Any Bright Ideas, Please.

[Tilly2]

My Dad desperately wants to go to Blackpool. I have contacted a company called Disabled Holidays who have a hotel which caters for disabled people, carers, hoists, electric beds and so on.

Our problem is getting there. I cannot drive to Blackpool and we will need to go by train. We can get to Manchester Piccadily reasonably easily from Milton Keynes but the hotel will charge us £318 to pick us up and take us to Blackpool, £3.00 per mile. That's almost the cost of the hotel stay! Plus we will have to pay train fares.

The holiday company suggests ringing some local taxi firms and asking how much they would charge. What do you think? Any bright ideas?


I think this little jaunt might be a step too far!

[MargoTester]

Tilly - I'm not sure how disabled you Dad is, but National Express go from Mk to Blackpoool and seem to cater for disabled people I can't make their site work properly at the moment but it may be worth looking into x

[chelle7272]

Can't you gte the train from Manchester to Blackpool or am I missing something?

[EDDIE51]

Do you not drive or is it just you do not want to drive to Blackpool?
I ask because Blackpool is VERY easy to drive to. M1 and then the M6 there is a road off the M6 junction that goes straight into Blackpool town center. One of the easiest journeys I have ever done. I'm a bit further south than you so it is even easier from MK.

[chelle7272]

http://www.nationalexpress.com/Footer-pages/disabled-travellers.aspx

[EcclesCake]

I've no idea why you can't drive to Blackpool, but it would certainly give you the greatest flexibility to afford your Father comfort breaks.

Have you not looked at trains from Manchester to Blackpool?

Are you aware of the Special Assistance service available to assist disabled/less mobile travellers to get from platform to platform for their connections?

[MargoTester]

It looks as though you can go from Mk to Preston on the train and then on to Blackpool (about 30mins)

[EDDIE51]

Blackpool North railway station is right in the town center near the sea front and tower. Why can't you get the train direct to Blackpool?

[jackthehat]

Blackpool's best hotel catering for the disabled; http://bondhotel.co.uk/

Trains from Manchester to Blackpool North run frequently and then a taxi to the hotel will be in the region of £8.

[EDDIE51]

Here you go Milton Keynes to Blackpool by rail
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Milton+Keynes+to+Blackpool+by+rail&oq=Milton+Keynes+to+Blackpool+by+rail+&aqs=chrome..69i57.22401j0j7&;sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8
Easy!

[stuey]

Give Uber Taxi a call. They do operate in the UK, and, in all probability, in that area (Manchester/Blackpool)

[mazie]

National Express coaches go from Manchester Airport to Blackpool Tilly. I'm sure they cater for disabled passengers.. Virgin Train operate between MK and Blackpool as well.

http://www.goeuro.co.uk/search/NTU4OTY1NDg3YWY5OTo0NzA5OTg5MA==?ab=false

[stuey]

Between 69 and 92 pounds with Uber: https://www.uber.com/cities/manchester

[jackthehat]

The Virgin trains only go as far as Preston.....it's either Trans-Pennine or Northern rail, after that.

If you take a Virgin train, you'll have to change at either Manchester or Preston.

Mr Branson cancelled the 'direct' Virgin trains shortly after we moved to Blackpool... :o(

[EDDIE51]

You have to change trains in Manchester but if you let the rail company know they can have an assistant ready to help a disabled passenger with the transfer.

[SirOracle]

Stuey Uber are the last card in the pack. I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole,and certainly not with anyone disabled.

[stuey]

Really? I've never dealt with them; I've just heard that they are cheap compared with "regular" taxi companies.

[Tilly2]

Thank you all for your bright ideas. I could only find a tortuous journey on National Rail Enquiries but then, I was trying to go from Bedford.

If I could drive to Blackpool, then I would.

I shall ask about Special Assistance too. Thank you for that, Eccles

[MargoTester]

Tilly - have just had a quick look and it seems to me that you can get a train direct from Bedford to Blackpool. Will do a bit more delving.

[MargoTester]

No ignore that - it's very deceiving looked as though you could go direct but it seems not!!

[Tilly2]

Thanks, Margo. The journey I found was
Bedford-St Pancras
St Pancras-Euston
Euston-Preston
Preston-Blackpool