Tomorrow, I need to be in Holburn Viaduct ( near Smithfield Market ) for a meeting. Not too difficult a time slot being scheduled for late morning. But, my problem is I'll have a lot of luggage. Way too much to take on a train.
So, I'll drive into London as I usually have to, either coming in from the M1 or the M40 depending on traffic conditions. ( the clever little hausfrau in my sat nav will keep me appraised of that )
Not too worried about the Cheshire to outer London bit, it should be ok unless there's an "accident".
The central London stretch though can be a royal pain, actually make that, "will" be a royal pain. Not only the slog through miserable traffic, but also the nightmare of getting parked anywhere near where I want be with loads of stuff to handball into my meeting.
I've sometimes mused on getting a cab from somewhere clever. Any of you metropolitans want to suggest where that clever place might be? It'd need to be somewhere I could park and leave the car for a couple of hours and be collected from the car and deposited back there after my meeting with all my kit.
Thanks in advance if anyone has a lightbulb moment !
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I usually park in the car park/pound in Park Lane and taxi around from there. That would work but the problem is that its quite a long walk through a tunnel to get to the road if you've got all that much stuff. Once at the road you'd get a taxi easily enough. 200m walk I should think.
Trying to think of somewhere you can park close to a road or place where its to get taxis is more difficult.
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You could try Golders Green. Make sure yr jalopy is properly paid for though.
It's a long time since I did that one, so ffs don't take my word for it!
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Much of Golders Green is residents only parking. Same goes for Brent Cross which was often my park and ride on a weekend. Can be make to work in the week, or could, but I've not parked there for six years now and I'm sure it's got harder, not easier!
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Sorry can't help .....I am currently in Crete......
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I used to do the A40 to Holborn trip regularly. My route was to take the A40 into London and turn right a bit after the elevated section. Sorry I can't recall the name of the road but it's the one that runs straight to Russel Square. There are underground hotel car parks on both sides just before you reach the square. My preference was the one on the left just before the big Russel Hotel. Plenty of cabs from there.
There may well be other car parks nearer Holborn but traffic is so slow you're probably quicker to bail out where I!ve suggested and rely on a cabbie knowing the rat runs to get you the last mile.
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Not a metropolitan type but I did work round 'legal London' for most of time from 1979 to 2013.
First thought was probably same as Martin Aston, the NCP underground at Woburn Place just north of Russel Sq goo.gl/maps/fbe46PJmFU92 but I'm struggling to find web etc links that confirm it's still extant.
Another was Shoe Lane EC4 but that seems to be confirmed as permanently closed.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 15 Jun 16 at 21:21
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There are NCP car parks in Edgware Road and Crawford Street, both near the end of the A40 viaduct. I have not used them for a few years but easy taxi availability.
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Thanks chaps, yes, Shoe Lane is closed, I've used Smithfield Market car park before but it's still a fair step from there with luggage and its underground so you have to haul stuff to the surface.
Quite like the Russell Sq suggestions, I know exactly where you mean Martin and Bromp.
The other ones I've used a lot are Poland St and Cavendish Sq but they're a bit further away from where I want to be tomorrow.
Normally, I'd take a colleague for a meeting like this but that's not possible for this one.
Ach well, just has to be done.
Thanks again.
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Obviously too late now but but what prevented you sending the bulky stuff ahead by courier and using the train?
Or, looking down other end of a different telescope, could you have got your stuff into panniers etc that fit on a Brompton?
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 15 Jun 16 at 21:49
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Nope, neither would have worked I'm afraid, needed the same kit today in Liverpool and the full contents of a loadbay of an E Class estate would be a bit much for bike panniers ( even if you pumped the tyres up a bit )
;-)
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Stanmore
Large car park at tube station and right next to M1/A41.
If it were me, i'd get the local taxi outfit to meet me somewhere nearby that didn't have resident's only parking, to save the price of the car park and the potential for the car to be screwed.
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Brent Cross? Loads of parking there and I assume you can claim the taxi fare.
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Stanmore seems to be the place of choice for us up North on Wembley visits. Available on street parking in residential areas which avoids the queue getting out of tube station. Oh and its free :)
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Does EasyTaxi exist in the UK?
Because that'd be the answer if so. It transmits your GPS coordinates along with your request for a taxi to the nearest operators. You then "select" a chosen taxi with service feedback rating and quoted ETA.
In Santiago your chosen taxi normally reaches you within 10 minutes, I cannot imagine London would be any different.
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Sadly the answer appears to be "No". However, here is its website for your interest and in case anything similar does exist in the UK.
www.easytaxi.com/
It is utterly the way forward for catching taxis, and far easier / better than Uber or similar.
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>>Does EasyTaxi exist in the UK?
Isn't that similar to Uber?
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>>Isn't that similar to Uber?
UBER: register your credit card, use private hire vehicles with potentially dubious regulation and control, don't pay the taxi driver directly.
EASYTAXI: pay by cash or credit card to the taxi driver, use regular taxis subject to all usual control and regulation.
You pays your money.... I prefer the second.
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>> Tomorrow, I need to be in Holburn Viaduct ( near Smithfield Market ) for a
>> meeting.
Bit late now, Shirley.:-
tinyurl.com/jurscfx
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Thanks Duncan, handy site. Leaving now, may be some time...
;-)
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This may be too late for you but...
No need to be frightened of driving in London. If you're catching a cab then it'll have to drive through it too. Trust Google traffic to get you the fastest route.
If you can't drop the stuff at the meeting and then go and park the car, then I'd go for the multi-storey on Farringdon Road EC1R 0BD . Alternatively, there's plenty of on-street parking north of Exmouth market - Wilmington Square, that sort of area. It's pay-by-phone parking. It's about a fiver an hour. Then get an Uber to come and collect you (a private hire car linked to a superb app if you've never heard of it...). Download the Uber app, upload your credit card details and you'll be picked up within 90 seconds.
Don't forget the congestion charge, but I assume you're already set up for automatic payment on that.
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>> I assume you're already set up for automatic payment on that.
If he was, has he remembered to register the new car?
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Yes......we forgot to do that with the Dart Charge account and had a letter!
They give you one chance though so it only cost £2.50 but we mustn't do it again now!
Pat
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Thanks Mapmaker, not 'frightened' just bored ! Anyway, here now. Drove in, predictably horrible journey.
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I don't find London traffic boring! And I find Google gives me interesting and traffic-free routes through the congestion zone.
The A40/A41/A1 are often very dull, agreed.
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Holborn headache - No FM2R
