Who's Brilliant At Journey Planning??

[Smowball]

To get to our house we are renovating we have to go after Mr Smows finished work on a Friday. If he comes home to meet me and to get car then he is coming home an hour in one direction, to then leave and drive at least 4 hours in the other direction. So he's been driving into London with the car at 7am , then I get train in to meet him in afternoon and we start journey from London, but you can imagine the traffic is horrendous and though saving miles it doesn't save time. So my only other idea was if he somehow gets a train from London to..... whilst I also leave home in car to.... and meet him then carry on the journey, thus avoiding driving in London.
So would any clever soul be able to spot a way of doing this that might work if I give starting and ending points ?? X

[albaqwerty]

personally, I think you've got it Smow.
Ask Mr Smow to travel by train to 'x' station where you'll collect him and continue on from there

[MallyJ]

It would help if I knew where you are going to and where you are leaving from...........!! For example you might choose to meet in Luton or watford if you were travelling north or Dartford if you were going West....... or just meet in Brighton if heading south...........!!

[bednobs]

it would probably help to know where you want to start and end both journeys. the rout might be different if you needed to end up in norfolk than if you needed to end up in Hull or cornwall

[bednobs]

also the london station mr smow will leave from might determine the station destination

[Smowball]

Ok he can leave from either Lambeth North or London Bridge station, (infact anystation close to that). I will be driving from Croydon. And we need to get to Stoke on Trent. Tunstall actually.

[diddlydo]

It would be much simpler if he took a day's annual leave so you could both leave together from home earlier in the day!

[Smowball]

Lol we can't do that as this is an on going project.

[mushroom25]

the geographical nature of your journey means you cannot avoid either driving in London or on the M25, both of which are best avoided on a Friday afternoon.

maybe (as a "best of a bad lot" idea) head for Hillingdon, at the extreme western end of the Piccadilly/Metropolitan Lines; for no better reason than it's right on the Western Avenue(A40),easily reachable from the M25 and saves fighting through endless suburbia to reach it, plus it leaves you best placed to escape straight on to the M40.

[Smowball]

Yes I know Hillingdon, I lived there as a child. I agree, it's a bit of a nightmare journey whichever way you look at it!

[TWR]

Meet at Northampton Railway Station, 20mins off the M1, Then Via Toll to Stoke under 2 hours to.

[TWR]

Train to Northampton.

[1ozzy]

//Who's Brilliant At Journey Planning??//

Buenchico ,,,AKA Chris!

[Smowball]

Ooh what answers were removed?? Wonder how long the train is to Northampton?

[waterboatman]

Smow the two removed ones were spam, trying to sneak in by posting on someone else's post.

[mushroom25]

Excluding tube fare, London to Northampton in the peak = £20, journey 59 - 70 mn.

[mushroom25]

Euston to Northampton journey 59-70mn. excluding tube fare, cost in the peak is £20.

[goodgoalie]

Agree with 1ozzy: hope that Chris (Buenchico) sees your question, as he comes up with truly brilliant answers, especially re travel problems - and he will provide helpful links, too!

[Buenchico]

I'd seen this question but, with so many replies, I assumed that it had already been answered. Here's my input anyway:

Dead easy!

Mr S takes a Bakerloo Line train direct to Marylebone, where he catches a train to Beaconsfield. (There are 4 direct trains per hour, taking between 20 and 30 minutes for the journey).

Smow takes the A23 down to the M25 and then clockwise around to Jn 16, for the M40. She leaves the M40 at Jn 2 and follows the signs into Beaconsfield. (It's dead easy to find the station. I've worked there, carrying out a travel survey, so I know that you can't really get lost and that it's got a massive car park. The postcode for satnavs is HP9 2PJ).

Having picked up Mr S, Smow returns to Jn 2 of the M40, following it to the end (which is Jn 3A of the M42). From there she follows the M42(N) signs. After that she take the M6 Toll Road and then the M6 to Jn 15, where she joins the A500 into Stoke-on-Trent.