Flight time after Dover

[mrgame101]

Hello All. I know its WAY too early to be even thinking about this. Were on the Legend Sept 1, 2013. It says we arrive at 5am on the 13th. I am wondering when to arrange the Car Service to take us back to the airport, and also what is the earliest flight time I should consider? It says it takes 2-3 hours from Dover to the London Airports, and that you should check in 3 hours before an International flight. Flying back to the US if that helps.

 

THANKS!

[scottbee]

Hello All. I know its WAY too early to be even thinking about this. Were on the Legend Sept 1, 2013. It says we arrive at 5am on the 13th. I am wondering when to arrange the Car Service to take us back to the airport, and also what is the earliest flight time I should consider? It says it takes 2-3 hours from Dover to the London Airports, and that you should check in 3 hours before an International flight. Flying back to the US if that helps.

 

 

LHR/Heathrow airport is 20 miles west of London, and Dover is 75 miles SE of London, and the M25 motorway around London is often recognized as 'Europe's largest parking lot'; so factor in at least 2½ hours to get from Dover to Heathrow.

[LHT28]

I would not book anything before noon

We were off the ship at 6:15 @ LHR @ 8:30am but we were lucky not much traffic

 

I would rather hang out at the airport rather than stressing over not making the flights

Others will disagree

[mrgame101]

I would not book anything before noon

We were off the ship at 6:15 @ LHR @ 8:30am but we were lucky not much traffic

 

I would rather hang out at the airport rather than stressing over not making the flights

Others will disagree

 

I totally agree with you. Thats why I am worrying and its a year and a half out!! Would you think a 1220PM out of Gatwick is doable? I think that might be cutting it close but its the ONLY nonstop home to Tampa!

[scottbee]

I totally agree with you. Thats why I am worrying and its a year and a half out!! Would you think a 1220PM out of Gatwick is doable? I think that might be cutting it close but its the ONLY nonstop home to Tampa!

 

gatwick is quite a bit closer to Dover, so yes, that'd doable.

[John Bull]

Dammit.

Gotta learn to read what's written :rolleyes:

 

Posted to say it's easy, cos the 1st is a sunday.

But had to delete cos you sail on the 1st & return on a friday (argghhh, friday the thirteenth) :eek:.

I'm gonna have to rethink.

Will post again

JB :)

[mrgame101]

Weekdays part of the journey can be fraught :eek:

But my diary says September 1st is a SUNDAY :):):)

 

No problem.

It's about 80 miles, comfortable in 90 minutes.

Only about 12 miles is on the dreaded M25 & even that'll be a pussy-cat on a sunday morning.

If the motorway is closed by an accident, even the alternate routes should be OK on a sunday.

 

Latest check-in time trans-Atlantic is usually 60 to 90 minutes, it varies from airline to airline. Airports/airlines tend to recommend up to 3 hours to allow for hold-ups en-route.

So working backwards, 12.20 flight means 10.50 check-in. 90 minutes by car means leave the ship at 09.20am

Now it would be dumb to cut it that fine by having a leisurely breakfast & being the last off the ship, but you should be off by about 08.20, giving you an hour of wiggle-time.

 

You could even consider ship's transfer coach, which will leave the pier around 8.30, will take little more than 90 minutes & get you to Gatwick shortly after 10am. Whether you choose that option depends on how much wiggle-time keeps you happy, your airline's latest check-in time, & the cost differences (private transfer currently around £85-£90)

 

If you want to play ultra-safe you can disembark unassisted about 07.00, which will give you way over 2 hours wiggle-time.

 

No worries :)

 

JB :)

 

Thank you for the detalied response. And I am sorry the Ship departs on Sept 1st, and returns on the 13th which is a Friday! Now I dont know if that makes a difference. Knowing we arrive at 5am should I schedule a pick up for 7am? I have no problem leaving the ship as soon as possible either!

Thank you again!

[John Bull]

Curses - you spotted my post before I deleted :o

Hmmm, try again, son :rolleyes:

 

Friday, 13th Sept, 2013.

 

You should be able to leave the ship with unassisted disembarkation by 7am, probably a little earlier.

You need to be at the airport check-in desk by say 10.50am

That gives you something under 4 hours, lets call it 3.5 hrs.

Most of your journey will be pretty easy, about an hour on the M20 & M26 to the dreaded M25.

12 miles along the M25.

Then an easy 10 miles down the M23 & possibly a little clogged approaching the airport, 30 minutes at the most.

