Dot 2 Dot shuttle service from Heathrow - have you used it?
Mar 7th, 2009, 10:10 PM
#1
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Dot 2 Dot shuttle service from Heathrow - have you used it?
On a recent thread I asked for some ideas to get my daughter safely from Heathrow to a hotel on a Saturday night using the Piccadilly Tube Line. I was looking at the Heathrow Airport site and saw this company offering door to door shuttle services.
www.dot2.com/Home.aspx
They quoted 17.50 GB to take her to the Amsterdam Hotel in Earls Court ( I just picked a random hotel), this is quite a lot cheaper than what is advertised on justaiports.com that a lot of fodorites reccommend.
Has anyone used this service? Sounds like a good deal to me but I would like your thoughts please.
www.dot2.com/Home.aspx
They quoted 17.50 GB to take her to the Amsterdam Hotel in Earls Court ( I just picked a random hotel), this is quite a lot cheaper than what is advertised on justaiports.com that a lot of fodorites reccommend.
Has anyone used this service? Sounds like a good deal to me but I would like your thoughts please.
Mar 7th, 2009, 10:24 PM
#2
dot 2 dot from LHR is sort of like SuperShuttle in the States. It would not be just your daughter on board. It would be 8-10 others and they'd drive around dropping folks at various hotels. She could luck out and be the first one dropped off -- or she could be the last one 45 minutes later.
(Dot 2 dot from LGW puts you on a train and then picks you up at the station to travel on your hotel. From LHR it is 12 passenger vans from the airport into London)
There is one Fodorite who has used dot2dot and likes them. I personally would take the tube, or a regular car service. Both would be faster than dot2dot - especially if you areamong the last off the van . . . .
(Dot 2 dot from LGW puts you on a train and then picks you up at the station to travel on your hotel. From LHR it is 12 passenger vans from the airport into London)
There is one Fodorite who has used dot2dot and likes them. I personally would take the tube, or a regular car service. Both would be faster than dot2dot - especially if you areamong the last off the van . . . .
Mar 8th, 2009, 04:36 AM
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Hi janisj,
I realise the shuttle will have other people on it and understand what you are saying but on the Heathrow site it mentions that it only drops off and picks up no more than 3 ohter people. I think I might send them off an email and clarify this. Otherwise it looks like it will be justairports. Daughter is not to keen on catching the tube. Her first 10 nights in London are her 21st birthday present so we thought a shuttle or car would be a special surprise.
I realise the shuttle will have other people on it and understand what you are saying but on the Heathrow site it mentions that it only drops off and picks up no more than 3 ohter people. I think I might send them off an email and clarify this. Otherwise it looks like it will be justairports. Daughter is not to keen on catching the tube. Her first 10 nights in London are her 21st birthday present so we thought a shuttle or car would be a special surprise.
Mar 8th, 2009, 05:29 AM
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Hi Janisj,
My husband and I have used dot2dot twice now...both times with no problems at all and with total efficiency. From Gatwick we were escorted to the train (even had our suitcases trundled there for us!) and very promptly picked up and taken be minubus/van to Earls Court. The drivers where courteous and appropriately friendly. Would have no hesitation using this service again.
My husband and I have used dot2dot twice now...both times with no problems at all and with total efficiency. From Gatwick we were escorted to the train (even had our suitcases trundled there for us!) and very promptly picked up and taken be minubus/van to Earls Court. The drivers where courteous and appropriately friendly. Would have no hesitation using this service again.
Mar 8th, 2009, 06:19 AM
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Take a look at this thread from 3 days ago.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...on-shuttle.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...on-shuttle.cfm
Mar 8th, 2009, 02:50 PM
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Thanks everyone, sounds like it would be fine for what we want, that is if it is still in business. Sounds like it could be going under.
yk, I searched but nothing came up, so thanks for that.
yk, I searched but nothing came up, so thanks for that.
Mar 8th, 2009, 11:53 PM
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Just in case anyone is interested I emailed visitbritain here in Australia and asked the question about dot2dot closing down. Quoted from their rather terse reply "I am aware of this article and it is actually incorrect and dot2dot which is owned by National Express have advised they no plans to discontinue this service as it is very popular with travellers."
Mar 9th, 2009, 01:29 AM
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VisitBritain is either lying or it employs people too stupid to check their facts before committing.
Either way, you'd be doing a public service if you published the name of the person who sent that email. I'm not having my taxes wasted on employing lying or incompetent foreigners: we've got enough of our own.
National Express sold the business in January. In October the National Express CEO explained in public why he was far from having "no plans to discontiue the service".
