We're doing a round trip London/York/London. What's the most cost effective way of getting a ticket? Should we book online through National Rail in advance, or will the ticket prices be comparable if we just get them at Kings Cross before getting on the train? Also, in Rick's guidebook, when giving advice on getting to York from Heathrow, he suggests taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington, then taking a taxi. Does anyone know of a reason why this would be a better option than just hopping on the Picadilly line at the airport and going straight to Kings Cross? Thank you!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Walk-up fares for longer routes in the UK are notoriously expensive. For London-York they are 80-100 GBP. Booked 30-60 days in advance, fares are as low as 11.25 GBP!
Book through the train company that handles that route, www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com. If you have trouble registering on the site, book over the phone.
Posted by
Freedonia
16274 posts
It will take a little over an hour to get from Heathrow to Kings Cross on the tube. The Piccadilly Express takes about 15 minutes and a taxi could take as little as 15-20 minutes depending on traffic.
As long as you're not in a big hurry, I'd just take the Piccadilly line. It's also much cheaper.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Take the Tube. By the time you've exited the station and stood in line at the taxi queue waiting for the next available taxi, you won't save enough time over just taking the Piccadilly line directly from LHR to KX to justify the much higher expense. A Tube ticket costs £4.
Posted by
Powell River, Canada
359 posts
Did the trip last spring, booked the ticket in advance (much, much cheaper)and got it out of the machine at King's Cross with my credit card (use the same card to order and pick-up). The trip was into Heathrow, Hth. Express to Paddington (15mins), tube to K's Cross (15mins max), bit of a wait for the train and away we go. Have a few UK bits of change for the loo at K's Cross (or go to the money exchange to make change). If time's not an issue (it was for me 'cause I had a reserved ticket/time), the Tube from Heathrow will work too. The train I was on didn't have a lot of empty seats.
Posted by
Stockton, CA
152 posts
Getting from LHR to Kings Cross by tube is fine, but slower and cheaper. Since you will be among the first on, you should be able to find somewhere to sit or stand with your bags. Going from London to Heathrow by tube with luggage can be tricky, depending on day and time.
If you have enough lead time, the train fares can be dramatically lower with advance booking. Look carefully at the choices, since the fares are very dependent on day of week, time of day.
If you have any concerns about booking on-line, just call them. They speak English, sort of.