I mean, not permanently..what the heck kinda move do you think this is for an anniversary post? Though I do have a bit of a blogchange coming up which will surprise and shock you all. But that’s still a week or so away, so watch this space.
No, I’m talking about leaving London for a weekend or maybe a short break using one of our eight glorious railway termini. Yes, that’s the link to the 800th post. It’s a bit lame but it came to me as I was on my way to Leeds at the weekend, which slightly doing anything more practical for the 800th post. Eva and I travelled about 400 miles in total so if you times it by the two of us, I guess that’s 800 miles covered. But more relevantly, we got to hang out in Kings Cross for a while which is one of the eight I’ll be covering. I know the Monopoly board tells you there are only four but Monopoly lies to you. In so many ways.
We’re starting at the North-West corner though, with:
Paddington
Where is it? Nearish Central London, nearish to Hyde Park on one side and Little Venice on the other.
Where can you get to? Wales! Which used to be handy for nephron exchanges before half of them moved up here. Reading, which I used frequently when I lived there and Nathan was in London. Various other places along the M4 corridor like Bath and Bristol and places in the West Country, like Plymouth and Penzance.
Have I blogged about it? It’s popped up a few times. We passed through last October between the Rickroll tunnels and candy floss the size of Eva’s head. And we picked up special packages there in 2017 before walking through Hyde Park to the Royal Albert Hall. We also went there on Nathan’s birthday in 2022, mainly to try out the new (at the time) Elizabeth Line.
Is there a Pret? Yes
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? Noooo, doesn’t seem that way
Any special features? Everyone loves petting the statue of Paddington, don’t they? He’s moved around a bit but photos on Google Maps from last month suggest he’s still there and up for selfie opportunities. This picture of mine was from quite some years ago though.
What’s the overall vibe? Big, echoey, confusing tube interchanges…it’s basically three or four stations in one. Nice roof.
Then moving East to:
Marylebone
Where is it? Kinda near Regents Park but not really close to anywhere
Where can you get to? Birmingham and Oxford mainly, with stops along the way in the Chilterns. Eva and I went there to get our connection to Stratford-Upon-Avon last year, changing at Leamington Spa
Have I blogged about it? Yes, on that visit in 2023 but also on our Monopoly jaunt for the 500th post (which was a lot more effort than this post)
Is there a Pret? Yes and this was post-subscription so of course I went there. Even though it’s really hard to balance coffee and suitcases
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? It looks like there’s one on Baker Street but it’s a rare Central London branch that we haven’t blessed with our presence.
Any special features? As mentioned above, it’s a Monopoly square so that makes it special but also it has a tiny version of Bicester Village in the middle of the concourse.
What’s the overall vibe? Super-cute, retro, redbrick. Half the appeal of going to Stratford-Upon-Avon was the chance to catch a train from here.
And again to:
Euston
Where is it? Very Central London, right on the Euston Road. Not near anywhere pretty but handy for UCL and museums like the Wellcome Collection.
Where can you get to? All the biggies of the North and the Midlands – Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool as well as a bunch of places in North-West London that are basically the Bakerloo Line. I also took my niece there to eat Burger King chips one night a few weeks ago because of…complications. We sat in cinema-style seating and watched the stressed-out passengers trying to catch the last train. I also caught the train to Manchester on a work trip there a few months ago and it was an underwhelming experience
Have I blogged about it? It certainly featured in this post, about one of the most surreal moments of my life. We also visited on mine and Roo’s big adventure to see the Cbeebies panto in 2014. Apparently we also visited in 2013 on our way to Southport but I have very little recollection of this. And even further back, in the very first month of the blog, it featured in this classic post.
Is there a Pret? Yes and it’s really crowded and stressful….there’s a one-way system and nowhere to sit.
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? Not super near, no
Any special features? Well, there’s the way that you now have to leave the station to get into the tube which really confuses people like me. And I think there’s a street food market outside but I’m not sure whether that’s permanent or a pop-up.
