Taxi or Tube, which will be quicker?

Lucy_Lastic

5 people with luggage (one case each), travelling from Waterloo Station to St Pancras International on a Wednesday morning, starting at 09.15.

My friend thinks taxi would be quicker, I think tube.

Would 5 people with luggage fit into one black taxi?

On a money saving note, we have rail tickets that include the tube. I'm only asking because we have 40 minutes to make this journey and the taxi was mentioned to save time. I'm doubtful though.

Your thoughts/helpful suggestions please.

peachyprice

Tube, without a doubt.

It's two very short tube rides and should take no more than 15-20 mins.

yorkie2

Lucy_Lastic wrote: »

5 people with luggage (one case each), travelling from Waterloo Station to St Pancras International on a Wednesday morning, starting at 09.15.

My friend thinks taxi would be quicker, I think tube.

Would 5 people with luggage fit into one black taxi?

On a money saving note, we have rail tickets that include the tube. I'm only asking because we have 40 minutes to make this journey and the taxi was mentioned to save time. I'm doubtful though.

Your thoughts/helpful suggestions please.

What are your ticketing arrangements?

The minimum cross-London transfer time from Waterloo to STP is 61 minutes, so a 40-minute connection wouldn't form part of a valid itinerary.

That said, you may still be entitled to aim for a 40-minute connection, if you either held flexible "walk-up" tickets, or if your onward train from St Pancras is operated by either Thameslink or SouthEastern and is therefore a "connecting service" from South West Trains. Without knowing the details of your journey, it's difficult to comment on that, however.

There is no 0915 arrival at Waterloo, so I'm gessing you're on the 0910 arrival from Southampton and that 0915 is your estimated arrival time at the Underground gateline, in which case you should be on a Bakerloo line train by around 0920, arriving Oxford Circus around 0929. It's simply a matter of crossing platforms at Oxford Circus (no stairs or escalators to negotiate) so you'll likely be on a Victoria Line train by 0933, arriving St Pancras 0937. Even allowing 13 minutes to get up the escalators (and potentially down too, if you're taking Thameslink) through two gatelines and make the long walk to the relevant platforms, it should be possible to reach the platforms by 0950, so within your target of 40mins.

Assuming, of course, there are no delays.

If there are any delays on Bakerloo/Victoria Lines, take the Northern/Piccadilly instead, changing at Leicester Square. The change at Leicester Square isn't quite as quick or easy though.

beckstar1975

Hmm - how are you getting to Waterloo? If you come via Vauxhall get off there and get the Victoria line - should free up at least 10 mins AND is under 15 means from Vauxhall to St Pancras

Actually - where are you getting on the first train? Getting the Thameslink direct to St P might be better still . .

Lucy_Lastic

Thank you for you replies.
I am coming from Gillingham Dorset on SW Trains, arriving at Waterloo 09.17 to be precise. It does not go via Vauxhall. This is the only viable train to enable us to connect to the Eurostar departing at 10.58 from St Pancras.

yorkie2 - thank you for the valuable information on changing at Oxford Circus rather than Leicester Square. This is what I will recommend to my friends.

Errata

Would 5 people with luggage fit into one black taxi?

Short answer - no.

PasturesNew

If you put running shoes on .... it's 2.3 miles walking

yorkie2

Ah, I see. That's fine then! You'll likely arrive at St Pancras 1 hour before your train. There are plenty of places to sit, eat and drink at St Pancras.

Your train goes through Vauxhall non-stop, so it will be easier for you to change at Waterloo.

The only exception to that would be if there were delays between Clapham Jn and Waterloo causing trains to queue on that section, I'd then advise changing at Clapham Jn and again at either Victoria or Vauxhall for the Victoria Line.

Lucy_Lastic

yorkie2

Thanks again! As it's a group booking on Eurostar (12 people) we are informed that we should check in one hour before the train departs, so as I thought, take the tube and we will be fine.

I travel to London often and am pretty good at finding my way around, but it's the details about changing on the tube and whether it involves stairs/escalators etc that are of interest. It often seems that you have to walk further than you travel by tube at times!

Errata

Lucy_Lastic wrote: »

yorkie2

It often seems that you have to walk further than you travel by tube at times!

It can do, but sitting in a black cab in a traffic snarl up watching the clock going round at mach 2 can give you a heart attack;)

Lucy_Lastic

Errata, I had visions of that happening! Also I could not imagine 5 of us and luggage getting into one black cab. Of course there is a queue for taxis to negotiate as well. No telling how long you would have to wait.
I don't think my friend had thought it through.