Help! This is my first time to London and my teenage daughter and myself will be flying into Heathrow Terminal 4 and then traveling to Moreton-In-Marsh. The fare from terminal 1 is $29 and $46 from terminal 4. The airport site seems to indicate that I can travel from terminal 4 to 1 at no charge. We could use the $34 for an afternoon tea in the Cotwolds that I have been dreaming of, but perhaps I am not understanding http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/fares/tickets correctly. Additionally, if our flight lands at 12pm, what train time should I expect to make for Moreton-in-Marsh? Thank you!

Are those trains at the same time pretty much? There can be quite a big difference because of 30 minutes or so. You link times out, what date and time?

It could be that one ticket is including the cost of the Heathrow Express and the other isn't. There's also the problem that you can't collect tickets at Heathrow so if you can't get an e-ticket you'll have to pay for LHR to Paddington separate;y and collect tickets at Paddington

BUT if I was heading to MiM I'd take the coach to Oxford then train from there.

"<i>BUT if I was heading to MiM I'd take the coach to Oxford then train from there.</i>"

Or -- possibly a coach to Reading and then train from there.

I personally wouldn't go into London and then train from there. But maybe flanner has a better option . . .

The difference is that the more expensive fare takes you via Paddington and the Heathrow Express and requires only one change at Paddington. The cheaper option avoids London but requires two changes. Click on "details" to see the difference.

Taking the coach from Heathrow to Reading, from which there's a direct train to MM looks like the best option - but from Terminals 1,2,3, not 4.

"maybe flanner has a better option . . ."

Not sure "better" is the right word: T4 is Heathrow's Cinderella terminal,and the Cotswold line is Britain's Cinderella route.

First, the line is closed several times this summer (http://firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=3501). For Moreton,when the line is closed,the train takes you to Charlbury, where it is met by a bus which takes you on to Moreton.

Second, there is no train to Paddington, or bus to Reading, from T4. You need to take the free Heathrow Express train to the T1-3 station. From there, you can wait on the platform for a train to Paddington (it's then a 30 yard, entirely on the flat, walk to the train for Moreton). It's always cheaper to take the Heathrow Connect than the slightly faster Heathrow Express.

Or you can get the Railair bus to Reading, where the Moreton train arrives about 30 min after leaving Paddington. The bus to train connection at Reading is very cumbersome with luggage (and more cumbersome still on the way back, making the train to bus connection)

Normally, the best value/comfort option with luggage is to change to the Heathrow Connect train at T1-3, then get the train to Paddington. However, onward trains to Moreton from Paddington sometimes have a two-hour gap between them (the good news is that the reason the line is intermittently closed this summer is that they're adding capacity, so from late autumn they will be at least hourly), and it's just possible a Heathrow Express will let you catch an earlier onward connection

Note that there is no benefit (at least cost wise) in advance booking on trains to Moreton. However, since UK railway ticket machines don't accept steam age (ie unchipped) North American credit cards, you need to buy the Moreton ticket from a human agent, and therefore need to allow time for the inevitable queue.


Note also that Oxford station is an unpleasant (and unscenic) 10 min walk from where the direct bus from Heathrow (or at least from all Heathrow terminals apart from T4) to Oxford stops. The only difference between changing to the Moreton train at Reading and at Oxford is that the Oxford connection is slower and far more cumbersome. I always avoid it.

To add to what flanner has written, rather than the National Rail site, I would recommend using the First Great Western website http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk, as it is the company which operates both the trains on the Cotswold Line and the Railair coaches between Heathrow and Reading station.

If you want details of the option via Reading, on the FGW journey planner enter Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 Bus as your starting point (if you just put Heathrow, the journey planners are set up to favour all-rail options) and Moreton-in-Marsh as the destination.

If you prefer to check things out on a pdf, these are the relevant printed timetables
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/D...om/RailAir.pdf
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/D...T19_WEB_V1.pdf

I'm not sure that I would describe the arrangements at Reading as very cumbersome - unless you are travelling with lots of large heavy bags without wheels - but ignore the cheaper option that National Rail offers you, as this involves changing trains at Hayes & Harlington, and then again at Slough, just up the line. And definitely use Heathrow Connect trains rather than the Express on cost grounds, unless using the Express is the only way to be sure you will catch a connecting train at London Paddington.

If you are travelling in the nine days in August when trains can't reach Moreton-in-Marsh, the road coach service standing in for the trains on parts of the Cotswold Line is highly organised, with staff on hand to help with the transfer at the stations and make sure people are on the right coach.

