Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: chrisw1 on May 17, 2018, 05:30:52 PM

Title: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: chrisw1 on May 17, 2018, 05:30:52 PM
How are people getting to the final?

I'm travelling from Stourbridge and need to be back either Sat evening or I can stay over but need to get back reasonably early on Sunday.  Trains look like a non starter when you take into account getting across London from Wembley.

Any recommended coach companies? 

Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Chris Stares on May 17, 2018, 05:49:33 PM
Try Zeelo Chris.  They have a relationship with Villa and have various pickup points, including ones in Bromsgrove and Redditch.  My two sons, daughter and I are going to the final with two mates we go to all home games with - one who lives in Worcester like us and the other who lives in Stourbridge.  I've already booked for us to travel from Bromsgrove as its equidistant from both Worcester and Stourbridge.  The 5 of us from Worcester and our mate in Stourbridge are each going to drive and park in Bromsgrove for the day and get the coach to/from Wembley from there.  Assuming no extra time and traffic-permitting they're estimating being back in Bromsgrove by 22.45 (so the ticket says).  Oh, and if you use the code VILLA5 at checkout, you will get a fiver off the cost, the full price of which is the same as the Villa club coach travel from Villa Park at £30 return.

https://zeelo.co/rides/aston-villa/aston-villa-fan-travel-for-the-play-off-final-15124 (https://zeelo.co/rides/aston-villa/aston-villa-fan-travel-for-the-play-off-final-15124)

We decided this would be a much better option than booking seats on a club coach from Villa Park (which I could have done yesterday as there was still availability), given the ball-ache of travelling even just the 30-odd miles from Worcester with the perpetual roadworks on the M5 (Tuesday's game took us 2 hours to get from Worcester to our usual car park in Aston Road!)

I should say we've never used Zeelo before so I hope that we don't end up regretting it, but certainly, the reviews I've read about their service are pretty positive.

Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: paulshort293 on May 17, 2018, 05:53:21 PM
Hi Chris, are you travelling as part of a group?
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Chris Stares on May 17, 2018, 05:57:20 PM
Hi Chris, are you travelling as part of a group?
Which Chris, Paul?  If your question was to me, then only the "group" I mentioned - my two sons, daughter, the mate from Worcester, the mate from Stourbridge and me.  You don't have to book the entire coach with Zeelo, you can just book seats on the services they offer.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: chrisw1 on May 17, 2018, 05:58:11 PM
Thanks Chris I'll look into this.  Have you checked out Bromsgrove parking yet?
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: paulshort293 on May 17, 2018, 05:58:51 PM
Sorry I meant chrisw
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: chrisw1 on May 17, 2018, 05:59:41 PM
Paul - no prob just 1 or 2. 

Coach is probably a good plan.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Chris Stares on May 17, 2018, 06:00:47 PM
Thanks Chris I'll look into this.  Have you checked out Bromsgrove parking yet?
Yes - there's a 300-odd space 24 hour multi-storey car park about 100 yards from the pickup point (Churchfields):

http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/my-place/parking/our-car-parks.aspx (http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/my-place/parking/our-car-parks.aspx)
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: dave.woodhall on May 17, 2018, 06:03:57 PM
How are people getting to the final?

I'm travelling from Stourbridge and need to be back either Sat evening or I can stay over but need to get back reasonably early on Sunday.  Trains look like a non starter when you take into account getting across London from Wembley.

Any recommended coach companies? 



Chiltern trains will stop at Wembley and most go back to Stourbridge. If you want a coach PM Clampy about his lot.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Clampy on May 17, 2018, 06:08:06 PM
How are people getting to the final?

I'm travelling from Stourbridge and need to be back either Sat evening or I can stay over but need to get back reasonably early on Sunday.  Trains look like a non starter when you take into account getting across London from Wembley.

Any recommended coach companies? 



Chiltern trains will stop at Wembley and most go back to Stourbridge. If you want a coach PM Clampy about his lot.

I was going to suggest our lot but they've filled all four cooches already apparently.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: MONCABA on May 17, 2018, 07:20:02 PM
National Express £25 return from Birmingham coach station.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: chrisw1 on May 17, 2018, 08:06:37 PM
Thanks for the input all.

I've booked Big Green Coach which is going direct from Stourbridge - £26

https://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/events/aston-villa-to-wembley-stadium-coach-travel
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Leicester_Villian on May 17, 2018, 08:49:03 PM
Chiltern Trains will be putting on trains from Moor St direct to Wembley - just keep checking site
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Joe S on May 18, 2018, 03:24:34 PM
Update from Chiltern railways:

Quote
Saturday 26th May 2018:

An amended Saturday timetable will operate.

In accordance with the Coventry to Birmingham route being closed due to engineering works, Chiltern Railways services between Marylebone and Birmingham will convey additional carriages.

