Heathrow to Hertfordshire- hire car or train?

Are you referring to the university in Hatfield? If so driving is easy enough although you do not mention the time of arrival or day of the week which will make a difference. Driving from LHR you take the M25 northbound and turn off at the A1 north at South Mimms. it's about 30 miles but during rush hour the traffic will be bad.

Hatfield railway station is not near the Uni but taxis are available if you want to go by train. Train service goes from Kings Cross to Hatfield. Also it is opposite Hatfield House/Old Hatfield which is a must see if in the area.

There is also a Green Line bus service from LHR to Hatfield with a stop at the Galleria which would be the nearest to the university. Takes about 2 hours depending on traffic.

The University's website has information about getting there.
http://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/where-to-find-us/home.cfm

I think I'd book a car service to King's Cross.
Just Airports seems to be popular with members of this forum

Apologies I see the arrival time as 6am, if during the week the traffic can be heavy on the M25.

You can also book a taxi from LHR to the university, I believe the cost is around £60-65 approx.

If you are unfamiliar with driving in the UK and because you are flying in from the States, I would arrange a car service to get you up to Hatfield.

Depending what you plan to do, you can pick up a car the next morning.

we once arrived at a foreign airport [toronto as it happens] after a day-long flight, picked up our hire car, and plunged out of the airport into the maestrom that is the Toronto rush hour. That was 23 years ago and I STILL remember the panic i felt, and DH was driving. driving out of LHR onto the M25 after an over night flight would not be very different.

plus you will be driving on the wrong side of the road, albeit with the steering wheel in the right place which makes it easier. Cab or train would be much better, IMO.

However, i have to ask, what else are you planning for this trip? surely you're not going to spend all your time in Hatfield? wouldn't it make more sense to book a central london hotel and spend a couple of days there and then head out to Hatfield either as a day trip or with an over night stop perhaps in a B&B? then you could leave your big suitcases at your London hotel, and just take what you need. after all, your DD is going to have plenty of time to get to know Hatfield when she starts there in July. [July? - virtually all university courses start in September or October, but perhaps she is attending a summer school?]

the website is showing an open day in March. http://www.herts.ac.uk/home-page.cfm

as you are coming before then, do let the uni know so that they can make arrangements to show you and DD around, discuss what she'll need, etc.

The relevant bit of the M25 is horrid during rush hours, whether you're driving (though I'm sure no self-respecting helicopter mother would do anything as insanely irresponsible as setting her child the example of driving on a busy motorway after a sleepless overnight flight on a side of the road she's unused to) or in a cab.

Hatfield's 20 mins from Kings Cross station in central London by half-hourly train. Hatfield is also, like most of suburban London, pretty short of hotels and close to utterly bereft of any except the most charm-challenged.

How long is your entire trip? Going to Hatfield on your arrival day might not make any sense. You'll be jet lagged and likely won't accomplish much arranging (helicoptering) that day.

Why not go into London as the others suggest - then take the train up to Hatfield a day or 2 later - You probably won't need more than one day in Hatfield. I'd pend the rest of my time in London.

And no you don't want to drive OR take the train from LHR to Hatfield. You'd want at least a day to recover before even thinking of driving, and there is no train connecting the two places. You'd have to go into London anyway to get to Kings X.

Not sure about "organize everything she needs" - does that mean that you are planning on getting her an apt and buying furniture? Will she be living n university housing and you just want to shop for accessories? Or are you just wanting to tour the place to find out what she will need. If the latter, do yo have arrangements with the U to get such a tour?

Also, you don;t say how long you will be there - but if it's more than 2 days - it does seem to make sense to spend most of your time in London - and not rush off the U right off the plane.

THank you so much for your replies. I didnt want to go into a lot of detail, but it may assist. I am flying in from Australia, so we drive on the same side of the road. I have an elderly Aunt that lives in Hanslope (Milton Keynes)so I was hoping to stay somewhere between Hatfield and Hanslope, do the Uni stuff during the day, then drive to Hanslope for an early dinner etc with my Aunt, then back to Hotel. However I have been looking and there doesnt seem to be much in the way of accommodation.

