tudorprincess

We're leaving from St.Pancras to Sheffield on Wednesday and I want to know if it's obvious which station you're in so I won't catch the train from Kings Cross as it has one stop and we want nonstop.
Also, we have Britrail passes, where do we have these validated? On the train? Or do we go to the ticket window before getting on the train?

flanneruk

Can't help you on Britrail.

I don't think there are trains to Sheffield from KX. Your risk is you get on a train to, say, Doncaster from KX that requires you to change. Which is easy to avoid, as the platform indicators at KX will say something like "Edinburgh", "Newcastle" or "Leeds".

If you're cabbing, the driver will take you to St Pancras. If you're tubing, try hard to find the "St Pancras" signs at KX/St Pancras tube. Tne building works mean they move these signs every few days (I can't remember seeing any St Pancras signs on Saturday when I last went through the tube station). If you can't see any, ask a member of staff. Just remember it's about 10 mins from the tube platform to St Pancras, so allow time in your plans.

For the moment. St Pancras station is a temporary affair of modern glass and steel. KX is a stunning, brick-built, early Victorian train shed. There's next to no access to the St Pancras Hotel, just about the most spectacular relic of High Victoriana west of Bombay.

Daisy54

Get your BritRail passes validated at the train station BEFORE boarding your train or you will have problems with the ticket collector. When they validate your pass they will mark it with the valid dates. If you're arriving in London by air and taking either the Heathrow or Gatwick Express into the city, you can use your BritRail pass for that journey also, but again, you will need to have it calidated at the ticket office before boarding the train..

tudorprincess

Thanks flanner. We are actually staying at the Comfort Inn Kings Cross on Chad's St.

janis

Actually - your hotel is in St. Chad's Street., not Chad's Street. About the only way you can get to St Pancras/Kings Cross is to walk. It is very close to the stations and would take longer to hail a cab and have it maneuver through the traffic than to walk. But it is also a very congested area for walking.

flanneruk

Walk down to the main Euston Road and cross it where you can. Follow the signs for St Pancras for a few hundred yards up the road between what's obviously Kings Cross station on your right and the huge Gothic extravaganza you might have see in Harry Potter movies on your left. There's usually a load of other slightly confused people trying to get to it

tudorprincess

Thanks again.

caroline_edinburgh

Flanneruk : "For the moment. St Pancras station is a temporary affair of modern glass and steel. KX is a stunning, brick-built, early Victorian train shed." Shouldn't that be the other way round ?

cairnrose

when ordering the Britrail pass it asks for departure date .. I was wondering if that is when the pass will be activated .. I leave on a Monday might and arrive in London on Tuesday morning ..should i put Monday or Tuesday's date in .. I am getting an 8 day flexipass and don't want to lose a day .thank you for any advice.

ron

cairnrose, Daisy54 accurately described above how the pass is validated/activated. I suspect Britrail's interest in your departure date has to do with when they need to deliver the pass to you.

GeoffHamer

There is a great deal of building work around King's Cross and St Pancras stations because St Pancras will become the terminus for Eurostar trains in 2007. As "Flanneruk" says, trains from St Pancras now use a modern station just up the road from the old station and across the road from King's Cross. The stations are well signposted from the tube station which is also being rebuilt. For direct trains to Sheffield, follow the signs to St Pancras (these trains are not non-stop, but you don't have to change trains). There are new ticket offices at St Pancras where you can get your pass validated. You can get it validated at any other station including King's Cross.

cairnrose

Thank you Ron, and Daisy54 .. I ordered my passes counting the days now .