What’s the overall vibe? Shed-like, hectic, full of commuters and people who seem a bit cross. Apparently it used to be beautiful but the frontage was all torn down in the 60s.
Even further East to:
Kings Cross
Where is it? Near Euston really but with easy access from Islington
Where can you get to? The North – we were there just a few days ago for our trip to Leeds. But you can go even further than Leeds to places like Newcastle and Edinburgh. Plus of course Paris and Brussels from the neighbouring St Pancras.
Have I blogged about it? A surprising amount, yes. Firstly in 2011 before all the redevelopment when it was just a claustrophobic glorified waiting room. Then two years later when I seemed amazed at all the changes and we visited the the Camley Street Natural Park. Then various posts about the fountains, the canal and ukulele busking there last Christmas. Plus a very special trip there on Eva’s 9 3/4 birthday
Is there a Pret? I think there are about three and at least one has decent seating even if the queuing system is chaotic.
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? Yes, and we went there both ways on the Yorkshire trip last weekend. Saturday AND Sunday fries
Any special features? I love the roof. I really cannot stop taking pictures of it every time we’re there. I know I’m sad. But it is a thing of beauty. Plus, a fun kids area in the waiting room and a birdcage with a swing it in just outside
And of course THE tourist attraction – a bit of wall with a trolley sticking out of it and adjoining gift shop. Not to be missed!
What’s the overall vibe? I would never have said this in 2011 but it’s pretty chilled out. Having Granary Square to hang out in before your train makes all the difference as you can watch the boats on the canal. Also the interior is relatively spacious even when it’s crowded and there are a nice range of eateries (Leon and a mini-Giraffe). A definite favourite.
South a bit and East again to:
Liverpool Street
Where is it? Just on the line between the City of London and the start of East London. Handy for the City but also close to Spitalfields and Brick Lane
Where can you get to? Mainly Essex and Cambridgeshire destinations, with a quick link to the seaside. Plus all the Overground lines to Cheshunt, Enfield and Chingford.
Have I blogged about it? Yes, which seems weird seeing as I walk through it hundreds of times a year. so it’s a bit like blogging about our local Tesco. But we lingered back in 2021 on our way to Adventure Island and of course we went there on the Monopoly day. And I took a bunch of English class students for lunch there after the Lord Mayor’s Parade.
Is there a Pret? Yes – at least three in easy reach and I’m a regular at two of them. I know all the staff. Don’t judge me.
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? Yes. Weirdly narrow stairs but nice and spacious upstairs
Any special features? The Kindertransport statue is always kinda moving, even when there are pigeons perched on all the children’s heads. There was an episode of “The Piano” being filmed there when I walked through the other day but I suspect a lot of the stations will have that same claim to fame.
Plus there’s that weird rusty brown obelisk thing at the Elizabeth Line end that doesn’t seem to serve any purpose.
What’s the overall vibe? A confusing mix of commuters and tourists heading for the Stansted Express. Both groups get very tetchy with each other when there’s a queue at the gates. The station concourse is spaciousish but you’ll probably still walk into someone if you don’t look where you’re going.
Heading South to:
London Bridge
Where is it? Just south of the river, opposite the City
Where can you get to? Kent mostly – I think I went there on the way to Orpington and Herne Bay but I don’t think I’ve caught a train from there in years. There’s also the Thameslink to Luton in the opposite direction to where you’d expect a South London station to connect to.
Have I blogged about it? I’ve blogged about the surrounding area a lot but I’m not sure the station itself has ever come up much. the trip to Orpington and back in a morning is referenced in this post but nothing about the station. There are lots of posts about trips to the Globe and the Tate Modern, which are both in the vicinity and this trip last year to Delight in Borough Yards
Is there a Pret? Yes but Eva was sick in it in 2015 so we can never go back
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? No but there are so many nice places to eat in Borough Market that even Eva can accept the lack of fries.
