Heathrow to Greenwich, then Greenwich to Canterbury.

Heathrow Express to Paddington (will be expensive with no advance purchase)
Either tube or taxi to London Bridge Station
Train to Greenwich.

I thought about this a bit more. If I am honest, I think your plan will actually be the most expensive.
Heathrow Express for 2, 50 pounds
Taxi to London Bridge Station, approx 30-32 pounds
Train tickets London Bridge Station to Greenwich for 2 7.8 pounds.

So you can do all of these transfers and the cost will be just under 90 pounds. Have you priced out a direct transfer from Heathrow to Greenwich?

A taxi from Paddington to Greenwich will be well over 100 GBP.

Thank you, Carol and Frank.
Taxi from Heathrow to Greenwich seems to be about 70 pounds. This was a no brainer when there were four of us, but a bit costly for two. Maybe still the best option?

Taxi from Heathrow to Greenwich seems to be about 70 pounds. This was a no brainer when there were four of us, but a bit costly for two. Maybe still the best option?

If you mean a black cab (where you wait in the queue at the airport to get an official taxi), that will be more than 70 GBP.

If you mean an airport car service (a.k.a. minicab) that is pre-booked, that will probably be the best option if you want to avoid the tube.

I'm confused, are you arriving at Heathrow on an early morning arrival flight, going to Greenwich then going on to Canterbury on the same day?

Anyway, from Heathrow to Greenwich, as noted above a car service might be your best option. There are 3 that are usually recommended, I don't have any experience of any of them. Details below.

www.simplyairports.co.uk
www.justairports.com
www.blackberrycars.com

From Greenwich to Canterbury on the train would take at least one change. Tickets bought now would be cheaper than buying on the day. I hope someone else will be along with more/better train information than I have. But I believe the best/fastest route to Canterbury from central London is the Javelin train starting at St Pancras.

Yes, thanks Laura. I would book the car service in advance. Any suggestions for a reliable service? I see several on line.

Hi, Katy.
We arrive at Heathrow early morning on May 14 and stay in Greenwich that evening. We head to Canterbury late afternoon on May 15.
Thank you for the links. There just seem to be so many options I appreciate anyone’s good advice.

The website for buying tickets for your journey from Greenwich to Canterbury is www.nationalrail.co.uk

We arrive at Heathrow early morning on May 14 and stay in Greenwich that evening. We head to Canterbury late afternoon on May 15

Since you arrive at LHR early, I would think you have plenty of time to take the tube ... depending on your physical state and amount of baggage, you could take the tube at LHR, changing at Acton Town for the District Line, then changing at Monument for the DLR to Greenwich ... that would probably be the least expensive option.

Full disclosure ... I'm not a Londoner nor have I ever had the pleasure of riding on the tube (hopefully next year I will, the good Lord willing and if the crick don't rise), but I did grow up riding the subway in New York City so am very familiar with the good times known as rush hour ... so in this case I'll let the London homies comment on my thoughts and see if this might be a consideration ... have fun on your RS tour!

There are many ways to do this. Some more crazy than others. The key here is find the solution that works for your needs with luggage after a tiring flight. I personally would immediately eliminate any option calling for me to walk from Tower Hill tube station to the Tower Pier with luggage. There are significant steps involved.

I can't help but feel that the car service may be the way to go for you in this situation. You can agree on a price in advance and have a less stressful transfer to Greenwich. Sometimes, money is not the top consideration.

I have to correct Rebecca's instructions......the Piccadilly Line does not currently stop at South Kensington during renovation. Its scheduled to start up again sometime this summer.

That being said, I'm going to also suggest a car service. It seems this is the way you are leaning and is the least hassle. It's door to door. But realize, you will sit in traffic.

Frank, Thank you for the update.

Rebecca, under other circumstances I would take your suggestion, but I agree with Carol. After a long overnight flight and even traveling light, I think I’ll pass on the stairs and the nice boat ride.

So car service may be our answer. Anyone have experience with a service they recommend (or do NOT)???

Many thanks to everyone.

Katy’s links are the standard recommendations—-JustAirports, BlackBerry, and one other. We have not used any of those, I have noticed lots of personal recommendations for those 2 in particular on the TripAdvisor and Fodors forums.

Maybe someone here who has used them can chime in.

Thank you, Lola. I’ve reached out to both of them for quotes. Not surprisingly, paying cash saves a lot.
I also booked a NationalExpress bus from Greenwich to Canterbury. Direct, and a good price when booked online.

Thanks, all.

Just a follow up and a thank you for all your help.

We hired a car from JustAirports. Our flight into LHR was delayed by an hour but the driver monitored the arrival and was waiting for us..

They sent a nicer car than we ordered but charged us exactly what was quoted (59 pounds and parking, which turned out to be less than one hour) for a total of 65 pounds. The driver was courteous and knowledgeable and we got to our hotel in Greenwich about one hour and 20 minutes later.

It was well worth the extra cost and convenience. Two thumbs up. 👍 👍

I hope you have a great tour!

Pleased to hear the car service worked so well, in hindsight it was obviously the best option for you.

Hope the bus was as successful.

Enjoy the rest of your trip.