You can check this on Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/finance/stock...s?symbol=NEX.L)
Or just look at the Dot2Dot site http://www.dot2.com/Pages/Popups/Ter...onditions.aspx
It's all the fault of that Blair. Let one devious little perpetual fantasist be prime minister, and it infects even government employees 10,000 miles away. At least I voted against him.
Is Dot2Dot safe? In this climate, who is? But if they've gone bust by the time she gets to LHR, what have you lost? Anhd it's hardly as if getting the tube on a Saturday night is exactly a hardship.
Either way, you'd be doing a public service if you published the name of the person who sent that email. I'm not having my taxes wasted on employing lying or incompetent foreigners: we've got enough of our own.
National Express sold the business in January. In October the National Express CEO explained in public why he was far from having "no plans to discontiue the service".
You can check this on Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/finance/stock...s?symbol=NEX.L)
Or just look at the Dot2Dot site http://www.dot2.com/Pages/Popups/Ter...onditions.aspx
It's all the fault of that Blair. Let one devious little perpetual fantasist be prime minister, and it infects even government employees 10,000 miles away. At least I voted against him.
Is Dot2Dot safe? In this climate, who is? But if they've gone bust by the time she gets to LHR, what have you lost? Anhd it's hardly as if getting the tube on a Saturday night is exactly a hardship.
Mar 9th, 2009, 03:01 AM
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Oh, I do hope it doesn't go under as it's been an option LHR has lacked for a very long time. I know folk on this board are dead keen on personal cars or taxis which I suppose makes sense if you're a family with oodles of luggage. But for a solo traveller they are crazily expensive.
I've always used the tube but it would be nice to have an alternative.
Maudie, remembering your previous thread, if you have decided on Hammersmith then your daughter probably would get dropped off early as other likely users of the service would be going to Earls Court!
Cheers.
I've always used the tube but it would be nice to have an alternative.
Maudie, remembering your previous thread, if you have decided on Hammersmith then your daughter probably would get dropped off early as other likely users of the service would be going to Earls Court!
Cheers.
Mar 9th, 2009, 04:24 AM
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Ok now here is the email I received directly from dot2dot just this minute:
"Thanks for your email. Generally, when a passengers arrives at our desk and checks in, they are usually on their way to London within 20-30 mins. When our company was operated by National Express, our limit on the shuttles was no more than 4 stops. But as we are no longer part of National Express, our service is changing slightly. It could be 5 stops. Our shuttles have 10 seats."
Sounds like I have opened a can of worms.
I know it is not a hardship to get the tube on a Saturday night, she is however traveling on her own and it is her first time in London, for us it is "peace of mind" to know she has arrived safely at her hotel.
Hi Afterall, I hope it doesn't go under as well. It sounds like a good deal to me. By using the shuttle it gave us a wider choice of hotel and it really doesn't matter too much how long it takes, she will just be so excited to be in London! She has decided on www.lunasimonehotel.com/ between Victoria and Pimlico. Thanks for your kind words.
"Thanks for your email. Generally, when a passengers arrives at our desk and checks in, they are usually on their way to London within 20-30 mins. When our company was operated by National Express, our limit on the shuttles was no more than 4 stops. But as we are no longer part of National Express, our service is changing slightly. It could be 5 stops. Our shuttles have 10 seats."
Sounds like I have opened a can of worms.
I know it is not a hardship to get the tube on a Saturday night, she is however traveling on her own and it is her first time in London, for us it is "peace of mind" to know she has arrived safely at her hotel.
Hi Afterall, I hope it doesn't go under as well. It sounds like a good deal to me. By using the shuttle it gave us a wider choice of hotel and it really doesn't matter too much how long it takes, she will just be so excited to be in London! She has decided on www.lunasimonehotel.com/ between Victoria and Pimlico. Thanks for your kind words.
Mar 9th, 2009, 07:36 AM
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Not a can of worms, but it could be a crap shoot. Sometimes the shuttle is full;other times it's not. I'd say go for it as the time spent dropping off passengers won't really make that much difference, and I suspect there won't be that many passengers in the evening anyway. As I stated on another post, I enjoy the trip as I can sit back and relax a bit and also have a brief tour of London, although I'm almost always the first on the list.
Mar 9th, 2009, 02:52 PM
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Thanks historytraveler, you have reinforced our thoughts. She can sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. I have sent two emails to dot2dot and have received informative and polite reples within minutes. I will be booking it today as we have just had conformation on the hotel.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and discussion.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and discussion.
Apr 9th, 2009, 08:24 AM
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My husband and I plan on using Dot2Dot when we are in London on May 24. My husband really wants to take a black taxi, but I convinced him that it would be very expensive. Others have suggested that we use a black cab for a trip once we are downtwon London, not on our way. A few months ago somebody responsded positively about their interaction with Dot2Dot also.
