Flying in to Heathrow. Destination Ironbridge. We plan to rent a car, but want to get as close to Ironbridge as possible by train, then rent the car. Should we take a train to Birmingham or can we get closer to Ironbridge?
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6505 posts
We already had a rental when we stopped, so I can’t help you there. We spent a night there and it is worth visiting. Not much to the town, but I found the bridge fascinating considering it’s age.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
Loved the outdoor museum at Ironbridge! (As did my 12-year-old)
Posted by
Eugene, OR
53 posts
Ludlow is accessible by rail, a quaint small town served by as many as one rental car companies. Doesn't look like a chain either. Google say it's a 45 minute drive from Ludlow to Ironbridge. I've not made the drive to Ironbridge, but it looks like you'd be on the backroads pretty quickly. The good is less traffic, the bad is not much room for traffic.
We drove from Heathrow to Ludlow area about six years ago. Ironbridge was on the list of possible sites but didn't make it.
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4140 posts
Assuming you are coming off a transatlantic flight , a drive of several hours to Coalbrookdale , immediately following , in a jet lagged state , is a very bad idea . Pick up your car at Heathrow and spend the night in a nearby location . Make the drive the next morning when you have had some sleep . When visiting the various museums that comprise the Ironbridge complex , a car is a necessity since the various sites are fairly spread out , and public transportation will kill a considerable amount of time
Posted by
2399 posts
Use www.nationalrail.co.uk to find trains.
This is a good site for finding buses:>http://www.traveline.info
If you are going to Ironbridge - you may also like to visit :> The Severn Valley Railway; Ludlow; Stokesay Castle; Shrewsbury; Powis Castle - which is further to the west - in Wales. (Google them)!
If purchasing a rail ticket to Ludlow - go from Heathrow to Reading by Railair bus and then catch a train to Hereford (worth a look) - where you change for Ludlow. (It is probably cheaper to split the ticket at Hereford than have a through ticket.