England - Help with Tube and Trains??

[hatsoff]

Hello!

 

My wife and I are arriving at Heathrow Airport next Sunday morning (Sept. 5), and we need to take the Tube and a train to get from Heathrow to Dover Priory Station. We are planning to take the Tube from Heathrow Terminal 3 to Victoria Station. Then, at Victoria, we want to catch a train to Dover Priory. I have a couple of questions about using the Tube and National Rail Service for this route, and I would greatly appreciate any help that you could provide to me about this.

 

First, can you recommend the best Tube route to get from Heathrow to Victoria Station? (We decided not to use the National Bus service, due to restrictions on the amount of luggage you can bring on the bus.) From my Tube map, it looks like we would be catching the Piccadilly (dark blue) line at Heathrow. It appears from my map that the easiest route to Victoria would be to switch over to the District (green) line along the way. Any suggestions on where along the Piccadilly line that we should make this switch? We're hoping to make this an easy changeover, as we'll have 4 or 5 suitcases (for long transatlantic cruise).

 

Second, once we're at Victoria Station, we need to catch a train to Dover Priory (where we meet our ship). From the UK's National Rail web site, it appears that there are several trains on the Southeast line that take this route on Sunday, Sept. 5th. However, I wanted to check to see if tickets are usually easily available on this line on weekends. Any thoughts? Also, is there any difference between a regular ticket and a first class ticket for this route?

 

I'm a newbie to the Tube and National Rail in England, and I'd greatly appreciate any help that anyone can provide with my questions above.

 

Thanks.

 

Hatsoff (Paul)

[Morgans]

If you have 4 or 5 suitcases (plus carry ons etc) I would suggest that you forget about taking the tube. The journey with so much luggage, will be quite difficult and busy (unless you are arriving extremely early in the day) especially with changing trains, stairs etc. Why not take the Heathrow Express into Paddington (very easy & very quick) and then take a taxi straight to Victoria and so avoid any stairs etc ? Once at Victoria, you can buy your tickets (regular will be fine) and off you go. Remember to ask for a direct train which will take you straight to Dover Priory without any changes.The journey from Victoria to Dover takes approx. 1hr 50mins We did it a couple of weeks ago and there were several other cruise passengers on it too. At Dover there is an elevator service to help you with luggage.Everyone said it was fine and there was only a short wait for taxis at the Dover end which is just a few minutes from the Cruise Terminal.

Good luck,

Marge M.

[pj-atsea]

I agree with Morgans. You really have too much luggage for the Tube. Remember that the doors on the Tube close really quickly and you wouldn't have much time to get your stuff in. Then it is also very crowded. It is a great way to travel unemcumbered by a lot of luggage. But the express train is probably a better way to go. Also the tube stations are very far underground, some more so than others, and I'm not sure if elevators are available in them. That would entail dragging suitcases up long stairways(been there, done that) or on escalators ( tricky with a lot of luggage). Hope this helps. I'd say- follow the advice of Morgans.

[Globaliser]

First, can you recommend the best Tube route to get from Heathrow to Victoria Station? (We decided not to use the National Bus service, due to restrictions on the amount of luggage you can bring on the bus.) From my Tube map, it looks like we would be catching the Piccadilly (dark blue) line at Heathrow. It appears from my map that the easiest route to Victoria would be to switch over to the District (green) line along the way. Any suggestions on where along the Piccadilly line that we should make this switch? We're hoping to make this an easy changeover, as we'll have 4 or 5 suitcases (for long transatlantic cruise).

 

Second, once we're at Victoria Station, we need to catch a train to Dover Priory (where we meet our ship). From the UK's National Rail web site, it appears that there are several trains on the Southeast line that take this route on Sunday, Sept. 5th. However, I wanted to check to see if tickets are usually easily available on this line on weekends. Any thoughts? Also, is there any difference between a regular ticket and a first class ticket for this route?

If you really want to use the Tube, then take the Piccadilly Line to Barons Court and change there to the District Line. The reason is that it is a very easy cross-platform change and you don't have walk anywhere let alone manage any steps. You can also do this at Hammersmith (one stop earlier) but that station tends to be busier than Barons Court.

 

However, I echo what has already been said about practicality. Unless, between you, you can lift and carry all your luggage in one go, the Tube is not really for you. The stops at the stations will not allow you enough time to go backwards and forwards into and out of the Tube train to get suitcases out one at a time, quite apart from the fact that you then tend to obstruct a set of doors for people trying to get on. At Victoria, you will also need to carry your luggage up about two floors to get to street/train platform level.

