Greetings, I am planning a trip to England next month and am finding the rail planning a bit confusing due to the multiplicity of companies and fare types, although the planned journeys are not long ones. We (two adults) would like to go from London King’s Cross to Cambridge around midday on Saturday Nov 14, and then we need to travel from Cambridge to Heathrow on Tuesday Nov 17, in time to make a 1:25 pm flight back to US, so should plan to get to airport by about 10:30. It looks like there are two primary routes, one to Liverpool Street and then Elizabeth Line, the other to Kjng’s Cross and then Piccadilly Line Tube. The fares from Cambridge to London are quite high that morning, due no doubt to it being prime commuting time. Separately, we want to do a day trip from Cambridge to Ely on Monday, November 16. Questions:
Is there any benefit to buying any of these tickets in advance?
For Cambridge to Heathrow, would you recommend one of those routings over the other?
Can we get through tickets to Heathrow or is it better just to pay the Tube or Elizabeth fare separately when accessing that system?
What time do we need to leave Cambridge to comfortably get to Heathrow on time? (Understanding that unexpected disruption can occur anywhere)
It looks like there are three companies serving Ely from Cambridge and trains are frequent; also, that “off peak day return” seems the most economical. It looks like that ticket can’t be used before 8:45 am, but are there any restrictions on when it can be used in the afternoon from Ely back to Cambridge? If the ticket is purchased from one operator, can it only be used with that one? Any recommended company among those serving this short route?
I also looked into direct coach service from Cambridge to Heathrow but the schedule for those isn’t very good.
Thank you very much for any advice!
Posted by
Cambridge, UK
91 posts
I would recommend you travel from King's Cross to Cambridge (and back to King's Cross). The trains are much faster than the trains from Liverpool Street. To be more precise, there are non-stop, semi-fast and slopping trains out of King's Cross but, I think, only stopping trains out of Liverpool Street.
There's no particular advantage in buying tickets in advance. But, if you do, make sure you choose the correct dates for travel.
I would guess your off-peak day return will let you take any train back from Ely to Cambridge, but you can always buy at the ticket office in Cambridge station and ask a genuine railway human.
You can buy a direct ticket from Cambridge to Heathrow. I did so last year and, to my surprise, found I had a ticket that was good for the Heathrow Express. My two first choices of route would be: Cambridge to King's Cross, tube to Paddington, Heathrow Express; or Cambridge to King's Cross, St Pancras to Farringdon (or Cambridge direct to Farringdon) and Elizabeth Line. That's just because I don't like the Piccadilly Line.
To select your departure time from Cambridge, use the nationalrail.co.uk website, choose Plan your journey and enter your desired arrival time at Heathrow. This will show your various options.
Hope that helps.
Posted by
🌲🌲 Minnesota🌲🌲
13505 posts
Slate, have you checked into the Two-Together card? Some folks use that for train tickets if there are two of them. I don't know much about it because I'm always solo there, or almost always, but it might be worth looking at. I'm sure you'll have a number of Brits replying when they see this. They might be able to help you with that.
Posted by
Lake District, England
12602 posts
Ely to Cambridge has a morass of fares. Personally (and it's purely my own preference) I like Greater Anglia best as their trains are the most modern on the route (and for a more esoteric reason) but I wouldn't wait around for one.
There are no afternoon restrictions on any of the walk up fares.
Fares for that short journey- Cross Country have 15 tiers of Advance Singles (from £2.20 to £5.60 each way) on their trains only. On a journey like that I don't see the point to waiting around for a specific train like that, and it's unlikely to work out cheaper for a return journey.
Walk up fares-
Anytime Day Return any train £9.30
Anytime Day Return Greater Anglia only £7
Off Peak Day Return any train, outward after 0829 on Monday to Friday £6
Super Off Peak Day Return, any train weekends only £4.50
Off Peak Day Return Greater Anglia only, any train after 0844 weekdays £3.70
Cambridge to Heathrow via the Tube-
there is a through fare of £37.70 via Kings Cross or on Thameslink trains OR £35.20 on Greater Anglia (changing to the Victoria Line at Tottenham Hale, then change again to the Picc, not valid changing to the tube at Liverpool Street).
