Victoria Station and Victoria Coach Station?

[lianaks]

Is Victoria Station and Victoria Coach Station are in the same area?    Is Victoria Station is the tube station or railway station?   

Planning to take Princess Cruise transfer and it said will be pickup at Victoria Station, saw on the map that there is Victoria Coach Station, are there close by?

[John Bull]

Victoria train station and coach station are a few hundred yards apart along Buckingham Palace Road, a level walk that'll take about  3 or 4 minutes.

There's also a tube station at  Victoria rail station.

I would sincerely hope that Princess said Victoria Coach Station, because that's most definitely where they always pick-up.

 

From that same coach station you can alternatively book a scheduled bus direct to Southampton operated by https://www.nationalexpress.com/en 

Similar vehicles, but guaranteed to have a bathroom & wifi.

Cost under £10 per person, but add a max of £10 for a taxi from Southampton coach station to your ship.

 

I believe the Princess  transfer fare is somewhere around $60 pp, so significantly more expensive.

That said, the Princess fare is far more reasonable than the likes of RCI, who even a few years ago were charging over $100.

And some folk feel more reassured by that journey being the responsibility of the cruise line.

 

If your hotel isn't in the Victoria area, come back here with its name & address - there may be easier ways to get to Southampton

 

JB 

Edited March 6, 2019 by John Bull

[wheezedr]

Princesss uses Victoria Coach Station.  We watched people slowly move through the line to their buses as we boarded the National Express buses for which we paid £5 for the trip to Southampton.  Met another couple on the bus and shared a cab to the dock.  Way less expensive and just as convenient. 

[Globaliser]

4 hours ago, John Bull said:

Victoria train station and coach station are a few hundred yards apart along Buckingham Palace Road, a level walk that'll take about  3 or 4 minutes.

 

It might take only 3 or 4 minutes if you're counting from the end of the railway station nearest the coach station (ie where the big Leon is)! If you're walking from the front of the railway station, eg from the Grosvenor Hotel, I would expect it to take double that - particularly if wheeling luggage. The roads are quite busy, too, so you also usually have to stop to wait for green lights at the pedestrian crossings. It's true that it's not far, but I wouldn't want anyone to be misled into thinking that the stations are closer than they actually are.

[John Bull]

5 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

It might take only 3 or 4 minutes if you're counting from the end of the railway station nearest the coach station (ie where the big Leon is)! If you're walking from the front of the railway station, eg from the Grosvenor Hotel, I would expect it to take double that - particularly if wheeling luggage. The roads are quite busy, too, so you also usually have to stop to wait for green lights at the pedestrian crossings. It's true that it's not far, but I wouldn't want anyone to be misled into thinking that the stations are closer than they actually are.

 

Agreed, G. My estimation is nearest point to nearest point - though the coach station is tolerably compact.

But the same applies (with interest) when talking about cruise berths or especially airport terminals - sometimes I feel like the walk to a boarding gate is halfway to the destination airport!! 

 

JB 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

15 hours ago, John Bull said:

Victoria train station and coach station are a few hundred yards apart along Buckingham Palace Road, a level walk that'll take about  3 or 4 minutes.

There's also a tube station at  Victoria rail station.

I would sincerely hope that Princess said Victoria Coach Station, because that's most definitely where they always pick-up.

 

From that same coach station you can alternatively book a scheduled bus direct to Southampton operated by https://www.nationalexpress.com/en 

Similar vehicles, but guaranteed to have a bathroom & wifi.

Cost under £10 per person, but add a max of £10 for a taxi from Southampton coach station to your ship.

 

I believe the Princess  transfer fare is somewhere around $60 pp, so significantly more expensive.

That said, the Princess fare is far more reasonable than the likes of RCI, who even a few years ago were charging over $100.

And some folk feel more reassured by that journey being the responsibility of the cruise line.

 

If your hotel isn't in the Victoria area, come back here with its name & address - there may be easier ways to get to Southampton

 

JB 

 

John, 

We are 4 adults considering the National Express Bus from Victoria Coach Station to Southampton in August.

The apartment we are renting is in the Russell Square area. I think we'd need a short taxi ride to Victoria Coach Station. 

Can you give us a few more details regarding your experience with the bus, please? 

I read on their website that they allow suitcases up to 44#. Since we are allowed 50# or so, is that an issue?

Also, I read that you can pay 3 pounds more to reserve your seat. Did you do that?

Was the bus full/crowded?

How easy is it to place your luggage in the bus hold and retrieve it? 

When you arrived at Southampton, how plentiful were the taxis to the port? For 4 adults with luggage, would we need 2?

Any and all advice you can give us regarding your experience with the bus from central London to Southampton would be greatly appreciated. 

