Greenwich Pier to Heathrow by river and tube?

[doglover3]

We will be disembarking at Greenwich on Saturday, July 7, and will be traveling to Heathrow with only carry on luggage. We need to be at the airport by around 1:00PM, so I thought it would be nice to see some of the London sights from the river, then transfer to the tube to get to the airport. Is this a feasible plan and what would be the most convenient place to transfer, while giving us a chance to see some of the London scenery?

[Canuker]

Before I answer you question directly, may I ask if you are positive your cruise ends in Greenwich on July 7, 2018, please?

I ask because the Port of London Cruise Ship Diary shows no vessels arriving on that day at Greenwich.

The Aegean Odyssey arrives in Tilbury (London Cruise Terminal), which is quite a way East of Greenwich, on July 7.

Perhaps you are on the Viking Sky, which arrives Greenwich July 6 - and you are able to spend another night in Greenwich?

 

Where you are has a great bearing on how you might transit to Heathrow...

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I was going to look up what might work for you for fun (no deep knowledge). What ship are you on? The only ship I see listed for 7/7/2018 coming into London's terminsals (on https://www.pla.co.uk/Travel/Cruise-Ship-Diary/Cruise-Ship-Diary) is the Aegean Odyssey. And it is listed as coming in to the London Cruise Terminal, which is on the north bank of the Thames, east of Greenwich. Is that your ship? If so, it sounds like you options would be different, since you'll be on the opposite side of the Thames and further east than Greenwich.

 

We will be disembarking at Greenwich on Saturday, July 7, and will be traveling to Heathrow with only carry on luggage. We need to be at the airport by around 1:00PM, so I thought it would be nice to see some of the London sights from the river, then transfer to the tube to get to the airport. Is this a feasible plan and what would be the most convenient place to transfer, while giving us a chance to see some of the London scenery?

[doglover3]

Before I answer you question directly, may I ask if you are positive your cruise ends in Greenwich on July 7, 2018, please?

I ask because the Port of London Cruise Ship Diary shows no vessels arriving on that day at Greenwich.

The Aegean Odyssey arrives in Tilbury (London Cruise Terminal), which is quite a way East of Greenwich, on July 7.

Perhaps you are on the Viking Sky, which arrives Greenwich July 6 - and you are able to spend another night in Greenwich?

 

Where you are has a great bearing on how you might transit to Heathrow...

You are correct. We are on the Viking Sky, with an overnight. So we will be off the ship the morning of July 7. I understand that it is fairly easy to take river transportation from that location in Greenwich.

[doglover3]

I was going to look up what might work for you for fun (no deep knowledge). What ship are you on? The only ship I see listed for 7/7/2018 coming into London's terminsals (on https://www.pla.co.uk/Travel/Cruise-Ship-Diary/Cruise-Ship-Diary) is the Aegean Odyssey. And it is listed as coming in to the London Cruise Terminal, which is on the north bank of the Thames, east of Greenwich. Is that your ship? If so, it sounds like you options would be different, since you'll be on the opposite side of the Thames and further east than Greenwich.

Sorry about the confusion for both MrsEmmaPeel and Canuker.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

AHA - Canuker was smarter than me and noticed the sky the night before. Sorry.

 

My thought would be one of the TfL-related Tourboats that end at Westminster. Then the tube from Westminster to Green Park on Jubilee, transfer to Piccadilly there, and off you go. Piccadilly never really gets Thameside.

 

There are 2 different Westminster/Greenwich tourboats listed by TfL.

 

You are correct. We are on the Viking Sky, with an overnight. So we will be off the ship the morning of July 7. I understand that it is fairly easy to take river transportation from that location in Greenwich.

[Canuker]

You are correct. We are on the Viking Sky, with an overnight. So we will be off the ship the morning of July 7. I understand that it is fairly easy to take river transportation from that location in Greenwich.

 

OK!

 

Yes, there are several services that operate westbound from Greenwich, as far as Westminster Pier (very close to the Houses of Parliament). Check the options here .

Depending on your mobility, I'd go to Westminster, on a boat with a commentary, to get the best of the trip (you are right, you will see a lot of London's most famous sights from the river).

