Newcastle and London Travel and pub advice needed.

[ArsenalSooner]

It's official! I'm coming over from Oklahoma again on Christmas day for west ham away, newcastle away, and cardiff at home. I'll have to line up away tickets closer to the matches, but does anyone have good recommendations for hotels near Arsenal? Also, last time I visited the twelve pins and the rocket pubs. I defo preferred the pins. Where do you guys usually go?

Cheers boys! I can't wait to join you again! "There were 10 tottenham points in the gap..."

Also, I run the twitter, facebook, and website for Oklahoma Arsenal supporters called Sooner Gooners. http://www.soonergooners.com

[QuartzGooner]

If you want to stay near Arsenal, this place is in King's Cross, which is same tube line as Arsenal, just three stops away.
It is cheap, has shared dorms or private twin rooms.

http://generatorhostels.com/en/destinat ... don/rooms/

But you could stay more central for the time when there are no games, around Russell Square in the Bloomsbury area would be good as is a short tube ride away but also able to walk into the city centre.

This website has a few hotels around there, bit more expensive, they are near the British Museum

http://www.imperialhotels.co.uk/royal-national

Or the Gloucester Road area is near many other big museums, same tube line as Arsenal though about 35 minutes by tube, though might be more expensive?

On Christmas Day most restaurants would be shut, so maybe try Edgware Road around Marble Arch station for Lebanese places?

This Korean and Japanese restaurant Busan on the Holloway Road near Arsenal is meant to be good

https://plus.google.com/109794318007148 ... l=uk&hl=en

[ArsenalSooner]

Cheers Quartz!

Found a good deal at Cartwright Gardens. Anyone know how to get there from Heathrow on Christmas day? I know everything is shut down. Taxi?

Also, I've never been to an Arsenal away day. Assuming I can get tickets, how do you guys travel when away on boxing day and then going to a place like newcastle?

[QuartzGooner]

Taxi from Heathrow on Christmas Day, will not be cheap but traditionally no trains run that day.
There may be a special bus service to central London, but why not book a mini cab in advance, cheaper than a Black cab?
Recommend getting quotes off these two established companies.

http://www.addisonlee.com/

http://www.fairwaycars.co.uk/

Travel within London information from this website, check the availability of trains on Boxing Day but from Cartwright Gardens you can walk to Euston or Kings Cross St.Pancras national rail stations within 20 minutes.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

Trains to Newcastle websites here, cannot find exact details yet so maybe email them?


http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

and

http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/about-us/contact/

Arsenal travel club can give advice:

http://www.arsenal.com/travel

And I would definitely contact the club now to explain that you run the Oklahoma supporters club and will be at certain games, they may invite you to something or interview you for the matchday programme?

http://www.arsenal.com/fanzone/arsenal-supporters-clubs

[Ben Diesel]

The fixture dates and times have not been set for the December games yet. If any of them are chosen to be broadcast live on TV then the dates and times are likely to change, which could mess up your travel plans. Keep an eye on the AFC official website for news of any fixture changes.

Trains from London to Newcastle and back - as suggested above, use www.eastcoast.co.uk to book tickets online; but currently tickets are available to book only up to 01 December. You can set up an account and register on the site now to be sent an email reminder when the remainder of December train tickets go on sale; and the earlier you book them, the cheaper they will be. Tickets for the Christmas and New Year holiday period sell out very quickly.

If you do book on that site, opt to collect the tickets from London Kings Cross station on the day of departure - don't opt for them to be posted to you. But you must have with you the booking reference number and the credit/debit/charge card that you used to pay for them.

That rail line is notoriously busy on that weekend every year, because it continues past Newcastle into Scotland so the trains will also be rammed with sweaties going home for Hogmanay etc.

I am planning to train up to the Newcastle game so if you need any help setting things up, drop me a PM.

[ArsenalSooner]

Thank you for the links! I will definitely use them for train and taxi.

As for fixture dates, there's just nothing I can do as far as that's concerned. I'll wait on booking transportation when I know times, but the dates I will just have to do the best I can with. I just want to get as much done early as possible and the rates for hotels are so much cheaper now than if I waited.

Quartz, I'll e-mail Jill Smith. Someone from Arsenal America told me about her. I think she works with the foreign supporters clubs?

