12 day British Isle Cruise in June....Help please

[Calleililly]

MeHeartCruising, 

We will be doing this exact route in Sept for our cruise. After you arrived at Heathrow, was it the tube you took to waterloo area Premier Inn or bus, and was it direct. Also, did you have to request in advance an early check in at the premier inn.

Thanks in advance.id you have to request in advance a early check in at hotel.

[gumshoe958]

On 5/5/2023 at 9:43 PM, Calleililly said:

MeHeartCruising, 

We will be doing this exact route in Sept for our cruise. After you arrived at Heathrow, was it the tube you took to waterloo area Premier Inn or bus, and was it direct. Also, did you have to request in advance an early check in at the premier inn.

Thanks in advance.id you have to request in advance a early check in at hotel.

There are no direct tube, train or bus services from Heathrow to Waterloo.

 

Your options are:

 

Fastest (but most expensive unless pre-booked well in advance) - Heathrow Express train to Paddington, then Bakerloo line tube.

 

Slowest but cheapest - Piccadilly line tube to Green Park, then Jubilee line.

 

Somewhere in the middle - Elizabeth line train to Bond Street, then Jubilee line tube.

 

Note that, while doable, the tube is not ideal with lots of heavy luggage. 

[Globaliser]

4 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Fastest (but most expensive unless pre-booked well in advance) - Heathrow Express train to Paddington, then Bakerloo line tube.

 

Slowest but cheapest - Piccadilly line tube to Green Park, then Jubilee line.

 

A handful of notes about this:

 

I'd recommend NOT taking the Bakerloo Line to Waterloo with luggage, because I think you can't exit step-free. Taking the Jubilee Line to Waterloo is better because of the step-free exit.

 

The change from the Piccadilly Line to the Jubilee Line at Green Park is a bit inconvenient. An alternative is to change twice: from the Piccadilly Line to the District Line at Barons Court (an easy cross-platform change with minimal walking - about 10 feet), and then from the District Line to the Jubilee Line at Westminster. (In the morning peak or inclement weather, it may be better to change at Hammersmith rather than Barons Court, but the walk is about twice as long.)

 

In addition, if the destination is either the Premier Inn London Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) or the Premier Inn London County Hall, it's actually not much further to walk from Westminster (and much more scenic), when compared to walking from the Jubilee Line exit at Waterloo (because that's on the opposite side of the station from the hotels). So you could do an easy change at Barons Court and then simply exit from the Tube at Westminster.

[Derbie]

On 5/4/2023 at 3:21 PM, Ocean Mouse said:

Have you looked at Travelodge and Premier Inn?

Thank you for the reply.  Yes, my husband did review the Premier Inn website, and it appeared we would need three rooms for this establishment.

[Derbie]

On 5/5/2023 at 6:27 AM, John Bull said:

 

The Shard is something under 2 miles from Waterloo station, so in the morning take the Tube (Jubilee Line, no changes) or simpler if you're zonked-out to just take a cab (or two) to the station.

It's on that same main ho-ho route, & quite convenient to London Bridge tube station.

As others have posted, a different selection of sights to see close to The Shard.

 

f you had the time  - perhaps in the evening - a 30 minute walk along the riverside to Big Ben etc (or as far along the riverside path as you want), passing Shakespeare's Globe, the Millenium footbridge over the Thames (it frames St Paul's cathedral on the other side of the river) & Tate Modern. 

 

You can go up to the Skydeck of The Shard - not the same "experience" as the London Eye but a higher view

https://www.theviewfromtheshard.com/

 

Not a bad location 🙂

 

JB 🙂

Many thanks to you good sir!  I hope this is the last question on the lodging question.  Would you prefer a small flat near the Borough Market, over the  establishment near the Shard?  

[Globaliser]

4 hours ago, Derbie said:

Many thanks to you good sir!  I hope this is the last question on the lodging question.  Would you prefer a small flat near the Borough Market, over the  establishment near the Shard?  

 

Borough Market and the Shard are very close to each other - about 250 yards.

[nini]

We enjoyed a British Isles itinerary last May. Since you are on the east coast, maybe you will not be as fatigued as we were flying in from the west coast (SEA).

However, we had 3 nights to enjoy London. If you arrive one day before boarding, I would seriously consider getting a transfer from LHR to Southampton and soaking up the town, get rested and then board the next day. The fares could easily be split by sharing a car with Blackberry Cabs or West Quay Cars.

We are doing that in June for a cruise from Southampton.

[Derbie]

On 5/7/2023 at 2:10 PM, nini said:

We enjoyed a British Isles itinerary last May. Since you are on the east coast, maybe you will not be as fatigued as we were flying in from the west coast (SEA).

However, we had 3 nights to enjoy London. If you arrive one day before boarding, I would seriously consider getting a transfer from LHR to Southampton and soaking up the town, get rested and then board the next day. The fares could easily be split by sharing a car with Blackberry Cabs or West Quay Cars.

We are doing that in June for a cruise from Southampton.

Are you on Princess in late June?  This is the same cruise, if this is the case.  We have to connect in Houston after leaving Nashville, with a bit of a layover there.  I fear we will be quite tired.  

 

[nini]

1 hour ago, Derbie said:

Are you on Princess in late June?  This is the same cruise, if this is the case.  We have to connect in Houston after leaving Nashville, with a bit of a layover there.  I fear we will be quite tired.  

 

We will be on the Sky which sails June 3 out of Southampton.

[MeHeartCruising]

On 5/5/2023 at 10:43 PM, Calleililly said:

MeHeartCruising, 

We will be doing this exact route in Sept for our cruise. After you arrived at Heathrow, was it the tube you took to waterloo area Premier Inn or bus, and was it direct. Also, did you have to request in advance an early check in at the premier inn.

Thanks in advance.id you have to request in advance a early check in at hotel.

Sorry for the delay, but I’m in the middle of my Adriatic cruise.  It looks like others have already answered the Tube questions for you.  I took the Elizabeth line and then switched once or twice at Tube stations.  I’m handy with my own luggage on the Tube, but it’s not for everyone. 
 

As for early check in at Premier Inns, I don’t think it can be requested in advance.  And it may not be available upon arrival either.  It all depends on whether they have clean room(s) to accommodate your reservation upon your arrival.  If they do, they will let you in early for 10 pounds per room.