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

Hello, David. You were recommended to me as an authority on travel in Kent. I wonder if you could offer any suggestions for a daily commute between Canterbury and Folkestone. Thanks.

JTG

Hi JTG (Desperate Housewives fan?),

Public transport in Kent is gradually getting better, but I'm afraid there aren't any direct trains between Canterbury and Folkestone. You have to change at either Dover (if travelling to/from Canterbury East, which is the closest to the cathedral) or at Ashford International (if travelling to/from Canterbury West, which is at the other end of town). Either route takes about an hour and has a service which runs every 30 minutes or so on week days.

I live and work in Canterbury, so don't have a commute, but many of my colleagues come in to work by train and it's not too bad. The Canterbury East line has very nice trains!

Are you moving to Kent in the near future?

David (who wonders who recommended him!)

Also, do note the 'gradually getting better' bit. If the weather is bad, then trains get delayed quite a bit around here. They were dreadful, but I think of them as 'not bad' now instead, which is a bit better!

I'll try to remember to have a look at the bus timetables in my lunch break tomorrow. The bus service is more reliable. Can't guarantee that I will remember, but will try.

David

Thanks, David. I have a friend who is moving over to study in Canterbury in a couple of weeks and just found out that she has to find her way to Folkstone for a job placement for part of the time.

You were recommended by coelacanth.

JTG

Ah, if she has a job placement, then she'll probably be studying where I work, then (Canterbury Christ Church University) as we do most of the vocational courses, for education and health etc.

I've just looked up the bus time table on-line and there are busses from Canterbury to Folkestone. Not hugely regular, but here's a link to the time-table:

http://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables/Routes1616A310804.pdf

I have found the bus service more reliable than the trains, and at least you don't have to change in this case! The bus station is quite close to CCCU (if that is where she's studying). They do a weekly ticket that covers all bus travel within Kent, which costs £16 and is called a Gold Rider.

I don't know Folkestone very well, so no idea how handy the bus station or train stations are for anything.

David

Teacher-in-training in fact. Thanks again. I'll pass all this new knowledge on. I'm sure she will find this very useful.

JTG (Not Desperate housewife fan... except my own, of course)

Ah, one of those students! I hope she finds that the library staff are patient, knowledgeable and approachable. If not, she can come and moan at me on h2g2 if she likes, safe in the knowledge that she doesn't know which of the people I am, and I couldn't possibly work out which of the 10,000 students she is!

David

Ah, the bliss of anonymity... I'll pass along the invitation.

JTG