(Made it to Brecon) Septic's guide to British Rail

In an attempt to avoid London traffic and ease myself into driving on the left side of the road, I am planning on riding the rails from London to Abergavenny and rent a car from there.

Is there anything to keep in mind prior to my attempt to circumvent London drivers?

1. Remember that rule about getting out everything you think you want to pack, and then only taking half of it? When you’re coming to London, take just a quarter. When your backpack hits another angry businessman on the Tube, you’ll be wishing you hadn’t bothered bringing three pairs of trainers.

2. However, you will be wishing you had twice the money. Look at what any guidebook suggests you need, and double it. A daily travel card for unlimited use on all transport is around £7. Many museums are free, but other attractions have sky high price tags.

3. Don’t forget a lightweight raincoat and a jumper — even if it is July.

4. It’s likely that the first time you feel utterly bewildered in London, you will be entering the dreaded Underground. All those lines, colours and zones. Some go east, some go north. The Northern Line even travels south. And the circle line isn’t a line at all. It goes round. Even if you do work it out, it’s likely that the Tube you need isn’t running. So, don’t waste precious time trying to figure it out; just ask at the ticket desks. Use www.tfl.gov.uk to plan journeys in advance.

5. Pay-as-you-go Oyster cards always save you money. And don’t ever buy a ticket to travel one stop in zone 1. It’s far quicker to walk.

6. Don’t expect to see the Queen outside Buckingham Palace, watering the flowers or going for a jog with the corgis. I’ve been five times, and have never even seen her poke her head out a window.

7. When crossing the road, look the wrong way.

8. Don’t expect cyclists or rickshaws to be any less ruthless on the road than other vehicles. They’re the meanest. And they pay no attention to traffic lights.

9. Don’t feel obliged to take every newspaper and flyer that is thrust in your face.

10. The funny shaped building at St Mary Axe is called The Gherkin. Gherkins are also the green bit you have to pick out of McDonalds’ burgers.

11. Big Ben is just the bell. The building is St Stephen’s Tower.

12. We only tip after served meals in restaurants. Not in bars, not at petrol stations, not in shops.

13. Tea is a very popular drink, but most of us have never drunk it with the Queen.

14. Travelling on a London bus or black cab is nowhere near as fun as you imagine it will be.

15. Cockney rhyming slang. No one really uses it.

Might be worth getting off the train in Newport and hiring a car from Enterprise and having a practice on the quieter roads of South Wales.... its only 20 miles

Enterprise will probably beat AGS on price also...

+1 for Enterprise being good on prices, etc.

IF you have a track record with them in the USA it MAY also transfer to the UK - check with your local stateside branch prior to travel

If you take this option, speaking as someone born and bred in Newport, when you leave the station dont get thinking the whole of the UK is bad as the cesspit that greets you.......

That sounds like a much less complicated plan than I had come up with, I didn't fancy dashing all over the south of Wales just to secure transportation. The less moving parts the better.

Hello,

Airport (taxi/tube/coach) to Paddington railway station, Paddington to Newport, and a gentle drive up the A4042, then A449 to Abergavenny.

Hopefully you should be able to do the whole journey in 5/6 hours.

If you arrange it in advance Enterprise will pick you up from the train station in Newport.

If you're coming over in the summer it'll be plain sailing, in the winter... ermmm... Weather may be a factor.

I am about 2 weeks out at this time. 1 day of processing in London and then I will be released to find my way to the wilds of Brecon. Trying to plan this out prior to making jet lagged decisions. I need to go through Abergavenny to arrange for housing and then onto Dering Lines.

Abergavenny to Brecon is only about 20-25 miles on the A40(?) so you'll be OK in the next few weeks.

Winter seems to start hitting us (Scotland excepted) harder in late January/February these days.

Brecon is beautiful anytime of the year, although I only know it from mountain biking, not sure on training in the winter in the area

Been here about a month and looking back there wasn't anything to worry about.

The rail personal were quite helpful and the people on the train assisted me on getting off at the right station even though the countryside looked like it was blacked out during the Blitz.

Getting around Wales hasn't been too hard, its the larger round abouts to the West that still confound me.

Just remember to give way to the right, and nail it when you see a gap.

Worth checking if there are any engineering works happening then as they put on a bus replacement service which generally takes twice as long...

Check here the operator will be "Arriva Trains Wales"

Welocome (belatedly!).

Norgie of tea most important bit of kit for any activity at Breckon or Sennebridge

I'm getting along alright with the accents, Jocks are harder to understand the drunker they get but everyone else is understandable.

Tea is palatable and alot of the guys drink coffee so no issues there.

Got my thermal mug, jet boil, and tins so dealing with Sennybridge wasnt an issue my first time up there,I went through a few changes with my warm kit trying to find the best combination and ended up with Gortex and Softee and a fleece cap. My Army issue boots took one look at the Moors and died, however the Lowas i picked up were a godsend, no issues with the wet and stood up with no issues during a 5 mile run through the hills.

With the real cold coming in it may go through a few more changes.

Lowa's

+1 for Altbergs

You're avin' a bird bath me old china! everybody speaks it, even the Baked Bean.
Try ordering a ship in a rub-a-dub in english and they'll scratch their loaves and look at ya like you're mum and dad

15. Cockney rhyming slang. No one really uses

By now you will have noticed the British Army has its own language and even that varies Regt to Regt

Incidently, just got my Lowa's back from http://www.lancashiresportsrepairs.co.uk/ where they've been re-soled and a new rand put on.

We'll be there on the Saturdays 11 Feb G range, and 17 March F range if you feel the need for a social shoot :-)

bookmarked for later

"customer service" I'll apologise on behalf of the UK in advance.

Or, if you are driving in London, give way to absolutely nobody, and nail it when you DON'T see a gap

I will see about coming by.

Don't forget your Welles

There is going to be a few of us up on sennybridge F tomorrow as well

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