A question for those in North East England

[mrsbenny]

Originally Posted by ChrisS

Hey up GB... just to add to Kirsty's (hiya Kirsty ) post about the trains. We occasionally use Red Spotted Hanky but after checking out the National Rail website we used them last Nov, ojp.nationalrail/servic...journey/search
It was odd as they offerred fares cheaper than all the others, click on fares and it goes to Transpennine Express, who honour the price even tho their website is dearer! TPE offer an Easement for Man and Liverpool pax, irrespective of rail ticket type. If your flight's delayed present your rail tickets to the station desk clerk, they'll look at their arrivals board, countersign and put you on the next train. You don't need proof from the airline. A handy service we've utilised twice.

Generally fares have increased, tho if you buy a family railcard as Kirsty suggested you'll save more. We paid £15.50pp Durham to Man Airport last Nov, easy change at York, off one platform and walk across to the other. I booked our 20th May train home at the 12 week advance at £32pp, generally they start around £26 on the return. I don't use The Train Line or any site that charges a booking/cc fee. VirginEastCoast also offer fares and you get VA miles. May transfer Tesco points to Red Spotted Hanky but have to time it right as the e-voucher is only valid for 6 months. RSH do charge a £1 booking fee, but that's for the whole booking, not pp, although I did notice RSH fares were the highest. TPE don't charge any fees, free post of your tickets. We have to collect our Man to Durham tickets at the airport as we're in Fl when I book our return train. There's no self print ticket option on this route.

Currently TPE are offferring some 'no change' trains from Ncl to Man Airport, that may change with the winter timetable, back to a York or Leeds change. TPE offer what's called a 'Weekend First', you board your train and if you can grab seats in First Class you pay the Guard £10. It used to be £6 but increased sometime after we travelled last November. We usually 'Weekend First' on the way to Man Airport but not on the return as our York to Durham connection is aboard Cross Country and they don't honour TPE's Weekend First.

If you're interested in a hotel, hubs and I stay at Heald Green Premier Inn as it's 167 yard walk from the railway station. We opt to change at Man Airport rather than Man Piccaddily tho, only because it's easier at the far smaller Man Airport station. PI Reception book us a £6 taxi to the terminal for the morning. HG town is a few mins walk away, it has plenty of restaurants/take aways/Tesco, or you can eat at the attached Beefeater. The aircraft come right overhead and whilst some complain we actually like it, going for a walk to watch them come over the top of the hotel afore hitting the runway a few seconds later. The PI has double glazing so you don't hear them much.

FlyBe stopped the Ncl to LGW route and handed it over to Easyjet in 2013... they ran it for a short while and then dropped it March 2015. If you decided to try the train to LGW believe it or not it's quite simple, perhaps not so much on the return tho. Ncl to Kings Cross, a few mins walk out the side door to St Pancras where you jump on the train from Bedford that stops at LGW. We used that service Jan 2012 but our return flight was into Manchester. We bought the train tickets separately, Dhm to KX, St Pan to LGW, it was cheaper and the St Pan to LGW is an 'anytime' ticket.

Hope some of the above is helpful

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Hi Chris.

Chris gives very good advice for travelling from the north east and has helped me loads.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Geordie boy 57

Chris
Have looked at Premier Inn you suggested
Looks perfect fir what we require
Just to clarify which station is it close too (Airport or Piccadilly)

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Hi GB, Heald Green closest to Man Airport, about 2 mile up the line. Ncl/Dhm to Heald Green involves changing at Man Piccadilly, bit of a hike, with luggage, to the HG line, ticket research shows it's cheaper into Man Airport. Example, arrive Plat 4 at Picc, depart from 12 or 13, the line outside Picc. We opt Durham to Man Airport, quick walk t'other plat, train back up the line to Heald Green, you can either buy Man Airport to HG tickets online or pay on the train. Depart train, HG mostly an unmanned station, right turn out platform wooden gates, up the bit hill, turn left, PI is on your left. You don't hear the trains as the line's in a dip. Google map of PI HG, go to satellite mode, zoom in, drag/drop 'gold' man on road, have a bit 'drive' around.

google/maps/place/...02!4d-2.237702

Re Piccadilly, Google map link below. When looking at map, afore clicking satellite mode, you'll see the HG line over Fairfield St, outside Picc station. If you count the platforms from the top of Picc in two's, you'll get an idea which plat the train arrives into Picc. Exit train, head back up the line towards the stairs, climb the stairs, turn right, walk to exit Picc for platforms 12 and 13.

google/maps/place/...4!4d-2.2289925

The National Rail website (below) has station map search, click on 'stations & on train', enter the station you're interested in, when it opens scroll down to Station Map, click on it, click again to enlarge the map. Using the National Rail website, search the train(s) you want, click on 'details', shows departures/arrivals platform numbers. We like to know our platform without asking, any plat changes they announce. If ticketed to change at Leeds, we won't, change at York, TPE train begins here for Man Airport. Guard advised we change at Huddersfield, remain on the same platform, jump on the York to Man Airport train, which arrived about 10 mins later.

ojp.nationalrail/servic...journey/search - main page

nationalrail/stations_destinations/ - station search

nationalrail/statio...k-station-plan - York, large view

nationalrail/statio...s-station-plan - Leeds, large view

nationalrail/statio...t-station-plan - Man Airport, large view. Note on the Man Airport map it states a new platform, 4, is under construction, that's old info, completed a while ago. Man Airport station map shows why we prefer that option to Picc, substantially smaller, less hassle.

