Question re National Express Coach from Heathrow to Victoria Coach

The way to answer that kind of question is to look at the Heathrow Arrivals Board- https://www.heathrow.com/arrivals

(I say that to teach people how to "fish").

You can set it for any date, I just plugged in arrivals from Austin today, and got BA190/AA6947 code share, and BA186/AA7007 code share- As you will see that is a live tracker (so also gives actual time of departure from airport of origin). It also tells you which belt baggage is being delivered on.

That confirms T5 arrival (the same can be done for departures).

NEx departures are far more frequent from CBS than T5. Yes you can and should buy on arrival, there are certainly machines at CBS, but it is cheaper to buy online as that way you save on paying the booking fee.

We just took a National Express Coach between Heathrow and Victoria Station last week. I think it’s quite likely your BA flight from the U.S. will arrive to T5. In that case it makes the most sense to get the coach from T5.

I’m pretty certain I saw ticket machines, although they were unmanned, near the bus stop. However, we bought our tickets ahead of time online and had the digital tickets in our Apple wallet, although you can also use the National Express app. Not sure if the coaches sell out, but you can add something called “change and go” for 5GBP which lets you switch your ticket to any NE coach on an identical route back or ahead in a 12 hour window. So if you had booked your ticket already and your flight was late, you can use your phone (assuming you have data service) to quickly change to a later coach, if there are seats available. This would be a good option ONLY if you feel comfortable making last minute changes on your phone.

Perhaps someone else can advise on the likelihood of the coaches selling out, if you just wait to buy the ticket from the machine on arrival.

isn31c

Thank you for the information,

I have concerns about running late for any number of reasons which can include immigration, luggage, walking through the terminal to the bus stop, etc. It is not always the plane that is late.

Is there any place to buy a National Express ticket at Heathrow from. a machine when I am ready to take the coach?

Must I buy it in advance on line?

UPDATE. And I reread your reply. You told me that there are machines where I can buy a ticket at Heathrow. I have read something somewhere that says many more buses stop at Central Bus Stop Terminal 2 and 3 than Terminal 5.

Barbara G

Thank you for the information.

I have just bought a new Apple iPhone. I have both cellular and wi fi.

I can not always predict how long it wil take to get to the bus stop even if the plane arrives on time. And I do not like rushing. I prefer to patiently wait.

I have looked over the National Express site and information is not always clear to me. I have sent an email requesting info..

There is a central bus stop in Terminals 2 and 3. More buses stop at that terminal than terminal 5.

How long did you have to wait at the bus stop before your coach came?

So you bought your tickets on line in advance but how much time did you allow for. Your plane came in at what time? And what time did you book your coach?

We stayed a a Premier Inn a few blocks from the National Express bus terminal near Victoria Station last Summer.
The worst thing was just catching the bus from Heathrow. We found the Bus terminal near Heathrow easy enough, but finding the right bus was not easy from the many signs and huge screens.

We asked several people and finally found the proper bus, but the announced bus was cancelled TWICE in 1.5 hours, so we asked others again, and finally discovered after two hours the bus. It was such a pain that my wife insisted on taking a taxi to Heathrow when we were headed back to the USA. The taxi cost us $150.

Hi Bostonphil,
Our flight landed at 10:05am which landed on time at T5. We had booked an 11:50am coach which left from the T2/3 bus station. We made it to the bus station easily and had time to buy and eat a sandwich, use the restroom, sit and wait, etc, before departure time.

The bus station at T2/3 is larger than T5, I think and it has those boards like at a train station where you find your bus and route number, and it tells you which stall to go to. A little confusing, but I think they don’t post the stall number until just when the bus is boarding.

If you’re someone who doesn’t mind waiting, it might make sense to purchase a ticket from a machine when you’re at the bus station at Heathrow. The worst case scenario would be to have to take a later bus if earlier buses are sold out. Again, I don’t know what the chances are of that. You will pay a bit more than advance online, but that’s just a small part of the whole trip for sure.

If you’re looking online for bus times, specify the Heathrow T5 as your departure point. That way you can see how often the buses come there and that may influence your decision. If you can get on a bus at T5 that would be better than having to transfer to T2/3 because it will save you a lot of walking.

geovagriffith

I am afraid of a situation like you are describing.

Did you go to Central Bus Station? Were there any staff?

I just watched a youtube video but I do not recall how old it was. i think it was recent. It was a man walking from Heathrow Terminal to Central Bus Station.When he got to Central Bus Station, there was a booth with customer service but the video ended as he approached the booth

I have not found any others like this.

Barbara

You did well!

Read the posting above your most recent one.

And I wrote about just viewing a youtube video. There was a Customer Service Counter at Central Bus Station. But the video ended with the Content Creator approaching the counter. Do you remember seeing a Customer Service Counter?

There are 2 or 3 buses an hour from T5 and generally 5 or 6 an hour from T2/3.

The ticket sales office has closed, but there are mobile stand controllers/Customer Service Agents who control every aspect of the call for each bus.
There is also an information booth- for all non TfL operators, except Flixbus- although what more they know than what is on the screens I'm not sure.
There do seem to be allocated stands for each service, but with services often arriving early or late the stand is only allocated on arrival, so is only advertised on a just in time basis.

