Does anyone know if Blackheath is an open station - or, if I were to turn up there with my London Stations ticket, can I assume it's a valid place to go to?
Blckheath is not a 'London station'. However, Canterbury to London via Gillingham is a valid route, Gillingham to London via Blackheath is a valid toute, therefore it's valid to go from Canterbury to London via Blackheath. Your ticket probably won't work the barriers, but they should let you through, as you have a valid ticket for the journey undertaken. What you can't do is go from Canterbury to Blackheath via London, unless you are going to Blackheath on your return journey, and won't go back to London again afterward. If you're just going from Canterbury to Blackheat, buy a 'not via London' ticket.
What sort of a ticket have you got? Return, season, or what?
I would be buying a Canterbury stations - London stations offpeak return ticket, although depending who sells you it, it might be a CE-Victoria one (usually when I plan to come back to CW from Charing Cross, natch). Weighing up various things-to-do, and considering slow train vs HST (with HST I can get back later, but I only get into London ten minutes earlier).
If Blackheath like, say, Dulwich, were an open station then I could just get out. I do need to go onto London afterwards, of course. But I think you are allowed to break return rather than outward journeys. (My Oyster card can cover onward travel, and my return portion the journey back.)
The database I can access (Transport Direct; my modem does not like Southeastern Trains or National Rail) is being very coy about times for returning Charing Cross - Gillingham - CE. I guess I ought to plug bits in. Will have to go in search of wifi on Tuesday.
I would say using the outward portion of your day return to Black heath, then Oyster BlackheathLondon, then return portion to get home, gives you a valid ticket for the journey undertaken, but it's possible that the staff at Blackheath could get stroppy about letting you past the barrier (if there is one).
In general, online journey planners like to show you the quickest journey time, so if there's a faster time by going to another London terminal, they will always send you there rather than giving you the journey from the terminal you're at. You can only eliminate this by asking for direct trains only, which doesn't work for Charing Cross to Canterbury East, as there has to be a c hange at Gillingham. So I'm afraid you have to look the times up as two separate journeys, LCC-Gillingham (direct trains) and then Gillingham to CE. (But won't your ticket be valid to CW as well?)
CW is 20+ minutes walk, CE only about 5, and right now with a bust knee I'd accept a slightly long train journey to avoid the extra walk or needing to get a taxi (which are very erratic at west).
I wish the interfaces were bit more interfaceable. If I say I want to start at CE, I don't want my first leg to be "Walk to CW" or if I say I want to start at CC the first leg shouldn't be "Take the Underground to Victoria"
Thanks - I'll see what I can blag. Or ponder finding another secondhand shop in London that's not Skoob nor on CC Road.
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What sort of a ticket have you got? Return, season, or what?
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If Blackheath like, say, Dulwich, were an open station then I could just get out. I do need to go onto London afterwards, of course. But I think you are allowed to break return rather than outward journeys. (My Oyster card can cover onward travel, and my return portion the journey back.)
The database I can access (Transport Direct; my modem does not like Southeastern Trains or National Rail) is being very coy about times for returning Charing Cross - Gillingham - CE. I guess I ought to plug bits in. Will have to go in search of wifi on Tuesday.
Reply
In general, online journey planners like to show you the quickest journey time, so if there's a faster time by going to another London terminal, they will always send you there rather than giving you the journey from the terminal you're at. You can only eliminate this by asking for direct trains only, which doesn't work for Charing Cross to Canterbury East, as there has to be a c hange at Gillingham. So I'm afraid you have to look the times up as two separate journeys, LCC-Gillingham (direct trains) and then Gillingham to CE. (But won't your ticket be valid to CW as well?)
Reply
I wish the interfaces were bit more interfaceable. If I say I want to start at CE, I don't want my first leg to be "Walk to CW" or if I say I want to start at CC the first leg shouldn't be "Take the Underground to Victoria"
Thanks - I'll see what I can blag. Or ponder finding another secondhand shop in London that's not Skoob nor on CC Road.
Reply
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