Jump to content
 

Euston to St Pancras by tube - quickest option


Neil

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium

Normally when we head abroad by Eurostar the weather has been fine and it's been quite pleasant to stroll between Euston and St Pancras (even though London seems to move at twice the pace we do) but the last time on our return we were knackered and decided to try the tube. We took the Northern line, but seemed to walk just as far as we would have done on the surface. Could any tube aficionados tell me if the Victoria line is any quicker/easier on the legs?

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The relevant Northern line platforms at Euston are adjacent to the Victoria line ones at the same level.

 

I can't vouch for King's Cross but I'd guess they're not going to be that much different.

 

Remember that the tube is more under Kings Cross station than St. Pancras so walking between Euston & St. Pancras isn't going to be that much more effort in my opinion and you don't have to fight the crowds and the escalators that you will when using the tube.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Not really, it really is quicker and easier to walk between Euston and St. Pancras. As a rule, within the central zone 1 area unless you are goin from end to end it is quite common for it to be not much slower to walk than use the tube. I used to work in Farringdon, the walk from Euston was approx. 25 - 30 minutes and if I took the tube from Farringdon to Euston Square it was about 20. Even when I worked in Fenchurch Street at the Eastern edge of zone 1 I walked, that was about 50 minutes compared to approaching 30 by tube using Aldgate and Euston Square. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I haven't been since KX and STP were rebuilt, but if you want to use the tube, I always found Euston Square to KX was the quickest concourse to concourse, since the Circle/District platform are much nearer the surface and at KX you could get straight out onto the street. Avoid the underground passages as they meander and you walk much further than if you're on the surface.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The Northern and Victoria are not parallel at Kings Cross St Pancras as they head off in different directions.  The route to St Pancras is signed from the Tube platforms via the new(ish) ticket hall under the side of Kings Cross and this is much further from the Victoria than the Northern.  This access to St Pancras is convenient for Southeastern and Thameslink but another longish walk to Eurostar and East Midlands.  If it isn't too busy it's probably quicker to follow the Euston Road signs from either Tube platform and emerge at the front of Kings Cross. 

 

However, as suggested, I'd most likely go with the bus, especially westbound when there is no need to cross Euston Road.  Are the machines at the stops still there - I thought it was now Oyster or contactless bank card only? 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'd walk or catch the bus if it's raining, just remember to get your bus ticket at one of the machines £2.20 last time I used it. £4.00 for the tube.

 

Must be a couple of years since you last did this. AFAIK all the ticket machines have been or are in the process of being removed. You can't pay cash on London Buses anymore and need either an Oyster Card or a contactless debit/credit card. The flat fare is £1.45.

 

Agree that the bus is the second best option. Personally I'd rather walk!

Link to post
Share on other sites

I haven't been since KX and STP were rebuilt, but if you want to use the tube, I always found Euston Square to KX was the quickest concourse to concourse, since the Circle/District platform are much nearer the surface and at KX you could get straight out onto the street. Avoid the underground passages as they meander and you walk much further than if you're on the surface.

 Euston Square seems likely - when I passed through on Sunday the down escalators to the Vic were undergoing refurbishment (closed) and there was a weekend closure of the Northern so I had to walk to Warren Street to catch the Vic s/bound. I would think walk or bus would still be a better bet. Contactless debit cards will give you the same rate as an oyster on the bus.

 

The official 'new' walking route from the Victoria platforms to StP seems to be miles. I usually use the old route, which is no longer signposted, from the rear of the train up to the old ticket office, and then through the new ticket hall - but thyere is a set of 10-15 steps at the far end of that - why they didn't have a ramp up one wall I will never understand.

 

Jon

Link to post
Share on other sites

The sub-surface lines from Euston Square are your best bet, the Eurostar departure concourse is nearer to those platforms than the deep-level lines.

The Vic is a definite no, it's a good ten-minute walk from the Vic line platforms, the Northern is a little nearer but not much.