The screens monitor each service in real time, and the Nat Ex website/app also has a coach tracker for each service (a bit flaky at times).

So looking now-
Service 025 at 2150 not tracking, from Brighton
Service 030 at 2200 9 minutes early, from Portsmouth
Service 460 at 2205 not tracking, from Coventry
Service 032 at 2225, due 2236, from Southampton
Service 035 at 2235 not tracking, from Poole
Service 025 at 2300 on time, from Brighton
Service 025 at 2359 on time, from Brighton
Service 025 at 0100 Sunday on time, from Worthing

Each service which is tracking can also be seen on GPS. So anyone on WiFi or who has data can see exactly what is happening.

Personally I would rather take the free train from 5 to Central, and take the bus from there- due to more services and more support.

Boston Phil, I have caught National Express buses at both terminal 5 and the central station at terminal 2/3. My experience has been that the central station is significantly more user friendly. There are places to sit while you wait, nearby washrooms, and refreshments. There was also two tickets machines with a staff person nearby to assist with the machines if necessary. At terminal 5. You cross the road to the bus area which is located under a building. No seating and you would have to return back into the main terminals for washrooms.

Tickets can be prepurchased, purchased via the National Express App on your phone at the time, or purchased from the ticket booth. There is also a flex option for a slightly higher fee that allows for same day changes.

isn31c

Thank you

I am not going until October so there is no rush. I do not ever wait until last minute/

But i have spent all day watching youtube videos and doing research.

It is coming together.

I will be buying in advance on line and will pay 5 pounds extra for the flexibility.

Thinking I will leave from terminal 5 because I am paying the extra $5 for flexible time slot.

Hi Carol NR

I have been doing research all day.

Not ready to buy yet but will buy in advance on line and pay the extra 5 pounds for flexible time.

For now, I am leaning towards leaving from the bus station at Terminal 5 because I will be prepared. All my needs will be taken care of.

But when the time comes, I might still consider going to Central Bus Station.

Got a little nervous there but feeling much more relaxed now.

And I have a new iPhone. Just got it a few days ago and I have downloaded city mapper along with other apps.

And Carol, I will be flying non stop!

bostonphil7,
We flew into Heathrow on Aer Lingus, which I now understand was Terminal 2.
https://www.aerlingus.com/prepare/airport-information/heathrow-airport-terminal-2/

It appears that we arrived at the Central Bus Station.
We found a stand in the Terminal where we purchased our tickets to Victoria Coach station, then walked to the Bus Station.
The frustrating thing was that the huge screen in the station did not help us find the right bus.

I don't remember there being an information booth, but we eventually found someone that helped by pointing out the gate where the right bus was to be.
We went to that gate and managed to talk to the bus driver (eventually) but he said the our bus on our ticket was canceled, but the ticket was still good. A bus was posted on the big screen, showing it was going to Victoria, but shortly it was cancelled as well.

We eventually asked the bus driver at the gate indicated over an hour later and he confirmed it was our bus.
There were NOT 2 busses leaving for Victoria Station in each hour. Not sure what the problem was that day.

geovagrifith ....

I am feeling better today than I did yesterday about the situation.

I have been watching a lot of youtube videos and doing other research.

I thought that there was actually only one bus stop outside Terminal 5 but after watching youtube videos found that it is actually a large station

I probably will buy my ticket on line in advance and pay extra for flexibility.

But if push comes to shove, i can get to Central Bus Station. It is a bit of. a hike but it is possible., And as you know, there is a counter.

Hopefully if I have to do the latter, I will not encounter the maddening situation that you did.

I found the station at terminal 2/3 to be very clear about which bus was at each stand. It is not as clear at Terminal 5. Let me stress again the lack of facilities at terminal 5 vs Central Bus Station.

Thank you Carol N R

But did you arriive at terminal 5 and have to walk over to Central Bus?

I have been watching youtube videos and it seems to be a hike .....

But did you arriive at terminal 5 and have to walk over to Central Bus?

I have been watching youtube videos and it seems to be a hike .....

It isn't a hike - there is no pedestrian route between Terminal 5 and Terminals 2 and 3, where Central Bus Station is.

To drive between the two is about 15 minutes. Vehicles have to go around the runways and go all the way around the perimeter road for miles and miles.

There are Heathrow Express trains and Elizabeth Line as well as the Piccadilly Underground trains all linking the two terminals, and travel with a free ticket within the airport is, well, free.

I have often done this route through the last 26 years and am doing it again in November. I've always taken the Tube, which is easy. I just take the Piccadilly line to Barons Court, walk across the small platform and get on the next train to Victoria. You don't have to think about timing or buying a ticket, just use a credit card or Apple Pay. Basically, there is very little thinking, which is what I like. That being said, I've never taken the bus so I don't know what the draw is, but it sounds more of a hassle.

Thank you Nigel

As said, I watched several you tube videos of passengers walking to the Central Bus Station but I realize that I do. not know where the passenger began.

