A trip to the Royal Marsdon Chelsea

[Easternlight]

I apologise for how lame this is going to sound.
It looks like I need to take Mrs Easty to the Royal Marsdon for an 11am appointment on the 19th.
Now we live on the edge of the world in Lowestoft, I would just normally drive to get there but as it's in the middle of Chelsea with no parking this is not an option.
I know nothing of using the underground and to go by train from the east will only get me to Liverpool street and being in the morning I would have to deal with the rush hour.

I'm thinking of driving down the day before and spending the night in a travel lodge then getting a taxi in on the day.
But how far away to stay? and where?

Any help or what not to do's would be appreciated.

Thanks
Easty

[alangla]

Easternlight said:

I apologise for how lame this is going to sound.
It looks like I need to take Mrs Easty to the Royal Marsdon for an 11am appointment on the 19th.
Now we live on the edge of the world in Lowestoft, I would just normally drive to get there but as it's in the middle of Chelsea with no parking this is not an option.
I know nothing of using the underground and to go by train from the east will only get me to Liverpool street and being in the morning I would have to deal with the rush hour.

I'm thinking of driving down the day before and spending the night in a travel lodge then getting a taxi in on the day.
But how far away to stay? and where?

Any help or what not to do's would be appreciated.

Thanks
Easty

If you did decide to travel on the day, you could always get off your train at either Stratford or Liverpool Street and then take the Elizabeth Line/Crossrail to Paddington and then get a taxi from there. Hopefully that would avoid the worst of the tube and the trains are extremely frequent. I’ve not been in London since it opened so can’t comment on the details unfortunately.

Good luck for your appointment!

[Seventyseven7]

You can get a train from Ipswich to Liverpool Street, then it’s a 10 minute tube from there on the circle line. That’s your best route if you can get to Ipswich.

Edit- sorry I realise you were more asking about the tube at rush hour. It will be fine, there tube runs every couple of minutes, if the tube is really busy just step back and wait for the next one. 10am on the tube won’t be busy though. You’ll have missed rush hour by then.

[Easternlight]

Do you need Oyster card or similar for the tube?
Dubious about going on the day due to if the trains run early enough and the lack of time if anything goes pear shaped.
I haven't been anywhere near London for over 20 years and I always found it too manic for me even then.
We're trying to get in touch with her local consultant to find out what this is all about as it's come out of the blue.

[Bustlepuncher]

No need for an Oyster card anymore. Just tap your debit card when you enter the gates, and when you leave.

[Blue62]

If you’re so stressed or concerned my advice would be to go to the booking office at Liverpool St or grab an employee. They’re honestly there to help, don’t worry about asking directly, you’ll be fine. Sincerely hope things go well for your wife.

[omniflow]

There is plenty of parking in Central London, it's just extremely expensive.

[NDA]

What I would do is park under the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour - it's a two level multi-story (always spaces) and not that expensive. £10 a day, although that might have risen to £12 recently.

It's a 20 minute walk or 5 minute cab ride to the hospital from there.

[croyde]

NDA said:

What I would do is park under the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour - it's a two level multi-story (always spaces) and not that expensive. £10 a day, although that might have risen to £12 recently.

It's a 20 minute walk or 5 minute cab ride to the hospital from there.

This is a good idea.

Head to the Western parts of London the night before and an easy public transport run into Chelsea in the morning, or Uber.

There's a nice pub hotel near me in Teddington with parking. Park Hotel.

It's about 20 minutes from the M3 junction on the M25.

In the morning there's a 5 mins walk to Teddington station, trains every half hour to Richmond, an 11 min journey.

Change to the tube, District line and get off at South Kensington which is a few minutes walk from to the hospital.

Allow an hour door to door, or get a taxi.

Edited by croyde on Tuesday 9th July 13:21

[alangla]

Easternlight said:

Do you need Oyster card or similar for the tube?
Dubious about going on the day due to if the trains run early enough and the lack of time if anything goes pear shaped.
I haven't been anywhere near London for over 20 years and I always found it too manic for me even then.
We're trying to get in touch with her local consultant to find out what this is all about as it's come out of the blue.

If you’re going on the day, you can buy a ticket from Lowestoft that includes a travelcard so you’d have unlimited use of the tube, buses, Elizabeth Line etc. alternatively if you were taking a taxi from Paddington you can book a direct ticket to there from Lowestoft that would include the Elizabeth Line connection.

[Easternlight]

Thanks for all the input everyone.
It's only an out patient appointment and we really know very little why they need to see her
I'm hoping we can get it changed to a video call.