TIA!

 

 

 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

10 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Agreed, G. My estimation is nearest point to nearest point - though the coach station is tolerably compact.

But the same applies (with interest) when talking about cruise berths or especially airport terminals - sometimes I feel like the walk to a boarding gate is halfway to the destination airport!! 

 

JB 

 

John,

While we are on the subject of transportation, can you tell me the best (most efficient/cost effective) way of getting from Heathrow to central London (Russell Square area). We will arrive about 6am. I have looked at the options of taxis, Uber, the Tube, the bus, and a private car and am dizzy. 🤕 I could use a bit of advice.

TIA

[John Bull]

Worldtraveller -

 

Heathrow to Russell Square you have two main options.

- there's a direct tube train (Piccadilly line) from Heathrow which takes about 40 minutes and costs about £7pp. It starts at Heathrow so you'd have no problem getting seats together, with your luggage around you - but mon thru fri this will be commuter time and the carriage will get more and more crowded as you get toward central London so with luggage it will be no fun. 

- Probably better to pre-book a fixed-price private transfer. Book a suitable-size vehicle. A standard-size sedan should cost about £45 to £50, I don't know the premium for a larger vehicle.

 

I don't know Uber, but their estimates can be very inaccurate and vary wildly because the fares depend on time taken as well as distance.

A black cab hailed at the rank outside the airport terminal door is by far the most expensive way to travel.

They're convenient for short hops in the city centre, but Heathrow to Russell Square is about 16 miles. 

 

Russell Square to Victoria coach station is almost 3 miles.

There's no direct tube train, and it needs a Londoner to tell you where is easiest to change tube trains and whether it's viable with luggage.

 

For either of those journeys by tube it'd be helpful if you could give us some idea how mobile you are and the amount of luggage.

 

A black cab hailed in the street will cost you up to (?)£20(?) to Victoria Coach Station,  but four plus significant luggage will probably need two cabs - again, a Londoner can help.

Or a pre-booked "private hire" taxi would be cheaper - the folk through whom you have arranged the apartment, or neighbours etc should be able to suggest an operator. "Pre-booked" means phoning mebbe an hour ahead, not months ahead. 

 

Note that the National Express luggage allowance is TWO x 44lb bags plus hand-luggage per passenger.

Bags aren't weighed as a matter of course (this isn't an airline) unless blatantly excessive, and I don't think you'll have any grief.

The driver loads and unloads your luggage.

 

Pre-booked seats are a fairly new feature. They'd ensure you're seated together and £3 is a small premium. Avoid seats at the rear - altho the bathroom is at the back it's not a problem on that length of journey, but seats behind the rear axle (the last 3 or 4 rows) tend to be a bit bouncy.

 

There's a small taxi rank at Southampton coach station, and local taxi drivers tend to swing by looking for trade.

Yes, with luggage you'll almost-certainly need two taxis although a variety of vehicles are used. If only one is available the driver can radio for another or, because the distance is small, can be asked to come back

All Southampton taxis are white, with prominent illuminated taxi signs on the roof.

They're metered, and they don't refuse a fare because it's a short journey - it's a condition of their licence and they're used to short hops.

 

JB 

 

  

Edited March 6, 2019 by John Bull

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

Heathrow to Russell Square you have two main options.

- there's a direct tube train (Piccadilly line) from Heathrow which takes about 40 minutes and costs about £7pp. It starts at Heathrow so you'd have no problem getting seats together, with your luggage around you - but mon thru fri this will be commuter time and the carriage will get more and more crowded as you get toward central London so with luggage it will be no fun.

 

From memory, I think that getting out at Russell Square involves some steps, and then lifts (elevators) to street level. Sorry, I have been there a handful of times over the last year but paid very little attention to this. It is not listed as a step-free station on the TfL website so I think this supports my recollection.

 

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

Russell Square to Victoria coach station is almost 3 miles.

There's no direct tube train, and it needs a Londoner to tell you where is easiest to change tube trains and whether it's viable with luggage.

 

Piccadilly Line from Russell Square (including the caveat above about steps) to Green Park, change to Victoria Line to Victoria, walk to Victoria coach station. I am not sure how many step-free exits there now are at Victoria; IIRC the first one was at Cardinal Place, which is even further from the coach station than the front of Victoria station - a good 10 minutes' walk with luggage, I should think.

[lianaks]

Anybody know how far from Double Tree Hotel Victoria to Victoria Coach Station?  Is it walkable with suitcase?

