Semi final travel options

[conman]

took me half an hour to find the yellow car park after the match

[silhillvilla]

If Carlsberg did car parks, it would be that Yellow Car park.
We breezed out of wembley as if there hadn't been a game on. It was an incredible exit.

[nodge]

What was people's experiences of Moor St?
We got there at 8:15, saw the queue and decided to have breakfast and go back, thinking it would die down a bit.  Got back at about 9:00 and it was even longer.
At 9;15, with 2 already bored 11 year olds, and only having moved a few feet, decided to jump a cab back to Yardley and drove down.  Arrived at Harrow at 11:30am.
Heard stories of it being half a mile long and taking 2 hours to get to the front?

[joe_c]

Had planned on getting down to London for 12:00 and arrived at Moor Street about 9:15 with queue stretching as far as Hotel la Tour. Eventually got on the 10:35 arriving in Marylebone at about 12:45 with most of the passengers having got off at Wembley. I thought it was pretty well managed to be honest. It was slow but steady and there was plenty of room for everyone on the train.

[Hookeysmith]

Paid £45 for Virgin from New St

Held in a queue sorter for around 10 mins, onto platform then onto train for around 8.20. Once a few people had sorted what they was doing out we strolled to our reserved seats and enjoyed a leisurely (if not dry) journey to Euston arriving at 10.26

Our train back was @ 20.05 but were pissed and in a curry house until 9pm - strolled into Euston and jumped on the 21.00 (I think  ) and arrived back in the thriving metropolis that is Birmingham around 22.35 had last drink then home

All very civilised.

I had used Chiltern from Moor st previously and have to say the extra cost of Virgin against all the shit and standing all the way is sooo worth it

[nodge]

Cheers Joe, think if we hadn't got the kids we'd have waited.  Someone had posted on here that it took them 2 hours to get on the train and they'd arrived before us.  When the guys in front of us (who looked like they should have looked at 9:15pm not 9:15am) then started to pour their Vodka into their energy drinks, we took the executive decision that it might be a long morning and took the car.  It was bloody colder than I expected too!  Went from New St in 2000 for both semi and final and it all seemed a lot easier if I remember rightly.

[walsall villain]

Had planned on getting down to London for 12:00 and arrived at Moor Street about 9:15 with queue stretching as far as Hotel la Tour. Eventually got on the 10:35 arriving in Marylebone at about 12:45 with most of the passengers having got off at Wembley. I thought it was pretty well managed to be honest. It was slow but steady and there was plenty of room for everyone on the train.

I got on that one too. Surprised it was from platform 1 and stopping at Solihull, Warwick parkway etc. I could have been a right bastard and just walked straight into the station saying I was going to Solihull if I had known. Three young women sitting near me looked a bit taken aback when the Villa fans piled on, they were off shopping to Bicester Village. Having queued so long on the way I decided to not overdo the watching if the celebrations at the end. Got a train about 5:30 and was back in Brum at 7:15. Pretty good service I'd say.
I'd still be in the ground now if we had actually won the cup on Sunday!

[Marlon From Bearwood]

I also queued at Moor St for an hour and a half before getting on the 10.35. Absolutely massive queue. And after all that there were empty seats all the way to London! I think they over estimated the numbers who would get on at Solihull and Warwick and left too many seats free.

I've already bookedVirgin for the final. Dearer but much quicker and far less hassle. 

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

At Moor St for about 7.50. Massive queue, not helped by being populated by people who hadn't already got tickets and were in the same queue to buy them as those who already had them! Hope they get this right next time! Once we started moving got the 8.55 which is what we'd planned to get on anyway. Beer removed from those carrying it by police. Think they overestimated the numbers getting on down the line as there were loads of empty seats. "Normal" passengers seemed shocked to see football fans on a train to Wembley Stadium on FA Cup semi-final day! Mate got on at Solihull with bags full of beer, no police checks at all after Moor St! Reached Wembley at 10.45 and straight to the Green Man.

You know what happened then!

Went for food and beer after the game and caught train back to Moor St about 8. No problems whatsoever!

I think our early start at Moor St and letting the crowds go straight after the game played into our hands for a superb day.
No complaints from my party and my mate has already suggested we do exactly the same for the Final...he was a little sceptical about taking the train at first but his son and I persuaded him it was a good thing to do.

For us, and the way we did it, it was perfect.
Home by about 10.30, in time for a beer and MOTD!

[UK Redsox]

Amre we going to recycle this thread for the final or should we start a new one ?

[silhillvilla]

Amre we going to recycle this thread for the final or should we start a new one ?

Start afresh. We should admonish all reference to turbo shandles. Draw a line, start afresh.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Amre we going to recycle this thread for the final or should we start a new one ?

Start afresh. We should admonish all reference to turbo shandles. Draw a line, start afresh.

Do you two share a language exclusive to yourselves?
I don't quite know what either of you have just said.

[silhillvilla]

Amre we going to recycle this thread for the final or should we start a new one ?

Start afresh. We should admonish all reference to turbo shandles. Draw a line, start afresh.

Do you two share a language exclusive to yourselves?
I don't quite know what either of you have just said.

Think outside the box man

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Amre we going to recycle this thread for the final or should we start a new one ?

Start afresh. We should admonish all reference to turbo shandles. Draw a line, start afresh.

Do you two share a language exclusive to yourselves?
I don't quite know what either of you have just said.

Think outside the box man

OK.