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Transportation from Manchester Airport

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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by cottonbudscandy:

    A friend of mine is going to Germany for studies, and since I am in the UK I might as well visit him. However he's in this town called "Marburg," its close to Cologne (nice name),and Dortmund, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get there?

    I checked Ryan Air and Easy Jet don't do Manchester Airport, which makes it a bit tricky, and I'm not sure if I want to go all the way to Heathrow.

    Thanks again
    Jet2.com fly from Leeds/Bradford to Düsseldorf. Book early for a cheaper flight.

    About 3 hours by train from Düsseldorf to Marburg.

    http://www.bahn.com/i/view/index.shtml
    Last edited by drumbrake; 24-09-2014 at 12:30 PM.

  2. #22

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    Why would you get a railcard for a 1/3 discount for 30 quid if you can just get an "advanced" ticket online for 20 pounds? How soon are you going? If you buy your train ticket *now* online you can get a good deal with an "advanced" ticket. It's probably your best bet if you don't want to do an overnight journey on a bus.

    Unfortunately, this is a Hong Kong forum, and it's been years since I did my regular student flights back and forth between the UK and Germany, so I'm not familiar anymore with the RyanAir and Easyjet flight maps. Just keep digging at it yourself. Worst case you'll have to pay for the transport to Stansted Airport (which at least is on the northern side). Do try to see if Megabus or National Express might have options for getting to the smaller UK airports. Luton Airport is also on the northern side of London so it might be easier to get to.

    One tip about cheap transportation in Germany is a website called: Mitfahrergelegenheit. It's a ride-share website and it's very popular (esp. among students) and safe in Germany. If you can find someone driving where you need to go, then it tends to be cheaper than taking the train (you share the costs of petrol). Because it's well-used (and connects a lot of "university networks"), there's a good chance you might find someone driving from the airport to Marburg.


  3. #23

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    Oh, one other tip about UK trains: they don't display a train number, so you have to find your correct train by the end (city/town) destination, which you can find online when you book your ticket. So make a mental note of where the final stop is for the train you take, and they will list all the in-between stations as "calling at: leeds, york" etc. I had been living in Germany where they have an assigned train number (like a flight number), so I was very upset when I arrived and couldn't figure out what train I needed to take!


  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    Oh, one other tip about UK trains: they don't display a train number, so you have to find your correct train by the end (city/town) destination, which you can find online when you book your ticket. So make a mental note of where the final stop is for the train you take, and they will list all the in-between stations as "calling at: leeds, york" etc. I had been living in Germany where they have an assigned train number (like a flight number), so I was very upset when I arrived and couldn't figure out what train I needed to take!
    And if you spend your life working with the UK system, wandering around a train platform in Europe looking for a destination (especially if a mid-station) can be equally frustrating...
    Elegiaque likes this.

  5. #25

    Thanks again for all the replies.

    I should arrive at around 1:15PM on Oct 6.

    I have discussed with my gf, and we agreed that the best option so far is to take the 3:55PM National Express from Manchester Airport to Leeds. (Its slightly more expensive, but it saves me the hassle of looking for the Shudehill bus interchange)

    However I am most concerned on delays, my flight isn't direct, a tiny delay at the transit stop and I'm screwed.

    Does anyone know if I bought the ticket online (megabus/national express), would the ticket become void if I missed the bus? (Megabus has 2 departures to Middlesborough, but its either 2:30PM or 9PM) If I bought the 2:30PM and couldn't make it, could I use the 2:30PM ticket for the 9PM departure? Or vice versa? (Buying the 9PM ticket but turns out I can make the 2:30PM one)

    Is the tickets significantly more expensive if I buy it in person at the bus stop?

    One more thing, can I get UK SIM Cards in Hong Kong, such as in Apliu street in Sham Shui Po?

    Thanks


  6. #26

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    You can buy a SIM card in pretty much every newsagent or petrol station or supermarket in the UK. You'll have no difficulty picking one up at Manchester airport. What you might have is difficulty getting it activated as they sometimes require a UK address and UK credit card - you may want your girl friend to supply relevant details so you can attach her info when you activate.

    As for info on the bus tickets, all of that should be avail be on the booking websites. Why don't you just read them instead?

    imparanoic likes this.

  7. #27

    I would seriously advise against taking that approach unless the consideration is purely financial.

    By far the most convenient option will be the train from the airport, through picadilly. Change at York. Then either go direct to Hartlepool via Thornaby, which can lead to an hour wait, or have ur girlfriend pick you up there as it is a 25 minute drive from Hartlepool. Or go from York to Darlington and get picked up there.

    Good luck

    imparanoic likes this.

  8. #28

    Hi Rich,

    "I would seriously advise against taking that approach unless the consideration is purely financial." <- Are you referring to taking the national express from Manchester to Leeds?

    We looked at the train tickets from Manchester to Hartlepool, and yikes it is 58.3 quid! We decided to spend the money elsewhere instead.


  9. #29

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    Dec 2012
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    Rich, I grew up in Durham, so have been to Hartlepool many times. I was dating a ridiculously hot girl from Peterlee for a while and she insisted on us going out to Hartlepool every time.

    No amount of sex with a 9 out of 10er is worth that in the long term.

    Rich_uk likes this.

  10. #30

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    Oh... holy shit. I've just realised what I've said. OP, don't take that personally! Your relationship might turn out fine! Just try and steer her away from Hartlepool!

    HK_Katherine likes this.