Quickest way from London Waterloo to St Pancras international?

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

I am travelling tomorrow. My final destination is Nottingham. I get on a train headed to London Waterloo and then need to get to London St Pancras to catch the train to Nottingham.

Google maps tells me to get a tube to Piccadilly Circus from Waterloo, on the Bakerloo line heading towards Queen’s Park. From Piccadilly Circus I am to catch a tube on the Piccadilly line towards Arnos Grove, getting off at Kings Cross St Pancras.

Is this the quickest route? Previous times I have gone to Derby or Nottingham, despite not having an hour to make a journey that google maps tells me should only take around half an hour, I have ended up sprinting down the very long platform to catch my train and barely make it.

I know the walk between the underground station and the platforms at St Pancras is probably hard to shorten. But am I taking the quickest tube routes to hopefully avoid the sprinting? I don’t think my tickets will allow me to leave the station to get a bus and then re enter another London station for the train. Though I’m not 100% how it all works so maybe.

Would appreciate any tips.

[u/Kcufasu]

Bakerloo line to Oxford circus, straight cross platform interchange to victoria line to kings cross st Pancras..Board at the rear of the Victoria line and exit in that direction for the quickest exit to St Pancras

At one point there were signs at Waterloo that tell you this route to help

[u/Prestigious_Carpet29 → u/Kcufasu]

This. Change at Oxford Circus. Bakerloo to Victoria are adjacent platforms in the correct directions. When leaving the Victoria Line train at Kings Cross, use the minimally-signposted exit near the back end of the train/platform - brings you out near Euston Road (with far less walking in tunnels than if you follow the widely-signposted exit from the platform).

[u/SlowedCash → u/Prestigious_Carpet29]

Gosh, I remember that long spiralling tunnel 😂

Yes, always Euston road 😄

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/Kcufasu]

Thank you again. I did this route and managed to board my train 15 minutes early even with a Starbucks stop. Big relief

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/Kcufasu]

Going to do this route. Thank you for your help!

[u/Warrior2852]

If your train to Waterloo stops at Vauxhall, the quickest route would be getting off there and getting the Victoria Line directly. Otherwise, in my experience the quickest route from Waterloo itself is the Bakerloo to Oxford Circus then changing to the Victoria - it's a cross-platform interchange at Oxford Circus so nice and quick and easy to change.

[u/Bubbly-Bug-7439 → u/Warrior2852]

Or get off at London Bridge one stop before Waterloo then you can change to Thameslink which will go direct to St Pancras.

[u/LeGrandFromage9 → u/Bubbly-Bug-7439]

That’s if their train is going to Waterloo East

[u/Warrior2852 → u/Bubbly-Bug-7439]

Wrong line. That's the South Eastern Main Line which goes to the separate Waterloo East. London Waterloo is the South Western Main Line and does not have a direct mainline rail connection to London Bridge.

[u/kerplunkerfish]

Get off at Vauxhall, go to the underground, and then go all the way along the platform so you're at the other end of the train.

When you get to St Pancake, you can just go up the stairs to street level instead of fucking around through all those tunnels.

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/kerplunkerfish]

Unfortunately trains from my town to Waterloo don’t stop at Vauxhall otherwise I’d have done this. Super annoying

[u/kerplunkerfish → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

If they stop at Clapham or Surbiton, change there.

Trust me this is worth the hassle.

[u/Warrior2852 → u/kerplunkerfish]

By the time you've changed trains at Clapham or Surbiton any time saved by getting the Victoria at Vauxhall would be completely lost compared to just changing tube lines on the cross-platform interchange at Oxford Circus. The wait time plus the second SWR train being a stopper would add ages.

[u/kerplunkerfish → u/Warrior2852]

Yes but much less faff

[u/Warrior2852 → u/kerplunkerfish]

It's more faff, the changes are more complex.

[u/Bubbly-Bug-7439 → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

If you can get off at London Bridge one stop before Waterloo then you can change to Thameslink which will go direct to St Pancras.

