BletchleyPark

This page is for information related to an extracurricular trip to Bletchley Park before ELCE. Note that this is *not* a sponsored event of any kind.
== Logistics ==
For those of us making the trip, meet at the Bletchley Park train station at 9:50am on Saturday, October 3. We'll do a tour, find some lunch mid-day and wrap up around 4pm.
== What ==
Leave for ELCE a couple of days early and spend two nights near Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, a historical place in the world of computing. Spend the day Friday 2 October and/or Saturday 3 October at Bletchley Park. Make sure to arrive in Dublin by Sunday 4 October.
* The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park
* Bletchley Park Museum
== When ==
October 2-4, 2015
For reference, ELCE starts Monday, 5 October 2015, and continues through Weds, 7 October. YP Developer Day is planned for Thurs 8 Oct, and the OpenEmbedded General Assembly and EU Developer's Meeting is planned for Friday 9 Oct.
== How ==
Lodging: currently in research. There are several small inns and also several AirBNBs in the area, so group housing (with private rooms) is a possibility in the range of £100/night.
Arrival options: TBD (train from Heathrow, group car)
Departure options under discussion:
* train back to Heathrow, flight to Dublin
* train & ferry to Dublin (http://www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm#.VbEVHflVhBc)
* rent a car as a group & drive to ferry
* swim
=== Lodging ===
Bletchley Park is about 11 minutes drive from Milton Keynes, the nearby commerce center. There are rail stops at both locations.
Options include:
* figuring it out individually
* finding a group rate at a pub or hotel
* finding an AirBNB large enough for everyone interested
* other ideas?
Here's one AirBNB option in Silverstone, about 20 minutes away:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7436921
or a hotel in Milton Keynes itself:
http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/jurys-inn-hotel-milton-keynes-2?osq=lodging
=== Travel in Milton Keynes / Bletchley ===
It occurred to me at some point that lodging options might depend on the availability of a rental car, although Uber and taxis also exist. If anyone has specific experience locally we'd love to hear it. 
=== Travel to Dublin ===
Rail: There is a system of train-to-ferry called RailSail via Virgin Trains and Irish Ferries. The train leaves Milton Keynes at 8:56am. Riders switch to the ferry in Holyhead, Wales, and arrive in Dublin at 5:25pm, at a cost of £42-47. There is a second trip that day leaving at 12:04pm and arriving at 7:15pm. 
Car: It is possible to rent a car in Milton Keynes and drive to either Liverpool or Holyhead to catch a ferry. It could save 1-2 hours over going by rail, but might involve a few side trips, a pub lunch...
Car #2: A much longer route would be going down through Swansea to Pembroke, ferry to Wexford, Ireland, and then drive up the Irish west coast to Dublin. This adventure would take about 12 hours to complete.
Plane: Going back to Heathrow is probably the most expedient and least fun method. An hour and a half train costs about £44 and there are many cheap flights to Dublin daily.
== Who ==
Please add yourself to this list to be included in communications about this event.
* Jefro
* David Anders (Sep 26th to Oct 4th)
* Dawn