Heathrow to Canterbury

Hi John

This question is up in the top of the leader board now. If you are joining a Rick Steves tour the company will send you details of how to get to Canterbury with your hotel list....

Bottom line, tube to St Pancras and high speed train, or Heathrow Express to Paddington and cab or tube to St Pancras and high speed train, or Elizabeth Line to Paddington, change to Elizabeth Line (part 2) to Farringdon to tube or train 1 stop to St Pancras and as above. Your choice. Or tube to Hammersmith, change to District Line to Victoria or Charing Cross for the much slower train to Canterbury...

It has been discussed quite a lot. You could put "Canterbury Train" into the search box and then limit the results to Travel Forum and then limit further to Last 6 months. Or follow this link to the results - I've done the above and this is the result. Plenty of good reading in the 3 or 4 dozen threads.....

I recommend using Nigel's route #1 going to St Pancras either by tube or Heathrow Express (and taking a cab to St Pancras) and taking the high speed train to Canterbury from St Pancras to Canterbury West.

When I did the Southern England tour we were staying near Victoria Station so did the slower train to Canterbury. Trust me on this...since you've got a choice and can position yourselves correctly, go with the fast train, lol!!

I have only done it once but followed Nigel’s Option 1 - tube to St Pancras and the fast train. Since Heathrow is the originating station, a seat was pretty much guaranteed. Also, I was NOT on a tour and had several long train rides, so I had purchased the Two Together Railcard and picked it up there at St.Pancras before boarding the train to Canterbury.

Nigel has given you all of your options. And I'm going to agree with the other posters.....tube to St. Pancras (Kings Cross station) and then train to Canterbury. It's the easiest routing with the least number of changes.