Heathrow to Kings Cross

Crispy_Ambulance

Our transatlantic flight is due to land at 11.35 in terminal 3. There is a train oop north at 2.00 pm - is it going to be feasible for us to make this train. I'm estimating 1 hr to get off the plane, go through immigration and collect bags and then another hour on the Piccadilly line, leaving half an hour wiggle room but I don't know if that's realistic? The next train is twice the price of the earlier one, so that is an incentive, but I don't know if I'm being unrealistic or not?

Cornucopia

Unrealistic for the Piccadilly line. Probably realistic for the Heathrow Express/Connect.

Have you checked the price to book through from Heathrow to Oop North on a single ticket? That way (as long as you observe the recommended connections) you are protected if you miss the train.

Crispy_Ambulance

Cornucopia wrote: »

Unrealistic for the Piccadilly line. Probably realistic for the Heathrow Express/Connect.

Have you checked the price to book through from Heathrow to Oop North on a single ticket? That way (as long as you observe the recommended connections) you are protected if you miss the train.

The Heathrow Express is really expensive - we're looking at around £200 for the 4 of us on a single ticket rather than £55 including the tube fare. It would still be cheaper to get the later train than to get a through ticket. Do you think we need to allow 3 hours rather than 2.5?

Cornucopia

I can't comment on the time to traverse the airport, but TfL suggests that it takes just over an hour to get from Heathrow to Kings Cross on the Piccadilly line. It'll probably be longer during the rush hour (if that's when you are travelling).

becominganobsessivesaver

Are you travelling with east coast? Have you got a railcard? When we did this last year we booked an off peak single from the east coast website and booked seats on a specific train but could use any train until 3pm. It meant there would be no hanging around. These tickets were only available directly on the east coast site.

tomtontom

I've made it to Kings Cross in less than ninety mins plenty of times - if everything is on time you'll be fine.

I've also got delayed somewhere along the journey and ended up buying a new ticket, or hanging round until after 7pm.

Are you near a regional airport with LHR connections, have you priced this up?

richardw

Do you arrive on a non working day, and are there 2 or more passengers, if so consider using Uber or Addison lee apps with a discount code for your first trip.

martindow

Heathrow Express only runs every 15 minutes and obviously has a change at Paddington. The tube is every 5 minutes and takes 17 minutes longer (54 mins v 37).

If you happen to just miss a Heathrow Express the times are almost the same and the tube far cheaper.

I can't imagine travelling by road is going to be a good idea or very fast around lunchtime

pogofish

An hour is about the shortest time it has ever taken me on the tube from Kings Cross to Heathrow. Ninety minutes is a much safer time IMO - and even then, there have been a couple of occasions when very busy and the time taken was over two hours.

SW17

Crispy_Ambulance wrote: »

Our transatlantic flight is due to land at 11.35 in terminal 3. There is a train oop north at 2.00 pm - is it going to be feasible for us to make this train. I'm estimating 1 hr to get off the plane, go through immigration and collect bags and then another hour on the Piccadilly line, leaving half an hour wiggle room but I don't know if that's realistic? The next train is twice the price of the earlier one, so that is an incentive, but I don't know if I'm being unrealistic or not?

As usual, depends on your appetite for risk and the saving you are going to make. Based on my own (reasonably considerable) experience, you would make this 9 times out of 10 at that time of day if the flight is more or less on time. Of course if it's late, you don't have massive contingency in your plans. What's the cost of missing the cheaper train, and the saving gained from it? How quick are your travelling companions? You just have to decide if the game is worth the candle, as it were.

Crispy_Ambulance wrote: »

The Heathrow Express is really expensive - we're looking at around £200 for the 4 of us on a single ticket rather than £55 including the tube fare. It would still be cheaper to get the later train than to get a through ticket. Do you think we need to allow 3 hours rather than 2.5?

Didn't quite understand this. Even buying from a machine on the day, the Heathrow Express would cost £88 one way for 4 adults (and under 16s are free BTW), and Paddington-Kings X on tube is cheaper than LHR-Kings X, so how could it be £145 more than the tube? Although the point above about frequencies is a fair one, when you reach Kings X via Paddington you are on a line nearer the surface, so a couple of mins are saved getting up to national rail.

Crispy_Ambulance

SW17 wrote: »

As usual, depends on your appetite for risk and the saving you are going to make. Based on my own (reasonably considerable) experience, you would make this 9 times out of 10 at that time of day if the flight is more or less on time. Of course if it's late, you don't have massive contingency in your plans. What's the cost of missing the cheaper train, and the saving gained from it? How quick are your travelling companions? You just have to decide if the game is worth the candle, as it were.



Didn't quite understand this. Even buying from a machine on the day, the Heathrow Express would cost £88 one way for 4 adults (and under 16s are free BTW), and Paddington-Kings X on tube is cheaper than LHR-Kings X, so how could it be £145 more than the tube? Although the point above about frequencies is a fair one, when you reach Kings X via Paddington you are on a line nearer the surface, so a couple of mins are saved getting up to national rail.

Sorry, I was talking about the all in ticket from Heathrow to Oop north. That would involve 3 changes of train as well which isn't going to be much fun with bags & jetlag.