Hello!! My son is in the Air Force and is stationed at Lakenheath Air Force Base near Brandon. I have a trip planned for mid-February and will need to get to the base from Heathrow Airport. I understand there is a tube that runs in London but trains do not run every day to Brandon.
Is there any advice you can give me for traveling to Lakenheath?
Also, I would like to go to Mach Loop in Wales to watch the fighter jets. Has anyone done that?
Thank you for any help you have!
I just checked there are trains everyday from London Kings Cross to Brandon. They run once an hour, leaving 11 minutes after each hour. You could take the Piccadilly tube line from Heathrow to Kings Cross. The train for Brandon leaves from London Kings Cross. Or you could take Heathrow Express to London Paddington Station, take taxi to London Kings Cross.
Tina, This is a question best addressed to your son, who is bound to be the one person most familiar with the procedures involved in getting to Lakenheath from the airport or the city.
Also, getting there is only half the issue - you'll also need to coordinate base access with him to ensure that you're not left cooling your heels at the gate upon arrival. He will need to act as your sponsor (and possibly your escort) while you're on base.
The easiest solution would probably be for him to meet you somewhere enroute (if not at Heathrow itself) and then escort you to the base.
Not sure what the Mach Loop is but your son should be your best source of up-to-date information about that too.
What does your son suggest? Does the base provide any sort of transportation for visiting relatives?
Tina, your phrase "a tube that runs in London but trains do not run every day to Brandon" is a give away that you are not familiar with the train service in the UK. Hourly train services are the norm, 2-hourly in remote locations, certain days of the week never.
As Emma says, you get a train from London King's Cross (not from platform 9¾ :-) ), change at Cambridge. You get from Heathrow to King's Cross via the Piccadilly line (the tube). It is all a lot easier than it sounds. Would your son pick you up from Brandon station?
You can look up times and prices at: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
I would also ask your son. Lakenheath AFB must have lost of information on how to get their, possibly on their website.
Here's the blurb from the RAF Lakenheath website describing your options:
Looks like the National Express Coach might be your most direct (and cheapest) option.
When I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall (the US forces utilize Royal Air Force bases, so that is why it is not "AFB" (which would denote a stateside base; AB usually denotes an overseas base)) almost 20 years ago, both Mildenhall & Lakenheath ran a shuttle to and from Gatwick & Heathrow. I'm not sure if this is still the case. As others have said previously, it will be best to contact your son. Perhaps, he can meet you at the airport since he will be the one to get you on the base and your host.
