limo service from Heathrow to Dover
Jun 26th, 2005, 02:52 PM
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limo service from Heathrow to Dover
Does anyone have experience and recommendations for limo service from Heathrow to Dover. We are planning an overnight in Dover (Friday) prior to boarding our cruise ship and have read the correspondence regading underground to Victoria and train to Dover. We've been in London and don't relish dragging 4 bags around the tube during a workday. We are interested in lowest fare limo using standard sedan (i.e. no need for Mercedes S class that I've seen advertised).
Assuming that proves too costly, we were thinking taxi to Victoria and train to Dover. Where do I find train schedule and do you recommend tickets in advance since it's a workday? I hate using advance tickets since if our plane is delayed and taxi is delayed it would be hard to pre-plan station arrival.
Assuming that proves too costly, we were thinking taxi to Victoria and train to Dover. Where do I find train schedule and do you recommend tickets in advance since it's a workday? I hate using advance tickets since if our plane is delayed and taxi is delayed it would be hard to pre-plan station arrival.
Jun 26th, 2005, 03:39 PM
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Check www.thetrainline.com for prices and schedules. I would not buy a ticket ahead of time, you can easily do that at the station.
Whenever we have been in London we use Ray Skinner's driver/pickup service to back and forth to Heathrow. Ray can be found at www.london-transfers.com. His prices are a flat price (plus tip) and he will meet you as you exit customs. We have always enjoyed Ray (he is a character!!) and I have recommended him many times on this forum, as have other people. He uses a van, but you need to specify how many people and how much luggage in case one of his other drivers pick you up (that has never happened with us, as he knows us, but I know he cannot pick up everyone himself). You might also ask Ray what it would cost to drive straight from Heathrow to Dover -who knows, it might be cheaper then going into London and then taking the train, particularly if you need train tickets for several people.
There is another company called Justforairports that people recommend as well, but we have not used them as we really do enjoy riding with Ray. Swiss Cottage Cars is also a company that gets mention on this forum.
Don't take a regular taxi from the a/p, if you get stuck in traffic it will cost a small fortune.
Enjoy your trip and the cruise!!
Whenever we have been in London we use Ray Skinner's driver/pickup service to back and forth to Heathrow. Ray can be found at www.london-transfers.com. His prices are a flat price (plus tip) and he will meet you as you exit customs. We have always enjoyed Ray (he is a character!!) and I have recommended him many times on this forum, as have other people. He uses a van, but you need to specify how many people and how much luggage in case one of his other drivers pick you up (that has never happened with us, as he knows us, but I know he cannot pick up everyone himself). You might also ask Ray what it would cost to drive straight from Heathrow to Dover -who knows, it might be cheaper then going into London and then taking the train, particularly if you need train tickets for several people.
There is another company called Justforairports that people recommend as well, but we have not used them as we really do enjoy riding with Ray. Swiss Cottage Cars is also a company that gets mention on this forum.
Don't take a regular taxi from the a/p, if you get stuck in traffic it will cost a small fortune.
Enjoy your trip and the cruise!!
Jun 26th, 2005, 11:18 PM
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The cheapest way of doing this is the National Express bus to Victoria coach station, and changing there for a bus to Dover. Roughly every 90 minutes, elapsed time LHR-Dover about 4 hours. Getting the tube (or worse still, a taxi) to Victoria and then a train won't save you very much time over a bus as trains to Dover are slow even by our standards, and a Heathrow-Victoria cab takes just as long as a bus but costs roughly what you'd pay to buy the bus and take it away.
Incidentally "limo" or limousine in British ALWAYS means an expensive car. If you've been googling something like "heathrow limo" it's bound to throw up specialists in the gold-plated end of the market. Try just "heathrow transfer" abnd you'll get tons of lower-rent companies doing this. Better yet, google "airport transfer Dover" and you'll get Dover-based companies, who are very likely to come a lot cheaper than those based round LHR.
Incidentally "limo" or limousine in British ALWAYS means an expensive car. If you've been googling something like "heathrow limo" it's bound to throw up specialists in the gold-plated end of the market. Try just "heathrow transfer" abnd you'll get tons of lower-rent companies doing this. Better yet, google "airport transfer Dover" and you'll get Dover-based companies, who are very likely to come a lot cheaper than those based round LHR.
Jun 27th, 2005, 01:48 AM
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Trains to Dover are every half hour. You just buy a ticket and get on the next train (the tickets are not restricted to any specific departure time). The trains will only be busy during the evening peak, leaving London between about 1630 and 1900.
From Heathrow, you can take the Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith, then cross to the other side of the same platform for the District Line to Victoria where there are stairs up to the main line station.
From Heathrow, you can take the Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith, then cross to the other side of the same platform for the District Line to Victoria where there are stairs up to the main line station.
Jun 28th, 2005, 04:53 PM
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thanks "flanneruk" for the tip on searches. I had indeed been using limo instead of airport transfers.
One bit of confusion re: trains. I've had some replies to other inquiries state that train leaves Charring Cross, others say Victoria, and I've some say Waterloo station. Are there multiple trains to Dover? Or is Charring Cross on the Victoria line?
After these replies and after seeing cost of trains and hassles of dragging luggage around, I've decided to use an airport transfer service door to door. Not that much more money and certainly less hassle.
Thanks all
One bit of confusion re: trains. I've had some replies to other inquiries state that train leaves Charring Cross, others say Victoria, and I've some say Waterloo station. Are there multiple trains to Dover? Or is Charring Cross on the Victoria line?
After these replies and after seeing cost of trains and hassles of dragging luggage around, I've decided to use an airport transfer service door to door. Not that much more money and certainly less hassle.
Thanks all