Any special features? That giant Shard thing is quite a feature but it would really eat into your schedule if you were in a rush to get a train and wanted to go view the loo with a view. Obviously the view from the bridge itself is pretty special and I can spend ages there taking pictures of Tower Bridge and the City. The incredibly steep steps coming off the bridge are special in their own way too and there are often random statues along the embankment there.
At one point, I swear the station was missing a Platform 7 – with signs to Platforms 1-6 and 8-14 (Guess which platform we needed?) That’s pretty special.
What’s the overall vibe? Very commutery and hectic but with the river nearby for a welcome breather.
Heading back West again to:
Waterloo
Where is it? Also just south of the river but further west – opposite Westminster and near our old Kennington haunts
Where can you get to? Why yes, I HAVE been waiting for thirty years for someone to ask me to recite all the stops between Winchester and Weymouth. What, you don’t want me to? Fine. I’ll just say it’s heading towards my own home turf of Hampshire plus the seaside delights of Dorset and the slightly less delightful delights of Portsmouth. Also handy for Surrey and if you’re insane, you can get the train to Reading from here instead of going from Paddington. But don’t blame me if you age a decade on that train.
Have I blogged about it? I’ve blogged a million times about the South Bank and stuff to do a mere stone’s throw from the station…it remains one of my favourite places to hang out even if we don’t live just down the road anymore. I’m sure I’ve mentioned the station itself before, like in this trip to Feltham in 2015 and a more recent meet up in 2021 when we had relatives coming up from Hampshire. And we saw the naked bike ride. Don’t click on that link expecting pictures tho.
Is there a Pret? Yes but you have to go up a flight of stairs to get in, which isn’t fun with luggage and would be completely impassable for a wheelchair or a buggy
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? No, they seem a bit sparse south of the river.
Any special features? The view as you come into Waterloo never gets old – there is something so very London about glimpsing the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye as you pull in. There’s a whole new bit of the station that I haven’t explored yet so that might throw up some interesting features. And the clock that you meet people under is pretty iconic if you come from Hampshire. Also, do check out the graffiti tunnel if you have time before your train.
What’s the overall vibe? A fair amount of commuters rushing around but prone to flash mobs and people giving away free ice creams, which cheers things up a bit. The stepfree access is a bit out of the way but works once you know where you’re going.
And back over the river to:
Victoria
Where is it? Central London, near Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park
Where can you get to? More seaside! Sussex destinations like Brighton and Littlehampton as well as less glamorous Kentish spots like Gravesend. We’ve picked relatives up from the coach station a few times too, but it’s not super close to the train station.
Have I blogged about it? Not really and I’ve only passed through it when I was childfree, I think…on my way to Worthing in 2022. It also gets a mention in this very stressful post from 2013. But we wandered around the area lots when we lived in South London and could walk to places like the secret paddling pool of Pimlico.
Is there a Pret? Yes, a couple and I’m sure I’ve been to at least one but I can’t remember much about it
Is there a Five Guys in the vicinity? Apparently so! But we haven’t been there…we don’t seem to go to Victoria very often
Any special features? Didn’t a baby get left in a handbag somewhere around here?
What’s the overall vibe? Super touristy, with all the attractions nearby and the Gatwick Express. No one has any idea of what they’re doing so you will almost certainly trip over a suitcase if you’re not careful. Or maybe a handbag.
So I know after reading 2,400 words about train stations you’re desperate to know how I rank these eight. Well, wait no longer:
#8 Euston – just so lacking in character theseadays
#7 London Bridge – sorry, you’re just not that useful and the station itself has nothing much to recommend it
#6 Victoria – crowded and I just don’t seem to have used it often enough to love it
#5 Paddington – useful but an awkward trek from everywhere we’ve ever lived
#4 Liverpool Street – not the most aesthetically pleasing but super useful and has its charms
#3 Waterloo – this may be mainly nostalgic but also it has the South Bank right outside
#2 Marylebone – such a small and niche station has no right to score so high but have you seen it? So cute and twee and takes you to other places that are also cute and twee
#1 Kings Cross – some great destinations, the best outside space and that showstopper of a roof. A deserving winner!
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