We're going on the Rick Steves Southern England tour that begins April 22. We will land at Heathrow on April 20 and then go to Canterbury for a pre-trip arrival at our hotel. I've checked the internet and am confused about the subway/train possibilities. It looks like we want to go to St. Pancras, then get a train to Canterbury West. Is that correct? Is there an easier, better way to get there? Also, how much time should I plan on from touchdown at Heathrow to getting through immigration, customs, and then onto a tube to St. Pancras (if that indeed is the best option)? One website I visited said four hours before getting on the tube. Is that reasonable?
Thank you!
Posted by
Atlanta
4862 posts
Is there an easier, better way to get there?
Many people take the train and there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. But the easiest way is a private car service.
The train will cost you less, but the hassle factor of getting the tickets, and then doing the train trip and the transfers while being jet lagged and on new ground is not something many people enjoy. Believe me, there is nothing better than having a private driver meet you in the terminal, wisk you to the car, and take you to Canterbury.
We had a driver who drove safely, was helpful loading luggage, and commented on various things along the way. The car was clean, roomy, and well maintained. We would not hesitate to use the same service again. We've found that using a service based at the destination works best as they seem to know the best routes to take. The name of the service we used was Canterbury Airport Transfers. The web site (if my notes are correct) was taxicanterbury.co.uk/contact. The email was firstclasstravel@live.co.uk. Shoot them an email, outline you needs, and see what you think about the cost compared to the hassle factor.
Posted by
Lake District, England
5841 posts
If taking the train don't worry about what time the flight lands, or how long it takes you to get out of the airport.
Canterbury has two railway stations- East and West.
Just buy a Super Off Peak Single Ticket either on arrival or beforehand and travel on whatever train suits you. Sure you can buy an advance (cheaper) fare valid on a specific train for around £20 less, but then you are worrying about your timing. Easiest is just buy from the Ticket Clerk/Agent on the day.
Buying the Super Off Peak Single takes all the stress out of it.
Either go by tube to London Victoria then a train at 10 minutes past each hour to Canterbury East £33.90, journey time 1 hour 30 minutes;
or tube to Charing Cross then a train at 27 minutes past each hour to Canterbury West, same fare, journey time 1 hour 42 minutes
(when you buy your ticket it will allow you to travel from either station, so you can choose on the day)
or tube to Kings Cross St Pancras then the Javelin High Speed train at 37 minutes past each hour, journey time 53 minutes. On this route the fare is slightly higher at £41.10.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8398 posts
Car service is quite expensive and taking the train simply isn’t that hard…….
Posted by
SE Washington, USA
370 posts
I did a quick check of the price. Looks like it might be about 140 from Heathrow to Canterbury with the car service. "We're" implies at least two are travelling, so the cost of tube to London and train to Canterbury would end up about 75-85, maybe? If my rough estimates are in the ballpark, the difference would be about 70 pounds. Not nearly as much as I would expect. And so much more convenient. As we get older, not lugging suitcases (even carryon) in and out of stations, on and off transportation would be worth some money. If more than two are travelling I'd say it's a no-brainer.
Posted by
Freedonia
15083 posts
This thread discusses a car service that specializes in service between Heathrow and Canterbury.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/car-service-from-heathrow-to-canterbury
As stated previously, a car service for two or more may not cost too much more than the train. Don't forget to add the cost of the tube from Heathrow to Kings Cross and the taxi from the Canterbury train station to your hotel.
If you decide to take the train, the easiest, IMHO, is to take the Underground/Tube (Piccadilly Line) to Kings Cross/St. Pancras. Go next door to St. Pancras, and upstairs to the trains to Canterbury. Less changes on the tube. Charing Cross and Victoria require a change of tube lines.
The Piccadilly line is the only tube line that goes to Heathrow so there is no problem with taking the wrong one. It's about an hour from Heathrow to Kings Cross. This is like a subway train you would take in a US city only in British English a subway is an underground pedestrian passage.
You should be able to get a seat as you will be either the first or second stop depending on your terminal at Heathrow.
It should not take anywhere near four hours to get through immigration and customs to reach the tube. I would allow about an hour after touchdown to walk from the gate to immigration/customs and out. You'll probably need less time.
If you are staying at the hotel on the Cathedral grounds in Canterbury, both train stations are about equidistant.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks to everyone who offered advice on our travel plans.
We did decide to go with the private car service. Special thanks for the recommendation. We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary during this trip, so the car service is a special anniversary present to the both of us. Again, thank you all for your advice and suggestions.