An Anytime single to Kings Cross is £31.90 (so no saving on the through fare), and to Tottenham Hale or Liverpool Street is £29.40- so no saving there either- it is just the convenience factor. A through fare via the Elizabeth Line seems to involve a travelcard.
So 'buying' tube or Elizabeth Line separately is probably the best, or at least a not worst option.
Purely personally I would be trying to get to Heathrow 4 hours early (9.25 am as cover/buffer against reasonable delays). YMMV.
On 17 November on Greater Anglia there are currently Advance (train specific) fares of £20 on the 0645 and 0715 (arrive Liverpool Street 0800 and 0830) or £24 on the 0648 (arrive Liverpool Street 0816).
Great Northern to KC or Thameslink to Farringdon have no Advance Fares at that time of the day, I'm surprised Greater Anglia do on peak hour trains. You are leaving Cambridge on GN or TL at around 0700 as well.
Everyone will have their own preferences on the best of the 3 routes, and it's splitting hairs to me personally as to which is the best.
To me if using the Elizabeth Line it'll be Liverpool Street, if using the tube probably Kings Cross.
Posted by
Arctophilia (x-27), Northamptonshire, England
37316 posts
if you choose Kings Cross to St Pancras to Farringdon to Elizabeth Line (previously my choice) you may want to know that the lifts and escalators between the concourse and Platforms A and B (the Thameslink platforms) had been under disruption for several months already and still continuing. Probably best to read the notices on National Rail Enquiries, or my choice, the Thameslink app, a day or two ahead to see if getting down to the platform with luggage will be an issue.
Last month I had to help my mobility challenged wife down the two escalators with her rollator due to the missing lift.
Posted by
OP
Virginia
1082 posts
Thank you everyone for all this very helpful information, which clarifies the options for us. Mardee, I did check out the Two Together card, which looks like it would be 1/3 off and cost 35 pounds, which I think would be little or no savings for the limited amount of relatively short travel we plan to do, but appreciate the suggestion. When I first planned this trip I booked the flight back to the US at 4:30 pm, which would have been a lot better for the trip from Cambridge to Heathrow, but the airline changed it to 1:30 — still doable though. Actually I’m reconsidering the coach option, as there’s a FlixBus direct at the insanely low price of 5.50 pounds, but also at the insanely early hour of 5:30 am. It would get us there at 8 am, earlier than necessary, but we’d need to get up pretty early that morning anyway, and it would avoid having to go through central London and transfer there in rush hour. And if the FlixBus proved unreliable there would still be time to go by train. But I’m seeing enough anecdotal information about FlixBus proving unreliable that we’ll probably go with the Kings Cross option in the end.
Posted by
Lake District, England
12602 posts
There is also a direct National Express bus/coach at 0545, arrive 0830 for £22 per person- to both Central Bus Station and Terminal 5. It started from Great Yarmouth at about 0300.
The next at 0755, arrive 1030 is too tightly timed- looking at tracking yesterday that service got delayed by 30 minutes on the M25 beyond Stansted Airport.
Posted by
OP
Virginia
1082 posts
Thank you, isn31c. That National Express coach looks like a good choice, and worth the higher cost compared to FlixBus. I had previously seen the later one and agree that’s cutting it too close, and had thought the 5:45 one was too early, but on second thought, it isn’t, compared to the alternative through central London.
Posted by
Arctophilia (x-27), Northamptonshire, England
37316 posts
Slate, did you say which terminal you need at Heathrow?
Posted by
OP
Virginia
1082 posts
It’s Virgin Atlantic, so Terminal 3.
Posted by
Warrington, England
275 posts
You can buy tickets for your trips from any rail company, they all sell each other's tickets. But I advise you to use www.nationalrail.co.uk in the first instance, then you can book immediately or go to the appropriate operator directly. It doesn't really make any difference.
To benefit from a railcard, you need to be spending above £105 to recoup the £35 initial outlay. I don't think you would be saving anything.