From there, walk past (or into!) Parliament and Westmister Abbey, then west along Victoria Street to Victoria station (about 1.4 km., less than a mile) and get the express bus to your Heathrow terminal from there.

Depending on your flight time, you may well have time to add to this itinerary (Trafalgar Square is just a short walk from the pier, too, up Whitehall, past Downing Street and Horseguards' Parade).

Edited June 2, 2018 by Canuker

[doglover3]

Thank you both for your suggestions. The river tour to Westminster Pier sounds perfect. I'll have to look into Tube vs Express Bus. Any thoughts on which might be easier for a first time visitor?

 

I think visiting either Westminster or Parliament would be difficult with our bags and limited time, but it might be nice to walk by before our 8 hour flight home.

[markeb]

From the Westminster Pier, you're actually a short walk to Waterloo Station, which I believe has lockers and/or a left luggage service (I'll defer to a Londoner here). That would solve your baggage problems. You would have to backtrack, but you can take the Tube from Waterloo (The TFL planner suggests Southwark Station, Jubilee to Baker Street, Bakerloo to Paddington, Heathrow Express to the airport. About 45 minutes.).

[Canuker]

Good idea about the bags drop, markeb.

If you choose to do this, get off the boat at London Eye pier - it's very close to Westminster Pier but on the South Bank, much nearer (3 minutes walk) to Waterloo and your left luggage drop (called Excess Baggage, next to platform 11).

 

Then you have all of 3 options to get to Heathrow from Waterloo:

Tube (change once at Green Park); ignore markeb's (sorry!) suggestion of using Southwark.

Tube to Paddington then Heathrow Express train (most expensive, but quickest).

Train, Waterloo to Feltham (frequent service), then bus 285 from the station forecourt

to Heathrow central bus station.

[Cotswold Eagle]

OK, clarification needed on a couple of things here! Firstly, OP, do you want to do just what you said in your post (travel the airport) or do you want to have some time to see some ion the central London sights?

 

This is important because the tour boats mentioned in previous replies will only start to reach Greenwich mid-morning - the first trips upstream to Westminster will be around 1030 or 1100, depending on the operator. That will get you to Westminster an hour or so later and you need to allow an hour or so to get out to the airport, so you will really need to head out pretty much straight away. Like many locals, my first rule of tube planning is not to change from the Jubilee to Piccadilly at Green Park, as was suggested - yes, disembark at Westminster pier, which is next to the Westminster tube station entrance, but take the District Line to Barons Court and change to the Piccadilly line there.

 

If you want some time to see some of the sights, then you can take the River Bus service, which will start to run from Greenwich before breakfast (it's a service for for commuters). This is a faster service, with more stops, but no tourist commentary (there is an app, I believe). The idea of leaving your luggage at Waterloo is a decent one - there are no lockers in London stations, for security reasons, but there is a manned facility there - but disembark at the London Eye pier, which is about 5 minutes walk from Waterloo on the same side of the river.

 

A previous poster mentioned the Heathrow Express - this is not part of the tube network and may not save you much time from Westminster area, but is more comfortable (IMO) and designed for luggage etc. It used to be extremely expensive and still is for walk up fares, but you may be able to get some of their decent advance ticket prices online.

 

Finally, with all due respect to a previous poster, any tube journey involving Southwark station is a red herring - from Westminster you'd have to walk past Waterloo to get there and then travel though Waterloo on the tube :)

[Cotswold Eagle]

Excess Baggage, next to platform 11).

 

Are you sure? Admittedly I haven't used it for ages (very rarely need to as a local) and I bow to your experience - but I thought it had moved to near one of the exits, after they put the full gate line across the platform entrances?

[SteveH2508]

<snip> Like many locals, my first rule of tube planning is not to change from the Jubilee to Piccadilly at Green Park, as was suggested - yes, disembark at Westminster pier, which is next to the Westminster tube station entrance, but take the District Line to Barons Court and change to the Piccadilly line there.

 

<snip>

A local here.

Agreed about Green Park being a poor choice of interchange (though up the escalator to the ticket hall and down the other escalator avoids the marathon trek through that tunnel:mad:)

 

It is better to change from the District to Piccadilly line at Hammersmith as the train indicators at Barons Court are almost non-existent. Hammersmith is still a cross-platform change and the indicator boards are the new LED ones.