Leaves you a comfortable two hours for that 12 miles of M25 & any other delays.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Gatwick+Airport&hl=en&ll=51.328895,0.576782&spn=0.755131,1.571045&sll=51.138432,1.257591&sspn=0.094782,0.196381&geocode=FYr9CwMdcPQTAA%3BFdaDDAMdBC79_yH_c4kBv6TdWQ&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=12&t=m&z=9

 

Still no worries :)

Unless you're superstitious :D

 

You could contact the experts, who do the trip many times a day:

http://www.folkestonetaxi.com/

or

http://www.dovertaxis.com/

are most-commonly used by cruisers.

 

JB :)

[mrgame101]

Curses - you spotted my post before I deleted :o

Hmmm, try again, son :rolleyes:

 

Friday, 13th Sept, 2013.

 

You should be able to leave the ship with unassisted disembarkation by 7am, probably a little earlier.

You need to be at the airport check-in desk by say 10.50am

That gives you something under 4 hours, lets call it 3.5 hrs.

Most of your journey will be pretty easy, about an hour on the M20 & M26 to the dreaded M25.

12 miles along the M25.

Then an easy 10 miles down the M23 & possibly a little clogged approaching the airport, 30 minutes at the most.

Leaves you a comfortable two hours for that 12 miles of M25 & any other delays.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Gatwick+Airport&hl=en&ll=51.328895,0.576782&spn=0.755131,1.571045&sll=51.138432,1.257591&sspn=0.094782,0.196381&geocode=FYr9CwMdcPQTAA%3BFdaDDAMdBC79_yH_c4kBv6TdWQ&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=12&t=m&z=9

 

Still no worries :)

Unless you're superstitious :D

 

You could contact the experts, who do the trip many times a day:

http://www.folkestonetaxi.com/

or

http://www.dovertaxis.com/

are most-commonly used by cruisers.

 

JB :)

 

Again I want to thank you very much for your detailed information you've provided. I think I am a little at ease now. So would you suggest that I arrange for the car for 7am then?

[John Bull]

Again I want to thank you very much for your detailed information you've provided. I think I am a little at ease now. So would you suggest that I arrange for the car for 7am then?

 

A problem if you don't have early unassisted disembarkation is that some cruise lines arrange general disembarkation in deck order, usually top decks/expensive cabins first. So depending on your stateroom you might not be able to disembark til say 8.30. And by then mebbe a line at immigration/customs. Or even a suitcase in the wrong place.

You'd probably still be OK, but I get the impression you'd prefer to tumble out of bed early & avoid risk.

So a 7.15am booking should be perfect :cool:

 

JB :)

[phabric]

When we were on a Princess cruise out of Dover, we returned a little late, self disembarking was to start at 7:15 and 7:30 but did not start until 7:45.

[mrgame101]

A problem if you don't have early unassisted disembarkation is that some cruise lines arrange general disembarkation in deck order, usually top decks/expensive cabins first. So depending on your stateroom you might not be able to disembark til say 8.30. And by then mebbe a line at immigration/customs. Or even a suitcase in the wrong place.

You'd probably still be OK, but I get the impression you'd prefer to tumble out of bed early & avoid risk.

So a 7.15am booking should be perfect :cool:

 

JB :)

 

Oh definately no problem getting out out bed super early! Only issue is will be getting my Wife's stepmom to take only one suitcase! LOL. The last stop before Dover is Le Havre, France and we leave at 10pm. I dont think *knock on wood* that it we should be any later then 5am.

[LHT28]

I think I am a little at ease now. So would you suggest that I arrange for the car for 7am then?

I would tell the driver your flight time they probably have done the trip before

I would go with 6:45-7am but that is me because I worry about missing my flights ;)

 

enjoy the trip

[mrgame101]

I would tell the driver your flight time they probably have done the trip before

I would go with 6:45-7am but that is me because I worry about missing my flights ;)

 

enjoy the trip

 

Oh I know! I am too! You spend all the time worrying and I would probably be at the airport by 9am!

Thanks!

[april47]

I liked my overnight flights back home from England. On my cruise next year I plan on getting a late flight from either Heathrow or Gatwick. Then, I really don't need to worry about the timing getting off the ship. I can relax , eat lunch somewhere and enjoy the scenery.

[elphin]

You should be fine for the BA flight from London Gatwick to Tampa; also three hours is too early to check in. If you check in two hours before the flight you will have plenty of time to kill. Take an early Carnival bus from the pier and they'll get you to Gatwick in plenty of time. Getting to Heathrow airport is a longer journey with a lot more risk so probably don't book a flight that leaves before 1pm

[ranchette]

You should be fine for the BA flight from London Gatwick to Tampa; also three hours is too early to check in. If you check in two hours before the flight you will have plenty of time to kill. Take an early Carnival bus from the pier and they'll get you to Gatwick in plenty of time. Getting to Heathrow airport is a longer journey with a lot more risk so probably don't book a flight that leaves before 1pm

About how much is the Carnival bus to the airport?