[Bob++]

Google tells me 7 minutes/600 yards.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/DoubleTree+by+Hilton+Hotel+London+-+Victoria,+2+Bridge+Pl,+Pimlico,+London+SW1V+1QA/Victoria+Coach+Station,+London/@51.49281,-0.1456723,17z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x48760521d772f39f:0x47e16bbfae7e7108!2m2!1d-0.1432892!2d51.4940355!1m5!1m1!1s0x48760518f2dd4f49:0x43e305d843e597e!2m2!1d-0.1482485!2d51.4924744

[Worldtraveler 4727]

14 hours ago, John Bull said:

Worldtraveller -

 

Heathrow to Russell Square you have two main options.

- there's a direct tube train (Piccadilly line) from Heathrow which takes about 40 minutes and costs about £7pp. It starts at Heathrow so you'd have no problem getting seats together, with your luggage around you - but mon thru fri this will be commuter time and the carriage will get more and more crowded as you get toward central London so with luggage it will be no fun. 

- Probably better to pre-book a fixed-price private transfer. Book a suitable-size vehicle. A standard-size sedan should cost about £45 to £50, I don't know the premium for a larger vehicle.

 

I don't know Uber, but their estimates can be very inaccurate and vary wildly because the fares depend on time taken as well as distance.

A black cab hailed at the rank outside the airport terminal door is by far the most expensive way to travel.

They're convenient for short hops in the city centre, but Heathrow to Russell Square is about 16 miles. 

 

Russell Square to Victoria coach station is almost 3 miles.

There's no direct tube train, and it needs a Londoner to tell you where is easiest to change tube trains and whether it's viable with luggage.

 

For either of those journeys by tube it'd be helpful if you could give us some idea how mobile you are and the amount of luggage.

 

A black cab hailed in the street will cost you up to (?)£20(?) to Victoria Coach Station,  but four plus significant luggage will probably need two cabs - again, a Londoner can help.

Or a pre-booked "private hire" taxi would be cheaper - the folk through whom you have arranged the apartment, or neighbours etc should be able to suggest an operator. "Pre-booked" means phoning mebbe an hour ahead, not months ahead. 

 

Note that the National Express luggage allowance is TWO x 44lb bags plus hand-luggage per passenger.

Bags aren't weighed as a matter of course (this isn't an airline) unless blatantly excessive, and I don't think you'll have any grief.

The driver loads and unloads your luggage.

 

Pre-booked seats are a fairly new feature. They'd ensure you're seated together and £3 is a small premium. Avoid seats at the rear - altho the bathroom is at the back it's not a problem on that length of journey, but seats behind the rear axle (the last 3 or 4 rows) tend to be a bit bouncy.

 

There's a small taxi rank at Southampton coach station, and local taxi drivers tend to swing by looking for trade.

Yes, with luggage you'll almost-certainly need two taxis although a variety of vehicles are used. If only one is available the driver can radio for another or, because the distance is small, can be asked to come back

All Southampton taxis are white, with prominent illuminated taxi signs on the roof.

They're metered, and they don't refuse a fare because it's a short journey - it's a condition of their licence and they're used to short hops.

 

JB 

 

  

 

Thanks for all the information, John.

Actually, the woman from whom we are renting suggested Yellow CarsTaxi & Mini Cab as a way to get to Victoria Coach Station from the Russell Sq area. I cannot find any information/reviews on them. Can you -- or anyone else-- give me any info on them: reliability? cost? etc

TIA

Kathy

 

 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

13 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

From memory, I think that getting out at Russell Square involves some steps, and then lifts (elevators) to street level. Sorry, I have been there a handful of times over the last year but paid very little attention to this. It is not listed as a step-free station on the TfL website so I think this supports my recollection.

 

 

Piccadilly Line from Russell Square (including the caveat above about steps) to Green Park, change to Victoria Line to Victoria, walk to Victoria coach station. I am not sure how many step-free exits there now are at Victoria; IIRC the first one was at Cardinal Place, which is even further from the coach station than the front of Victoria station - a good 10 minutes' walk with luggage, I should think.

 

Thank you for the added information!

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Also, anyone use Uber in London? Are there cars available that would hold 4 adults with luggage??

TIA

[John Bull]

52 minutes ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

 

Thanks for all the information, John.

Actually, the woman from whom we are renting suggested Yellow CarsTaxi & Mini Cab as a way to get to Victoria Coach Station from the Russell Sq area. I cannot find any information/reviews on them. Can you -- or anyone else-- give me any info on them: reliability? cost? etc

TIA

Kathy

 

 

 

Hi Kathy,

 

Yellow Cars, 103 Holloway Road, N London, about 2.5 miles from Russell Square.   

Website https://www.yellowcarslondon.co.uk/

Phone 020 7700 1111

 

I don't know anything about them. There are dozens of such organisations in London, some are here today gone tomorrow but this one seems to be more-established.

