Well not exactly the whole of London just the bit from Victoria to Hampton Court and back.
If you asked someone to drive you and your bike 280 miles to London and back for £10 , well you can guess what the probable answer would be. But Megabus will do it, and so thats what cycling club friend Ivor and I did last Thursday.
We took our folding bikes and as long as they are bagged and below a certain size there's no extra charge.
So from this.
to this
It was a cold morning [6C] cycling the 7 miles into Cardiff but the rest of day in sunny London was cycling in short sleeves.
Cycling in London is not as bad as you may imagine, yes you have to be alert, but then thats the same for anywhere when riding in traffic, and there are now many dedicated cycle lanes and routes and surprisingly the drivers that we encountered were friendly and often gave way for you. So thats always worth a thank you and a thumbs up.
This was our route to Hampton court, its about 30 odd miles, allowing for a few wrong turnings, but generally the the routes are well sign posted. The route out was part of NCN Route 4 which goes all the way to West Wales and the route back was mainly on the London cycle route the A3 Parallel, which is a cycle path adjacent to, but well separated from the South Circular A3. A relatively straight and easy to follow route, as it was time critical, but not as interesting as the outward journey
As the time was limited by getting back to Victoria coach Station I didn't take many photos, so I borrowed the next two pictures from the Thames path website .
Lots of good information on this site.
This is riding through Richmond Park, such a huge area, but we didn't see any deer.
Finally our destination and a welcome lunch in the Tiltyard cafe.
Cycling in London is not as bad as you may imagine, yes you have to be alert, but then thats the same for anywhere when riding in traffic, and there are now many dedicated cycle lanes and routes and surprisingly the drivers that we encountered were friendly and often gave way for you. So thats always worth a thank you and a thumbs up.
This was our route to Hampton court, its about 30 odd miles, allowing for a few wrong turnings, but generally the the routes are well sign posted. The route out was part of NCN Route 4 which goes all the way to West Wales and the route back was mainly on the London cycle route the A3 Parallel, which is a cycle path adjacent to, but well separated from the South Circular A3. A relatively straight and easy to follow route, as it was time critical, but not as interesting as the outward journey
As the time was limited by getting back to Victoria coach Station I didn't take many photos, so I borrowed the next two pictures from the Thames path website .
Lots of good information on this site.
This is riding through Richmond Park, such a huge area, but we didn't see any deer.
Finally our destination and a welcome lunch in the Tiltyard cafe.
The two intrepid "old" explorers.
The only downside of Meagabus is the time spent travelling but thats down to the volume of traffic, especially in and out of London. It took 3.30 hrs to get there and 4.10 hrs on the way back. But whilst the train journey is quicker it would have cost over £80 even with a Senior Rail Card.
I rest my case.
How I envy you this trip. For many years I have studied Tudor England and would love to see Hampton Court in person someday. Even though it is rumored to be haunted. Thanks so much for the pictures. I agree the bus was the way to go.
ReplyDeleteKathy the downside was that we didn't have time to visit the palace, but there is always another time.
DeleteTen quid? Blimey, that is a bargain!
ReplyDeleteA good day out that by the look of it, somewhere different and also very interesting.
From what those who drive regularly in London tell me the drivers there are very tolerant towards all sorts and are far more 'awake' than drivers 'out in the sticks' who tend to see a bike as occupying roadspace they think belongs to them.It's the old safety in numbers thing raising awareness I imagine.
Mick, yes a good bargain. I think that cycling in London has had a lot of publicity and also the dreadful accidents have raised the awareness of all. Shared space is here to stay!!
DeleteWOW brilliant, and I'm sure the scenery along the ride is pleasing too! How long does it take to reassemble the bike from carry bag to ride-able? The price certainly was right for sure!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sondra the route also takes you through residential areas and some of the houses are fantastic and even the terraced houses of what was once "the working class" are amaxing. Its a lottery win you need to buy property here. The bike only takes about 10mins to fully assemble including the bags and everything.
DeleteI'm worn out after that ride!
ReplyDeleteLast time I went to Hampton Court was in the 80's in an old Selfridges van.
This poured out black smoke all day, the man on the gate showed us to our destination to the side of the front entrance of the main building, black smoke polluting the tourists in and out.
Not long afterwards it caught fire and I think that was the house we delivered to.
Great day out - for you!
Mr A the last time I went to Hampton Court was 60 odd years ago on a school trip. I will try and go back there and have a look around.
ReplyDeleteI lived for a short while in my twenties just the other side of the park..... Hampton Court was a popular place to visit for me in those days....Last time I visited was just a few weeks ago when staying at Horsley.....
ReplyDeleteSounds like you guy's had a very good value day out...
Trevor, yes a good fun day, and thanks to the versatility of the folders.
DeleteHi Dave, I'm new to your website - I'm discovering Blogger, and fellow bloggers, gradually! I enjoyed your post and admire you for cycling in London. What a great idea. I'd not heard of Megabus, but it sounds super value.
ReplyDelete