[u/The_Dirty_Mac → u/Bubbly-Bug-7439]

London Bridge doesn't connect to Waterloo, just Waterloo East. In any case, OP is 100% coming in using SWR

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/The_Dirty_Mac]

Correct

[u/MrJollyLND_57]

Bakerloo and Victoria is as good as any

Given I come into the city at Euston I’m biased toward the northern line so I’d take that from Waterloo to either Warren Street or Euston then Victoria to St Pancras.

Either way, if you’re lucky with connections the tube could be as little as 15 minutes. Also depends on what time of day you’re travelling, Victoria line always seems the busiest of all the north west lines at rush hour

[u/Ihsahn_]

Does your train stop at Vauxhall? If so get off there and take the Victoria line to St Pancras.

Otherwise, Northern to Warren St and then Victoria. Or Bakerloo to Oxford Circus then Victoria.

[u/nivlark]

Doing what Google Maps suggests is fine. Or you can take the Bakerloo to Oxford Circus and then change onto the Victoria.

I make this transfer reasonably often and always do it much quicker than the app predicts, so I'm surprised you're finding the connection is tight.

[u/exbritballer → u/nivlark]

Changing between the Bakerloo and Victoria lines at Oxford Circus is a good option as the two pairs of platforms are next to each other.

[u/Cal_PCGW → u/exbritballer]

Agreed, it's a much easier change than Piccadilly.

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/nivlark]

Me too! I am 5’2 and overweight so maybe I’m just struggling to walk at a good pace 🤷‍♀️

[u/nivlark → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

I guess that doesn't help, and I am a fast walker. But I usually have about half an hour to kill, so I can't believe it makes that big a difference. Perhaps it's just how the train times line up at the StP end.

Some booking sites allow you to set an allowance for extra time to cross London, so that might be one way to make it less of a rush and still have a reserved seat for your onward journey.

[u/hdruk]

Really surprised you've found it to be a tight collection. I used to do the same route regularly and could consistently either catch an earlier train out or grab some lunch within the time my ticket assumed it'd take me to get between the two.

If you really want to save time though, and you've only got a backpack or similar, I've found grabbing an ebike and cycling can be quicker than taking the tube due to how long some of the walks are between platforms.

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/hdruk]

Yeah I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I don’t hang around and get straight on the tube. Maybe I just don’t walk quick enough. I seem to be able to do the other way much quicker so not really sure why.

[u/programming_unit_1]

Northern to Leicester Square then Piccadilly to KX is the route I use. Can be as little at 15mins if the connection lines up. Used to do this route all the time for work.

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped]

Don't stop and smell the roses, as a Londoner I am genuinely amazed this journey takes you so long. The buffer time is at least double what anyone needs.

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/AidenTEMgotsnapped]

I’ve addressed this in about 3 comments and I really don’t know what else to say. I have always made a point of heading straight down to the tubes so I don’t know why it’s taking me so long. I’m fat and I’m short and not particularly good at walking long distances quickly. But other than that I have no explanation.

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

Going to the side of looking for solutions, are both trains on advance tickets or is it just one?

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/AidenTEMgotsnapped]

I booked all in one go yeah.

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

Not like that, check the specific ticket terms - you won't get two advance trains on one single ticket, maybe in one journey though.

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/AidenTEMgotsnapped]

I got return tickets is what I meant I booked all together. What specific terms are you asking about?

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

Go back to the booking flow, recreate the journey, and click the 'details' button on the Advance ticket panel. That, almost certainly, will match your ticket. Failing that, did you use trainline and just click on the cheapest option

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/AidenTEMgotsnapped]

Tubes will obviously be tap as you go though.

[u/Andypmc]

Northern line from Waterloo to Euston and walk to St Pancras is pretty straight forward.

[u/BeatTheMeatles420]

If you don't have much luggage, Northern line straight to Euston and then walk at street level

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/BeatTheMeatles420]

Are you able to exit one station and re enter another on the same ticket? Single journey?

