East Coast train: no cycle space available

[toroddf]

Btw. Don't buy the Glasgow- Ardrossan train tickets in Newcastle. Wait until you are in Glasgow because there is no discounts on the train tickets anyway. We are a bit informal here in Scotland. But go for the Ardrossan South Beach trains and not the ferry train. Less stress = more joy.
And it is not bad sitting on the quay in Ardrossan, waiting for the ferry and admiring the landscape too. Mostly the arriving ferry and the GoatFell on Arran, it has to be said. But still; no stress.

I have the Ardrossan map in the front of me. The travel to the ferry is approx 800 meters. It is off the train and the road to the left. Then you hit the road to the ferry, take it to the right and you are there.

 

[Wendel]

No discounts, I know, therefore why not buy it in Newcastle? It's an anytime ticket. And we'll have to change platforms in Glasgow with loaded cycles within 20 minutes, so I'll be glad not to spend additional time for ticket purchase.

If we make it for the 1st train, we will have 2 hrs to enjoy everything before the ferry departs.
But if not and we need to take the 2nd train, then time will be short. The train's arrival time (17:44) is aligned with the ferry departure (18:00).

GoogleMaps tells me that it's 1.8km from Ardrossan South Beach station to the harbour (and still 900m from Ardrossan Town station).

In any case, I'll let you know after return.

 

[toroddf]

Btw. The midges are out and very much alive. I donated blood twice yesterday on my 90 miles bike ride.

Grrrrrrrr...................

 

[Wendel]

Oh, bad!!!
However, thanks for the info.

 

[philtaylor38]

Hi, I haven't read all the posts on this thread, but my advice would be to contact east coast and get everything sorted first. Friday's are the busiest days to travel at anytime with all sorts of people going home after working or studying away, stag/hen parties travelling to Newcastle. Trains are full and standing, so to turn up without a cycle reservation may well cause problems.

 

[Wendel]

Now, everything fine. The Guy let us in, 5 Cycle spaces but much physical Space around. Train from Glasgow to ardrossan almost empty. Now we're in brodick / arran, sun &warm. :-) And no midges so far...

 

[Auntie Helen]

Glad it is going well so far. Good luck with the rest of the tour!

 

[Wendel]

back from Scotland

Just returned. It was a wonderful tour.
As written in my previous post (from mobile), we got on the Newcastle-Glasgow train w/o having cycle reservations, 6 cycles in 5 spaces - the luggage coach is huge and the 'steward' was friendly.
The connecting train from Glasgow towards Ardrossan was almost empty. No dedicated cycle spaces (same as when returning from Helensburgh to Glasgow) so we put our bikes in the wheelchair space. No problem at all.
During the tour we decided to take the train from Mallaig via Glenfinnan and Fort William to Arrochar & Tarbet (and even got a bargain price). It was just great, and 20° up in the highlands.
Btw, there is a very well signposted NCN route (almost car-free) from Newcastle ferry terminal to downtown Newcastle (10 miles). Well done!

Summary: Taking cycles by train in UK was a very good experience - do again.

PS: No midges at all, except 2 midges while cooking on the platform of Lochailort station just before the Hogwarts Express passed by.

 

[Wendel]

PPS: Helen, have fun on your tour to Germany! And I wish that you're lucky with your train plans as we were lucky in UK. (I see you have good support by the Radforum for local routes.) Have a safe journey in good weather, full of impressions!

 

[toroddf]

Hi and I am happy to see that you did not pay that full midge tax.......... which means the rest of us from CycleChat have to pay extra midge tax this year.

While you are standing in the naughty corner for the next twenty minutes; how was the road from Kennacraig to Oban ?

 

[Wendel]

While you are standing in the naughty corner for the next twenty minutes

What does that mean...?

how was the road from Kennacraig to Oban ?

It was OK. As an A class road with some traffic but not too much. Some up and down as usual . Beautiful on the shores of Loch Fyne. From Ardrishaig we followed the NCN 78 towards Oban which follows the Crinan canal - great! That route meets A816 behind Kilmartin. We didn't follow NCN 78 further on B840 but kept on A816 because we stayed in Kilmelford (2 nights).

 

[toroddf]

Hi and thanx.

Naughty corner is where you put a child who has misbehaved. The child had to stare into the wall for some minutes while it was contemplating it's sins. Naughty corners was much used in the old days when children grew to be well behaved adults......... but has now fallen out of fashion. Hence today's world.

6 weeks until I leave for the Western Isles.... I cannot wait.

 

[Auntie Helen]

PPS: Helen, have fun on your tour to Germany! And I wish that you're lucky with your train plans as we were lucky in UK. (I see you have good support by the Radforum for local routes.) Have a safe journey in good weather, full of impressions!

Hi Wendel, glad to hear you had a really good trip.

We've had to do some last-minute changing to our train plans due to engineering works between Venlo and Mönchengladbach but hopefully it will work out OK. We're looking forward to the trip and watching the weather forecast for the Koblenz area - at the moment it looks pretty good. But I don't want rain as I don't want to take my front mudguards (they rattle)... decisions, decisions...

 

[Wendel]

Naughty corner is where you put a child who has misbehaved.

I see. But why me? Because I am generous and let the midges drink Scottish blood?

... watching the weather forecast for the Koblenz area - at the moment it looks pretty good. But I don't want rain as I don't want to take my front mudguards (they rattle)... decisions, decisions...

Well, take them. Rain may always come even in normally good weather.

 

[toroddf]

Wendel.
I have forgotten to ask you if you found any good free camping sites around Kilmartin ?
That minus plus minus ten miles from Kilmartin ?

I just have a small tent and a tired body for that night.