The problem with the deep-level lines is even once you come up into St Pancras, it's still 300yards or so to get to Eurostar, unless you come up into King's Cross and cross the road, but if you want to avoid the weather, that pretty much defeats the object!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Must be a couple of years since you last did this. AFAIK all the ticket machines have been or are in the process of being removed. You can't pay cash on London Buses anymore and need either an Oyster Card or a contactless debit/credit card. The flat fare is £1.45.

 

Agree that the bus is the second best option. Personally I'd rather walk!

 

It was about 3 years ago that I used the bus as it was raining. If I am making multiple journeys I buy an all zone travelcard.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I work in front of Euston station.  None of my colleagues who use King's Cross or St Pancras, especially the latter, would think of anything other than walking, even with a suitcase. The best walking route to St Pancras from Euston station is up Eversholt Street then right into Phoenix Road which leads on into Brill Place, which ends almost opposite the entrance to St Pancras by the Thameslink.  You can cut off the corner slightly via Doric Way and past the Somerstown Coffee House, but there's not much in it.  This back road route avoids the crowds on the pavements of Euston Road and also avoids most of the traffic pollution.

 

As a regular user of the Underground at Euston, I'm amazed how many people use the Tube to go to King's Cross or St Pancras.  If you need public transport, bus is much better and easy with contactless payment if you don't have an Oyster card.

 

If you have luggage, don't even bother trying the southbound Northern Line Bank Branch or Southbound Victoria Line at Euston as the spiral staircase will be almost impossible to negotiate.  The escalator works are due to switch to the northbound side soon.  There is an alternative to the spiral staircase which involves going down the escalator to the platforms in the opposite direction, then up some steps, past the bottom of the spiral, then down more steps.  Still not good with luggage, so a further option is to take the Victoria Line northbound to King's Cross and change direction there if you want Victoria southbound.  No steps that way.

 

The worst interchange of all at Kings Cross St Pancras is between the Victoria Line and the Thameslink. Even if you go up the old way from the Victoria Line, it is still a long walk.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I used to find it amusing that from Euston to Kings Cross on a Northern Line tube service you had catch a southbound train, but if you did the same journey on the Victoria Line you would need a northbound train.

 

Or, you could do a return journey Eus-KX-Eus using two northbound services, and then repeat the return journey using two southbound trains.

 

But then, I am just a nerd with a warped sense of humour.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Many thanks for all the replies. Under normal circumstances we walk, but if it's wazzing down or we're tired it's good to have an alternative and as the tube journey is included in CIV tickets it sort of makes sense to use them in this case. Bumpkin that I am I have no oyster card and no contactless credit card, so the bus looks to be out.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I haven't been since KX and STP were rebuilt, but if you want to use the tube, I always found Euston Square to KX was the quickest concourse to concourse, since the Circle/District platform are much nearer the surface and at KX you could get straight out onto the street. Avoid the underground passages as they meander and you walk much further than if you're on the surface.

By the time you have walked from Euston to Euston Sq you would have walked to St Pancras!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I must admit the last few weekends where ive been working in london ive used the bus more than anything to get round rather than the tube, the main reason being i've got the google maps app on the phone, the navigation option includes public transport options which gives you the nearest bus stop and next bus time etc, i found it invaluable (and money saving) as the bus is cheaper than the tube with an oyster card and i really wouldnt know where to start looking for real time bus info from the likes of hackney to leicester square, i'd normally just hop on the tube and aim in the right direction!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Many thanks for all the replies. Under normal circumstances we walk, but if it's wazzing down or we're tired it's good to have an alternative and as the tube journey is included in CIV tickets it sort of makes sense to use them in this case. Bumpkin that I am I have no oyster card and no contactless credit card, so the bus looks to be out.

The problem is, Neil, you’ll probably walk just as far if you do use the Underground. Look at Streetview.

 

Best, Pete.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

It is an odd fact but distances that you would expect to walk anywhere else are tube and bus journeys for many in London all too often the walking and riding up and down on escalators is more effort and time than a quick walk.