 

If you want to price train tickets, go to thetrainline.com or qjump.co.uk which will give you this information as well as train times - plus you may be able to book in advance to get better fares (but check the ticket delivery options to see whether there is one that suits you). The other thing to watch out for on Sundays is that is the day on which most engineering work takes place on train lines, so train journeys are more liable to be disrupted on Sundays. The National Rail site is one of the better places to go to check, plus you might try the relevant train operating company's website as well.

 

Adding: I should have observed that both of those train booking sites are now part of the same company.

[hatsoff]

Hi, Globaliser, pj-atsea, and Morgans (Marge)!

 

Thank you so much for your quick replies to my questions!! My wife and I will each have a large suitcase (on rollers), a garment bag, and a carry-on, so we will be carrying a good amount of luggage. We're arriving at Heathrow early on Sunday morning, and we have plenty of time to catch up with the ship as it's not leaving from Dover until Tuesday afternoon! Nonetheless, we don't want to be dragging luggage up and down stairs through the Tube stations or trying to enter the Tube train while the doors are closing on us! Your insights into these issues in dealing with the Tube are extremely helpful!! We want to make this journey both painless and practical! (We are on vacation, after all!)

 

We will follow your advice and take the Heathrow Express to Paddington, and then catch a cab to Victoria Station. One question, though...if the Heathrow Express is not the Tube, what is it? (It's not the National Express bus, which has luggage limits, right?) Also, where at the airport do we catch the Heathrow Express? I hate to sound stupid, but I've never used this transport before.

 

Thanks also for your help in answering my questions about the train to Dover Priory. I'll be sure to check on the construction schedule for Sept. 5th.

 

Thanks again!

 

Hatsoff (Paul)

[Morgans]

Paul - it's a superfast train service direct to Paddington Station. From Paddington you will have no trouble at all in finding a taxi to take you to Victoria. Check out http://www.heathrowexpress.com for lots of information to help. At Heathrow, it is easy to find - follow the signs. I'm sure you will manage just fine. Let us know if the website has been of help.

 

Marge M.

[Globaliser]

One question, though...if the Heathrow Express is not the Tube, what is it? (It's not the National Express bus, which has luggage limits, right?) Also, where at the airport do we catch the Heathrow Express?

It's just a train, much like normal overground trains. It looks a bit like a commuter train but it's a little bit more comfortable than they are. It's operated by the company that owns Heathrow airport (BAA) and it is basically a dedicated shuttle operation between London Paddington and Heathrow. Its website is here.

 

At Heathrow, the Heathrow Express (HEX) has two stops. One serves Terminal 4, and the other serves Terminals 1, 2 and 3. T4 is at the far end of the route, so the train is basically non-stop between T123 and Paddington. That part of the trip takes 15 minutes, and the train operates every 15 minutes throughout pretty much all of the time that the airport is open each day.

 

Because it's owned by the airport company, you really cannot miss it. All the direction signs at Heathrow (and other BAA airports) are bright yellow backlit signs. You just need to follow the signs for "Trains" or "Heathrow Express". From T3 these will take you down a long trolley ramp into the underground tunnels that connect T123 with the Tube station, the HEX station and the central bus station. There are travelators (moving pavements) to take some of the pain out of the walk. When you reach the HEX station there are lifts (elevators) down to platform level, so big luggage is much easier with the HEX than on the Tube. Before you go down to the platforms, there are automatic ticket machines (that take credit cards as well as cash) as well as a ticket office.

 

When you get to Paddington, the platforms are basically at street level - or at least the same level as the taxi rank. Now for an insider's hint, if you can remember to do this: When you get off the train and walk along the platform towards the exit, you will see a sign directing you to go to the right for taxis. At the end of the platform, turn right as directed by the signs. But don't then follow the next "Taxi" sign (which will also direct you to turn right).

 

Instead, look for a small archway with a sign saying "Ladies" - I think it also says "Way Out". Don't worry, it doesn't take you straight into the ladies' loo! This archway should be almost directly in front of you in the far wall of the station. When you emerge at the other end of this archway, you will be very near the head of the taxi queue. If the taxi queue is not long, this saves you the significant walk that the official route will take you on. If the taxi queue is long, you will not have lost either time or distance taking this potential shortcut.

