London Heathrow to Dover - PLEASE HELP

[cruiseda1]

I am arriving at 4pm (no luggage) at LHR on Friday afternoon and have to be at Dover cruise terminal by 7:00 pm (ship leaves at 8:00 pm.) I know it is too little time, but unfortunately i have no choice.

 

What would be the fastest and most reliable way to make it from LHR to Dover?

 

Thank you very much.

[scottbee]

I am arriving at 4pm (no luggage) at LHR on Friday afternoon and have to be at Dover cruise terminal by 7:00 pm (ship leaves at 8:00 pm.) I know it is too little time, but unfortunately i have no choice.

 

What would be the fastest and most reliable way to make it from LHR to Dover?

 

Thank you very much.

 

It won't happen. You'll be joining your cruise at the next stop. It's a minimum 2 hrs between LHR and Dover on good day, and you're choosing to do it in the middle of the 'get the hell of out London' rush hour.

[John Bull]

I am arriving at 4pm (no luggage) at LHR on Friday afternoon and have to be at Dover cruise terminal by 7:00 pm (ship leaves at 8:00 pm.) I know it is too little time, but unfortunately i have no choice.

 

What would be the fastest and most reliable way to make it from LHR to Dover?

 

Thank you very much.

 

 

As Scottbee's response, without a helicopter or Capt Kirk's teleporter it simply ain't gonna happen. You didn't just choose the worst time of day, you also managed to choose by far the worst day of the week.:eek:

 

Public transport all goes via a change in central London, which restricts you to a private road transfer.

 

No luggage helps, means if your aircraft is on-time you can be in the arrivals hall in about 30 mins, giving you 2.5 hours.

 

Distance is about 105 miles, achievable in under 2 hours at three in the morning. But you'll be mixing it with thousands of Londoners heading home or getting out of the city for the weekend. It'll be slow stop-start traffic from the moment you exit the airport until you leave the M25 orbital road - that's about 35 miles - there shouldn't be any big hold-ups after that.

Even a driver who knows all the tricks (eg using junction ramps to jump the stationary lines) isn't going to get you there on-time.

 

With one possible exception :cool:

You use the word "I" & not "we" & you have no luggage - are you travelling alone, meeting up with others on the ship?

In a place the size of London, there's got to be motorcycle "taxis"

If this is a possibility for you, we can check out the prospects. Not saying it'll work, just saying its worth checking out.

 

Otherwise you need to reconsider your plans.

 

John Bull :)

[Globaliser]

In a place the size of London, there's got to be motorcycle "taxis"

I agree that this is the only possibility other than by air.

 

I'm not even sure where a helicopter transfer could start from; I'm not sure that it's easy to arrange a slot at Heathrow.

 

Alternatively, perhaps a fixed wing aircraft from Northold to Lydd, and a road transfer to Dover.

[William Dean]

I am arriving at 4pm (no luggage) at LHR on Friday afternoon and have to be at Dover cruise terminal by 7:00 pm (ship leaves at 8:00 pm.) I know it is too little time, but unfortunately i have no choice.

 

What would be the fastest and most reliable way to make it from LHR to Dover?

 

Thank you very much.

 

You can't. Pure and simple.

 

WD.

[3rdGenCunarder]

It won't happen. You'll be joining your cruise at the next stop. It's a minimum 2 hrs between LHR and Dover on good day, and you're choosing to do it in the middle of the 'get the hell of out London' rush hour.

 

And don't forget to allow as much as an hour for walking from the gate to Immigration (we had a 15-min walk this spring) and standing in the queue (we stood for at least a half hour, maybe more), and then finding whatever ground transport has been arranged.

 

Cruiseda 1, you will have to change your flight. If you can't get an earlier flight on that day, can you fly a day early and stay overnight somewhere?

 

Do you have a backup plan for getting to your next port if you miss the ship?

[Globaliser]

Do you have a backup plan for getting to your next port if you miss the ship?

Just had a look at the itinerary. The Friday in question looks like it's a week today: Fri 15 July. The next day is a sea day. The following day (Sun 17 July) will be the first opportunity to catch up with the ship, when she's in Leith - Edinburgh by air or by train will be the easiest way of doing this, and a leisurely two nights over which to do it.