[doglover3]

Thank you everyone for all your very generous and helpful advice. I think because of our timing at the airport, we will likely take one of the river tours from Greenwich to Westminster. After a quick look around (with our luggage), we will hop on the Tube District Line at Westminster, transfer to Piccadilly Line at Hammersmith (due to the easier signage) and be on our way to Heathrow. I like to allow extra time for getting lost and confused, so I think we will have to forgo the more extensive sightseeing. :)

[markeb]

Tube (change once at Green Park); ignore markeb's (sorry!) suggestion of using Southwark.

 

Finally, with all due respect to a previous poster, any tube journey involving Southwark station is a red herring - from Westminster you'd have to walk past Waterloo to get there and then travel though Waterloo on the tube :)

 

I am shocked, shocked I say, that the TFL trip planner would give spurious advice!

 

I put that in there because that's what the trip planner said, but that made no sense to me whatsoever!

[NoWhiners]

I am shocked, shocked I say, that the TFL trip planner would give spurious advice!

 

I put that in there because that's what the trip planner said, but that made no sense to me whatsoever!

 

I'm not a local but was just in London 2 weeks ago, staying just down the street from Waterloo Station. When I read the note about Southwark, I snickered. We used Southwark to go to the Tate Modern. Should have just walked, it would have been closer/easier than hiking all through Waterloo. We walked back and it was a very pleasant walk down The Cut.

 

I think the OP made a good choice, with a lot of help from you and Cotswold Eagle!

[Cotswold Eagle]

 

 

 

It is better to change from the District to Piccadilly line at Hammersmith as the train indicators at Barons Court are almost non-existent. Hammersmith is still a cross-platform change and the indicator boards are the new LED ones.

 

 

That’s an algorithm too far for my internal route planner, but fair enough [emoji6]

 

If anyone wonders what we mean by cross-platform change, this photo was at Barons Court recently, heading into town from Heathrow (heading out to the airport is a mirror image on a different platform).

 

The train disappearing away from us on the right is the Piccadilly line I just got off, about to dive deep underground towards Earl’s Court. The train on the left is the District line I am about to board, taking me (as it happens) to Westminster.

 

The black box hanging down from the canopy on the Piccadilly side is one of the old fashioned destination indicators [emoji3]

 

 

 

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[Cotswold Eagle]

I am shocked, shocked I say, that the TFL trip planner would give spurious advice!

 

 

 

I put that in there because that's what the trip planner said, but that made no sense to me whatsoever!

 

The TfL tool is pretty good , but relies on the user inputs. I have tried to replicate your result, but cannot work out what you used a a starting point to get the routing that started at Southwark [emoji846]

 

It’s possible you were searching at a time when Waterloo station was closed for some reason, I suppose, in which case Southwark would be the nearest alternative.

 

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[Globaliser]

If anyone wonders what we mean by cross-platform change, this photo was at Barons Court recently, heading into town from Heathrow (heading out to the airport is a mirror image on a different platform).

That photo is a good illustration of why you'll see many recommendations for changing at Barons Court rather than Hammersmith. The platform at Hammersmith is wider, so you have to move your suitcase further. The extra time needed to do this can also mean that you miss a train. (Although I would recommend that only experts factor that one in.)

[markeb]

The TfL tool is pretty good , but relies on the user inputs. I have tried to replicate your result, but cannot work out what you used a a starting point to get the routing that started at Southwark [emoji846]

 

It’s possible you were searching at a time when Waterloo station was closed for some reason, I suppose, in which case Southwark would be the nearest alternative.

 

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Actually, looks like it was operator error...

 

The TFL planner autofilled Waterloo East, rather than Waterloo when I started typing. Just recreated the routing, and fixed it by selecting the right station...

[Cotswold Eagle]

Actually, looks like it was operator error...

 

 

 

The TFL planner autofilled Waterloo East, rather than Waterloo when I started typing. Just recreated the routing, and fixed it by selecting the right station...

 

 

 

Ah, understood [emoji846]No harm!

 

 

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