Help plan another UK trip. London, Sheffield, Manchester

[zimom]

I promise I'm not Jann's twin :)  (see her post)

 

Next month I will be traveling to the UK for a whirlwind trip.  As of right now I THINK I will be landing in London in the am on Tuesday and spending the night.  On Wednesday afternoon we will take a train (how????) to Sheffield UK where we will stay for several days.  In Sheffield we will only have a couple of hours free each afternoon in between a sporting event.   The following Monday I will take a train (again how???) to Manchester to fly home.  

 

So what would you do in that short amount of time?  Where would you stay for a reasonable ($150) price in London?  Should we just take one of those touristy bus trips around and see the city since we will really only have one day.  I may be by myself or I may be with hubby if it works out.  

 

Quick things to see in Sheffield?  I will be staying in the City Center.  My international travel has been limited to islands that were simple or China where my hand was held every second.  I'm actually a little intimidated.  

 

 

[Laura in CA]

bumping this for you, ZiMom! Hopefully some of our UK boardies will help out. I'll tell you what I know.

 

Last summer I took a bus (called a coach in the UK for long trips) from Victoria Coach Station (near Victoria Rail Station) to Lincolnshire, up north. (There would have been too many connections if I had gone by train, and I also wanted to see the countryside more intimately, not whizzing through it. It was a lovely drive, and I slept a lot, and even made a good friend, a lovely 91-year-old lady with whom I have kept in touch!) Here is a coach schedule for London–Sheffield (there are 9 journeys a day, each taking 3-4 hours). The price certainly seems right (£ 5 one-way, called "single"; round trip is "return"); perhaps that is if you book in advance (I did, and just showed the printout to the driver – everyone else showed the driver a receipt on their phone, but I wasn't sure my phone would work in England). Here is the bus company's page about their London–Sheffield run. 

 

Taking the train, I put in "London All Stations" to Sheffield at the BritRail website. Not sure you can see my results – it's a much shorter journey (just over two hours) but more expensive. Oh, and some routes require you to make a transfer. That, coupled with not knowing on which parts of the train route I might have to reserve a seat, made me stick with the coach, as I just had to get on at Victoria and get off at my stop in Lincolnshire, 5 hours later – no transfers! But as I said, hopefully a British person will chime in with good advice. Oh, and the trains for Sheffield leave from two train stations in London (there are many!) – King's Cross and St Pancras. It looks like the trains to Sheffield from King's Cross require changing trains, and the journeys from St Pancras go straight through with no changes. The fares range from $29 to $139, depending on what time you choose and how far in advance you buy your ticket (and maybe other variables).

 

About what to do for one day in London – check out Rick Steves's books (your library probably has them). He gives suggestions for stays of various lengths. Personally I wouldn't do a touristy bus trip; you can take the regular buses (the red double-deckers!) for a lot cheaper. Sometimes like at rush hour they can be packed, but midday you can usually score a seat upstairs with a great view. This is a wonderful schematic map of "key bus routes in central London" with icons showing the must-see sights. With a day ticket, you can take unlimited bus trips for a low fee (something like £5 or £6). However, if the touristy bus seems easier, that's great, too. I'm all about not getting overwhelmed! 

[diplomum]

Check out the National Trust website for some lesser known things to do in and around Sheffield. There is bound to be at least one Downton Abbey-esque stately home you can tour.

[diplomum]

There is a train station right in Manchester Airport. So getting from Sheffield to MAN shouldn't be a hassle. You may need to change in Manchester Picadilly. You can download an app called Trainline and it will tell you what platform to go to and if there are delays etc. Takes out some of the guesswork.

Edited March 14, 2017 by diplomum

[lailasmum]

In London you can do some really good self guided walking tours that will take you around most major attractions. In a day you could combine 2 walks maybe. http://www.walklondon.com

 

The bus tours are good but because of London traffic they are very slow to do a circuit.