[mrgame101]

About how much is the Carnival bus to the airport?

 

When I put down the deposit the PVP said they dont have any information about that kind of stuff yet since it is way over a year away before they are in Dover.

[SoBaycruiser]

I've read this thread with interest as I'm in a similar situation for our Princess cruise that arrives in Dover at 5am next July 1 (2013) . It's a small ship (680 passengers) so debarking should be easier. We will be trying to book award travel to LA out of Heathrow. It's too far out to book our return trip at the moment, but looking at the previous month's availability, I see they have two non-stops to LA. One is at 10:25am and the other in the late afternoon. Of course there are no seats available on any of the days in the late afternoon (preferable for business travelers after a days work). The morning flight is too early based on what you have all said above. BTW, July 1 is a Monday. So that leaves two choices... Try for a one-stop flight that adds about 4 hours to our trip home or spend the night by the airport and take the next morning flight. Any other suggestions? (for what it's worth, we saved enough points for business class and would love the long intl flight as intl business class is special)

[John Bull]

I've read this thread with interest as I'm in a similar situation for our Princess cruise that arrives in Dover at 5am next July 1 (2013) . It's a small ship (680 passengers) so debarking should be easier. We will be trying to book award travel to LA out of Heathrow. It's too far out to book our return trip at the moment, but looking at the previous month's availability, I see they have two non-stops to LA. One is at 10:25am and the other in the late afternoon. Of course there are no seats available on any of the days in the late afternoon (preferable for business travelers after a days work). The morning flight is too early based on what you have all said above. BTW, July 1 is a Monday. So that leaves two choices... Try for a one-stop flight that adds about 4 hours to our trip home or spend the night by the airport and take the next morning flight. Any other suggestions? (for what it's worth, we saved enough points for business class and would love the long intl flight as intl business class is special)

 

On a monday.

Boy, you can pick 'em :rolleyes:

So add to the usual commuter traffic, those Londoners who've weekended on the coast or in the countryside - there's lots of weekly commuters.

 

I'll assume that disembarkation doesn't start til 7am.

Weekends are very iffy for that flight time.

Weekdays your chances are slim-to-none.

Mondays you could be on the M25 til tuesday :D (OK, that's an exaggeration)

 

Two options stand out.

 

1.

A hotel in central London, handy to Paddington station or a station on the Picadilly tube line.

This way you can use the excellent & inexpensive public transport links from Dover to central London and from central London to Heathrow, with most of the day & the evening in town.

 

2.

A private transfer to a hotel reasonably handy to Heathrow, though Heathrow has surprisingly poor links to surrounding sights, and airport hotel-land is a bit bleak unless you like looking at parked cars.

Consider nearby Windsor or Hampton Court, or hotels with good links to those places. Both are worthy of most of a day, Windsor mebbe into the evening as well.

Ship's Heathrow transfers only go to the terminals, so would only be good for a hotel close to Heathrow on the hotel hoppa route.

 

Leisurely breakfast on board while the herd fights to get off, then set off after the fuss has died down :cool:

 

3. :rolleyes: :D

If your last port-of-call is Le Havre, consider jumping ship & flying back from Paris. Quite a few cruisers do that. Shouldn't be more expensive on an open-jaw return

 

JB :)

[SoBaycruiser]

JB,

Thanks for the specific response to my problem. Our last port is Amsterdam so option 3 is a possibility. I also like option 1. You've given me a lot to think about.

Rita

[Bluwater7]

June 30,2012 we arrived at Dover 0700 - disembarked at 0735 - on HAL bus by 0755 - arrived Heathrow by 1000 - checked in by 1030 - flight left at 1205. easy transfer - worth the price $89.00 each .... would not book a flight earlier than 1200 ... security took some time to get through. :):)

[mrgame101]

Wow havent checked the thread in a while!

Its that non-stop flight that gets us thinking. I have checked all the airlines and I know that I most afternoon flights are between 2 and 4pm. I guess thats what we are going to do... now picking the flights with the stopovers once we land in the US and where to clear customs is a difficult choice! So far its Chicago, Miami, Dulles, or Newark.. any ideas of which ones have shorter customs? I think I have ruled Chicago out... mind you whatever comes cheapest will most likely win!