King’s Cross Station

For Americans the idea of traveling by train is not what immediately comes to mind when planning our vacations, but when the opportunity presents itself while abroad, it should be taken advantage of as often as possible. Travel by train is not only more comfortable and economical, but it also allows for experiences to occur while en route, which aren’t possible while on a bus or plane.

As I mentioned in my previous couple of posts about our short stay in London, the main focus of our trip was to chauffeur my mother-in-law around the Scottish Highlands. Borrowing a page from a trip I had taken with a girlfriend of mine ten years prior, I decided that taking the train would be the perfect way to kick-off that leg of this trip.

What to do with extra time at King’s Cross

If you’re like most travelers and find that you have a gap of time between when you have to check out of your accommodation and when your train leaves the station, there’s a lot of things to do right around the station itself.

King’s Cross is the largest train station in London, with multiple trains departing for Edinburgh each day. The station itself is very easy to navigate and has been recently renovated.

We arrived about three hours early, and simply checked in our luggage at a ticketed passenger holding area. I don’t recall exactly how much it cost, but I want to say that it was less than $10 to securely stow our bags until it was time to actually hit the dusty trail.

Unencumbered by our luggage, we walked a short distance of just a couple of blocks to Granary Square and visited several nearby shops. An unexpected delight of this particular area was the longboats that dock here and open as little shops and eateries!

Platform 9 3/4

If you’re an unashamed “Potter Head” like myself, you’ll be excited to know that King’s Cross is where you’ll find the famous platform from the Harry Potter series. Funnily enough, this isn’t where the films were actually shot but is where the platform was set in the books (a mixup that J.K. Rowling later admitted to). I couldn’t resist the opportunity to snag a picture at the staged platform here just as I had done ten years earlier.

All aboard!

When you’re all done dilly-dallying and it’s time to go, the fun is just beginning! Board your train, stow your luggage, and then enjoy the ride.

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