 

Travelling by coach could be a good idea but it depends how well you tolerate the lack of leg room. The coaches are a bit cramped. National express is the main coach company. You can buy tickets ahead online to print so it's very easy.

 

Trains are pricey but there is split ticketing which can save a significant amount of money sometimes. http://www.splityourticket.co.uk.

 

Accomodation wise I would try Premier Inn http://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london.html but it's not too cheap next month because it's school holidays in the UK.

Edited March 14, 2017 by lailasmum

[Laura Corin]

Which airport are you landing in when you arrive in London?  I'm afraid that I don't know Sheffield or Manchester.

[zimom]

Which airport are you landing in when you arrive in London?  I'm afraid that I don't know Sheffield or Manchester.

 

Heathrow

[zimom]

Thanks for the information on taking the bus (coach) versus the train from London to Sheffield.  I'm guessing they are much nicer and safer then Greyhound in the US?

[lailasmum]

Megabus is another coach company. The coaches tend to be cramped but it's extremely cheap, like a few £ for a journey and only marginally worse than National Express. Both the coach companies leave from Victoria so you could find staying in that area makes sense of you plan to leave London from Victoria.

Edited March 14, 2017 by lailasmum

[mumto2]

I live in the area but not in Sheffield. You are welcome to pm me with any questions and I will do my best.

 

The bus works but I have never used it. I know it has very specific pick up and drop off points because an elderly acquaintance uses it to visit her grand daughter in London. If the Sheffield main train station isn't an option I would use Meadowhall which I know is an option as my drop off. Large shopping center with excellent bus and train links to city center.

 

Easy train ride to Manchester Airport through some incredible scenery. Figure about 2 hours maximum depending on stops.

 

If you are traveling with your children a friend's and family train pass can save quite a bit.

https://www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk

 

I'm not sure how long you will actually have each afternoon so I am trying to think of things close to city center. The botanical gardens http://www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/dms-connect/search?dms=3&venue=1582526&feature=2&srchtyp=N&catid=12&townid=1241 are nice, Sheffield has a Cathedral, personally I like the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet if it has an event while you are in Sheffield.

 

Here's the list from the council

http://www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/visit/top-10-things-to-see. The butterfly house is great fun but not in Sheffield. It would take quite a long time to get there with public transport. Chatsworth is wonderful but probably 20 miles away. Peak District would be doable by train or bus but probably would need a whole afternoon.

 

Let me know how you planning is going and what you are interested in.

[zimom]

Thanks mumto2.  I will either be by myself or if my hubby can swing it he will meet me in the UK.  My DD will be traveling with the team so although we can watch her compete we won't be able to really talk to her.   I'm trying not to stress out about that part.  

[Laura in CA]

Thanks for the information on taking the bus (coach) versus the train from London to Sheffield. I'm guessing they are much nicer and safer than Greyhound in the US?

Yes, the National Express bus I took was clean and comfortable. I had plenty of room, but then I'm fairly small. I had some good naps! :) ETA: The coach wasn't crowded either direction, so I always had two seats to myself, except when I chose to sit next to my new friend.

It's nice getting on at Victoria, because the trip starts there and you can choose your seat (shady side, or whatever you want). They stopped after a few hours for a 20 minute bathroom break (called toilets or WC). There is an outlet under the seat so you can charge your phone (bring an adapter). You can bring food on board and snack (at least, I did).

 

Victoria Coach Station was a typical bus station, big and dingy and crowded, and using the toilet cost something like 50p, but it was very safe. I got a nice sandwich at an Upper Crust shop in the bus station right by the gate where we were waiting for our bus.

 

I've taken cross-country Greyhound buses SF <—> Buffalo (1970s) and SF <—> Canada and SF <—> LA (1980s) and the National Express coaches are much nicer. Think Bolt Bus or the equivalent (but no WiFi). You can look at the photos on their website.