[motty1969]

We live in County Durham so Newcadtle in nearer, but always used to fly to Heathrow or Gatwick . Teeside stopped flights to London , and Newcastle only limited flights! Gonna try MNchester for direct flight this time

[motty1969]

Originally Posted by scottishmum

We live in South Shields, our favourite direct is now with Thomas cook from Glasgow. Bonus we can stay the night we return at my parents. They look after our dog. Certain times of year can get direct with Thos Cook from Glasgow for under 400pp

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Hi daft question but do they fly all year round from Glasgow to Orlando , or just main holiday times ?

[Geordie boy 57]

Originally Posted by ChrisS

Hi GB, Heald Green closest to Man Airport, about 2 mile up the line. Ncl/Dhm to Heald Green involves changing at Man Piccadilly, bit of a hike, with luggage, to the HG line, ticket research shows it's cheaper into Man Airport. Example, arrive Plat 4 at Picc, depart from 12 or 13, the line outside Picc. We opt Durham to Man Airport, quick walk t'other plat, train back up the line to Heald Green, you can either buy Man Airport to HG tickets online or pay on the train. Depart train, HG mostly an unmanned station, right turn out platform wooden gates, up the bit hill, turn left, PI is on your left. You don't hear the trains as the line's in a dip. Google map of PI HG, go to satellite mode, zoom in, drag/drop 'gold' man on road, have a bit 'drive' around.

google/maps/place/...02!4d-2.237702

Re Piccadilly, Google map link below. When looking at map, afore clicking satellite mode, you'll see the HG line over Fairfield St, outside Picc station. If you count the platforms from the top of Picc in two's, you'll get an idea which plat the train arrives into Picc. Exit train, head back up the line towards the stairs, climb the stairs, turn right, walk to exit Picc for platforms 12 and 13.

google/maps/place/...4!4d-2.2289925

The National Rail website (below) has station map search, click on 'stations & on train', enter the station you're interested in, when it opens scroll down to Station Map, click on it, click again to enlarge the map. Using the National Rail website, search the train(s) you want, click on 'details', shows departures/arrivals platform numbers. We like to know our platform without asking, any plat changes they announce. If ticketed to change at Leeds, we won't, change at York, TPE train begins here for Man Airport. Guard advised we change at Huddersfield, remain on the same platform, jump on the York to Man Airport train, which arrived about 10 mins later.

ojp.nationalrail/servic...journey/search - main page

nationalrail/stations_destinations/ - station search

nationalrail/statio...k-station-plan - York, large view

nationalrail/statio...s-station-plan - Leeds, large view

nationalrail/statio...t-station-plan - Man Airport, large view. Note on the Man Airport map it states a new platform, 4, is under construction, that's old info, completed a while ago. Man Airport station map shows why we prefer that option to Picc, substantially smaller, less hassle.

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Thanks Chris
Great info

[silverfox46]

We live in Yarm, just outside Middlesbrough. Prefer to use the train direct to airport day before travel.
Just foe information you can now purchase tickets 24 weeks in advance , so grab a bargain.
We usually go down to local train station as the guys there are great with looking at cheapest way, they told us about the changes although this year we have no plans to visit Florida. Need a change for a while.

[Laura_<3]

Originally Posted by scottishmum

We live in South Shields, our favourite direct is now with Thomas cook from Glasgow. Bonus we can stay the night we return at my parents. They look after our dog. Certain times of year can get direct with Thos Cook from Glasgow for under 400pp

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We're also in South Shields I've never noticed another Dibber from South Shields before!

OP we have always flown from Newcastle with Thomson however flew Manchester to MCO in January last year as we were limited to what airline we could fly with at that time of the year. We flew with Virgin and really enjoyed it.

We were going to fly with Thomson again next year direct from Newcastle as we will be taking our almost 2 year old daughter on her first trip and wanted to be close to home when we returned. Unfortunately Thomson aren't flying on our dates so we're going with Virgin again from Manchester.

[twogoto]

Our first trip we flew with Thomson NCL > Sanford direct.

Second trip we flew out NCL > DUB > MCO
return MIA > LHR > NCL (we flew MCO > MIA and had a couple of days in Miami before returning to the UK)

The Dublin route would be my preferred route as it was great for immigration etc.

We're looking at booking Disney accomodation before July to get the DDP deal, and will then add flights on at a later date.

Our Dublin route last time was booked via BA but operated via Aer Lingus, and wasn't any pricier than the NCL > Sanford route from what I remember.

Considering Manchester as opens up more options in terms of airlines, but the drive home after the hols isn't too appealing and I'm not sure how we'd handle the train from Manchester airport back to the North East with all of our luggage!

[scruffycharlie]

We used to always fly ncl-Sanford with Monarch then when they stopped we found Thomson too expensive so went a few times with Virgin from Manchester but hated the drive home. We flew with Thomsons in 2014 from Ncl and are flying with them again in July, at time of booking it was our cheapest option.

[rcaff]

We are in Hartlepool Co Durham and we have travelled from Manchester and Glasgow to Orlando, never managed to get flights from Newcastle simply down to price. We are flying from Glasgow this year simply because it was half the price of Manchester, that said we much prefer Manchester just because we love staying at the Raddison Blu the night before.

Such a shame there isn't a similar hotel in Glasgow with a pool that isn't tired or a ten minute drive from the airport ... I know... I don't ask for much