[CivicDuties]

I've had to do this with my missus a couple of times. Hope it goes well for you OP.

I've parked in a street nearby called Cranley Gardens, you can park for up to 4 hours, pay by phone and it's not too expensive at all. And it's outside the Congestion Charge zone so you just need to know if you'll have to pay ULEZ or not. There have always been a few bays available in my experience.

[Alickadoo]

alangla said:

If you’re going on the day, you can buy a ticket from Lowestoft that includes a travelcard so you’d have unlimited use of the tube, buses, Elizabeth Line etc. alternatively if you were taking a taxi from Paddington you can book a direct ticket to there from Lowestoft that would include the Elizabeth Line connection.

Don't bother.

Simply use a contactless card each of you and make sure you tap in and tap out.

I was at the MarsdEn a couple of weeks back - both of them in fact, Sutton one week and Chelsea the next week. Tube is a very easy way to travel. Just buy return tickets to L'pool street, then use your card for tube travel. Use the same card for your tube travel. Tap in and out, even if the barrier is open. Fares are capped and very reasonable. South Kensington is the nearest tube station to RMH.

[Boobonman]

Loads of parking in Chelsea

[Xerstead]

I've found Google maps very helpful to get around London. Just enter your destination and it'll guide you around and tell you which trains to get on.

[Easternlight]

Just to update this.
We had our trip to the RMH yesterday, we went by train and tube in the end.
The cost was pretty astronomical but saved a lot by getting a senior rail pass.
Trip went better than expected with no hold ups or delays.
As was expected (and prayed for) the trip was pretty much a waste of time.
We arrived about 10:40 for the 11:00 appointment we we're sen early and out on the street at 11:05
We were told nothing new and they just confirmed what we had already been told by her consultant.
That is that her small tumor that was removed last November was a Desmoid fibromatosis and that it was non
cancerous and non life threatening and that it may or may not come back.
Very rare and very unusual for a woman at three score years and ten.
I know this sounds ungrateful but we aren't, I think it's amazing that we have been referred to one of the best cancer hospitals in the world and that the news was very good.
Unfortunately our experience with our local hospital for the last nine months has been bad and we have had to constantly use their patient liaison service to get any action or information out of them.
The appointment for the RMH came out of the blue and was short notice so it spooked us and we were worried in case they had found a mis diagnosis.
Thanks for all the help offered and for the good wishes to my lady.

[croyde]

Great to hear that all was ok.

I hope that for the cost the train journey was comfortable at least

[2Btoo]

That sounds like a good day, all in all. Glad that all is well with your wife, and also glad that the journey wasn't too horrific.

[Alickadoo]

Easternlight said:

Just to update this.
We had our trip to the RMH yesterday, we went by train and tube in the end.
The cost was pretty astronomical but saved a lot by getting a senior rail pass.
Trip went better than expected with no hold ups or delays.
As was expected (and prayed for) the trip was pretty much a waste of time.
We arrived about 10:40 for the 11:00 appointment we we're sen early and out on the street at 11:05
We were told nothing new and they just confirmed what we had already been told by her consultant.
That is that her small tumor that was removed last November was a Desmoid fibromatosis and that it was non
cancerous and non life threatening and that it may or may not come back.
Very rare and very unusual for a woman at three score years and ten.
I know this sounds ungrateful but we aren't, I think it's amazing that we have been referred to one of the best cancer hospitals in the world and that the news was very good.
Unfortunately our experience with our local hospital for the last nine months has been bad and we have had to constantly use their patient liaison service to get any action or information out of them.
The appointment for the RMH came out of the blue and was short notice so it spooked us and we were worried in case they had found a mis diagnosis.
Thanks for all the help offered and for the good wishes to my lady.

Was it worth getting a rail card, at what, £30?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Seventyseven7 said:

You can get a train from Ipswich to Liverpool Street, then it’s a 10 minute tube from there on the circle line. That’s your best route if you can get to Ipswich.

Edit- sorry I realise you were more asking about the tube at rush hour. It will be fine, there tube runs every couple of minutes, if the tube is really busy just step back and wait for the next one. 10am on the tube won’t be busy though. You’ll have missed rush hour by then.

10 mins on the Circle line from Liverpool St to Chelsea???? South Ken is the nearest station, and that's about 13 stops on the tube. Even if you have a helicopter waiting for you at Liverpool St, 10 mins isn't going to be doable.

Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Saturday 20th July 13:18