I have other relatives in London, so the idea was to go to Hatfield first do everything there, I have no idea how long that would take so have allowed four days. DD will be staying on Campus, so its just a matter of securing accommodation,. checking what she needs in her room to survive an English winter ( we are aussies, not used to the cold at all)and spend the left over time with my Aunt, touring Oxford, the Cotswolds etc. Then to London for the week end with the other relatives then I thought we would catch the Euro to Paris for four nights then back to London and home.

Oh and the other reason I thought about going straight to Hatfiend was that we arrive at Heathrow at 6am and would have to wait around for quite a few hours before we could check into our hotel, so I thought it would make better use of our time to travel. I am thinking that we should take a taxi, that seems the safest option. The only other thing now is where to stay? I haven't seen anything thats really nice, can anyone recommend somewhere nice somewhere along the route from Hatfield to Milton Keynes? Or should we just stay at Hatfield for one or two nights depending how long everything takes and then head to Hanslope for two nights? THank you very much for all your replies, it is so helpful.

I can't imagine needing four days in Hatfield. You might need 2 days - but even that would be a stretch IMO. Plus it is 5 months ahead of your daughters course, will you even be able to nail down housing that far in advance?

Even being from OZ and used to RHD cars, you'll still have the jet lag to deal w/

It just seems easier to organize things something like London first, then Hatfield, then MK, then touring around a bit.

aha, tricia, I'm beginning to see the light. but honestly, 4 days to sort out what she'll need? even if that were really necessary, are these the right 4 days to be doing it, when you're jetlagged?

this would be my idea - Day 1 arrive at LHR. you say you arrive at 6.45am - is that when you land? you can reckon on at least an hour to clear passport control, collect luggage and get through customs. Then say you have a spot of breakfast - 45 mins. by now it's probably about 9am. train into central london - another hour or so.

so earliest at your hotel - 10am. you might be lucky with your hotel room - but if not, go for a walk round Westminster, or get the HOHO bus. the worst that can happen is that you fall asleep! spend at least another day seeing London.

then go to Hatfield for the day. get appointments with lecturers, accommodation officers etc. and take a list of queries. you will be able to be much more effective after a couple of nights sleep than you ever would have on the day you arrived, AND you won't be lugging suitcases around.

then go back to london, have another day sightseeing, and then go and stay with/near aunty. if you need a bit more time in Hatfield, by now you'll have been able to work out exactly you need to do/find out, and it'll take half the time it would have done if you'd tried to do it on day 1.

honestly, I've settled two kids into uni recently, one of whom is possibly the most disorganised person you could ever meet, and even he didn't need 4 days.

PS - just googled Hatfield, then put in 'hotels". it came up with one or two in nearby Hitchin that looked as if they might be ok - try putting Hitchen, Herts, into TA and seeing what it comes up with. you could do a night there on the way to aunty!

Oh - I forgot to address the issue of not being able to get into your London hotel. But annhig did. In many trips to London I've only once or twice not been able to check in even when arriving early. If the room isn't ready, just leave your bags and go out as annhig suggests.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, I feel less stressed and more organised now!

I know a little about this from the university end. There are (or were, in my day, and in these ever more consumer-conscious days, it ought to be even more the case) all sorts of conventions and codes of practice about the sort of information universities should provide in advance. No harm in your putting some of your concerns to the relevant office of the university now, and asking what sort of induction information and advice they (and/or the student union) will supply, and when, in relation to your daughter's start date, and to your specific concerns.