[Eboue-Why?]

I'd also check the long range weather forecast if I were you! If it snows you'll never make it up Norf! Trust me, in this country, a few flakes and you're buggered, particularly on the trains!!

[ArsenalSooner]

I'd also check the long range weather forecast if I were you! If it snows you'll never make it up Norf! Trust me, in this country, a few flakes and you're buggered, particularly on the trains!!

I've got a mate up from Peterborough who will be with me part of the time. I'll just make him come get me

[DB10GOONER]

I'd also check the long range weather forecast if I were you! If it snows you'll never make it up Norf! Trust me, in this country, a few flakes and you're buggered, particularly on the trains!!

In fairness to you lot you do tend to get actual proper snow. If we get more than 3 flakes per square mile the fucking country shuts down.

[cardinal2011]

If you are going to the Newcastle game then make sure that you stay for the Saturday night. It is a cracking night out up there and you won't believe what those Geordie lasses are like

It will be a cultural experience for you to remember for many years

[ArsenalSooner]

If you are going to the Newcastle game then make sure that you stay for the Saturday night. It is a cracking night out up there and you won't believe what those Geordie lasses are like

It will be a cultural experience for you to remember for many years

Haha we actually are staying up there that night. My mate is dragging me to Nottingham the next day. Obviously I've picked the the hottest spots in the world to visit

[Chippy]

Isn't it a fcuking disgrace there is no public transport link from one of the world's biggest airports on Xmas day.

[safcftm]

If you are going to the Newcastle game then make sure that you stay for the Saturday night. It is a cracking night out up there and you won't believe what those Geordie lasses are like

It will be a cultural experience for you to remember for many years

Sorry to spoil the lovely surprise Sooner but they're basically like whores. Go to Newcastle on a Saturday night and you can fill yer boots (and that's not the only thing you'll be filling). They're filthy tarts by and large, just fire into them as a celebration of the 3 points and fuck them off (my lass is, of course, a mackem, the paragon of virtue, grace and beauty!).

Anyway, regarding getting to the game (and the gooners will know more than me like), is there not some sort of unofficial supporters bus that allows drink? When we go to SAFC away games we always get a bus that lets us get pissed and then we ditch the cans/ bottles/ needles ( ) etc before getting to the "host" city. I'm sure plenty of Arsenal supporters clubs do this as well (they won't mention it on here as the police will be reading but someone might give you a private message). If you can find one of these buses you should use it instead of the train, trains to games are good because you can drink (legally) but you'll get no atmosphere, a mini bus crammed with lads getting pissed up and singing is the way to go, especially for a long trip like Newcastle away. Hope you enjoy the trip either way, and I hope you hammer the filthy black and white *word censored*.

[cardinal2011]

If you are going to the Newcastle game then make sure that you stay for the Saturday night. It is a cracking night out up there and you won't believe what those Geordie lasses are like

It will be a cultural experience for you to remember for many years

Sorry to spoil the lovely surprise Sooner but they're basically like whores. Go to Newcastle on a Saturday night and you can fill yer boots (and that's not the only thing you'll be filling). They're filthy tarts by and large, just fire into them as a celebration of the 3 points and fuck them off (my lass is, of course, a mackem, the paragon of virtue, grace and beauty!).

Anyway, regarding getting to the game (and the gooners will know more than me like), is there not some sort of unofficial supporters bus that allows drink? When we go to SAFC away games we always get a bus that lets us get pissed and then we ditch the cans/ bottles/ needles ( ) etc before getting to the "host" city. I'm sure plenty of Arsenal supporters clubs do this as well (they won't mention it on here as the police will be reading but someone might give you a private message). If you can find one of these buses you should use it instead of the train, trains to games are good because you can drink (legally) but you'll get no atmosphere, a mini bus crammed with lads getting pissed up and singing is the way to go, especially for a long trip like Newcastle away. Hope you enjoy the trip either way, and I hope you hammer the filthy black and white *word censored*.

You make this sound like a bad thing!!! I have had a lot worse nights for the price of a couple of bottles of Barcardi Breezers and a doner kebab. One of the few places where the ladies can drink a lot of blokes under the bar.

Fu*k it. I have convinced myself to try and make this one

[ArsenalSooner]

Cardinal, let's get us a couple of forgetables!