To double the number of seats and capacity, services will serve Birmingham Moor Street only; no trains will serve Snow Hill. Buses will replace trains between Leamington Spa & Stratford upon Avon and between Hatton & Lapworth.

Additionally, there is a sporting event at Wembley Stadium - The Championship Play Off Final (Aston Villa vs Fulham - 17.00 KO).

An amended timetable will operate for most of the day. In order to free-up resource for additional demand to and from Wembley Stadium, please note that a reduced service of one train per hour will operate on the Marylebone - Amersham - Aylesbury Vale Parkway route for the entire day.

The revised timetables are available as a .pdf

Link:
https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/sites/default/files/Saturday-26-May-London-HighWycombe-Oxford-Birmingham_0.pdf
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Leicester_Villian on May 18, 2018, 04:06:04 PM
Return by train is £30.50 Moor St to wembley Stadium
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: cheltenhamlion on May 18, 2018, 06:06:13 PM
I am travelling with Chiltern so it is best avoided.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Rudy65 on May 18, 2018, 06:16:47 PM
Update from Chiltern railways:

Quote
Saturday 26th May 2018:

An amended Saturday timetable will operate.

In accordance with the Coventry to Birmingham route being closed due to engineering works, Chiltern Railways services between Marylebone and Birmingham will convey additional carriages.

To double the number of seats and capacity, services will serve Birmingham Moor Street only; no trains will serve Snow Hill. Buses will replace trains between Leamington Spa & Stratford upon Avon and between Hatton & Lapworth.

Additionally, there is a sporting event at Wembley Stadium - The Championship Play Off Final (Aston Villa vs Fulham - 17.00 KO).

An amended timetable will operate for most of the day. In order to free-up resource for additional demand to and from Wembley Stadium, please note that a reduced service of one train per hour will operate on the Marylebone - Amersham - Aylesbury Vale Parkway route for the entire day.

The revised timetables are available as a .pdf

Link:
https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/sites/default/files/Saturday-26-May-London-HighWycombe-Oxford-Birmingham_0.pdf

Excellent thanks. Their website doesn't seem to yet recognise the new timetable so you cant book!!
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Leicester_Villian on May 19, 2018, 11:20:05 AM
You just purchase a ticket and can travel on any train - the timetable is on the site but you need to look at travel amendments and it shows it there but they are very frequent around lunch time and then back after game
I used them in 2015 and it was great just a short walk and easy getting a seat
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: amfy on May 19, 2018, 11:28:16 AM
On twitter it looks like Kings Norton Lions still have some spaces.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: avfc pride on May 19, 2018, 12:08:47 PM
On twitter it looks like Kings Norton Lions still have some spaces.
once again showing there's plenty of Villa in so called blues areas.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: astonvilla82 on May 19, 2018, 12:52:37 PM
supported villa for approx 45 years and live in northfield, worked for Birmingham council housing department for 43 years covering rednal rubery woodgate quinton west heath and kings norton its a myth that these were strong blues areas had to post because fans from north Birmingham probably this as well
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: villabear on May 19, 2018, 01:00:27 PM
I wore my Villa t-shirt out doing the food shop this morning in Northfield. Got one guy saying “love your shirt mate” and another asking me if I’d got my ticket yet.

In winter I always wear my Villa scarf as it winds some people up no end! 😂😂
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: itbrvilla on May 19, 2018, 01:25:05 PM
I wore my Villa t-shirt out doing the food shop this morning in Northfield. Got one guy saying “love your shirt mate” and another asking me if I’d got my ticket yet.

In winter I always wear my Villa scarf as it winds some people up no end! 😂😂
My experience of living in Northfield for best part of 3/4 of my life is that there are more villa fans than blose.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: UK Redsox on May 19, 2018, 01:32:16 PM
http://www.heroesandvillains.info/forumv3/index.php?topic=58647.0
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Grande Pablo on May 20, 2018, 09:20:00 PM
Stanmore - just of the M40/M25, massive car park, even caters for mini buses.  End of the Jubilee line, so trains always empty there & back.

Blue Room was good fun last time out.  Super food, beer no so much.
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: Dublin Villa on May 24, 2018, 08:31:30 AM
I am flying in from Dublin to Luton /London Ryanair then need to get back to Birmingham after match is there any way I could just do a return journey on coach? or train to Birmingham from Luton via Wembley!
Title: Re: Play off final - travel recommendations
Post by: chrisw1 on May 24, 2018, 08:52:36 AM
I am flying in from Dublin to Luton /London Ryanair then need to get back to Birmingham after match is there any way I could just do a return journey on coach? or train to Birmingham from Luton via Wembley!

Your best bet will just be the Chiltern train from Wembley to Brum
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