For instance, there'll likely be - at some point - advice about the best local shops to buy warm. but cheap, winter clothing and that sort of thing (should be much in their minds at the moment!), but they wouldn't necessarily be writing all that down in a handy booklet until much nearer the time. I see that UH's guide from 2011 is available online, with a dedicated International Student Support contact:
http://www.herts.ac.uk/international-students/before-you-travel/home.cfm

hi tricia - glad to have helped [ - if I did!].

remember there are loads of students in the same boat as your DD and they all muddle through some how - and that is after all part of the process. obviously she'll be further from home than most, but at least that means that she can't run home at the slightest excuse!

one thing that the uni might be able to do in time for your visit in Feb is to put your DD in touch with another student from Aus who could tell her some of the pitfalls - then perhaps they could meet up when you are here.

something I just thought of - one thing that would really help your daughter when she's over here is being able to cook! The vast majority of student accommodation is self-catering, and both our kids were grateful that they knew how to make a meal from scratch, instead of relying on takeaways and ready meals. not only is it cheaper and healthier, but for DS it has been a way to make friends as other students are keen to try out his stews and roasts.

it may be of course that your DD already has this important life-skill, but if not, it's something that could really help her once she starts uni.

The talking-to-another-Australian-student suggestion is excellent. From my own personal experience, there may be a few things that are harder to find in the UK, or cheaper overseas, that another expat can clue her into, and many things that the expat could reassure her will be easily available to her in the UK. (For me back in my day, the things that I needed to 'import' were women's shoes in wide widths and jeans/slacks in long-inseam lengths.)

I haven't seen anything thats really nice, can anyone recommend somewhere nice somewhere along the route from Hatfield to Milton Keynes?
I used to visit this neck of the woods frequently on business. It's true there aren't that many decent hotels in the immediate area (and don't stay in Stevenage whatever you do). The Hitchin Priory (about 16 miles further north from Hatfield up the A1) was always my hotel of choice in those days, and has the benefit of being located in an attractive old market town. The Redcoats Farmhouse hotel is out of town but has a good reputation and popular restuarant.

Another option is St Albans (which is only a few miles west of Hatfield) - nice old town with Roman remains. Never stayed there myself, but have eaten at the Thistle Hotel on the southern edge of the town. Looks like a nice hotel.

I am thinking that we should take a taxi, that seems the safest option.
Organise a pre-booked airport taxi service from the Hatfield area (search on-line for one). Do not under any circumstances jump into a black cab at LHR as it will cost a fortune.

Again, thank you. I have searched the Uni website and found some information. annhig my DD does know how to cook and iron although there is little evidence of that at home! We do have family in London if she gets stuck, but I did just want to buy everything she needs to start off so there wouldnt be any desperate phone calls home asking for money (although this still may not save me) PatrickLondon, thanks for the link,I have passed it on to DD. Gordon, some else did recommend St Albans and the ruins so I will definately have a look there. Just how cold will it be in February? Right now, here, its 37 hot amd humid, am I looking at snow, ice or just cold and rain?

Who knows for sure? Cold and rain by comparison with what you're getting now, certainly. Currently, temperatures are mild for the time of year, around 10C (I notice some early spring flowers already), with occasional bands of rain passing over from the Atlantic. Which is not to say we won't get a dip down to freezing with some snow and ice, or indeed a warm spell up to 15 or so: but in either case, it's unlikely to be for more than day or two at a time.

Clothes-wise: layers, layers, layers (and something waterproof on the outside - there are cheapo outdoors-type shops for emergency outer layers if necessary, unless your daughter is particularly fashion and style-dependent).

>>I did just want to buy everything she needs to start off so there wouldnt be any desperate phone calls home asking for money (although this still may not save me)<<

I do wonder if, this far in advance, you will be in a position to lock it all down like that. I'd be surprised, for instance, if you'll be in a position to know now whether she'll need to buy a new kettle, toaster or extra bedding: but the university should be able to give you some ense of what might be needed, a likely budget, and some hints and tips about the most cost-effective ways of matching the two - so that you both know she will be able to cope within the budget.