Looking for advice about bus vs. train for getting to our flight home out of Heathrow on a Saturday morning at the end of March
The National Express bus from Swansea seems speedy enough and would take us direct to Terminal 5 at about one-third the price of the GWR, which would require a transfer at Paddington. But since we do have to catch a mid-afternoon flight, I'm wondering if one is more reliable than then other. Any advice appreciated.
If taking a bus to the airport my only advice is to ensure you leave considerable extra time, as traffic can be unpredictable. We have almost missed flights a few times just taking busses to the airport within London and with a longer journey there's more opportunity for disruption.
On the last two weekends in March there is engineering work at Swindon, so all trains from Wales and Bristol are diverted via Bradford on Avon and Newbury, adding pressure to already busy tracks.
There is also a line closure on the diversionary route between Swansea and Cardiff- the route which would be used if there was a problem on the main line.
It is a matter of debate whether you would change at Reading for the Rail Air Bus to Heathrow or Paddington- there is little time difference in it, so it is personal preference. Or the 3rd choice is change at Reading for the Elizabeth Line to Hayes and Harlington, change again for Heathrow.
Given that the train takes 4 hours to Paddington those weekends, compared to 4 hours ten minutes (and only half the normal train service is running from South Wales due to the diversion, so the trains will be busy) my choice would be National Express. Less moving parts to go wrong.
nobody else has said it but I will - are you absolutely sure that whatever path you choose you will actually have enough time to easily make 3 hours ahead check in at Terminal 5? There are so many opportunities for clangers to drop and stress to build.
Saturday is football so whatever route you choose may have quantities of footie supporters who can be a touch raucous on the way to a match. Traffic, accidents, breakdowns. Maybe nothing will happen and you will be singing everything is Golden.
I was taking my wife to the dentist an hour from home on this Thursday morning 2 days ago. The A14 and M6 were closed due to an overnight truck accident where they meet with the M1. I need to go that way because he is on the outskirts of Birmingham. I needed to be away no later than 10 am and the road reopened 15 minutes later. Whew! But the traffic left over was atrocious and it was raining and blowing hard. As I drove towards the M6 on the A14 I saw a broken down National Express coach on the opposite side of the highway, passengers in the rain milling about and it was protected by a single Highways England flashing lights SUV. Traffic was backed up at least 3 miles. At least I was going past in the opposite direction. This isn't made up - it was all part of my fun Thursday. Not to scare you, just to inject a little reality. (we got to the dentist 15 minutes early, taking 2 hours for a 1h05 normal journey)
But you will be coming from all the across Wales and then most of the way across England, to make a flight home in the early afternoon the same day.
Good luck, i hope it all works out for you. I think you are brave and courageous.
I think it is too risky to make such a journey on the day of departure - even though your flight leaves in the afternoon. It would be far better to arrange your vacation so that you can spend the day before departure somewhere near Heathrow - such as Reading, Windsor or Henley on Thames if not in London.
The National Express bus leaves Swansea and goes into Cardiff on the way to Heathrow. It can’t just go into central Cardiff at speed - like the trains. I think it also goes into Newport and even if by-passing Newport, there is the problem of a 2 lane each way tunnel which often jams up. If a crash happens, motorways can be shut for hours.
I would go on the Friday by train and if you buy an advance fare for the middle of the day, you should find a good deal. I have just checked on the GWR website for Friday 21 March and see that you can leave Swansea at 12.22 and get to Heathrow 3 hours 29 minutes later for £60.90 or £40.55 per person (Railcard price). These fares are cheaper than going via Paddington so select Avoid London in the options. It will tell you to change at Reading and Hayes & Harlington in order to reach the airport. Of course, you could pay more for later trains.
As said above, the direct rail lines to London are shut on the Saturday and another reason to avoid travelling on the day of departure.
I have just checked on the GWR website for Friday 21 March and see that you can leave Swansea at 12.22 and get to Heathrow 3 hours 29 minutes later for £60.90 or £40.55 per person (Railcard price). These fares are cheaper than going via Paddington so select Avoid London in the options.
Cheaper by all of 40 pence and faster by 8 minutes (with a 24 minute connection at Paddington). Buy commission free split tickets from Scotrail - Advance Swansea to Hayes and Harlington (valid via Paddington) and day single Hayes to Heathrow. If the Swansea train was on time there is another Elizabeth line train to Heathrow 12 minutes earlier from Paddington.
It is possible to get the journey for £53.90 (on the Reading/H and H route) by doing ticket splits at Port Talbot Parkway and Swindon- but you may have to change reserved seats twice by doing that.
The 1222 happens to be the Pullman train on a weekday so you could finish the trip in style and have a Silver Service Pullman lunch. The restaurant car is open to standard class passengers if there is space available. That trip is the positioning journey for the busy return evening service, so space should not be a problem. The Restaurant car should be in the front 5 car set departing Swansea (half the train has started from Carmarthen, further west).
The bus by the way is all of 20 minutes slower than the train from Swansea to Cardiff as it goes straight down the M4. If it was such a terrible service as some people claim then real people would not use it. The frequency of bus service shows that people do use it. Unlike a train if the track is blocked for some reason, an express bus can and does divert onto other roads- directed by National Express Control (not the drivers) who are always on top of it.
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I did a similar journey a year ago, and to be safe, spent my last night (for early morning departure) at a Heathrow area hotel, as Airline advised me to be there 4 hours before takeoff.
I took the train (from Cardiff) at 12:00 pm - to Paddington after 2 pm, then immediately took the Elizabeth line.) I found the trains great - although my Cardiff visit was simply because of a train strike on the day I wished to leave Swansea.
