Cornwall To Lower Saxony

[greenrook]

Hello All - has anyone any ideas about travelling from West Cornwall to the Hannover area without flying? My wife also refuses to do it by car, so the journey would have to be by coach and ferry and trains etc. Has anyone ever done this trip, or one similar? Any advice at all would be appreciated.

[jno]

if this doesn't delete itself it shows you various ways of getting from Lille to Hannover, including train. To get to Lille, train to London then Eurostar to Lille.

http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Hanover/Lille

I expect Buenchico will be along with a more detailed itinerary!

[greenrook]

Thanks jno, I have asked this question, or a version of it, once before. We still haven't made the trip though. Do you think there might be a travel agent who would be able to work out an easy-to-follow itinerary suitable for 2 very elderly people, (self and wife) with costs etc? I talked to one local agent about this, but she waffled on so confusingly I had to excuse myself. Thanks for your time.

[Buenchico]

Typical train times (based upon travelling on Wednesday 10th June, which I chose as a random example):

Depart Penzance 0645
Arrive Paddington 1224

Take an eastbound Underground train on the Circle or Hammersmith & City Line, for 5 stops, to Kings Cross/St Pancras, arriving at international check-ins at around 1250 to 1300.

Take the 1404 Eurostar service to Brussels Midi, arriving at 1705.

Go to Platform 4 and get the 1728 Thalys service to Köln (Cologne), arriving at 1915.

Then get the 1926 Inter-City service to Hannover, arriving at 2228.

All sourced from here, which brings together all European rail timetables:
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml

To check prices, and to book, call SNCF UK on 0844 848 5848 (Weekdays 9am-7pm, Saturday 9am-6pm).

[mushroom25]

just as a comparison, coach NX504 leaves Penzance at 0400, calling at various towns in cormwall to plymouth (0710) then fast to heathrow airport and victoria (1235); there to change on to EU170 for Folkestone, Lille, Brussels, Bielefeld and arrive Hannover at 0600 the next day, a journey of 26 hours from Penzance. Cost = £85.00 each way.

[DTCwordfan]

Man from Sennen wanted to go to Lower Saxony a few decades ago. He catches the train from the Penzance terminus.

The first stop up the line back then was Marazion. The train conductor comes down the platform, shouting "Zion, Zion Zion."

The doors are slammed shut and the train pulls out of the station, the man from Sennen noting that there was an "Archangel Street" outside - 'Not bad this, Zion and Angels'

Next stop was St Erth, change for St Ives, (still there). The same process, the conductor coming down the platform shouting 'Urrth, Urrth, Urrth"

Third stop up the line was Hayle, "Hell, Hell, Hell," shouts the conductor.

"Buggerrr this! I be heading back to Cape Cornwall and Zennon."

[mikey4444]

Tee hee DTC !

[greenrook]

I thank you all for your excellent answers. I showed them to my wife, who looked a bit thoughtful, then said she would, after all, grit her teeth and go by 'plane. Result! So thank you again.

[Buenchico]

Thanks for your reply.

German Wings operate a summer Saturdays only service from Newquay to Dusseldorf. There are direct trains from Dusseldorf Airport to Hannover, taking around 2½ hours.

https://www.germanwings.com/en.html

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml

[Jackdaw33]

German Wings is not the airline of choice at the moment, given recent events.

[greenrook]

Thanks again Buenchico, you are a mine of travel information, are you in the trade? Newquay Airport is about 40 minutes from where we live, and our friends, who actually live in the Diepholz area, will pick us up from Hannover.
Jackdaw, let's hope the metaphorical lightning doesn't strike twice in this instance!