The Student Room Group

Is getting all my stuff to uni by train realistically gonna happen?

I live in London and I'm going up north to uni - my parents did originally offer to drive me but since they're quite fundamental christians combined with it being such a long drive they would have had to take me up on the Saturday, although I can't move in till Sunday, and we'd have stayed overnight somewhere. I don't really want this, especially since I don't get on well with my dad at all, so I said I'd go by train.
They'll drop me at the station, and I'm planning to get a taxi at the other end, but my question is - am I realistically gonna be able to manage everything on the train? - I'm self-catered so I have all of that stuff too, although I've ordered a uni bedding package which will be up there.

I don't have a clue how many cases I'll need, for clothes, shoes (I don't have that many), crockery, pots and pans, stationery etc - has anyone tried this and succeeded (or failed), basically any advice (like TAKE YOUR PARENTS' OFFER) or anything would be much appreciated (I have a good 3 weeks left till I leave)

TL;DR - will I be able to fit everything I need (except bedding) in a couple of suitcases and a rucksack and transport myself to uni on the train?

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I had to have two car journeys so I'm going to say no
Reply 2
If you really want to avoid your parents, yes you can do it you'll obviously need help. Take a friend with you?
Wouldnt be very easy for most people to carry their clothes + normal life stuff, let alone everything else in the kitchen and such.

Can't you just pay a friend/someone else in the family to drive it up?
Reply 4
Realistically, you're going to be hanging so many packs off of your body that people are going to think that you're a bomb-disposal expert.
...take the essentials with you (this includes underwear =D)...and ask ur parents to bring the rest a day or two later...yeah..maybe?...burpz
Original post by bananaminion
I live in London and I'm going up north to uni - my parents did originally offer to drive me but since they're quite fundamental christians combined with it being such a long drive they would have had to take me up on the Saturday, although I can't move in till Sunday, and we'd have stayed overnight somewhere. I don't really want this, especially since I don't get on well with my dad at all, so I said I'd go by train.
They'll drop me at the station, and I'm planning to get a taxi at the other end, but my question is - am I realistically gonna be able to manage everything on the train? - I'm self-catered so I have all of that stuff too, although I've ordered a uni bedding package which will be up there.

I don't have a clue how many cases I'll need, for clothes, shoes (I don't have that many), crockery, pots and pans, stationery etc - has anyone tried this and succeeded (or failed), basically any advice (like TAKE YOUR PARENTS' OFFER) or anything would be much appreciated (I have a good 3 weeks left till I leave)

TL;DR - will I be able to fit everything I need (except bedding) in a couple of suitcases and a rucksack and transport myself to uni on the train?


You could.

Just take the essentials like clothes, shoes and select toiletry items.

Buy the rest when you're there.
Realistically I'd say no, unless you made more than one trip or your parents drove up with the non-essential items. You could probably ask them to bring up kitchen stuff later and survive on takeouts for that first day :tongue:
Maybe just take what you need so a suitcase and a few bags and your parents can bring the rest at a later date :redface:
We have a 7 seater car with large boot space so I'm hoping I can do it in 1 journey

With you?Nah probably 2 times
It could probably be done... I wouldn't recommend it though.

Our car was so stuffed when I moved in last year that when I moved out, my parents took all my stuff home in the car and I had to go on the train :tongue:

If you really don't want your parents to take you, you could always cut down the amount of stuff, go by train and get them to bring the rest when they can. Otherwise I'd advise taking up their offer!
Reply 11
what about taking one of those big airport cabs?
On my way to uni I managed it in 1 car with 4 of us in it, although it was bursting, no way could I do it by train, would need at least 2 trips, coming back from uni after 3 years it took 2 cars full with just two of us in it, that was the bigger issue, shoved it all in the loft, it's still there.
Reply 13
If you can make it in one trip with just a rucksack and a suitcase, you're probably not taking enough.
Reply 14
You could post a load of it up to yourself via courier. I've only ever used MyHermes but I believe that they're all equal with similar restrictions - a parcel needs to be 15kg or under and the price varies by weight (15kg costs £9.78). They collect from your house so your parents could still be useful by waiting in for the parcels to be collected on the Saturday and you'd receive all your stuff on the Monday. :smile:
Original post by bananaminion
I live in London and I'm going up north to uni - my parents did originally offer to drive me but since they're quite fundamental christians combined with it being such a long drive they would have had to take me up on the Saturday, although I can't move in till Sunday, and we'd have stayed overnight somewhere. I don't really want this, especially since I don't get on well with my dad at all, so I said I'd go by train.
They'll drop me at the station, and I'm planning to get a taxi at the other end, but my question is - am I realistically gonna be able to manage everything on the train? - I'm self-catered so I have all of that stuff too, although I've ordered a uni bedding package which will be up there.

I don't have a clue how many cases I'll need, for clothes, shoes (I don't have that many), crockery, pots and pans, stationery etc - has anyone tried this and succeeded (or failed), basically any advice (like TAKE YOUR PARENTS' OFFER) or anything would be much appreciated (I have a good 3 weeks left till I leave)

TL;DR - will I be able to fit everything I need (except bedding) in a couple of suitcases and a rucksack and transport myself to uni on the train?


Well honestly speaking..........a lot of people tend to take the main stuff, e.g. clothing, shoes, etc Stuff like pans, etc which you'll be buying brand new anyway, you could just get it from a local shop couldn't you?

Though I do envisage you taking around 2 case and more, dependent on how big they are. I think you'll need to decide now rather than later about the clothes you are gonna take.
Original post by bananaminion
I live in London and I'm going up north to uni - my parents did originally offer to drive me but since they're quite fundamental christians combined with it being such a long drive they would have had to take me up on the Saturday, although I can't move in till Sunday, and we'd have stayed overnight somewhere. I don't really want this, especially since I don't get on well with my dad at all, so I said I'd go by train.
They'll drop me at the station, and I'm planning to get a taxi at the other end, but my question is - am I realistically gonna be able to manage everything on the train? - I'm self-catered so I have all of that stuff too, although I've ordered a uni bedding package which will be up there.

I don't have a clue how many cases I'll need, for clothes, shoes (I don't have that many), crockery, pots and pans, stationery etc - has anyone tried this and succeeded (or failed), basically any advice (like TAKE YOUR PARENTS' OFFER) or anything would be much appreciated (I have a good 3 weeks left till I leave)

TL;DR - will I be able to fit everything I need (except bedding) in a couple of suitcases and a rucksack and transport myself to uni on the train?


I'd say probably not. I've just moved the opposite way, for a job rather than uni down to London from Scotland and I could only manage one giant suitcase a rucksack and a giant handbag. I still have about 10 other boxes and about 8 binbags of clothes and bedding and such which I think I'm now going to have to get transported down by a company. Still to research this though, or do many trips up and down!
I doubt it, unless you're a very light packer and fancy living like a hermit for a year/are rich enough to buy everything.

I went up to Scotland from the south east; my mum's landrover was stuffed full, there is no way I could have gone on the train unless I got a removal company to take it up separately in a van - though this is possible, people do do it. I leave my stuff in storage up there over the summer, there's too much to take home again without the aforementioned land rover/van - probably both now, while up there I realised I had left stuff behind & my mum had to post things up (expensive, don't recommend it).

Good luck whatever you choose to do :smile:
It's possible if you don't mind buying some of the things when you're there like cutlery and bedding, maybe leave some seasonal clothes at home and get a taxi from the train station.
Most people seem to fill a car with their stuff... I'd take your parents offer if I were you.

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