Trains to Portsmouth

peter236uk · Post by **peter236uk** » 9 Jan 2009, 12:54pm

Hi can anyone tell me do I need to book a Cycle on a Waterloo to Portsmouth route off peak.

It will be a tourer with panniers

stewartpratt · Post by **stewartpratt** » 9 Jan 2009, 12:58pm

Nope, you'll be fine. They're banned on trains leaving Waterloo between certain times (4pm and 6pm I think) but otherwise you'll be ok. The white trains have better (and a bit more) bike storage than the blue ones, but they're both ok.

Oh and have a look here, you may well be able to get a very cheap fare... http://www.megatrain.com/uk/ ...but read the small print.

peter236uk · Post by **peter236uk** » 9 Jan 2009, 1:24pm

Many thanks plan to go from Biggleswade to kings cross and cycle to waterloo and hopefully catch train around mid day then ferry onto france
Thanks
Pete

lisap · Post by **lisap** » 9 Jan 2009, 3:24pm

Get off at Portsmouth and Southsea as opposed to Portsmouth Harbour. It serves the continental ferries rather than the IoW. There are stairs down to the exit and once outside the route to the terminal is clearly sign posted.

peter236uk · Post by **peter236uk** » 9 Jan 2009, 3:36pm

Many thanks

stewartpratt · Post by **stewartpratt** » 9 Jan 2009, 4:13pm

If you get a Megatrains cheap ticket then check which one it's valid for as it's only one of P&S or PH and I forget which.

Getting to the ferry terminal from PH, if you need to get off there, isn't difficult - turn left out of the station and follow your nose.

brianleach · Post by **brianleach** » 12 Jan 2009, 4:07pm

No problem from either PH or P & S providing the lift at the latter is in operation.

From PH it's straight off the platform and on to the road but as has been previously mentioned there are stairs at P & S which might be tricky if the lift is not in operation.

Did PH outward and P & S inward last August. The lift was working so I had no problem until I reached Winchester which has no lift so I had a bit of a struggle wheeling the fully loaded bike down said steps.

Brian

keepontriking · Post by **keepontriking** » 12 Jan 2009, 4:51pm

brianleach wrote:....I had no problem until I reached Winchester which has no lift so I had a bit of a struggle wheeling the fully loaded bike down said steps.

Brian

I know its a bit of an aside, but at Winchester it is possible to go between platforms buy using the road. No need to use the stairs.

brianleach · Post by **brianleach** » 12 Jan 2009, 10:12pm

it is possible to go between platforms buy using the road

You are quite right of course but it was 10 o'clock at night and I had been travelling since 7 o'clock in the morning so I didn't feel like taking a longer route home with more hills so opted for the struggle with the stairs!!

As a further aside apparently disabled passengers are sent by taxi from one platform to the other.

Brian

keepontriking · Post by **keepontriking** » 12 Jan 2009, 10:22pm

brianleach wrote:You are quite right of course but it was 10 o'clock at night and I had been travelling since 7 o'clock in the morning so I didn't feel like taking a longer route home with more hills so opted for the struggle with the stairs!!
Brian

But you could have called in for a recovery pint at the Albion :lol:

IGMC

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » 13 Jan 2009, 12:56am

stewartpratt wrote:Nope, you'll be fine. They're banned on trains leaving Waterloo between certain times (4pm and 6pm I think) but otherwise you'll be ok.

Not quite true. They're only banned if you plan to get off again within a certain area around London. At evening peak times, you can still put a bike on the train at Waterloo if you're going all the way to Portsmouth. SW Trains now helpfully mark the "banned" stations in red ink on the timetables.

stewartpratt · Post by **stewartpratt** » 13 Jan 2009, 9:30am

That's not the way I've read it. From the SWT site:

"In the area bounded by Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking, cycles may not join or alight from services due to arrive in London between 07:15 and 10:00 inclusive, and departing London between 16:45 and 19:00 inclusive."

The stations marked in red are the ones at which you can neither join nor alight from the train with a bike.

At Guildford they display notices on the time boards for the relevant services saying cycles are not permitted on the train.

So on the restricted services heading south, for instance, the first station at which you can join is Farncombe, regardless of where you get off. And if you get on a northbound service in the morning in theory you'd have to get off south of Guildford as well.

The latter is certainly not the case in practice though, as there are plenty of bikes on the northbound morning trains. I rarely see any on the evening trains out of London, though, and the bike areas are normally full of standing passengers.

Cunobelin · Post by **Cunobelin** » 13 Jan 2009, 12:34pm

It is a pain, but down to interpretation.

Worst cases cenario is the wide aplication.

I have been banned from Portsmouth to Petersfield trains onthe grounds that the train arrives in London during the banned times.

It effectively restricts my touring...... we are banned for 6 hours a day.

On long trips I cannot leave Portsmouth early enough to complete the journey and have a decent ride at the end.

Another reason I fly!

Tony · Post by **Tony** » 17 Jan 2009, 8:23pm

I regularly travel out of and into Waterloo with a bike, and the announcements there are not "Bicycles are not allowed on these trains if getting off at..." but a flat "not allowed".