Travelling From Suffolk To London..........

[Im a BusyBee]

We are getting a lift from suffolk to an overground train station to take us into london on thursday. I had suggested abbey wood into cannon street then walking to embankment which is where we need to go. There seems to be changes on that line which I have never come across before therefore I am asking if anyone can helpbme find alternative line to go in on please? Needs to be overground and within around 30mins walk from embankment . Thank you.

[Fitzer]

Slightly confused, you're coming from Suffolk but considering heading to a station (Abbey Wood) in South East London to come back across the river to Embankment on New Year's Eve? I would think you'd be better off trying to get into Blackfriars from one of the stations it serves to the north, Luton, Bedford, St Albans etc.

[Im a BusyBee]

Its because its what we are familiar with and I thought it may not be practical hence asking the question!! I was hoping someone would be able to help me, thank you. Would those trains be overground? And we wouldnt be entering th congestion charge areas? Sorry to ask so many questions

[murraymints]

get to watford junction..overland to embankment takes less than an hour just under £13 single..

[murraymints]

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/Watford/Embankment/today/0900/dep

[Fitzer]

But that involves the Tube MM, change at Euston to the Norther line, I assume that the Op doesn't want to use the Tube (or buses) at all. BusyBee, whether the entirety of the journey into Blackfriars is above ground I can't say, it is an 'overground' service but there are almost certainly tunnels. If you're only being driven to Luton or Bedford (or even further in) then you certainly won't enter the congestion charge.

[naomi24]

Why is anyone talking about Luton and Bedford? Neither are in Suffolk. Trains go from Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds to Liverpool Street. If you don't mind a stroll you can walk to the embankment from there.

[Fitzer]

Because Liverpool St to Embankment is more than 30 minutes walk Naomi, we assume the Op has already discarded the obvious :-)

[Im a BusyBee]

Thanks everyone. We dont really want to use the train any further than w need to so the journey can hopefully be dne mainly by car then train for last bit

[naomi24]

The embankment is within 30 minutes walk of Liverpool Street. He doesn't mind 30 minutes walk.

[naomi24]

Im a BusyBee, where are you actually coming from?

[mushroom25]

are you travelling in for the new year events? no service thursday at charing cross, cannon street, waterloo east or london bridge; also blackfriars won't be served after about 23h00 (due crowd management measures) so not available for return journey.

either get dropped off at olympic park stratford and make the short 10mn hop to liverpool street; or drive round the M25 to a station served by trains running via clapham junction (eg oxted, caterham, coulsdon, purley, etc) and change at clapham for waterloo. without using the tube/bus/taxi or a long walk there's not many other options.

[Im a BusyBee]

We are coming from ipswich/ bury st eds. No return journey until 2nd jan as staying over 2 nights. Thanks everybody.

[naomi24]

OK. Train to Liverpool Street and a stroll to the embankment. Simple.

[Im a BusyBee]

I did wonder about getting to O2 and catching thamesclipper but really trying to find quickest/closest route

[Im a BusyBee]

No we want to go on train as short as poss andcarjourney to best suited station for short train journey

[naomi24]

No point in going further than you need to - and O2 is further than you need to go - as are some of the places that have been mentioned here. The most direct route is one train straight to Liverpool Street.

[Oleanda]

Drive to Romford, Ilford, or Stratford and take the train from there to Liverpool Street.

[mushroom25]

//Drive to Romford, Ilford, or Stratford and take the train from there to Liverpool Street. //

due engineering work, reduced service and extended journey times from ilford and romford. if heading for liverpool street, stratford defo best bet.

[Buenchico]

From Ipswich I assume that your lift will be going down the A12 towards London. However, if you're starting closer to Bury St Edmunds, the A11/M11 route might be a better option. That obviously makes a difference as to which rail stations are easily accessible!

If you can persuade the person giving you a lift to take the M11 route then stations on Bedford to Brighton line come into play, with Elstree & Borehamwood being one possible option. From there it's a 37or 38 minute journey into Blackfriars, which is a short walk from Embankment.

Using the A12 route, your best option might be Stratford and then the Jubilee Line to Waterloo or Westminster. Although it's an Underground service the trains are modern, airy and rarely crowded (certainly not at the Stratford end of the line, so you'd have no problem getting a seat).

If your driver was going to take you as far as Abbey Wood, he/she might as well go a little bit further. Plumstead is easily accessible but the traffic tends to get rather heavy around Woolwich.

[Buenchico]

Those, above, who've suggested routes into Liverpool Street seem to have ignored the fact that IABB wants to get to within 30 minutes walk of Embankment.

The TfL journey planner says that, at an average walking speed it take 45 minutes between the two stations. (I've walked from Westminster to Liverpool Street several times and I reckon that I could do Liverpool Street to Embankment in around 40 minutes but I'd need to start jogging to get it down to less than 30 minutes!)