LuvVienna

I am going to Bath for the weekend in December & my friend booked me a flight into Stansted instead of Bristol. To top it off I arrive in Stansted at 11:45PM. Is there a relatively convenient way to get to Bath? Do I have to go through Paddington Station. If so, how do I get there? I can't figure out the express train or the other options the airport web site gives. Help!

janisj

Make your friend work out this mess

It will be well after midnight before you can even think of getting to a hotel. I'd stay near Stansted that night.

Then the next day you could either take the National Express coach to LHR and then the Express bus from LHR to Bath -- or -- you could travel into London then go to Paddington and catch a train to Bath. The coach to LHR and then coach to Bath would be my choice because transferring between train stations in London would mean a lot of schlepping of luggage on the trains and bus or tube. But don't plan on being to Bath until mid morning the next day. The first STN/LHR coach runs at 0500.

(I'd really be annoyed w/ the friend BTW)

flanneruk

You friend's a complete ass. It's going to take you twelve hours from Stansted to Bath, and likely the same amount in reverse. Which doesn't leave much of the weekend - and adds hotel costs.

You should seriously investigate cancelling the booking, arguing with your chum about who pays the cost, and rebooking to an airport on the same planet as Bath

I assume you're using a low cost carrier from somewhere in Europe. Bristol's a small airport and may not have the flights you want during the winter. Low costs don't use Heathrow - Bath's "other" local airport - but in the current climate of falling oil prices and passenger numbers, it's well worth checking whether there are deals offered by the conventional carriers.

Otherwise, these three airports have dense low-cost networks, have their own railway station and are within a one-change, two hour, railway journey of Bath: Birmingham (whose station is called Birmingham International), Southampton (plug Southampton Airport into the National Rail site) and Gatwick.

All infinitely more convenient than the Amsterdam suburb your friend thinks is near Bath.

isplumm1

Hi,

Haven't been able to post all day ...??

Anyway, not sure where you are flying from, but www.flybe.com are the company who do most flights to/from Southampton.

To get to Bath from Southampton Airport is fairly simple. The train station is within about 100 feet of the airport - it is a very quick airport to get through. Then either catch train to Romsey via Eastleigh - trains go direct to Bath from Romsey, or catch train to Southampton, then direct train for Bath. I think from memory trains go from Southampton to Bath every hour & Romsey is on the same line.

If you have to fly into Stansted, then in reality you only have 1 choice - drive - I suspect at that time of night - it will take minimum of 3 hours.

Mark

LuvVienna

Thank you so much for your help. I'm a bit confused by flanneruk's comment. I thought that Stansted was about 45 min northeast of London. Is there an Amsterdam in the UK?

For several reasons buying another plane ticket is out of the question & I need to make this work as best as I can. Isplumm1, driving isn't an option for me because the surcharge & rental would be too expensive as I'm under 21. I'm flying Ryan Air & what is really annoying is that they fly directly to Bristol! I'm coming from Vienna.

I am looking into the National Express coach to Heathrow & it looks like a round trip would cost almost £80. They give several choices for Heathrow - airport, T1 -T5. I am guessing that I want the airport stop. Is that right?

It looks like I can take a train directly to Paddington from Stansted. Is this the same Paddington where I'd get the train to Bath Spa? This seems fairly direct. Which do you think would be better - this train or the coach?
Thanks again.

.

yk

<i> They give several choices for Heathrow - airport, T1 -T5. I am guessing that I want the airport stop. Is that right?</i>

What you need is the Heathrow Central Bus Station stop. It's also the same stop for T1-T3. You DO NOT want a stop at T4 or T5. The Heathrow Central Bus Station is where you will pick up your next bus to Bath.

<i>It looks like I can take a train directly to Paddington from Stansted.</i>

The only direct train I know of, is the Stansted Express. It goes to London Liverpool Street Station. It is quite some ways from Paddington Station, so you'd have to take the tube across town from Liverpool Street Station to Paddington Station.

Steve_James

Hi LV - The earliest National Express bus from Heathrow to Bath leaves at 09.00a.m. (- arr. Bath 11.20).

That means catching an overnight (- or early morning) bus from Stansted to Heathrow.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/bp/b2...TOKEN=43156358

If you go by bus it means spending most of the night at Stansted or Heathrow waiting for the 09.00 departure.

If you go by train it means spending most of the night at Stansted or in London, waiting for an early morning train to Bath.

If I were you I'd re-book a flight to Bristol and save the hassle.

Steve

rogeruktm

I would get a new friend and new tickets. Really, the person who booked these flights couldn't have made a poorer choice. So, book your own and let her pay for the error.

I see no option other than spending the night at the airport or a hotel nearby.

rogeruktm

I did a search which is not very good, it will get you to Bath. Step 1, Outside of Stansted Airport take the 3:30 am National Express coach #A6. (You will need to pre-book ticket). Get off at Marble Arch around 4:46 am at stop P. Walk to stop E, take London bus #36 toward Kilburn to Queen Park station or Bus # 23 toward Kensal Town and get off at Paddington Station stop F. Next take the 5:27 First Great Western Train to Bath, arriving at 6:53.

