Train Or Car??

[Smowball]

Teen Smow is on a week long course in Watford , and is going to come home for the weekend. Soooooo which will be quicker? Getting train from Watford to East Croydon, or picking him up by car and driving from Watford to Croydon (at 5pm on a Friday). Think I know the answer but still asking lol....

[Rockrose]

Train

[Tilly2]

Let the train take the strain. :-)

[Baldric]

Train, every time.

[Toorak]

Another vote for train from me

[237SJ]

If it involves the M25 on a Friday night I would definitely avoid that.

[jno]

tube to London Bridge, mainline from there maybe

[Smowball]

That’s what I thought. Bizarrely train is saying hour and a half and I didn’t think it would be anywhere near as long as that!

[237SJ]

It could be a lot longer than that if you use the M25. That motorway is so unpredictable at any time, let alone on a Friday night rush hour

[jno]

it'd take you at least that long by road on a clear day. Friday night - no way, whether you go round the M25 or through central London.

[Jonathan-Joe]

National Rail website suggests:
1) West Midland train to Euston, Underground to Victoria, Southern to East Croydon
2) (less frequent but more direct) Southern to Clapham Junction, Southern to E Croydon. (Some trains run through from Watford to Croydon

[murraymints]

Train... worked in Watford and the M25 at that time is at a standstill !!

[New Judge]

Train every time.

There are two trains most hours from Watford Junction to East Croydon with no changes that take between 1hr 08 mins and 1hr 25m. There are various options with one or two changes, including my preference (having done such a journey many times) which would be fast train to Euston (15-18mins), Victoria Line to Victoria (10 mins) and fast train to East Croydon (16 mins). That can be done in a tad over an hour given good connections. National Rail train journeys involving cross London routes are convenient but not particularly quick.

Travelling by road via the M25 and M23 you would be very fortunate to do the journey in under 90 minutes and two hours would be nearer the mark at anything other than the quietest of times. It involves the Heathrow quadrant which can be an absolute nightmare any time of the day.

[rowanwitch]

Watch out for engineering works, and I'm with the Eustn, victria, East Croydon route the direct trains are a pain, unless you have lots of luggage.