Travel to the St Albans Beer Festival AND save money on your travel!
Please don't drink and drive - it is perfectly possible to get to St. Albans easily and economically by public transport.
Our regulars will know how to reach St Albans and the routes to the Alban Arena from the two railway stations. For our first time visitors, the following travel information may help you plan your visit by public transport. The Arena is a ten minute walk from St. Albans city station and twelve minutes from St. Albans Abbey station.
The main station is on the First Capital Connect (Thameslink) cross London route from Brighton to Bedford. www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk The venue, the Alban Arena is 10 minutes walk west of the Thameslink station – exit via platform four. Cross the car parking area to the Horn P.H. and cross the junction, keeping the church on your right. Continue along Victoria Street to the very end – about 10 mins. Walk then turn right into St. Peter’s Street. Turn right before Barclays Bank and the Arena is directly in front of you.
There will be late trains travelling back to Watford on the Abbey Line during the St Albans Beer Festival. Later services departing from St Albans Abbey Station will depart for Park Street; How Wood; Bricket Wood; Garston and Watford Junction on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd October at 22.43 and 23.22. London Midland's services run frequently 7 days a week between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction - for other times visit www.londonmidland.com The Festival is a twelve minute walk from the station. Walk out of the station and turn right, keeping on the same side of the road and walk up Holywell Hill, the Duke of Marlborough P.H. is across the road. At the top of the hill cross the lights into Chequer Street, the Cross Keys P.H. is on your right. Continue along Chequer Street into St Peter’s Street. Turn right before Barclays Bank and the Arena is directly in front of you.
We are well served by local bus and coach services most of which run during the evenings.
The main bus connections are set out below:-
Barnet and Potters Bar (84), Watford (321, 724), Rickmansworth and Uxbridge (724), Hemel Hempstead (300/301), Dunstable Road (34) (not beyond Markyate in the evening), Harpenden and Luton (321 and Thameslink), Wheathampstead (304 & 620), Hatfield (300/301, 602, 655, 724), Welwyn Garden City (300/301, 601, 724), Stevenage (300/301), Hertford, Ware and Harlow (724).
St. Albans can be reached from Hitchin by 304 but not in the evening.
If using the 724, please note that it no longer stops in St. Peter’s Street but now stops in London Road 100 metres from the Peahen junction.
There are, at the time of writing, two special rail ticket offers available.
For St. Albans, the Daysave ticket at £14 for one person or £30 for 3, or 4 people travelling together offers unlimited travel on First Capital Connect (Thameslink) trains for a day. On Monday – Friday it is not valid before 09.30 or for travel from London between 16.30 and 19.01 and MUST be purchased in advance at tourist offices in Bedford, Luton or St. Albans; and One Stop Shop in Edward Street, Brighton. It cannot be bought at stations. It is not valid on the Kings Cross – Cambridge/Peterborough line. For more details visit the website at www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk
The other bargain ticket, Groupsave, is sold ‘on-demand’ by most rail operators in the south east. This allows three or four people to travel together for the price of two.
For those of you coming on London Midland or Virgin services can reach St. Albans via Watford Junction and the local train to St. Albans Abbey. Groupsave is available on London Midland while Virgin has its own range of cheap fares.
If you are coming down the Kings Cross line then First Capital Connect offers Groupsave tickets. Book to Hatfield as there is a good bus service (8 per hour daytime, 2 per hour evenings) between Hatfield and St. Albans. The journey takes 20-25 minutes and the bus drops you right by the festival.
On the buses, the Intalink Explorer at £7 allows one adult or £12 for up to 4 people to use MOST buses within Hertfordshire and many in surrounding counties. If two people come together then this is the cheapest ticket for most journeys of more than 5-6 miles. It is not accepted on TfL services.
St. Albans 
A bit further out: For another visit it’s worth noting that, for £1.70 more than a return train fare, the local buses can be added to your ticket.
This allows unlimited travel from either station to Good Beer Guide pubs in Colney Heath, Redbourn, Sandridge, Sleapshyde, Tyttenhanger and Wheathampstead.
Wheathampstead is also the nearest point for Amwell.
This add-on fare is not available with Daysave and Groupsave tickets.
There are fourteen GBG pubs in the St. Albans area.
St Albans Beer festival has once again put together a deal with Intalink to give same day free entry to the festival (subject to hall capacity) to all those travelling on a Intalink ticket. One final point to note is that cash machines at FCC stations are serviced by Moneybox. A ‘convenience charge’ (of under £2.00) is levied on all cash withdrawals. Bank ATMs in St. Albans, are located within one minute of the venue.
All the above information is believed to be correct and is given in good faith. Neither CAMRA Headquarters nor South Herts. Branch is responsible for any inaccuracies or any changes since we went to press. To check on train times, fares and details of engineering work please contact 08457 48 49 50 or www.nationalrail.co.uk. Bus and train information is available on 0871 200 2233 (0700-2200, calls from landlines cost 10p per minute) or www.traveline.info. Hertfordshire journey planning, maps and timetables can be accessed on www.intalink.org.uk. Up to date bus and train timetables should be available at the festival.
Any updates to the above information including details of any known information on engineering works will be posted on this page.
© South Herts CAMRA Branch & Tony Dawes |
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