London to Birmingham Airport

When flights from London's six airports are expensive, my first choice alternatives are Birmingham and Southampton airports.  Although cheap flights out of Liverpool are often too attractive to turn down, and I recently flew out of Leeds Bradford.

I've written posts about getting to Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Heathrow - by bus, tube and train.  And since I'm currently on a train to Birmingham International, I thought it was worth a post as well.

Train operator choice

The great thing about getting to Birmingham Airport from London is that you have a choice of operators.  Whilst Avanti West Coast will speed you from Euston station to Birmingham International station in just over an hour, you also have the slower London Northwestern Railway option. If you have the patience for a two hour journey, you can save a lot of money.

These options are for a weekday daytime booked around 48 hours in advance.

If you have a travelcard you may save even more, and with a Network Railcard most ticket sellers will check whether two tickets are cheaper.

If you want to see more cheap London Northwestern options, it's worth checking their own website, and clicking on the Our Trains toggle box.

I look at which train gets into Birmingham International an hour before my flight departs (I'm usually flying out at quieter times), and then take the train before that in case of cancellations.  Your risk tolerance may be different!  One time the whole line was closed, so I couldn't get to BHX in time - but that can happen travelling to London airports as well.

Sometimes it's cheaper getting to Birmingham Airport, and even Liverpool Airport, than it is on the Express train to Stansted or Luton.

And when booking a train from Birmingham back to London the off peak single (more flexibility for a late arrival) on LNR is usually reasonably priced.

Birmingham SkyRail

Once you exit the barriers at Birmingham International train station, you turn right for the NEC and turn left for the airport.

The little people mover gives a frequent service and takes under two minutes to get to the airport terminal.

Or if the weather is fair the walk is less than 10 minutes - although you don't get any aeroplane views.

Only once when I've used BHX has the people mover been out of action - but the airport provided a bus replacement service.

Once you're in the main terminal there are a decent number of shops - including an M&S and a Greggs between the far check in desks and the arrivals section.  It's worth having a look around if you have time and are in the mood.

And Birmingham security machines have all been upgraded and no longer have the dreaded 100ml limit - which makes life easier for departing passengers.  If you're departing at a very busy time, then Fast Track security is available for a pretty reasonable £7 fee.

Conclusion

If you like a cheap rail journey, then the slow train to Birmingham might be for you.

Just be aware that you probably won't be able to get a train in time for an early departure from BHX - although I'm not a fan of first wave flights, so it's not really an issue for me!

  

Leeds Bradford Airport - trip report

I enjoy comparing and contrasting different airports, and having never experienced Yorkshire's finest ... when the price was right ... last week I took a flight from Leeds Bradford to Dublin.

The trip started with a cancelled train from London to Leeds ... which meant that the next LNER service half an hour later was standing room only.  LNER tip - they have half a carriage of unreserved seating with green dots above the seats, if you get there early.  For the rest of us, it was an hour standing, before getting a seat for the final 80 minutes.

Leeds station itself is an impressive affair, with a huge train shed design, and plenty of retail outlets.  It's also a more manageable size than the enormous Birmingham New Street station.

A1 Flyer by Transdev

After enjoying a wander around Leeds city centre, I made my way over to the bus station - which is impressively large.  But that's the only superlative that one could use about this bus station!  It was unpleasantly hot on the relatively cold and damp afternoon, and there was a lot of security to deal with some of the difficult people hanging out.

I was in the bus station to catch the A1 Flyer to the airport.  All the A1 buses seem to go from bay 13 in the station.  You just tap your Contactless card and the next day a £2.50 charge appears - you can't buy a ticket before boarding.

But if you're catching the A1 I'd advise avoiding the bus station. The stops at Trinity N and Station B are convenient for the city centre.  And the bus that I caught was still fairly empty after the Trinity stop - it was only at the Station stop that it started to get busier.

The A1 Flyer bus itself is well setup, with decent seats and USB power for every passenger.  They also have a nice colour information display and announce every stop.

The drive out to the airport is pleasant with a mix of Leeds suburbs, neighbouring villages and proper countryside.  There's currently roadworks shortly before the airport which adds about 10 minutes to the scheduled journey time.

First Impressions

There are also a lot of building works at the airport itself, so the entrance is rather underwhelming!

The check in area at LBA reminded me a bit of Heathrow T3 with the limited headroom giving it an underground parking lot vibe.

Security

The security area was busy on a Friday afternoon with signs indicating a 15 minute wait for normal security and five minutes for fast track - which was probably about right.  It would have been quicker if the airport had opened all four security machines rather than just operating three - one for fast track and two for the rest of us plebs.

