Two Months Away
Pre-Arrival Post #1 – June 15, 2023
We are two months away from our tour! This first post is to give your instructions on how to get from Heathrow to our Inn, give you some recommendations about packing and about money. If you have any questions about any of this, reach out to me on Facebook or by email (joan@nerdstour.com) and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
I leave for England next Thursday. I will be in Oxford for the summer, working with my old graduate school, Middlebury College. I am looking forward to sneaking away to Alton to meet with the Inn, the Jane Austen cottage, and the Manor House.
Heathrow to Swan Inn
This post presumes that you are coming into Terminals 2, 3, or 5 at Heathrow. If your plan arrives at a different terminal, please let me know.
Step One: The RailAir Bus
1. For more information, visit www.railair.com You can purchase your ticket ahead of time here, if you want.
2. After you leave customs, head to the main entrance. (Hold on to the free cart until you get to the bus.) Find the sign for buses. (There are signs everywhere. I’ll take photos and post them when I get there next week.)
3. You are looking for the RA2 RailAir (to Guildford). Your stop (platform) is #8. Check with anyone along the way if you’re worried you’re headed wrong. The people at the airport are really lovely.
4. Tell the driver you are going to Woking Railway Station. (It is about a 40-minute bus ride. Look out the window because you’ll begin to see the English countryside. For those new to England, you’ll notice how the houses are subtly different and the towns are so old.
5. The bus will take you to the Woking Southside Train Station.
Step Two: Train to Alton
1. You can purchase a ticket ahead of time at www.southwesternrrailway.com but it’s hard to predict how long everything will take. There is a train every hour, so play it as it lays.
a. Option 1: While you’re on the bus to Woking, use the bus wifi to purchase a ticket from Woking to Alton. Do this only if you’re comfortable doing this kind of thing digitally – you’ll get a digital ticket and will need to negotiate that.
b. Option 2: Purchase the ticket at the train station. Now that regular train riders can buy tickets at kiosks or online, the queue (“line” in British English) to buy tickets from a person is usually really short. It’s a nice way to confirm all the details and to have a ticket in hand.
2. Once you’re on the train, drop off your luggage in the luggage rack area. There are areas on either end of every car.
3. Then, settle in for the 40ish-minute train ride to Alton. I think taking a train through the English countryside is my favorite way to travel. I eavesdrop on conversations to listen to all of the different accents and I look out the window to spot varieties of cow, sheep, and villages.
Step Three: Alton Train Station to the Swan
1. The Swan Inn is a 10-minute walk from the train station. There is a bus you can take, but that isn’t as easy with luggage. If you don’t want to walk (which I understand), then you can get a cab at the train station. Tell the cab you’re going to the Swan Inn on High Street.
2. If you’d like to walk – DON’T FORGET YOU’RE IN ENGLAND! The closest cars are coming at you from the RIGHT and not the LEFT. LOOK RIGHT FIRST. It is the first, most disconcerting thing. You have to remind yourself.
a. Come out of the train station (toward Station Road) and turn right
b. Follow Station Road a very short way and turn right on Paper Mill Lane.
c. At the end, turn left on Normandy Street.
d. Follow Normandy Street along through two circles. The street will begin as residential and then you’ll come into the town.
e. Normandy Street will change into High Street as you come into town. High Street is the English equivalent of Main Street. This is the main shopping and business area for the town. I love Boots, which is an upscale drug store.
f. The Swan Inn will be on the left-hand side of the street.
I will send you everything you need for check-in later this summer. But, we will have a welcome dinner on Sunday night. It’s a good way to stay awake! To avoid jet lag, adjust to the local time zone by not napping and staying away until at least 9pm.
Tips on Packing
Packing is a very individual thing, but here are some ideas:
1. Bring the least you can. Overpacking makes traveling more tiring. Also, if you pack less, then you can save time at the airport by just having a carry-on. (Pro packers, take note!)
2. England used to be cold and rainy; it’s not anymore. It will probably be warm and sunny in August, so pack for warm weather. But, bring a travel rain coat (ponchos are great!) and/or umbrella in case. A light jacket may also come in handy for cooler evenings.
3. Most everywhere we will be going will be casual. The fanciest place we are going is The Pump House in Bath. It is not formal, but it’s not a t-shirt place per se. That said, it’s a tourist attraction and the “dress code” in these places is not as strict.
4. Invest in little toiletries bottles so you don’t have to bring over full-size shampoo. You can find these kits in any store’s travel section. Those meet the FAA’s liquid limits.
5. I also recommend investing in a travel documents wallet, if you don’t have a great place in your hand bag for all your travel documents. Get the ones with RIFD protection. These wallets are specifically designed to hold passports and boarding passes. If you’re someone who likes this kind of specialization, it’s another inexpensive investment.
A couple of things about money…
Credit or Debit Cards
This is the most efficient way to spend money in England, especially if you have a chip in your card. I was tapping away in England a couple of years before I was at home. You can tap to buy anything, including tickets for public transportation, like buses and the Tube.
That said, some notes:
1. Let your bank know that you will be traveling. Banks have been known to freeze cards for security reasons when charges show up in far-away places. (I’m happy to tell you my cautionary tale.)
2. Make a decision about credit/debit vs cash – each one has its costs in foreign currency fees. Check with your bank about what it charges you to use your card for purchases vs for cash withdrawal. I do the math of going with which one costs less. For me, that’s my debit card. I rarely use cash, but always have a few pounds on me in case. It will be different for others, but your bank can help you make that decision.
Please let me know if you have any questions about any of this information or about any other thing in preparation for our trip. I’m very excited to host you and know we’re going to have an excellent time together.
Counting down the days,
Joan
