Waterloo Railway Station

How much can it cost to spend a penny?

29 May 08, 18:37 As expected

Okay, I'm going to sound really, really old now. However, I have to ask, in our modern day society honestly, how much can it cost to spend a penny? Yes, I'm talking about the fact you have to part with a full 30 pennies to spend just one penny in the public amenieties when nature calls in this station. At least at Harrods you get spritzed with the latest parfum whilst washing your hands after spending hard earned cash to use their toilets. Rant over.

Busy, bustling and vibrant

12 May 08, 19:34 As expected

My London-based trains always arrive here and it's a great station. The selection of small food shops and book shops are very good and the links to other parts of London are great. It's a London terminal so you expect it to be fast moving and busy, but it's also well kept and easy to navigate.

Busy Busy Busy!

10 May 08, 21:33 As expected

My train into work always connects with Waterloo, and for such a massively busy station it's got much better over the years. You can grab a coffee from pretty much all the caffiene based beverage chains and tuck into a spot of breakfast in the morning or something far more greasy on the way home after a few drinks!

Rush hour gets pretty mental so you need to have your wits about you. If they bring back the record shop then I may consider throwing in an extra star!

More than trains!

04 May 08, 16:07 As expected

Waterloo. Couldn't escape if I wanted to. Frankly ABBA weren't trying very hard - there are several exits from Waterloo station which make 'escaping' a fairly easy operation. It also means if you're meeting a friend or following directions to somewhere that involved going "outside and turning left" then you'll probably get lost as you've no idea which "outside" they're talking about!

There's a great range of little shops inside Waterloo Station, though for one I've never got to the train station only to discover that I was missing my all-important tie - so important was my need for a tie that I couldn't wait until I got back home but that I had to buy a tie there and then. If you have ever experienced such a thing you will be delighted to know there is a Tie Rack at the station. If you haven't experienced it you may be as confused as I.

An institution!

03 May 08, 11:04 As expected

The scale of Waterloo is astounding, as Faith says it gives you access to many destinations especially the nice beachy provinces of the South coast. I am upset that they moved the Eurostar away from here to Kings Cross, I think Waterloo was a fine home for it and the relocation was another tiresome waste of money. It has so many shops and a good few cash points, that you won't get bored even if you have ages to wait for a train. The only thing is, it takes forever to get through the platform gates. People, rather than machines, check your tickets (really annoying when it comes to manual oyster readers which take more than 3 seconds to operate!) and the gates are badly managed, they could do a better job of managing people travelling in one door and out of the adjacent. Or if using one door - making people wait until disembarking passengers have exited before letting the new boarders in. Instead, they let everyone jam through in both directions. Apart from that, it's fine! There are ticket selling machines and windows galore and station information agents everywhere too.

Lovely train station

26 Sep 07, 20:45 As expected

Waterloo is my favourite big station as I can get everywhere I need to go from it, be it by bus, train or tube.

It is two minutes talk away from my university too, so even if i catch the late train I can get there on time.

The toilets cost 20p though, which stops the scag heads going in there (sort of) but very annoying when you are busting and can't find any money.

The Marks and Spencers there is very efficient.

Watch out- if any of the vendors in the little cafes etc. forget to give you a receipt with your change you get your stuff for free!