There were four loading bays for each security machine.  In most airports security staff tell you when to push your tray forwards and it can get heated when staff get angry with passengers! But at LBA the staff have long sticks and they pull forward your tray, via an intermediate row that I've never seen in any other airport.  It seemed to work, and was calmer than other airports.

My bag got pulled for extra screening, but thankfully the security staff were quick to deal with secondaries.  In fact they handed my bag over straight away without further scrutiny - something about the image not having loaded properly.

Terminal

And so to the main terminal area.  Initially you enter the older part of the airport, and it's really showing its age.  Lots of buckets collecting leakages.  The only interesting part is the bar, which unfortunately looks out over the car park (and building site) rather than over the runway.

After that it's on to the posh part as I heard one flyer describe it to a friend.  You have to keep walking through to find the newer part, but it really is worth it.  There's lots more food options, and just before you get to Burger King, on the right hand side, tucked into a corner there's actually a water fountain!

On the afternoon that I used the airport there wasn't much seating available - but hopefully this will improve when the rest of the building works are completed.  Even in the newer section there wasn't much in the way of power sockets - so make sure you bring a spare battery for your phone.

My flight was over an hour late boarding, so I had plenty of time to wander from one end of the airport to the other.  It's really not very big, so it's easy enough to find your way around.

Eventually my boarding gate was announced, and it was at the far end of the airport in the annex gates, accessed through a strange outdoor corridor.

Conclusion

Would I use Leeds Bradford Airport again?  Probably not.

If you want to try out LBA you need to leave plenty of time for train delays, and bus delays, and bag drop queues and security queues.  And if the new part of the airport is anything to go by, even after the building work finishes it won't be a particularly impressive structure.

But am I glad I made a trip to Yorkshire to experience a new airport?  Absolutely.

  

Heathrow - West Drayton or Hayes & Harlington hack

A few years ago Transport for London hit Heathrow travellers with price rises - which spawned the Hatton Cross hack.

As well as the tube charging a premium for airport travel, the Elizabeth Line also whacks on a hefty surcharge for venturing into the airport grounds.

A trip from Bond Street to Heathrow T5 will set you back an eye watering £13.90 with no discount for travelling off peak.  At this price even the ludicrously expensive Heathrow Express starts to look reasonable!

But if you alight at West Drayton instead - which has up to 7 trains per hour in peak - you benefit from a massive discount!  A whopping £10.10 off peak.

From West Drayton or Hayes & Harlington stations it's around 20 minutes on the bus into the Central Bus station for Terminals 2 or 3 - which uses up £1.75 of your saving.

If you just miss the bus at West Drayton, and if you don't have heavy bags, you may be able to canter down the road and jump on your bus at the end stop if there's a decent amount of traffic!

From West Drayton it's also easy to get to hotels or venues around the Bath Road - but to get to T5 it gets a bit more complicated with an extra bus or (free) tube / train required.

With the Heathrow premium applying to all Liz Line trips, this hack also works from other stations.  So for example Ealing Broadway to Heathrow will set you back £8.40 or £7.50 off peak.  But going to West Drayton costs just £3.20 or £2.30 off peak.

West Drayton is on the main Slough / Reading route rather than Heathrow spur - so if you're taking advantage of this saving, make sure you board the correct train!

There's also the 278 and SL9 buses from Hayes & Harlington to the Central Bus station - so you can take a Heathrow train and take a bus from H&H if that works better.

Luton Airport Express - How Much Does it Really Cost?

Luton Airport advertises their trains from London costs as little as "a tenner" - but what are you realistically going to pay?

Warning

Unlike the Stansted Express or the Heathrow Express - cheap Luton Airport Express tickets are only valid for a specific train.  So if your flight is late, you will be charged for a new ticket or an upgrade fee.  I have personally been charged for missing a train from Luton Airport Parkway station by 30 seconds - so this definitely does happen!

Alternatives

Whilst Luton Airport Express does all the advertising - don't forget that Thameslink also serves Luton Airport Parkway station.  And whilst Thameslink trains usually stop more often, a through train from south London may be more convenient, especially with luggage.  And if you're travelling from west or east London, the connection at West Hampstead (most Luton Airport Express trains don't stop there) is incredibly quick and may also be more convenient.

Today

If you want to travel today instead of "a tenner" you will be paying a whopping £24.10 or if you've got a suitable railcard you could get that down to £16.05

Tomorrow and Beyond ...

Booking a ticket for travel tomorrow is a mixed bag - some trains cost the full £24.10 whilst there are also trains for £10.70 and the odd one that's even under a tenner!  Just remember that these tickets are only valid on the specific train - if you miss the train, you're in trouble.