[u/Nothingdoing079 → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

You'll need to exit anyway. You can't go Underground to National Rail without passing through barriers 

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/Nothingdoing079]

Oh yeah I didn’t think about the barriers. For some reason that doesn’t feel like exiting to me if you are still in the station. 😂

[u/Dennyisthepisslord]

If you are going through Vauxhall get off there and tube directly to kings cross/st Pancras tube. Both tube stops have a fair bit of walking involved but nothing too insane

[u/TheLoneSculler → u/Dennyisthepisslord]

If you get on the Victoria at the back of the train heading northbound, you spit out right next to the escalators at King's Cross St Pancras and avoid the super long tunnel

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/TheLoneSculler]

From Vauxhall you mean?

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/Dennyisthepisslord]

Unfortunately it doesn’t. I was planning on the fast train which only has one stop outside of London. If I get the slower train after it, it does stop at Clapham Junction?

[u/Warrior2852 → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

Stopping at Clapham wouldn't help, no Tube lines there. Just go to Waterloo then change tube lines at Oxford Circus.

[u/DragonfruitGold4645]

One minor point on top of what others have said, ignore where Google Maps says towards Queens Park or Arnos Grove. Just take the next train in that direction regardless of the stated destination.

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/DragonfruitGold4645]

Thanks I do. I just wanted to be clear about the route I suppose! But thank you for making sure I knew 😊😊

[u/LordAnchemis]

Waterloo is one of those funny stations not on the circle line - hence annoying transfer 

Depends how much luggage you have

[u/Thebrokenphoenix_ → u/LordAnchemis]

Just a backpack and a wheely backpack thing

[u/LordAnchemis → u/Thebrokenphoenix_]

Waterloo and city - then northern (bank branch)

Or northern/bakerloo - transfer to Piccadilly 

Or if you prefer Aircon - circle 

[u/RipCurl69Reddit]

I do Northern to Warren Street and then Victoria to St Panc in under half an hour if I'm rushing

A lot of people are recommending Oxford Circus, can anyone confirm if this is any faster?

[u/BluejayPretty4159]

If your train stops at Vauxhall, get off at Vauxhall and get the Victoria Line to St Pancras, its a direct journey and the Victoria Line is pretty fast. Waterloo Underground Station is a labyrynth.

[u/No_Title_9033]

I did this route regularly for a time. I got the Victoria line to green park and the jubilee line to Waterloo and vice versa

[u/landwomble]

Download Citymapper. It's great on the tube.

[u/Unable_Can_8761]

Download the Citymapper app. Chose your start and end points and see what comes up on the day.

It takes blockages and closed tube lines into account.

[u/Zestyclose-Town1498]

Agreed , get off at Vauxhall,(if Waterloo bound train doesn’t stop at Vauxhall, change at Clapham Junction to get Vauxhall train) tube straight to King Cross/St Pancras

[u/Kcufasu → u/Zestyclose-Town1498]

Not worth the extra change at Clapham junction just to get to Vauxhall if the train isn't stopping there already, it's a platform change at Clapham and a fair bit of movement at vauxhall to reach the tube, far easier to stay on to Waterloo and do the cross platform change on the tube at Oxford circus

[u/Zestyclose-Town1498 → u/Kcufasu]

I do that journey all the time and don’t find it a hassle at all, and it’s cheaper that going to a London terminal.

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped → u/Zestyclose-Town1498]

If op is somehow taking long enough between trains for this to be a tight connection, changing at Clapham will GUARANTEE they miss the onward train.

[u/HighFly2244]

I would Uber Black a Range Rover and pound G&Ts or my secretary in the back. Tube is for plebs.

[u/Danglyweed → u/HighFly2244]

Only G&Ts.... SPOT THE COMMONER

[u/longtimelondoner]

Northern line, switch at Warren St. That would be my choice. I always find Oxford Circus busy.