We will be disembarking from a cruise on 28th at Dover terminal. We have a flight from LHR mid afternoon that same day.
What is the best way to get there? How much time will it take?
Any suggestions appreciated.
Using British Air for direct flight to PDX.
It appears long and arduous.
South Eastern high speed from Dover to St Pancras in 1 hour 6 minutes, at 48 minutes past each hour, then Piccadilly Line to Heathrow in about one hour.
If you are travelling after 30 January, but before the end of March, and can book before this coming Sunday tickets on all trains are currently £7.40 Dover to London, in a flash sale.
The 28th of this month?
Get a train from Dover Priory (the closest station to the port) and go to St Pancras International. There are numerous trains with either no change or one change. You can see the schedule and pricing here:
At St. Pancras, I would just grab the tube (Piccadilly Line) direct to Heathrow. Make sure you get on a train going to Heathrow 2,3 and 5.
The whole trip will take about two hours and thirty minutes.
However.....the 28th is a Sunday and there could be disruptions on the line. If that's the case there is a bus service from Dover to Heathrow with a change in London. This will take longer.
http://www.nationalexpress.com
There's a coach that leaves Dover at 7:15am and will get you to Heathrow just after noon. Later coaches arrive too late.
I would try to train first.
Have you also considered a private transfer.....ship to terminal?
Depending on how many "we" is you might want to investigate Uber for the convenience of the door to door service and to save yourselves the long commute by rail, especially if you're pinched for time.
It won't be cheap, but it might be the easier and more cost-effective option ... all things considered.
Have you checked what transfers the cruise line offers? Honestly, the convenience of a transfer directly from the ship to Heathrow will outweigh the cost if offered. I am a little surprised that you booked same day flight out. I hope this works well for you.
Total journey time is 2 1/2 hours, not 3 1/2- just over 1 hour + connection time + 1 hour.
It would be reckless to book an 0715 bus coming off a cruise ship, even if you are self disembarking, as the bus stop is a good mile away from the Cruise Terminal.
The first cruise ship due in this year is 12 March. It looks like you mean the Carnival Legend on 28 June.at Terminal 2- the newer of the two terminals- the further one away from town.
That could be an awfully stressful trip, especially with your flight leaving mid-afternoon. Carol NR has a point - you can't be the only people on the ship who need to get to LHR after disembarking.
I would consider Blacklane:
Of course you may not be on a Carnival cruise but on the Saga Spirit of Discovery on July 28 or August 28.
Carol brings up a good point I didn't think of.....see what your cruise line offers in the way of airport transfers. It just may be the "best" solution. (Especially since weekend train travel can be unpredictable.)
You can forget the bus transfer as the ship embarkation is after the bus leaves.
We can recommend this car service, based in Canterbury: Canterbury Airport Transfers.
My husband and I have used them a couple of times. Email them to set your pick-up time and journey. They specialize in airport transfers. We used them to get from Heathrow to Canterbury and another trip from southern England to Heathrow.
Very professional drivers, took a route to stay clear of the London traffic along the way.
This may be your best bet from the ship to Heathrow.
The driver handles the luggage, you sit back and relax; no changing trains, buses, etc.
Their email is firstclasstravel@live.co.uk