[pj-atsea]

Hi, the Heathrow Express is a train. I believe ( i could be wrong) that it takes about 20 minutes to get to Victoria Station. There are 4 airport terminals at Heathrow. I don't know which one has the Train terminal in it, but there will be adequate signage to direct you to the train.. You'll be in an international terminal and I think the train terminal should be close to it, if not in it. Go online and look up the National Railway or start from there and try to find the Heathrow express. It might give a schedule also. Hope you enjoy your trip.pj

[hatsoff]

Hello, PJ, Globaliser, and Marge!

 

Wow!! What great information from all of you...and you responded so quickly!! I just checked out the National Express web site; it came up fine for me. Thanks! Also, I love the shortcut via the Loo to the taxi stands! Ha ha!

 

Thank you all so much for your help and suggestions. You've helped my wife and I relieve some of the stress of navigating the Tube and trains to get to the port in Dover. We're really looking forward to our trip! Saturday can't come soon enough!

 

Thanks again!

 

Paul

[Mike Andrews]

Hi Paul,

 

Just so as you are aware the cost of using the Train services as described should cost at the cheapest around £66 and the Black Cab from Paddington Station to Victoria Station could cost you £10 with extras for luggage. You might just want to consider a car direct from Heathrow to Dover.

[hatsoff]

Hi, Mike!

 

Thanks for the suggestion about hiring a car to go from Heathrow to Dover. We had considered that, but the cost seemed kind of high (£100-£150) for the car services we looked into. The Tube and train method seems a bit cheaper. Besides, we don't really want to arrive in Dover too early. Our flight arrives in Heathrow around 7am on Sunday morning, and we can't check into our hotel until 2pm at the earliest. We thought that using the Tube and train would be an interesting way to take up some of that time! It also gives us a chance to see London. We had visited the city about 7 years ago and thought it was wonderful, so it'll be nice to see a bit of it again!

 

I appreciate your suggestion! Thank you.

 

Paul

[aqua]

Hatsoff, You mentioned that the National Express Bus has luggage limits. You are correct as they state this on their website. However, we took the bus from Victoria Coach Station to Dover with typical cruise luggage and had no problems. There were several Constellation passengers on the bus also, and everyone had several suitcases. The bus is the most inexpensive way to get from London to Dover. We paid 11.75 pounds per person, and my senior citizen mother-in-law was half-price. I booked the tickets on-line and picked them up at the coach station that morning. I was originally worried about the luggage restrictions, but decided if they enforced them, then I would buy a ticket for the luggage and still save money!

[Mike Andrews]

Paul, by taking the Underground (the Tube) and not the Heathrow Express you will certainly make a saving and the train ride from Victoria is quite a nice journey once you get out of the London area. Have a great trip.

 

Mike

[hatsoff]

Thanks, Mike, Aqua, and everyone else here, for your suggestions about my Heathrow to Dover transportation. We leave tomorrow (Saturday) night, arriving in London on Sunday morning. This should be a great adventure! Take care!

 

Paul

[hatsoff]

Hello to all, especially those who helped us with our transport from Heathrow to Dover! I'm writing this message from on board the Constellation! We ended up taking the National Express Bus from Heathrow to Victoria Station, and then from Victoria to Dover. The service worked wonderfully! Even though our baggage was a bit over the 40kg weight limit/bag, the drivers for both legs of the trip didn't complain. It took about 4 hours in all to get to Dover from Heathrow (with an hour layover at Victoria station), but it worked very smoothly. There wasn't much of a distance to haul our baggage during the process (as compared to taking the tube and train), so that was a big plus for us. Also, the fare was really cheap! Thanks for the great advice.

 

Paul

 

P.S. - In case you're interested, our Celebrity Constellation transatlantic cruise has had a bit of a detour. We were supposed to dock in Iceland on Tuesday as our last stop before heading on to NYC. However, high seas and gale force winds have forced the cruise line to alter our trip. We are instead heading south, with a stop in Vigo, Spain tomorrow (Monday) as a replacement for Iceland. While we're disappointed about not seeing Iceland on this trip, we'd rather have a safe trip!

[aqua]

Hatsoff, Thanks for the update. I'm glad that the bus worked out for you. This board is a great way to share information; it has been invaluable to me. I hope that you continue to have a good trip, please post a review when you return!

[Mike Andrews]

Hi Paul,

 

Good to know it worked out well using for you using National Express at a good price.