Hello all,

I have been reading the forum for a while now but only got around registering lately.
This year I finally have a possibility to go to Crufts on Friday... So I have decided I should as it has been quite a few years that I have been there.

However, I have a slight problem, I don't drive and am in Cambridge!
I'm sure there is "doggy"coaches going there (different clubs must have groups going?)
As I do not currently have a dog I am not a member of any local club as yet and just do not know where to start looking...
Would anybody know of coach going from Cambridge or somewhere close by?

Thanks!!

National express do coaches to Crufts, but only from a few cities so I don't know how useful it will be to you (useless at geography!)
http://www.nationalexpress.com/destinations/events/crufts.cfm
I have used them for the past 2 years, from Bristol, and I'm using them again this year on the Sunday as my shopping day!

Thanks for that.
They only do it on saturday and sunday :(.

Ah, I just noticed that :(
They did it all 4 days last year because I went on the Thursday

Train ?

I have had a look at trains and feel at £52(cheapest tickets) per person it is a lot of money spend just to get there!
There must be coatches going...

No wonder people do not use the train services when it can be unreliable and so pricy too!!

Hi noora- if you check the kc website there are coaches to crufts listed, either that or try the dog papers

Just a thought but do they do coaches to Birmingham Airport? The Airport is very close to the NEC (and share the same train station) So would it not be possible to get a coach to the airport and then find a way to the NEC?

there is a coach going to crufts on the friday, leaves from new haw. not knowing England v. well dont know how far this is from you.
Sharon

P.s. I'm flying down on the Friday as cant face a 6hr drive each way. ticket was £93, saying that probably about as much in petrol & parking lol

I travel all the time by train as I couldn't face the journey from Scotland to the majority of shows. I have to say that in the 10 years that I have travelled to shows by train that 95% of the time I am late by 15mins tops and if the delay is greater it normally is due to something out with the rail's control. I have checked your ticket from Cambridge to Birmingham International, which is on the door step for Crufts and it is £33 cheap day return. That is pretty good in my books.

Herbiedax!!
Oh where did you find the ticket with that price?? That I call a reasonable price.
Please please pretty please could you tell me!

The cheapest I could find was £52...
Don't travel with trains so must not have the experience to look at the right place :rolleyes:

Noora,
think Ive found it for you...
http://ojp1.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/fa?uniqueId=14224526
click on that link :)
It looks as though you only get that price if you travel after 9am though..which means not getting to Crufts til lunchtime?
hope the link works :)

good luck Im busy booking my train tickets now too.

Hate to tell you this but if you had of booked a while back you could have got them £13 each way, £26 in total!

http://www.thetrainline.com/default.asp?href=&T2ID=3665_2007220103124

Cheap tickets

wizzizz the problem is the cheep tickets are the advance tickets, it's the same for all train company's but they often get snapped up in advance :)  I travel often from bradford to Letchworth and get the tickets for just over £15 each way.  I booked my tickets home for crufts a couple of weeks ago so I could get the cheepest ones :)

Your also limited to certain trains.

And if you ever travel on GNER service you get 10% discount for booking on their website, making them cheeper then the train line. :)

Thanks for all your replies.
I can still only find £52 tickets.
Will the price still go up if I do not buy now?? I just do not want to wait for few days (while I'm looking for alternatives) and realize the price is even more

Depends on the ticket you are getting.  if it's because it's teh cheepest avalible atm and more expensive tickets can be brought then quite possibly.  What type of ticket is it?

I was looking on the GNER website, as Ice Queen rightly said you get 10% discount if you book online but not sure if you need to be registered.
I too booked in advance and got Aberdeen to Birmingam return for £63. I think its worth registering with them because you might get lucky and get an offer in the next couple of weeks.

Heirbiedax you won't get dicount for the journey cambridge to birmingham as your using virgin trains not GNER.  Don't think virgin do web discount.

I dont know whether they are still doing it but Virgin Trains had a special offer with the Daily Mail and I was able to get First Class return tickets, London to the Nec for £25 return and there were lots of other routes. Probably too late for this year, but worth looking out for next year as this offer appears at least yearly.

Richard Branson's first class is loverly :) although not sure if you get fed and watered on that journey, do you?

Well cos we are travelling on a Sunday we get complimentary sandwiches and a drink, but:rolleyes: we have to collect it from the dining car. However we are coming back on Monday so get the free meal and wine. Plus of course at Euston we can go into the Virgin 1st Class waiting area and have free coffee etc. Last time I did this trip to the LKA, courtesy of The Daily Mail it was excellent and I arrived really refreshed and relaxed which is what is needed to survive Crufts, especially as we are staying for BIS and then can collapse straight into our hotel rooms at the Nec. I am going to make the most of it as hopefully by next Crufts I will be exhibiting so back to slumming it

>but we have to collect it from the dining car.

Oh, how ghastly ;)  Don't forget to ask for extra wine on the way back to make up for it :)

>I am going to make the most of it as hopefully by next Crufts I will be exhibiting so back to slumming it

Why?  Won't your dogs enjoy First Class? :)

Hi Ice Queen,
I always get the 10% online discount like I did for the trip to Crufts even though the journey is on Virgin trains. The only difference is if GNER have a seperate offer specifically on their trains which can be up to 50% off their ticket price. If I had to pay the normal fare to the shows I think I would have given up long ago, bad enough as it is forking out approx £300 per show with trains, hotels, meals, taxis etc
As for 1st class, I prefer GNER as they give you at seat service and proper cups and saucers plus plenty of room for the dog. Virgin only give at seat service on certain routes  (Scotland not included) Mon - Fri. The other times is a collect from the buffet car and consists of a filled roll, chocolate, pretels, orange juice, and shortbread. Still more room for the dogs and always my 1st option if there is an offer as I prefer my comfort rather than jostling with the standard class over a seat

I think that may be changing.  Virgin were experimenting with at seat service on the Sunday when I travelled back from London in January.  I can't imagine the feed back will be negative so hopefully it will continue :)

Obviously I dont' know your route but I just did a quick check on gner and found tickets from cambridge to birmingham for £35 return. Make sure you check the single fares; they are usually much cheaper. It's an option you get when you click on check price and availability.

Lori where the tickets avaliable?  When I looked on GNER (and Virgin and the train line) the cheep tickets wern't avaliable, cheepest avaliable was about £20 :(

I saw the tickets on www.gner.co.uk. Put your journey plans in and hit the go button. Then click Check Availability and prices. You'll see red buttons that offer single tickets at better prices.

Thanks everybody for helping me to find the secrets of cheaper tickets!

I'll have a look when I get home from work and will book tonight and pay what ever is the the cheapest price I can find :).
So that I do not have to worry about it anymore...

Here I come Crufts, I'm excited already...

I booked a coach from Victoria that leaves at 7am. Return cost me exactly 5GBP!!! There's a coach going from Victoria every hour and I think that price is wonderful...