RWC 2015 - Rugby World Cup 2015 Travel Plans

Podge_irl wrote: »

Absolutely do not get the Gatwick Express unless you're in a serious hurry. Much cheaper to go via London Bridge.

Agreed 100%.

On a related note, for the benefit of others, the only train servicing Stansted is the Standsted 'express' so unfortunately there are no other train options there.

Flying into Bristol for the France game on Saturday 10th

Looking to get a National Express coach to Cardiff for the pair of us.

FYI, you seem to need to book a specific time for National Express, if you miss that bus your ticket is no good.

Does anyone know if it's crazy trying to connect to a 10:30 bus when the flight is due in at 10:10? I know we're goosed if the flight is delayed, but if not is it workable?

It's just that later buses take longer, and we would need to wait around the airport. Losing valuable drinking time...

exiledelbows wrote: »

From experience, I've rocked up to National Express bus drivers for the bus before the one I've booked on (on Stansted runs) and not had a problem getting on, provided there's space. What time is the next one after 10.30, as I'd book on it - then if you're at the bus stop at 10.25 and have a word with the driver of the 10.30 he'll probably take you.

Nice one. The next one is at 11, but takes an hour longer, would prefer to get on the 10:30! Will try your approach, thanks.

adrian522 wrote: »

Is it from the airport or from the bus station in Bristol? If the latter you'd struggle to make the 10:30 one I'd imagine, If it leaves from the airport and you don't have luggage to collect it's at least possible.

Yep, it's from the airport. Small enough airport, so should be OK.

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

This seemed strange, so had to investigate. Looks as if the slow ones just drop you at Bristol Coach station, you stand around for 35 minutes and then get on a different bus to Cardiff. Definitely one to avoid if possible.

Or perfect time to nip off for a pint??!!

For those going to the Italy game and haven't booked flights, Aer Lingus just opened a flight (or at least one I hadn't seen before). You can now fly out of London Gatwick at 23:05 on the Sunday night getting back in to Dublin at 00:25.

I had been slightly nervous about making it back that night - latest flight had been 22:05 ex Stanstead - so the extra hour is very handy. More importantly, I got return flights for €78 just there. Not bad at all...

as i type CAT C available for Italy match
Edit: Only as singles though.

I'd say they were gone about 3 minutes after I posted.
Hope one of you guys got 'em.

Definite trend now on the ticket website, tickets being released in much more rapid succession than before, but in very small quantities; so I assume they are all returns. (And that there are no more block-releases to come)
For instance I haven't seen a CAT D ticket for either the France or Italy game for about a week now. (And I'm obsessively on this...although my search has finally drawn to its conclusion with me finally getting a CAT D for the bronze final yesterday.)

Up to now, they would only release returned tickets every 2 days (with no pattern to what time of day they were doing so), whereas now they could release tickets twice in one day (as they did yesterday).

CAT C tickets for France game snapped up very fast this morning.
My thinking is anyone holding out for a CAT D ticket for any game from now on will see their chances dwindling by the day.

For the France match, I assume the 8.10 flight back to Dublin on the Sunday evening is really, really pushing it?

shanagarry wrote: »

Agree fully with that - one of those Italy Cat C tickets was mine and I only listed it yesterday morning after I picked up a Cat D. I've resold a good few tickets as I've picked up cheaper ones and they generally took at least 3-4 days to go on sale (despite their 72 hour promise). I suppose they're also at the point now of needing to send out the tickets purchased more recently - I've only received my ballot tickets so far.

In addition to that I'm of the theory that if you have tickets up for resale, then you're at the back end of the queue when it comes to them posting out tickets.
I haven't received a single ticket yet. Got none via the original ballot. Have been buying and selling back since November.
Currently have only 1 ticket up for resale, & I don't think it'll sell for another while yet as it's a CAT B for our Sunday QF. (If it resells at all!)

But excluding that 1, I have bought 16 other tickets. The majority of those I bought individually...that's a lot of £15 transaction fees.

I try not to dwell on it. (And fail mostly.)

flangemeistro wrote: »

Absolutely clueless about London as it's my first visit when we travel for the Italy game, what would you suggest so if not the Express to Gatwick? We're staying near tower of London, thanks.

Get the Thameslink train towards London Bridge or Bedford and get off at London Bridge or Blackfriars. London Bridge is a 10-minute walk to Tower of London, while Blackfriars is 10 minutes on the District Line from Tower Hill.

Check out http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/ to work out the route and buy tickets.

kuang1 wrote: »

In addition to that I'm of the theory that if you have tickets up for resale, then you're at the back end of the queue when it comes to them posting out tickets.
I haven't received a single ticket yet. Got none via the original ballot. Have been buying and selling back since November.
Currently have only 1 ticket up for resale, & I don't think it'll sell for another while yet as it's a CAT B for our Sunday QF. (If it resells at all!)

But excluding that 1, I have bought 16 other tickets. The majority of those I bought individually...that's a lot of £15 transaction fees.

I try not to dwell on it. (And fail mostly.)

Good point. I've none for resale atm but have been trading fairly frequently over the last few weeks. Thankfully I'm in the UK so only costing me £5 each time. Still grates a bit though, but have been up min £30 net on each transaction, so worth it. I'm mostly sorted now, can cope with Cs for France and single Ds for Italy, but would like something significantly cheaper than the Semi Bs at £315 a pop!