Saturdays Good - Sundays Bad

There seems to be a pattern for the next few weeks of at least one cheap train every half hour, but plenty of trains are still expensive even when booking weeks in advance.  Saturdays generally have more cheap trains, but weirdly Sundays seem to have fewer cheap trains.

Don't book 85 days in Advance

Whilst most journeys are cheaper if you book well in advance - Luton Airport Express has an 85 day penalty system!  If you're too eager you'll only be able to book full fare tickets.  Leave it until 84 days in advance, and some trains are indeed "under a tenner".

Flexiblity

If you're travelling to the airport, you will probably be happy booking a specific train.  Or if you're prepared to spend plenty of time hanging out in the airport drinking expensive coffee, you may decide to book a cheap train from the airport giving plenty of time for your flight landing late, or your bags taking a long time to show up on the carousel.

However what about a ticket that gives you some flexibility?

Anytime Day Single

On most UK rail routes you can buy an Off Peak Day Single, or a Super Off Peak Day Single but Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport will only sell you an Anytime Day Single.  Even if you book months in advance, you cannot purchase an off peak flexible ticket.

Super Off Peak weekend fares - Not Available

If you go one stop beyond Luton Airport Parkway, suddenly Super Off Peak fares are available - and especially at weekends they are very attractive.  And of course these prices are further reduced if you have an appropriate railcard.

Conclusions

Travelling to the airport it's worth booking a cheap specific train in advance - but you only need to do this about a week in advance to get a decent fare.  And by then you will know about any engineering works or planned strikes.

Travelling from the airport booking a cheap specific train probably isn't worth it.  So you might as well just book an Anytime fare on your phone after you've actually landed whilst your plane is taxiing around Bedfordshire!

After being charged for missing my pre booked train, I no longer buy train tickets in advance when flying into Luton Airport.

Heathrow Express - How Much Does it Really Cost?

Heathrow Express is the train service from Heathrow T5 via T123 non stop to London Paddington.  If you're coming from T4 you need to change at T123.  With a journey time of around 15 minutes from T123 to Paddington it has historically been the most expensive train in Britain.

But with competition from Crossrail / Elizabeth Line, HEX is trying to broaden its appeal with £10 fares for 30 day advance bookings.

However if you've not got your travel plans nailed down 30 days in advance - how much will it really cost?

If you're travelling today or in the next three days you will be charged a whopping £25

But that drops to a marginally less eye watering £22 from day 4 to day 20

From day 21 to day 29 you will be paying a still unreasonable £18.50 for the 15 minute journey

And then the 46% price drop kicks in from 29 days to 30 days before departure.

Is this the biggest cliff edge in British train pricing?

In comparison Stansted Express takes 90 days to get down to their lowest price - using six different price points, with their biggest drop happening at the start of the slide.

Unlike the Stansted Express, HEX does recognise most Railcards (apart from the popular Network Railcard).

Other Transport Options

The Elizabeth Line costs £12.80 to Paddington station or £13.90 to other Zone1 stations.

Liz Line trains continue through Paddington into central London - avoiding a long walk in the station if you're changing from HEX to a tube or train and continuing your journey.

Whilst the whole of the Elizabeth Line accepts contactless payments - if you have a Railcard and are only using the Liz Line you are better off buying a paper or digital ticket.  Remembering that with the Network Railcard a minimum fare applies on weekdays.

And of course the Piccadilly Line is even cheaper with a standard fare of £5.80 from Heathrow to Zone 1 - with a saving of up to £2.20 if you're prepared to do the Hatton Cross hack!

Conclusion

If your travel is nailed down over 30 days in advance, and Paddington is convenient for you, then maybe the £10 Heathrow Express fare will be attractive.

But for everybody else, HEX is unlikely to be a competitive option - despite what their ticket touts dominating Heathrow arrivals would have you believe!

London to Dublin - two Sail Rail hacks!

SailRail tickets combine your rail journey to a port, and your foot passenger journey on a ferry.  Despite the rise in cheap flights across the Irish Sea, they are still popular on the Holyhead to Dublin route - especially at peak times or last minute, when air fares are extortionate!

The advantage of SailRail tickets are they are fixed price.  So for example London to Dublin costs either £53.40 for an "Advance" ticket, or once they sell out it's £60.10 for the misnamed "Standby" fare.  Tickets from elsewhere in both GB and Ireland are on a sliding scale, as per this old map - all ferries now serve Dublin port!

Most days there's a 9am train from London Euston which gives you 80 minutes to see the sights of Holyhead, before the huge Irish Ferries ship Ulysses pulls out of port and delivers you into Dublin around 5.30pm - where you stroll across the gangway back onto dry land.