There is nothing said that the person was in Terminal 5 but I also watched videos of persons touching machines in terminals for the free ticket to Central Bus Station and getting on trams or trains. I guess the latter were in Terminal 5 but I do not remember anything being said about these persons being in Terminal 5.

It seems very complicated to get from Terminal 5 to Victoria Coach.

Hi Wray

As I just posted to Nigel, it seems very complicated to get from Terminal 5 to Victoria Coach.

But it also seems very complicated to get from Terminal 5 to Victoria Station.

I thought that taking the bus sounded easier than taking the train but now I am not so sure.

I like not thinking....

I expected it to be so easy to get from Heathrow to Victoria Coach.

I think I expected to get off of the plane, go through immigration and then right outside is the bus to Victoria Coach.

I am glad that I thought about doing research and asking some questions. I was not even going to.

That being said, the shock is wearing off and I am beginning to understand the way or ways to get to Victoria Coach.

I personally don't see the point of Change and Go on such a high frequency route, given that you still need cell phone access to redeem it (due to the lack of a National Express ticket desk at Heathrow)- https://faq.nationalexpress.com/s/article/How-do-I-redeem-Change-Go-online

At London Victoria, Birmingham, Southampton, Bristol, Leeds and Manchester there are staff who can redeem it, as well.

If you have cell phone access anyway then just book a ticket on arrival on the phone- Heathrow is a place where the buses are never running full, at least from Central Bus Station to Victoria. Another reason to use CBS is that, apparently, a lot of people use Nat Ex for landside inter terminal transfers. Given the far more frequent and faster free trains that seems truly bizarre to me, but I'm told it's a thing- so a bus could fill up at T5 with inter terminal transfers to 2 and 3, then empty out again at CBS. It's about £3 for the transfer.

I've only arrived into CBS direct from Cornwall, Scotland, South Wales, Leeds or Manchester so can't confirm that story of inter terminal transfers.

I've never change and go, as my normal Nat Ex route is twice a day- 11am and 1am so it has little use for me, I have every incentive to be on the correct service. Or if coming up from Cornwall (another regular route) there are only a few trips a day so I'm going to move heaven and earth to be on my booked service. I can see the point of it on routes like the hourly London to Bristol or the 2 hourly London to Canterbury.

Wow, people here are making this more difficult than it has to be.

When you exit customs, find the National Express bus stop. If signs don't help, ask someone who works at the airport. There will be plenty and they can point you in the right direction. Pre-purchase your ticket online and wait for the bus. If you feel better purchasing the changable ticket, then do so.

Once on the bus, you sit back, relax, and get off at the Victoria Coach Station.

Why aggravate yourself with all the other options?

isn3c

I have just bought a new iPhone with cellular data and plan to download the Nat Exp app.

There is a staffed counter at Central Bus but I do not know if it is exclusively Nat Exp. I noticed a Nat Exp sign behind the staff, hanging on the wall. I would be able to buy a ticket at the counter.

You said something about a 3 pound transfer fee which I do not understand.

The trains from T5 to CBS are free.

Thank you for the link

Frank II

Thank you for your response.

Have you taken the Nat Exp bus from T5 to Victoria Coach?

I was expecting it to be very simple to do so but it sounds so complicated

well, I downloaded the National Express App to my iPhone.

It looks like a bus comes about every 30 minutes to T5.

Information on the Nat Exp website left me with the impression that the buses did not come very frequently.

However on the web, it looked like the fare was much less than it is on the app. On the web, it looked to be less than 10 pounds but on the app, it is 22 pounds up. I have to go check this again.

EDIT. everything is good. I made some sort of error on the app but I have figured it out.

I was expecting it to be very simple to do so but it sounds so complicated

No, it is simple. You are making it more complicated than it has to be. Stop thinking about the Central Bus station or Piccadilly Line or Heathrow Express. Every step makes you more and more anxious.

Take the simplest way. T5 via National Express Coach to Victoria Coach Station. Buy a ticket online or via the app--it should be in the neighborhood of 10 GBP--buy the changable ticket so you don't worry about missing your bus--and that's it. (If you see a higher fare, you may have it set for a "return" ticket which means round trip.)

Tell us what day and what time you arrive at Heathrow and we will tell you at what times the buses depart.

Frank II has the best points in this thread so far.

"Not sure if the coaches sell out" as one forum user wrote,-as someone who takes National Express every time, I can say yes, coaches do sell out. They are cheap (compared to other means of transport to central London), frequent and reliable. The caveat is making it for the time on your ticket. I say, book the one that allows you to be flexible with time. Just a few dollars for the peace of mind. You get it into your email, print at home and don't worry about downloading it when in England.

Thanks everyone

My flight arrives 9:15 am.

I am thinking of a bus that leaves after 13:00 .... I will have one checked bag and I may want to eat before taking the coach. I also hate rushing -- would rather wait patiently

Another question. I probably should buy a round trip since I do not see any other options of getting to Heathrow when it is time to go home.

I am arriving at T5 but departing from T3. Should I buy an open ended return ticket? I was unable to edit my ticket to change the Terminal Number for when I depart.

Kootah

Plan to pay a few extra pounds for the flexible time option.