[HPFGU-OTChatter] HELP! Need transit directions in/around London

[GulPlum]

Due to a combination of being abroad and busy with other aspects of life, 
I've not had anything to say for several months. However, things should be 
getting back on track...

Anne wrote:

>1) What train line(s) (Britrail?) would go to Paddington Station from
>anywhere in Surrey?

First Great Western and Thames Trains are the relevant rail companies 
running services from Paddington. (FGW lines run mainly into Wales, Thames 
are commuter lines; other train companies run services from Paddington but 
not into/through Surrey). The best bet for services to Little Whinging is 
Thames Trains as FGW services only barley touch onto Surrey (see below).

>2) Do any train lines from Surrey go to other stations, and which ones?

Surrey is a fairly large county and forms an "L" shape around south-western 
and southern London. The more southern parts of Surrey are served by trains 
from Victoria or Waterloo (with possible suburban interchanges such as 
Wimbledon or Croydon). However, Harry took a train from Paddington in 
canon, which firmly places L.W. in the more westerly part of Surrey and no 
other London terminus is possible.

No native (even one as unused to rail travel as Harry or even Hagrid) would 
confuse which part of Surrey they're going to, and information at train 
stations (including maps) make it abundantly clear which station is 
required to go to which part of the country.

>3) How would a person get from Paddington Station to Diagon Alley?
>Would one take the Underground from Paddington to Charing Cross? (I
>am assuming Diagon Alley is not distant from Charing Cross station,
>because The Leaky Cauldron is on Charing Cross Rd.) If so, which
>underground route? If not, would one take a bus? Would it have to be
>a double-decker bus (open-topped) to accommodate Hagrid??

It's a common fallacy among foreigners to believe that London is full of 
open-deck  buses. The only double-decker buses with open top decks are 
tourist services; even the traditional buses seen in postcards, etc, with 
entry from the back of the bus and a conductor (such as the Knight Bus from 
PoA which we've all seen) are fairly rare. Most (read "almost all") London 
buses are modern enclosed vehicles with entry at the front and no conductor 
(you pay the driver). Anyone over 8ft tall would never fit through the door 
(trivia: any object over 6ft long isn't allowed on board).

The only way for Hagrid to get from Paddington to Charing Cross Road by 
public transport is by Tube (i.e. Underground). Take the District/Circle 
line (coloured green and yellow respectively) two stops southbound to 
Notting Hill Gate and then the Central Line (red) eastbound to Tottenham 
Court Road (http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/content/tubemap/). Leave and take the 
appropriate exit for Charing Cross Road and walk southwards to the L.C. 
Allow about 30 minutes for the journey.

However, if Harry (or anyone else) is travelling without Hagrid, they can 
take a number 15 or 23 bus from outside Paddington station to The Strand 
(outside Charing Cross Station) and then up past Trafalgar Square into 
Charing Cross Road from the south. (If memory serves and nothing's changed 
in the last couple of years, the number 15 should be a traditional 
open-back Routemaster bus). Allow around 40 minutes for the journey.

--
GulPlum AKA Richard, happy to be back