LuvVienna

Thanks again for all the work you guys are putting into this. I am a student on a very tight budget &amp; really appreciate this help.

I looked on the National Rail site (http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/tt) &amp; found a train leaving from Stansted Airport (SSD) for London Paddington (PAD) every 15 to 30 min beginning at 12:30AM &amp; taking 1 hour 26 min. The 1st train from PAD to BTH leaves at 6:30AM &amp; arrives at 8AM. Trains seem to leave every half hour.

Would this work or is there something I am missing?

If this works then I just need a place to sleep for a few hours - either in Stansted or near Paddington. Any ideas?

rogeruktm

If everything works out you might manage to board the 12:30 train that goes to Liverpool street station. No where near Paddington. The tube will not be running until much later so you will be stuck. at 1:30am in an area I wouldn't want to be in. There might be a night bus, bus I am not sure. If me I would just hang out at the airport or perhaps someone can suggest a inexpensive hotel. Oh, when I checked the rail to London it quoted a cost of 48 pounds.

You may still find a cheaper option is to re-book your flight.

TimS

You are misreading the information on the National Rail site. As others have said and as the site shows, there is no train that goes directly from Stansted to Paddington. The last train to Liverpool Street Station leaves at 00:30. The first direct morning train to Liverpool Street Station leaves at 06:00. From there you can take either the Tube (Underground) or a bus to Paddington Station.

National Express coaches (buses) run nearly 24/7 from Stansted to London Victoria. They make several stops enroute, including Marylebone which is fairly close to Paddington. See here: http://tinyurl.com/6zdtbw. Or go to www.nationalexpress.com.

You could take a coach to Marylebone, stay in a nearby hotel, and catch an early morning train from Paddington to Bath Spa.

yk

<i>I looked on the National Rail site (http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/tt) &amp; found a train leaving from Stansted Airport (SSD) for London Paddington (PAD) every 15 to 30 min beginning at 12:30AM &amp; taking 1 hour 26 min. The 1st train from PAD to BTH leaves at 6:30AM &amp; arrives at 8AM. Trains seem to leave every half hour. </i>

Are you sure? When I looked it up, the journey involves ONE change. When you click to see the DETAILS of the journey, you'll see that the first leg is the train that goes from Stansted airport to Liverpool St Station. The second leg is taking the TUBE from Liverpool St Station to Paddington. But then it says, NO TUBE is available at that hour.

TimS

Adding to my previous post. If you stay near Marylebone, you can take the Bakerloo Tube line from Marylebone to Paddington in the morning. For a zoomable Tube map, go here: http://tinyurl.com/yvtjav.

Mucky

Looks like your in a pickle !!
Another option to Bath from London is:
http://www.megabus.com/uk/
I think you can get a train or bus through them very cheaply, but you will need to get to London to meet up with the bus.

Good luck

Muck

TimS

One more thing. If you decide to sleep in the airport, see the comments about Stansted at www.sleepinginairports.net.

flanneruk

There are several options - all unpleasant - for getting from Stansted to Paddington at midnight. But you're likely to have a similar problem going the opposite direction too - and your weekenmd is going to be just as screwed up if you spend one or two nights sleeping on a floor somewhere as it will be if you fork out for a hotel and don't get to Bath till midday.

Which is why rebooking really is the sensible thing.

If that's not on (and you're being as fatheaded as your friend if you persist), AND you're on a budget so want to avoid a hotel, then the only way you can get from Stansted to Bath at midnight means sleeping on a bench somewhere.

<b> The safest and easiest place to do this is at Stansted itself </b>. There are NO benches at Liverpool St or Paddington: just uncomfortable metal single chairs, on uncarpeted stone or terrazzo floors, in doorless buildings that get bloody cold by 3 am in December. Both stations have police patrols that certainly don't encourage overnight sleepers: Stansted, by contrast, is crowded most nights with people sleeping - if they're lucky, on benches, otherwise at least on a carpeted floor in a heated building - waiting for early flights. The airport is used to them and there's some camerarderie among them and between them and the airport authorities. If travelling overnight is what you decide to do, I'd get a few hours sleep at Stansted, then get the train and tube (or coach and tube via Marylebone) to Paddington at an almost-civilised hour like 0530.

Then you hit the next rub. On weekdays, getting any train before 0930 can mean your return fare will be &pound;133. You can get round this by committing in advance to a specific train - but tickets at this fare MAY be limited on weekdays, though all fares fall sharply on and after 0930.

Cathinjoetown

For good reasons everyone is encouraging you to fly in to a closer airport.

I would guess if you added up the costs of getting to Bath and back from Stansted, it would work out close to or exceeding the cost of a 2nd ticket to a closer airport.

Just a suggestion that you might want to do the math.

LuvVienna

Ah! I see where I went wrong with the train. What a mess! I am so happy that I got it cleared up before I got there in the middle of the night. Thank you so much. Now I have to decide what to do.