Solo traveler from LHR to central London - car service recommendations?

[Shimsdan]

Hello!  I will be cruising with three friends out of Southampton June 2024.  We plan to spend a few days in London pre-cruise.  My friends are arriving in LHR 6 hours after me, so I will be journeying to our hotel on my own.  I'd rather take a car service for safety reasons and realize I will be paying more than public transportation. I even tried to find a tour that offered LHR pickup, with maybe a 1/2 day London tour before drop off at the hotel, but was unsuccessful.  Any recommendations, either for a half-day tour with pickup/dropoff, or just transport from LHR to London?  

TIA!!!

[Globaliser]

3 hours ago, Shimsdan said:

My friends are arriving in LHR 6 hours after me, so I will be journeying to our hotel on my own.  I'd rather take a car service for safety reasons and realize I will be paying more than public transportation.

 

With that timing, it sounds like you're arriving in the morning. In that case, there's little reason to be concerned about safety, and just one top tip in relation to that: whatever you do, do not accept transport from anyone who offers it inside the terminal.

 

If for some reason you really are concerned about safety, after you exit from Customs just follow the signs for taxis. These will direct you to the official taxi rank outside the terminal, where a fully licensed taxi (a classic London "black cab") will take you to your hotel.

[John Bull]

Globaliser is right, Certainly public transport 15 miles from LHR to central London is safe, though I guess there's a risk of pick-pockets or luggage thieves.

A halfway-house to keep the cost down - take a National Express coach from LHR to central London's Victoria coach station - these aren't like city buses or trains or the Tube (metro), they're effectively a bookable shuttle service between airport and city. The driver loads / unloads your luggage in the coach's belly-lockers. 

Then take a London cab from there to your hotel.

The coach covers the bulk of your journey - and taxi fare - for about £10.

 

JB  🙂

[phabric]

I have used a few times, Just Airports, a car service, from LHR to my London hotel.  Use your hotel’s postal code to get a quote.

www.justairports.com

[Globaliser]

28 minutes ago, kootz said:

Just beginning to plan but I would like to stay in Southampton for two nights before my cruise.

 

I have not picked a hotel yet but would love some ideas for transportation from the Airport to the Hotel.

 

This is the current thread for going to Southampton (as opposed to London): https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2968902-southampton-transfers-airport-new-thread

 

[John Bull]

A private transfer from Heathrow takes about 90 minutes and will cost something like £130 to £150.

 

There's no direct train between Heathrow & Southampton.

Travel by train means either

- going into central London (eg Paddington station) and crossing central London by taxi or tube to London Waterloo station for a direct train to Southampton

or

Railair bus from Heathrow to Woking or Reading station for a direct train to Southampton.

Because both of those train options are tedious and complicated, they're also expensive.

 

Best by far for a solo traveller from Heathrow to Southampton is to take the direct National Express bus  - journey time about 2 hours, fare about £20.

 

Heathrow's Terminals 1 & 2 & bus station are grouped together in the centre of the airport, it's a ten-minute walk from either terminal to the bus station. Terminals 4 and 5 are on the edge of the airport, buses stop on the concourse outside those terminals. You will need to know which terminal your aircraft uses before you can book. Service is approx every two hours so you are strongly advised to pre-book - allow a bare minimum of 90 minutes  from scheduled arrival time to bus stop, and book a flexible ticket in case your flight is late or airport formalities delayed.

Driver loads & unloads your luggage

Your destination is Southampton coach station - it's not the coach's final destination so look for the route number 203  on the front of the coach, not "Southampton".

All Nat Express buses are kneeling buses and have a bathroom & in-seat wifi.

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

Check the map at the foot of  https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_accommodation.htm 

Many Southampton hotels are just a short walk from Southampton coach station, and no hotel on the map is more than a £10 taxi ride from the coach station or any cruise terminal.

 

If you plan to take a day-trip out of Southampton (eg  direct train to  Winchester or Bath or Portsmouth, or direct train to Salisbury & ho-ho bus from there to Stonehenge) choose a hotel convenient to Southampton Central train station https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

if you plan to explore Southampton choose a hotel broadly between the yellow C and G on the map.

 

The port cruise schedule   https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/ 

is normally up-dated in Jan / Feb.

 

JB 🙂

 

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

Heathrow's Terminals 1 & 2 & bus station are grouped together in the centre of the airport, it's a ten-minute walk from either terminal to the bus station.

Shouldn't that be Terminals 2 & 3?

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Shouldn't that be Terminals 2 & 3?

 ooops.

Yep.

Brain in neutral 🙄

Thanks for pointing it out, gnome 

 

JB 🙂

@kootz - there is no Terminal 1 at LHR, it was incorporated into a bigger T2 a few years back.

So it's "central bus station" for Ts 2 & 3, or  at the terminal exits for Ts 4 & 5.

Edited November 14, 2023 by John Bull

[kootz]

Thanks for all the info. Makes me a bit nervous. I think I will just go with the expense of Princess and book their pre-cruise package for two nights in London. 

[nho9504]

London public transit system is Very Safe.

 

Tube is the best option in my opinion. 

 

If you stay at London for a few days, better learn on how to use Tube and bus, the latter with the double decker is very very good for casual sightseeing.  We often just use it to aimlessly going around since we have been in London many times, no need to do any sightseeing, just revisit our favorite places.

 

Last November our flight from Cairo arrived LHR after 10pm.  After consulting with our hotel at Vauxhall station and frequent flyer forum Flyer Talk, everybody told us to just take the tube from T5, Piccadilly Line to Greenpark station, then change to Victoria line to the end terminal Vauxhall.  From there we would need to make a 7 to 10min walk either on the road or through a community garden to reach the hotel. 

 

Well, when we emerged from the tube well passed 11pm, the street were Full Of People!  The surrounding environment has changed somewhat with new building so at first we did not find our bearing towards the entrance of community garden.  A kind young lad led us to the zebra crossing, pointing the other side - That is the beginning of the path.

 

Total costs?  about 6 GBP per person. 

 

But if you are willing to shell out big bugs for peach of mind, that is fine too.  Though I honestly think you are way over cautious. 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by nho9504

[blondietoo]

I have used Blackberry Cars and also Blacklane....both very good

 

[AllenF]

I choose a Blackberry cars to get to hotel from LHR not because any safety concerns but for convivence of not having to drag luggage around after flying all night. Something about a person standing with a sign with your name on it who takes your luggage and walks you to a nice car lets you just chill and relax after a long flight is nice. If you can afford it get a car service.

[Shimsdan]

Thank you all for your responses!!!