Hi,
I'm very keen to move to HOP/FH and the East London Line means I can get to work super-conveniently.

However, I also need to get to Bromley easily for family reasons, without a car. I know it's not very far on the map, but I'll be b****red if I can find a bus or bus/train combo that takes less than an hour.

Do any of you esteemed SE23ers have any tips? maybe a ghost bus that isn't listed? Or a teleport or something?

Many thanks for any help
pc

Depends what part of Bromley you want to get to. I would assume a trip to Catford and change buses would be the most simple. Or maybe Bell Green

See what the planner on the TFL website comes up with. Again, will depend on what part of FH you are travelling from.

How about a train from Crofton Park (if you're near HOP) or Catford out to Bromley.
Still not ideal as the trains aren't too frequent (from memory), but it should be quicker than an hour?

Or there is always the bike! It's only 20 minutes or so cycle!

Good luck with the move

Cheers Snazy.

I'm looking to get to either of the stations (North or South) or London Road, from the area around Forest Hill Road.

TFL provided the hour-long journeys I mentioned.

I have to sympathise with your frustration, my mum likes to go to Bromley and agrees that the journey is just a real pain for the short distance.

Rather frustrating to say the least, as its one of the better places to go shopping. I will keep thinking.

OK hows this for a mess about but quicker....

Overground to Penge West station (5 mins), 5 min walk across to Penge East station, hope on the train heading for Orpington, getting off at Bromley South station (journey time 10 mins)

Quickest combo I can find so far. Hope that helps a little.

You know what, that is much better than anything I had come up with.

What a helpful wolf you are!

Cheers

lol no worries mate, I like to try and help where I can

I will see if I can come up with anything that involves less walking, but for now thats not too bad an option.

Hiya

Trains to Bromley south are every 30 mins from crofton park it will get you to Bromley south in 15 mins. Much quicker then going to penge east!

Hope this helps

Megan

From London Road, you'd still have to walk to the station and catch the 122 from there to Crofton Park.

Polecat says the trip would be from London Road, so the trip to Crofton Park will prob take longer than the Penge bit, but its a good alternative, and with bus connections, it means less walking, so

Trains from Catford (not Catford Bridge) take 11 minutes to Bromley South. Seem to run every half hour. Is that the same service from Crofton Park?

If you're going from the Forest Hill Road area (which is Honor Oak Park) then I guess it might be easier to go via Crofton Park.

Just to add another route in the mix from the forest hill road end, you may be better off taking a bus to Peckham Rye which is the same train as Crofton Park to Bromley however I think the journey to Peckham Rye Station might be quicker than going to crofton park from there.


just a thought

Many thanks for all the tips.

I shall do some investigating and report back.

A very helpful forum

The TfL journey planner suggests the Penge East to Penge West connection for some journeys. On Oyster, it is regarded as an 'out of station interchange' and provided you don't take more than 25 minutes to get from one station to the other it will be seen as a continuous journey. Should cost £2.20 peak, £1.70 off peak single.

I had an interesting journey back from Bromley one evening where the guard and I discussed how difficult a connection this was. The best we could come up with was Bromley to Catford and then bus (185?) to forest hill (I was doing the return bit as part of a journey from somewhere in Kent). Definitely less than an hour if your train times match up.

I think I've also done the crofton park route but less good bus connections to/fromwest forest hill.

Slightly confused by this question. Journeyplanner shows the trip from Forest Hill Road taking about 40 minutes using either P12 to Nunhead or P13 to West Dulwich and then the train to Bromley, or 30 minutes from Forest Hill (using the 194 to get from Sydenham Station to Penge East).

All routes involved a short walk to get to the bus stop.

If starting near Forest Hill or Honor Oak Park stations, the Penge West-Walk- Penge East connection surely has to be better for getting to Bromley than using the 194 bus for part of the journey? Timings are more reliable (at around 40-45 minutes for the station-station journey), there are only two links, and I think that by not using the bus, the journey will also be cheaper. Obviously it's a different story if you start well down Forest Hill Road some distance from HOP station when a bus may be a better option.

I always get the bus to Bromley, 176 or 197 to the end of Crystal Palace Park Road then the 227. Or go into Penge and catch the 358 which also goes to Bromley South Station.

Or I go via Catford where the 208 and 336 both go to Bromley.

On average a 45 min bus ride including interchanges from FH.

358 a long journey from Beckenham to Bromley.

I did this journey a few times lasy year.

Either via Catford. Normally quite quick

Or walk to Penge East and Board Train.