastings
- Stratford
- Chalkwell
- Brighton
- Chiltern Railways:
- Train services based in North West London, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the West Midlands
- Popular destinations:
- Oxford
- Birmingham
- Bicester Village
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Wembley Stadium
- Royal Leamington Spa
- Southeastern Railway:
- Train services based in South East London, Kent and East Sussex
- Popular destinations:
- London (Westminster, West End, Stratford, Greenwich, Regents Park, London Bridge, South Kensington, London Victoria, Greenwich, South Bank)
- Hastings (Beach)
- Canterbury
- Tunbridge Wells
- Leeds Castle
- Southern Rail:
- Train services based in South London, Surrey and Sussex
- Popular destinations:
- Oxford
- Windsor
- Cardiff
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Gloucester
- Surrey
- Brighton
- For full details, please visit: www.nationalrail.co.uk before travelling to see where you need to travel from.
FARES & TICKETS
- All tickets can be purchased in advance using the trainline website: www.thetrainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk. You can check departure and arrival times, travel duration and prices here.
- Alternatively, you may purchase your tickets at the designated departure train station before travel, either at the cashier window, or from a machine at the train stations.
- Ticket prices vary according to destination; whether you are traveling during peak or off peak hours; and whether you are child or adult. Usually tickets bought a month or more in advance are considerably cheaper.
- Please note: Make sure you leave enough time to find the platform and are on board at least a minute prior to the departing time, as the trains will leave at their designated times.
BOOK ONLINE
- You can book online here: www.nationalrail.co.uk or using www.thetrainline.com
- First you must enter where you are travelling from and to where and what date and time.
- Options will appear for you to choose from.
- A new tab will then open depending on the train line you have chosen, where you will be able to complete your purchase.
- You can then choose out of 2 delivery options. You can either choose next day delivery for an extra payment of £6.00, or you can collect your ticket at a self-service ticket machine. You will be able to choose the place you want to collect your ticket(s) from and an email collection reference will be sent to you. Tickets will be ready for collection 2 hours after booking.