h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Might I refer you to my experience as a warning for someone coming to Britain and wanting to get on the train straight away at the airport.

My own personal experience is as follows:

I regularly fly in to Stansted and take a train to my parents (in the Cambridge direction)

You can order tickets for the Stansted express (to Liverpool Street) very easily on the internet and are given a code which you just punch into one of the many ticket machines at the airport and your ticket is printed in seconds. Very time saving.

However, if, like me, you want a train away from Stansted in another direction, you have to leave yourself time to queue up and buy the ticket. Not always having taken the good advice given in this entry (or not always having been able to) I've missed trains because of this.

Ordering tickets (other than for the Stansted Express) in advance over the internet is possible, but they are then sent by post and - here comes the ridiculous part: they will only send the tickets to addresses within the UK. (Hello? I'm getting on the train at an AIRPORT? RIGHT? I'm COMING FROM ABROAD!!!! That's why I'm at the airport!!!)

I did this once: I asked for the tickets to be sent to my parents and they then forwarded them on to me. But it was touch and go whether I'd get them on time!

More rantings about this system here: F56786?thread=2400651

On the whole, though, I find the system in Britain quite adequate and the people very helpful. In Germany, where I live, it is quite difficult to get hold of a ticket as the ticket offices are open for ridiculously short hours.

There is a great debate in Germany at present about the situation in rural areas where ticket machines on the platform are usually vandalised or just not working, but you aren't allowed to enter the train without a ticket. They even had ticket machines on some trains until some bright spark pointed out that you're not supposed to board a train without a ticket. They really haven't found a sensible answer yet. Reductions in staff have meant that there is usually only one person on the train - the driver. You can't ask him for a ticket any more, like you used to.

They haven't yet found an answer - if you travel a lot you're best off having a season ticket.

I'm not entirely sure how the system works, but I've been to Gatwick Apt on several occasions and they have a large number of ticket machines and ticket windows. My company have their own desk their.

In many cases though, especially from the airport, you can usually buy your ticket on the train. However, you will need to go and look for the conductor/guard, this shows an effort to buy a ticket. The whole issue of penalty fares is bought down to that one aspect. Has the customer made a reasonable effort to purchase a ticket.

I don't know about other companies, but mine is generally quite easy on people travelling from the airport.

Evidently you use the Stansted Express.

FastTicket collection machines ARE avaliable at Stansted Airport.

Stansted Express services ALL have guards. If you cant find one, go to the very back drivers cab and knock on the door - you can buy one from him/her.

As I said above - Stansted Express from Stansted into London is no problem. It's when you want to go North from Stansted to Cambridge that the problems start.