Hi Shineandsparkle,
If you click on my name, you can read my trip report with some links to websites that might be helpful for bus/rail planning from LHR. I flew into LHR and traveled to the Cotswolds. I have some info. as to how much time it took to get from the plane, through passport inspection, through baggage claim, and then to the bus station at the airport.

If you use the traveline site (on my trip report), you'll see options and times for how to get from LHR to MIM. Some may have you go into London's Paddington, but I've never done that. Both times I traveled to the Cotswold from LHR, I didn't have to go into the city.

Have a wonderful time!

you're confused..you should try living here.

as the old joke says, you are starting from the wrong place.

but if you have to make this trip, you've been given the very best advice.

For me it's not so much the cost as I am on a special holiday and I don't plan on doing things on the cheap. I have done this trip three times and each time I have used the Heathrow Express to Paddington station in London then the train to Moreton-in-Marsh. Once I took an earlier train to Oxford, had a beer, and thene on to Moreton-in-marsh.
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Thank you so much everyone for helping so much. With all the options I am certain to make it to the B&B! Your kindness is very much appreciated!

Hello again London bus and train experts. It looks like the bus to Reading an then train to Moreton-In-Marsh is the way to go at $30.10. Is it important to book this ahead of time as it is a bus? What if I do not make the 13:35? Will my ticket work on th next bus? And since my final destination is Chipping Campden, will I need to make sure I have pounds to pay the Taxi from Moretone to Chipping Campden or do they take credit cards? Thank you again!

Hi shineandsparkle,

The two times I took a bus from LHR to the Cotswold, I did buy in advance and printed out my e-ticket to give to the driver. The buses weren't full at all (for what that's worth). You can buy at the bus station, but you'll have to wait in line to buy the ticket (I didn't see a kiosk - you buy from a teller), and it MAY be more expensive at the last minute (but I'm not 100% sure for bus tickets. I know the rail tickets are more expensive). I'd buy in advance through links from the traveline site.

http://www.travelinesw.com/swe/XSLT_...LPxx_link=home

As for timing, that's a tough call. If you land at noon, and the bus leaves at 1:35, I'd plan on getting the next bus. If you read my trip report (link below), it took me almost exactly 1 hr 35 minutes to disembark and get through border control and all that. The cheapest tickets are non-refundable, but I remember I bought far enough in advance that buying two non-refundable tickets (one with a hopeful early departure, and one with a safe later departure), was cheaper than buying one fully refundable ticket. (BTW: I didn't make the earlier bus.)

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-london.cfm

As for the taxi, I had to pay cash. I'd reserve a taxi in advance on the web as I suspect these taxi companies aren't big operations. It may just be one guy with his one car/cab.

You can get pounds easily at Heathrow - just be sure to inform your bank which dates you'll be using your ATM card overseas.

Have a great time! I'm so jealous of your trip. I so love this part of England.

1. There's no need to book the bus. As the Railair site repeatedly tells you.
As you'll have seen from the Railair site, there's a discount for buying a ticket online in advance, but it's specific only to the day, not the time of travel. Railair doesn't have a policy of providing erroneous information.

2. I said above "Note that there is no benefit (at least cost wise) in advance booking on trains to Moreton. "

That's because:
a) there isn't (except, oddly, when the direct train service is replaced by a partial bus journey), and
b) Seat reservation isn't possible on about half the trains on the route anyway

Perfect! I believe I am armed with great information to make this journey! Thank you so very much!

The taxis around here are all one-man bands and cash is preferred. If you're pressed for time at Heathrow, there are ATMs at Reading station, while at Moreton-in-Marsh the post office is just at the end of the railway station approach road and has an ATM and offers bureau de change services as well.

Depending on what time you arrive, you have another option to reach Chipping Campden, as local bus services 21 and 22 run from Moreton-in-Marsh station direct to Campden on their way to Stratford-upon-Avon. The timetables are here http://ww5.gloucestershire.gov.uk/Bustimes/Cotswold.htm

As you will see, the buses aren't frequent, so booking a taxi may be the best bet, though the taxi drivers usually turn up to meet the trains anyway to see if they can pick up a fare. Plus there is a list of phone numbers for all the local taxis posted in the window of the station booking hall and you can usually find a driver who is free pretty quickly by making a call or two.

Thanks for the bus info! I will try to catch it so I can to save money for tea!