If the journey that you want is showing as Sold Out / Unavailable - try booking Bangor (Gwynedd) to Dublin departing at 12:23 - the last stop before Holyhead.  If this shows as available, you know that it's the train that's causing the problem rather than the ferry that's sold out.

Since the pandemic, Avanti require seat reservations for SailRail tickets - even though they always have a couple of carriages that don't have any seat reservations!

When I've encountered this problem I've tried multiple rail reservation websites, and none could overcome the Avanti block.

Avanti Hack

However, if you go to a mainline station with a ticket office, they should be able to sell you a ticket for the date you want, without a specific train.  Since most stations only sell a handful of SailRail tickets it may take some time for them to work it out. And make sure they select correctly between Irish Ferries (Dublin Ferryport - DFP) or Stena (Dublin Port Stena - DPS).

Then it's just a case of getting past the Avanti staff at the gateline and onto the train with your open ticket!

Sunday Hack

The 9am direct train to Holyhead unfortunately doesn't operate on a Sunday (or if Avanti amend the timetable) - so you'll need to find a connecting route.  If you want to get the 2.10pm Irish Ferries ship, rail reservation websites say you need to depart London Euston just after 8am.

However if you select Dublin Port Stena (for the later ferry) you can book connecting trains which should get you into Holyhead a tantalising half hour before the 2.10pm Irish Ferries departure.

With the last transfer bus to the ferry departing the terminal 20 minutes before the ferry leaves, if the trains are on time you can make the 2.10pm ferry - even though you can't actually book it.

Once you arrive at Holyhead station you need to go to the rail ticket desk (not the Irish Ferries or Stena ticket desk) and ask them to swap your ticket from Stena to Irish Ferries.  As you enter the station/terminal from the platforms, the rail ticket window is on your right facing the ferry ticket desks.

When I did this recently the rail ticket staff member was rather confused and actually issued me a new ticket the same as the old ticket. But thankfully the Irish Ferries checkin staff let it go, and issued me a Ulysses boarding pass anyway.  I guess they appreciated my effort!

So if you value an extra 40 minutes in bed and are willing to take the risk that you may end up on the Stena ferry if your train is late into Holyhead - then give this Sunday Hack a bash!

Stansted Express - How Much Does it Really Cost

Stansted Express highlight their £9.90 Advance ticket price - but how much does it really cost for the 49 minute train journey from London Liverpool Street to London's third airport?

Of course the £9.90 fare is available - if you book a full 90 days in advance - and with no refunds or changes allowed, you may not consider that an appropriate purchase.

But if you need to travel in the next 12 days - you'll be paying an eye watering £25 for this short journey to Essex.

So what about everybody in between.

If you manage to book 13 days in advance you save £8 and get a single ticket for £17.

If you book 33 days in advance of travel you save a further £2 with a single costing £15.

If you purchase 48 days before travelling you save an extra £2 with tickets at £13.

A full 75 days in advance you save a paltry £1.50 on a £11.50 ticket.

And the final £1.60 saving is available for 90 day advance purchases.

Most people will probably be fairly confident of their travel arrangements 13 days in advance - but do you really want to book a non refundable ticket three months in advance?

If you're travelling in either direction after 10am or at weekends you should be able to get a Railcard discount (Network RC etc) - bringing the fare down to a slightly more reasonable £16.65

It can also be booked last minute - so you can be confident there aren't any emergency service alterations.  When flying into Stansted (or Luton), I usually wait until we've actually landed, check trains are running, and only then book my train ticket on my phone.

But the Railcard discount can only be applied to the full £25 single fare - even if you're booking more than 12 days in advance, you don't get a discount on the Advance fares.

You also need to check for Engineering Works - especially if you're travelling at weekends.  These are usually planned months in advance - so unless you're taking a punt on a 90 day advance booking, you can be fairly sure that any planned works are listed.

When the train line is disrupted (either planned or emergency), it's often better to take a coach service directly to or from the airport.  

My coach of preference is the National Express A9 service direct to/from Stratford which has good tube connections, and avoids central London traffic.  NEX A9 fares can be as low as £7 if booked well in advance - or as high as £17 for peak on the day bookings.

Conclusions

If you're travelling on a weekday after 10am or at weekends (and own a Railcard) - booking an "Anytime Single" with the Railcard discount gives you some protection if your journey plans change.  And this can be booked through your normal company - giving you any discounts / rewards that they offer.

If you're travelling before 10am on a weekday - try and book at least 13 days in advance on the Stansted Express website to get the £17 fare.

If your travel is absolutely guaranteed - then go for the 90 day cheap ticket.