Tilbury Hotel

Tilbury isn't somewhere I would chose to stay.

Is the cruise line offering bus transfers from Victoria on the day of departure? If so, I would do that and stay in the Victoria area of London, and book a nearby Premier Inn (my usual go to option), but others may have more suggestions.

Thank you Katy. As I research more, I realize Tilbury is not the place to stay! We will be taking Eurostar from Paris into St Pancras so now looking for a nice hotel around St Pancras. Hopefully, we can find a car service to Tilbury crusie terminal!

I'll tell you where I have stayed before a Tilbury cruise. At the Premier Inn Thurrock East - across from Lakeside Shopping Centre.
It is a very short walk from Chafford Hundred Station- from there it is a 7 minute train ride and then a 3 minute bus (or taxi) ride to the terminal. I've never looked at it but Upminster (at the end of the tube) is a rather nice villagey type of place. There may be somewhere there to stay.

The beauty of Lakeside is that I know I am in reaching distance. If the rail line is in meltdown next day there is a bus option on Ensign.

It's 6 miles, I know the area and it's transport so would never need to do it but it is only 6 miles by taxi- maybe £15.

Although firmly in Essex the red London bus #370 from Upminster station stops just across the Sainsbury's parking lot from the PI.

I have a question for isn31c/Stuart, as the answer will help the OP here, as well as me.
Is this map correct, that a train goes from London Fenchurch Street station to Tilbury Town?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London,_Tilbury_and_Southend_line#/media/File:London,_Tilbury_and_Southend_Railway.png

I have read various information online (mainly this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London,_Tilbury_and_Southend_line) and cannot find out if this line will still be running or is this an outdated map?

I have researched this before, as I was trying to find a way to visit Tilbury Fort during my next trip to London.

Don't mean to hijack someone else's thread, but it seemed a good time for me to ask.

If this train goes to Tilbury, the ideal place for the OP to stay would be, in my opinion, somewhere near the Tower of London, as Fenchurch Street station is just north of there. Many times, I've seen workers/commuters running at the end of the work day to Fenchurch Street station (several blocks) north of the Tower of London. We usually stay in one of the hotels near the Tower.

Thanks Stuart, if you decide to answer this.

Oh yes, generally it is an every 30 minute service to Tilbury Town. In the Off Peak services normally run via Chafford Hundred, in the Peak via Dagenham Dock. Off Peak services generally end at Southend Central, peaks can sometimes be for as far as Shoeburyness.
In the old days boat trains also ran down to Tilbury Docks, the station was where the cruise terminal Baggage Hall is now. I used to use that service for the former ferry to Gravesend.
The free half hourly bus #99 to the cruise terminal replaces those trains, free to all rail ticket holders.
You can pick the bus up from either platform- from the Southend side it goes to Tesco first before reaching the London bound platform.
Canny cruise passengers stock up on their booze allowance at Tesco on their way to the ship, and reboard the bus later.
It is not unusual to see cruise passengers dump their luggage with the porters then go down to the Fort or the Worlds End pub before checking in. The Worlds End is a nice pub.
I vary between taking the bus, walking down the Dock Road, or walking through Tilbury itself, past the Church then over the Skew Bridge.
At Tilbury Town there is an elevator up to the bridge and down the other side.
All trains stop at West Ham- the usual interchange for the District line to Victoria and beyond, or for the H and C to Kings Cross, Euston and Paddington.
Coming out of London on those Tube routes sit in the back car and use the elevators at West Ham.
From Waterloo and the South Bank use the Jubilee line to West Ham.
At Fenchurch Street most people use the side entrance to the station in Cooper's Row - the logical one from the tube station or the Tower.
But there is also the front entrance.
It depends where you work as to which entrance you use. Taxis normally use the front entrance.
Be aware that at weekends Fenchurch Street is sometimes closed for Engineering work- trains then run out of Liverpool Street.
Once, and once only, CMV chartered a Thames Clipper/Uber boats shuttle service from Tower Pier to Tilbury. That was fun.

Stuart,
Thank you so much for your reply and for all the great information!
This makes it so much easier for Jane the OP, and others to get to Tilbury....you explained it so well!
I will definitely be going to Tilbury to explore sometime next year.
Thanks again,
Rebecca

Jane,
There are a variety of hotels in the area near the Tower of London.
We have stayed at the CitizenM Hotel which overlooks the Tower. It's a good location with the Tower Hill tube station right there, giving you the Circle line and the District line for traveling around London.

We stay at some Hiltons on points. There are several of those near Tower of London and one south of Tower Bridge.
I also recommend the Premier Inn chain which has locations all over London.

There is a further update for both the OP and Rebecca.

From 2 February c2c will be the first UK operator to provide full contactless payment across it's network.
While paper and electronic tickets will still be available (and in some cases cheaper) they will not be needed.
Just tap in and out with your bank card.

Thank you Stuart!

Thank you both!