 

And as a PP said, there are several stops in Sheffield. You can see which will be closest to your hotel. Make sure the trip you're taking stops at the place you want.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Laura in CA

[Laura Corin]

Heathrow is a long way out from London.  You would need to take the train into London and then take the train/bus to Sheffield.

 

Here's a page about the train trip (into Paddington station) that shows the time comparison between train, bus and tube in from Heathrow:

 

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/?tid=WEXT12191&CMP=PSB023&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=EMEA_UK_EN_GENERIC_SEARCH&utm_term=train%20heathrow%20to%20london&gclid=CjwKEAjwzKPGBRCS55Oe46q9hCkSJAAMvVuMMjGyZccjL9VIKY1WXfkhGcX8RSglG20ctXuPdaXaDhoCH6Xw_wcB

 

One option for accommodation country-wide is Premier Inn - very reliable and clean, in my experience

 

http://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/search.html?searchModel.searchTerm=London&cid=KNC_Brn%7C_G_UK_UK_Eng_Enc_LO_London_EX&mckv=sHWiEFobQ_dc%7Cpcrid%7C49371790059%7Ckword%7Cpremier%20inn%20london%7Cmatch%7Ce%7Cplid%7C&gclid=CjwKEAjwzKPGBRCS55Oe46q9hCkSJAAMvVuMY3zw_JgPLIy5YcGOJ2Zj7GcPsOHgIyXyZzQ3gvSUrBoCjVHw_wcB

 

For cheaper accommodation, you can look for hotels that are not right in the centre but are on direct tube lines.  Here's a tube map:

 

https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube

 

 

[lailasmum]

Since you might be on your own you could also try Youth Hostel for accommodation. They usually do basic private rooms for one two for quite a bit less than a hotel room.

 

http://www.yha.org.uk/places-to-stay/london

[zimom]

Thanks so much for all the information.  Flights were booked last night.  As of now my husband is going but could always change with work.  We are on different flights (long story, we will be coming from different states) but should land fairly close together.   

 

On google maps I was able to find an Ibis right across the street from the sporting venue in Sheffield and a Hilton just a couple of blocks so we just need to decide if we want to do budget versus nicer there and then figure out all the in country travel logistics.  Everyone has given me such a great starting off point.  

[lailasmum]

I wouldn't pay extra for a Hilton. Every one I've stayed in in the UK has been of a similar or worse quality than the budget hotels and pretty run down.

[TCB]

Trains for Sheffield leave from St Pancras station in London. The fast intercity trains have about 4-5 stops between London and Sheffield. It is much cheaper to take the coach from Victoria than the train but the trip will be much longer, especially if you are leaving London during the rush hour. My parents stay in Travel Lodge motels sometimes and they are reasonably priced but definitely not anything fancy, although I think they are clean enough etc. There are loads of really lovely places to visit around Sheffield, for instance Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, but they would take a little while to get to and not worth going to for an hour. I've been to Sheffield a number of times but never for tourist things so can't help with that. Hope you have a wonderful time! I lived in Derbyshire, just south of Sheffield, for 10 years and it is one of my favorite places!

 

ETA - When I took my kids to London a few years ago, we did one of the Big Red bus London tours and it worked really well for us. We only had one day there and we were able to see a lot and the guide on the bus had a lot of really interesting things to say. I had lived in London for many years as a young adult but had never been on one of those bus tours. I recommend them, now, to anyone going there who only has a limited time and wants a good overview of London

Edited March 15, 2017 by tcb

[mumto2]

We like Premier Inns and I think there is one pretty close to your venue. These hotels are quite nice. Not plush but they have a serious satisfaction guarantee and really go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable.

 

Some friends stay at the city centre Novotel http://m.novotel.com/gb/hotel-1348-novotel-sheffield-centre/index.shtml frequently when they go to the theatre and seem to really like it. When we upgrade from Premier Inn it's normally to Novatel.

 

The Hilton.....I think I've eaten breakfast there at some point. Friendly staff etc.

 

I would just pick the best deal truthfully.