Don

Link to post
Share on other sites

Knowing the tube well (I work on it), and being based at Waterloo with a homeward journey via KGX, I know the scenario well.

 

I often use bus from Waterloo to (nominally) KGX. The through route of the 59 heads north from Holborn (the old Kingsway tram subway area), to cross Euston Road (the main drag which goes past KGX).  There is a stop immediately before the lights at Upper Woburn Place, where I normally alight. I can walk to KGX, with no hurry, without even getting a sight of that 59 again! It crosses Euston Road, to enter the bus station at Euston, before heading out via Grafton Place onto Euston Road and straight to KGX. Far quicker to walk than ride a bus! No cash on buses now either. (not that I have to pay).

 

Tube - 3 options:

1 - Euston Sq (Met/H&C/Circle) to KGX. Longish walk to Euston Sq negates the convenience of the KGX tube platforms to St.P.

2 - Victoria n/b from Euston to KGX. Fair drag down to the platform, which is a shared island with Northern (Bank Branch s/b). Even worse for a while as no down escalator, use the emergency spiral stairs instead. At KGX, 2 options - a) from rear of train take the escalator up to the old ticket hall (famous for the fire), best to then exit the barrier and go to street level, either immediate left and left, or right then right up the stairs. Then cross the road to St.P. If taking the right then right, you are at the front of KGX mainline in the new square; a quick left turn into the old concourse, leads to the new, you can exit midway to the left to cross the road straight into the Eurostar terminal area.

3 - Northern s/b via the Bank branch, from Euston to KGX. Same passages at Euston as the Victoria. At KGX, exit from the front car to a short escalator then turn left to a longer one. Comes up at the same place as the Victoria. Or, towards the back of the train, a new escalator and (fairly long) passages bring you up under the new mainline concouse. Escalator there (the up and down pair, not the single reversible one) will take you to the entrance across the road from Eurostar.

 

Taxi (personally I'm anti those but hey whatever) - surely would be similar time overall to bus?

 

Stewart

Link to post
Share on other sites

Considering how far the walk is from surface level to the tube platform on either the Victoria or Northern lines at KGX and EUS it would be only marginally longer to walk.

 

Advice above regarding taking a bus or using the H&C/Circle/Met from Euston Square is definitely what I would advise if walking is out for any reason.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just to remind us bumpkins there are visitors Oyster cards. They are pre paid cards which you dont link to an account but use cash or card to top up at a ticket m/c. You swipe same as a normal Oyster. The only real downer is that if an infrequent visitor you may have a few £ tied up on a card but there is no time limit on spend. We got ours 18 months ago and daughter borrowed it for a trip to the smoke and worked OK. A significant advantage is you do get the daily Oyster cap, the max you get charged in a single day. On one of our days the trip back to Abbey Wood (caravan club site) from Charring Cross was free.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Just to remind us bumpkins there are visitors Oyster cards. They are pre paid cards which you dont link to an account but use cash or card to top up at a ticket m/c. You swipe same as a normal Oyster. The only real downer is that if an infrequent visitor you may have a few £ tied up on a card but there is no time limit on spend. We got ours 18 months ago and daughter borrowed it for a trip to the smoke and worked OK. A significant advantage is you do get the daily Oyster cap, the max you get charged in a single day. On one of our days the trip back to Abbey Wood (caravan club site) from Charring Cross was free.  

 

i think thats what i have, i just do as you say, add money to it as and when i need to

 

i take it 'resident' oysters are linked to a bank account or card and debit the money as you go?

Link to post
Share on other sites

i think thats what i have, i just do as you say, add money to it as and when i need to

 

i take it 'resident' oysters are linked to a bank account or card and debit the money as you go?

Correct; when you go down below a certain amount, it takes an agreed top-up automatically from a nominated account. I've had mine almost since it was introduced; I don't use it that often, as I'm not a fan of the Great Wen, but I do find it very useful, and far in advance of the Parisian version, which couldn't be topped up, and was valid for one calendar month.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...