So close, and yet so far out! (Dylan)
Swindon's legendary Magic Roundabout, ground seen on the left
TICKETS
£20 Adults, £15 Seniors, Students, Young Persons (16-20), £9 Juniors (Under 15)
COACH
For the latest news, prices and pick-up points for the supporters club coaches click here: www.shrimperstrust.co.uk/default.asp?page_id=623
For an alternative journey keep up to date with SoL Travel at: www.theshrimpers-online.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=8
Under 16's only allowed to travel if accompanied by an adult.
TRAIN
Due to having to change to a coach at Reading to get to Swindon station I expect the £7.50 advance single fares to remain but always best to book as soon as you can, the weather should be OK by then!
The 10.37 from London Paddington gets you in at 12.17 or 11.15 for 12.55 and 11.37 for 13.17. Wouldn't leave it any later than that as the M4 can be unpredictable!
Return it's the 17.13, which you can make but I can assure you the buses will not leave directly at that time, and should get you back to London around 19.00. The 18.13 for 20.00.
To avoid hidden extra costs go direct to www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk.
The ground is walkable from Swindon train station and will take you around 10-15 minutes. Leave the station, cross the road and proceed up the road between the two pubs (Great Western and Queen's Tap), continue to end of road. Turn left, proceed along Manchester Road, through traffic lights as far as you can go. At the junction turn right. The County Ground is about 300 yards up this road on the left.
(All fares correct as of Saturday January 10)
ROAD
Fill in the details from your home postcode to here for a full route plan www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp but for an edited version;
Approx. 137 miles, 2 hours 30 minutes.
Leave M25 at Junction 15 joining the M4. Leave M4 also at Junction 15. Follow A345 (Queens Drive) to Drake's roundabout. Turn left towards the Magic Roundabout (see below), The County Ground is on the corner of this roundabout. The ground is well signposted in and around Swindon town centre. Just follow signs for 'The County Ground'.
Located near one corner of the ground is the world famous 'Magic Roundabout'. Whoever designed this must have been on something that Dylan used to take, and I don't mean carrots! It is a large island surrounded by five mini roundabouts, which effectively means that traffic can go round the main roundabout the wrong way! Confused? You will be!
If you survive the Magic Roundabout then there is some street parking. Otherwise park at the cricket club, (take County Road off the Magic Roundabout, go past the County Hotel on your right, you will see a small sign further down on your right for football parking, just before the mini roundabout). There is some parking available at the ground itself for a cost of £5.
FOOD AND DRINK
For the best choices for a decent pint and some good grub, and in Archers and Arkles they have TWO of the best local breweries, go to the Pub Crawl in Swindon here: www.thelittlegazette.com/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=EDW8&id=426488
SHORT BREAKS
SHORT BREAKS
If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure.
To access their Swindon page click here.
(Thanks to the Internet Ground Guide, http://www.footballgroundguide.com/swindon_town/, and DoDtS's excellent Shrimperzone Away Travel section, www.shrimperzone.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=24, for their help in preparing this article.)