Best way to get from Heathrow to Crowthorne
 

Hello to all! I'm trying to determine the best way to travel from Heathrow to Crowthorne. After researching some, I've found a website with bus/train schedules from Heathrow. We arrive at Heathrow at 6:20a.m. and the first bus leaves at 6:57a.m. and changes in Reading to a train and arrives in Crowthorne at 8:20a.m. I'm afraid that even with carryon luggage only we'd be cutting it short in getting to the bus on time. There is another bus at 8:40a.m. but I'm not thrilled about having to wait over 2 hours to catch that bus. There are also trains available but with 2 changes which I'm not fond of either.

Would it be easier to hire a shuttle or taxi to take us to Crowthorne from Heathrow? Does anyone have any experience with this route and perhaps offer some advice?

If you arrive at 06:20 - you will not be on the 06:57 bus, so that isn't even a concern.

The 08:40 will not mean you >>having to wait over 2 hours to catch that bus<<. Maybe 30 mins tops.

06:20 is when your plane is scheduled to land -- not even when you deplane and start the likely long walk to arrivals. And w/ so many long haul flights landing in the early AM - the queues at immigration can be 30-60 minutes or sometimes even longer.

You will most likely make the 08:40 bus -- but even that one is not guaranteed.

Meant to add -- Crowthorne isn't really that far from LHR. Maybe 18-20 miles. If it isn't a budget buster, you could even consider a taxi.

Or - to save a bit of cash, you could take a bus to Windsor and a taxi from there - maybe about 12 miles.

This isn't my manor: but I don't know where you're geting this information from.

Buses from LHR to Reading station run every 20 mins from 0530. No need to book (though if you go to www.railair.com there might be a pound or so discount for doing so): trains to Crowthorne then every 20 mins till 0900, then hourly.

I wouldn't do this, though. To that part of suburban London from LHR, I'd say the easiest thing to do is:

Bus from the terminal to Feltham station (Every 10mins, taking 10 mins: 285 from T1 or 3, 490 from T4 &5: ttables at http://www.heathrowairport.com/asset.../Bus_Table.pdf
Train every half hour, takking half an hour, to Bracknell
Then cab

Alternatively, check with the airport car services featured on this board (like Just Airports): I'd guess about £50. Or google "heathrow taxi bracknell" for Bracknell-area cab firms doing Heathrow runs, who'll usually be about 10-20% cheaper than London-based ones doing the same thing.

As a general rule, never rely on a hotel for this sort of thing. They'll recommend whichever cab firm has thge nicest cars and gives them the best commission - both being extra costs that you'll be picking up

I was looking into the trains on: http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/ although perhaps this wasn't the best site to go to.

Although it might be cheaper to use a bus and train, I looked into the taxi at http://www.prestigeofwokingham.co.uk/offers.html and the rate offered is £33. Since we have a full day planned once we arrive this may be the way we will go. It will be less stressful just to have a car take us directly to our hotel. Flanneruk, I'll do more checking into different companies to make sure we get the best rate. I'm not sure where this particular company is based.