Heathrow to Harwich - train vs private transfer??

[2nutz4travel]

I've searched this topic and am still no closer to finding an answer...

 

We are booked on a TA out of Harwich a year from now. I understand that there is a train that goes direct from Liverpool St stn to Harwich, but how do you get from Heathrow to Liverpool St Stn?

 

I think we have 3 options:

1. Heathrow Express to Paddington & taxi to Liverpool St, train to Harwich

2. Taxi to Liverpool St Stn, train to Harwich

3. Hire a private transfer directly from Heathrow to Harwich.

 

I've researched #3 and found that prices range from £159 to £263... I can't find any reviews or comments on private transfers. Can anyone recommend a reputable/reliable company?

 

I don't mind taking the train, but I'm not sure about the amount of work required to get to the train station. Any comments are welcome, we'll be flying direct from Ottawa (Canada) overnight, so we'll be tired and probably a little jet lagged. If it matters, we'll be arriving in London on a Friday morning.

 

Thanks!

[Twickenham]

Reading your post, it sounds like you're planning on flying in the morning of the cruise. To that, I have one word of advice: don't. Just don't do it. Those early morning TA flight arrivals make it seem sooo tempting, but believe me, from one who has done the trip a few times, giving yourself a night in London will make the whole process easier.

No matter how you look at it, a LHR-Harwich transfer is a long slog. If you take my wise advise;), you would arrive at LHR the day before the cruise, take the Heathrow Express/underground to your hotel, then the next day take either underground or taxi to Liverpool St. Station for the train to Harwich.

[Ashland]

Just returned from a Baltic cruise out of Harwich (Aug 11-23). Since it was our first I was very worried about the logistics. We had a nonstop flight LAX-LHR arriving into Heathrow at 7:10am morning of the cruise.We decided to play it safe and opted for the RCI contracted bus Transfers and were on the first bus that left at 9:15am arrriving into Harwich at 12:15pm..If I knew what I know now I would have felt very comfortable taking a Taxi to Liverpool Street Station then the train into Harwich..I think this would have been very easy.. At the end of our cruise we did take the Train from Harwich to Liverpool St. and got a taxi to our hotel in London for a week post cruise...Many posters on this board kept saying how wrong we were to arrive the morning of the cruise..but there were people on our transfer bus that had been picked up at their Heathrow located hotel just before picking us up that had flew in the night before and we all arrived at Harwich at the same time...;)

[2nutz4travel]

I didn't say we were planning on arriving the same day. We'll be flying in the day before the cruise, heading straight to Harwich & spending the night there. We just want to relax, one afternoon isn't enough time to see London so we don't feel the need to pay their high hotel rates. I would never stress myself out that way, trying to arrive the same day!

 

How long does the taxi to the station take and what is the cost?

[handfordr]

Get a quote from somone like Simply Airports or Just Airports.

They're quite reliable and I would guess would charge about 50 GBP for Heathrow to Liverpool Street for a private car.

[John Bull]

I've searched this topic and am still no closer to finding an answer...

 

We are booked on a TA out of Harwich a year from now. I understand that there is a train that goes direct from Liverpool St stn to Harwich, but how do you get from Heathrow to Liverpool St Stn?

 

I think we have 3 options:

1. Heathrow Express to Paddington & taxi to Liverpool St, train to Harwich

2. Taxi to Liverpool St Stn, train to Harwich

3. Hire a private transfer directly from Heathrow to Harwich.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Option 1 is the one that most folk would take. The cheapest of the three & relatively stress-free. Even cheaper to use the underground Heathrow to Liverpool St, but you don't seem adverse to more expensive options so I certainly wouldn't advise the more penny-pinching option of the underground, esp with luggage.

Option 2 I'd guess around £45/£50 pre-booked private-hire, mebbe £70/£80 with a cab hired from the rank at the airport. The run into London can be congested, cabs do have the advantage of a traffic-free bus lane for the first 3 to 4 miles. Difficult to accurately predict journey time, I guess 50 to 80 mins.

Option 3 would be expensive for two, perhaps only worthwhile if you can find sharers. Google "Harwich taxi" rather than "Heathrow taxi" or "London taxi" to find a company based in Harwich rather than a London transfer firm, you'll find them cheaper & all regional taxi firms do airport runs.

 

 

Flying in the day before (very wise) has the disadvantage that there'll not be a ship's transfer bus unless you overnite at Heathrow (as boring as Harwich) - I don't generally rate transfer buses for value but the logistics to Harwich, as you've realised, are difficult so would be worth considering if you were flying in same-day.

 

Since going to Harwich by public transport means going via central London, is it worth re-considering your decision to overnite in Harwich rather than central London? London hotels don't have to be expensive, and the Harwich area has little or nothing to offer.

 

John Bull

[Globaliser]

Since going to Harwich by public transport means going via central London, is it worth re-considering your decision to overnite in Harwich rather than central London? London hotels don't have to be expensive, and the Harwich area has little or nothing to offer.

I can think of some good reasons for doing what the OP is doing: Stay at the Pier and get a good dinner; in the morning, as jet lag will mean a late wake-up, it'll be a gentle trip over to the ship whenever they feel like it.

 

I agree that option 1 makes a lot of sense as a balance between time, convenience, ease and price.

[2nutz4travel]

I can think of some good reasons for doing what the OP is doing: Stay at the Pier and get a good dinner; in the morning, as jet lag will mean a late wake-up, it'll be a gentle trip over to the ship whenever they feel like it.

 

I agree that option 1 makes a lot of sense as a balance between time, convenience, ease and price.

 

I agree completely - this is why we're heading straight to Harwich. We just want to relax and take it easy, we can do that in Harwich probably easier than London (did I mention I'm not a big fan of cities??). You mention the Pier - is it worth the extra cost to stay there vs another of the Harwich hotels?

 

We'll look at the train.

 

Thanks all for your comments!

[Globaliser]

You mention the Pier - is it worth the extra cost to stay there vs another of the Harwich hotels?

I don't have any personal experience either of the Pier or of any of the other hotesl in Harwich.

 

But I know the Pier by reputation, and I have had good experiences at one of its sister establishments - Le Talbooth (and its accommodation at Maison Talbooth).