Paddington to Grosvernor Square - can anyone advise...?

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

My turn to ask difficult questions...!

I need to get from Paddington to the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square (and back again!) next month. Looks like Marble Arch is the nearest underground station.

Now, I don't know London above ground at all well, but I can follow a map and it looks to me like it should be a fairly easy walk of 20 minutes or so - have I got this right?

Assuming I have and the weather's decent I was planning on walking there and back, but if it's horsing it down then I could do with a plan B. Underground to Marble Arch and back is an option, but I don't have an Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) card and don't really want to fork out ^8.00 for the return journey. Looks like there are plenty of buses which will be cheaper - can anyone help me out with the relative merits of bus vs underground on this one?! TfL^» (Transport for London - about) journey planner reckoned about 25 minutes by tube, 15 or so by bus but I don't know how realistic those estimates are.

Thanks!

[John R]

There are lots of buses from just outside Paddington that take you to Marble Arch - you won't have to wait more than a couple of minutes. It's probably faster than by tube, and costs much less.

Can't remember the numbers but turn left out of Padd and the stops are about 50 yds down Praed St. There will be enough info for you to work out which ones to get.

Bus is my preferred choice when staying at hotels in the Marble Arch area, so would recommend it.

 

[Mookiemoo]

There are lots of buses from just outside Paddington that take you to Marble Arch - you won't have to wait more than a couple of minutes. It's probably faster than by tube, and costs much less.

Can't remember the numbers but turn left out of Padd and the stops are about 50 yds down Praed St. There will be enough info for you to work out which ones to get.

Bus is my preferred choice when staying at hotels in the Marble Arch area, so would recommend it.

 

Most buses in london if you don't have oyster have a set fee per journey - I think it ^2 but it may be ^1 not sure....

I know from experience you can walk  it quicker than the tube!

Circle to somewhere then change onto central........night mare

[Worcester_Passenger]

Use the TfL^» (Transport for London - about) journey planner at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/. It's the best of the journey planners. You can print off mind-bogglingly-detailed maps of walks from bus stops to destinations. And it warns you about rail engineering work and roadworks. I tried "USA Embassy" as a 'place of interest' and it offered me a long list of embassies to choose from.

Meanwhile, an Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) is very worthwhile. Each cash ticket will cost you ^2, against ^1.20 on Oyster.

[moonrakerz]

This has links to all the buses routes.
Bond St is nearest tube.

http://www.londondrum.com/transport/bus-route.php?near=grosvenorsquare

[eightf48544]

Probably a 36 or 436 to half way down Park Lane. Then across Mayfair.

If you want tube possibly Oxford Circus direct on Bakerloo then walk.

Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) PAYG^▸ (Pay as you go) definitely worth it if you can't get a day travelcard.

[RichardB]

The 15 and 23 go from Praed Street direct to Oxford Street and pass Bond Street tube. 

Leave the station by the slope next to WH Smith, turn left and cross over.  The stop is just along there, in front of the closed post office.  2 mins.

[JayMac]

My turn to ask difficult questions...!

I need to get from Paddington to the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square......

Hang on...... you castigated someone elsewhere by saying we weren't an enquiry bureau.....

[inspector_blakey]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Hang on...... you castigated someone elsewhere by saying we weren't an enquiry bureau.....

Well, I might admit to slight hypocrisy here but in my defence...

1. I had already done the ground work to figure out what the options were, was just asking for a comparison between them from anyone who might have first-hand experience. It wasn't a "I need to leave X at 0900 heading to Y, returning form there at 1300" query that could have been easily answered with a journey planner!

2. I didn't post a follow-up being directly rude to one of the members who had helped me out.

and

3. I'm a moderator so I'm allowed to be hypocritical* 

_{*just in case it's not already very obvious, this is a joke, don't get upset anyone!}

[johoare]

The bus is definitely faster than the tube as you can get closer.. Any bus from Praed st (apart from 332, 27 or 205) will take you as far as the bottom of Edgeware road/Marble arch.

If you're on 36 or 436 then stay on till the first or second stop down Park lane as it's not far from there either of those (first stop probably slightly closer but either is fairly walkable).

If you're on any other bus than 36 or 436 then change at the bottom of Edgeware road to either 36, 436, 16 or 414 all of which go down Park Lane.. Again the first or second stop are your best bets..

[inspector_blakey]

Thanks Jo!

I tried feeding the journey back into the TfL^» (Transport for London - about) journey planner earlier on and was able to make a bit more sense of the mass of options this time thanks to everyone's help. In fact it even gave me walking directions and a superb detailed map, taking the scenic route through Hyde Park! Let's hope it's a sunny day...

[johoare]

I'm not a bus number spotter honest.. I just get the bus down park lane from Paddington every day 

And yes, if it's a nice day, walking is so much better.. It takes me about 15 minutes (walking fast) from Marble arch to Paddington, 20 minutes if I'm not hurrying so definitely walkable.. Now you just need to hope the sun stays out for the next few days

[inspector_blakey]

Thanks for the advice folks, the 436 was just the ticket last week - would have walked it but I've managed to hurt a foot running! There was a false start when I waited on the wrong side of Praed Street but that was quickly remedied. Even better, only had to wait 40 minutes in the embassy (compared to six hours on my last visit!).

[johoare]

Oops.. Getting the bus in the right direction always helps :-).. Mind you the 436 terminates at Paddington (just round the corner from Praed Street) so I'm sure the driver would have told you (or maybe even let you stay on whilst he turned the bus round to go back)..

6 hours though.. What an earth for? I've only been in the embassy once (my youngest managed to be born in America and is therefore entitled to an American passport) and renewing that was relatively quick.. definitely no more than 40 minutes...but that might be because he's an American Citizen and so gets preferential (or faster) treatment? 

[inspector_blakey]

Think my mind was a bit befuddled, seeing as it was only 0700 and I'd been up at 0500 having taken a longhaul flight the day before... Although I did notice quite fast that all the 436 buses on the side of the road I was waiting on had "Paddington" on the blinds and were emptying out...a quick conversation with a bus driver confirmed my suspicions!

The first time I went to the embassy for a visa I had a late morning appointment, which I suspect put me well down the queue. I also had to submit all my information on paper, so before any screening or interview could even happen someone in a back office had to input everything manually - hence the 6 hour wait after I handed in my documents before I was actually interviewed by one of the consular officers! The system has changed now, so it's an electronic application that goes straight through to Uncle Sam's computers, and my renewal appointment was also at 0800 which probably helped...