Their website says their cars are all yellow (makes one easy to spot) and they have vehicles up to 8 seats.

It also says they've been established since the 1960s - and their old-fashioned phraseology "mini-cabs" comes from that period. "Mini-cab" doesn't refer to the size of the vehicle, it refers to their private-hire licence - they have to be booked, they can't be hailed in the street like London's iconic black cabs.

 A yellow fleet suggests that they're the company's own vehicles or they use long-standing owner-drivers.

Very mixed reviews, but that seems pretty common in that trade in London. One review in particular kinda sums up the whole trade  "As they employ all sorts of drivers, no guarantee to whether the particular driver r efficient."

 

If you want more reliability from Heathrow consider one of the major airport operators like Simply Airports.

Mebbe give Yellow Cars a chance for Russell Square to Victoria - if they let you down it's no big deal to just hail a black cab for that much shorter journey. 

 

JB 

 

 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Thank you, John.

[dani negreanu]

On 3/6/2019 at 9:48 PM, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

 

John, 

We are 4 adults considering the National Express Bus from Victoria Coach Station to Southampton in August.

The apartment we are renting is in the Russell Square area. I think we'd need a short taxi ride to Victoria Coach Station. 

Can you give us a few more details regarding your experience with the bus, please? 

I read on their website that they allow suitcases up to 44#. Since we are allowed 50# or so, is that an issue?

Also, I read that you can pay 3 pounds more to reserve your seat. Did you do that?

Was the bus full/crowded?

How easy is it to place your luggage in the bus hold and retrieve it? 

When you arrived at Southampton, how plentiful were the taxis to the port? For 4 adults with luggage, would we need 2?

Any and all advice you can give us regarding your experience with the bus from central London to Southampton would be greatly appreciated. 

TIA!

 

 

We used Simply Airports from Heathrow to London/Victoria Station, and Smith for Airports from Victoria Station (or hotel was Premier Inn Victoria Station) to Southampton. At the end of our cruise, we also used Smith for Airports from Southampton to Heathrow.

Simply Airports was cheaper for the first trip, and Smith for Airports for the following ones. We were very satisfied with both services, and, being 4, it was value for money.

http://www.smithsairportcars.co.uk/

[dani negreanu]

And now I have a question of my own -- This time we'll be in London at the end of our cruise, flying in from Dublin.

We're booked, again, at Premier Inn Victoria Station.

We travel only with carry ons.

I'm asking advice --

From Heathrow

* tube to Victoria Station v. *National Express to Victoria Coach Station.

Which one will be easier to use [no mobility issues]? Thanks,

[Globaliser]

12 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

We're booked, again, at Premier Inn Victoria Station.

We travel only with carry ons.

I'm asking advice --

From Heathrow

* tube to Victoria Station v. *National Express to Victoria Coach Station.

Which one will be easier to use [no mobility issues]?

 

Is this the Premier Inn London Victoria, at 82 Eccleston Square?

 

If so, personally I'd take the Tube. Even from the District Line station at Victoria, it's a slightly shorter walk to the hotel. In addition, you may find the Tube is a bit more frequent than the coach. But it will involve one change at Barons Court (or Hammersmith during the morning peak or in inclement weather).

 

At Victoria, after you exit through the gates, turn right and head down the steps and through the passage that takes you toward the National Rail station (which takes you past the gates for the Victoria Line and through the Victoria Line ticket hall). Exit the station up the stairs in front of you to street level. Turn left and head towards the platform 1 side of the station. Exit from there onto Wilton Road (near McDonalds). Walk up Wilton Road to the junction with Gillingham Street and then turn right to get to the hotel.

[dani negreanu]

2 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

Is this the Premier Inn London Victoria, at 82 Eccleston Square? Yes, it is.

 

If so, personally I'd take the Tube. Even from the District Line station at Victoria, it's a slightly shorter walk to the hotel. In addition, you may find the Tube is a bit more frequent than the coach. But it will involve one change at Barons Court (or Hammersmith during the morning peak or in inclement weather).

 

At Victoria, after you exit through the gates, turn right and head down the steps and through the passage that takes you toward the National Rail station (which takes you past the gates for the Victoria Line and through the Victoria Line ticket hall). Exit the station up the stairs in front of you to street level. Turn left and head towards the platform 1 side of the station. Exit from there onto Wilton Road (near McDonalds). Walk up Wilton Road to the junction with Gillingham Street and then turn right to get to the hotel.

 

Thanks, your quick and detailed reply is much appreciated😀.

[EllieinNJ]

We have booked the Comfort Inn Buckingham Palace Road for its proximity to the National Express buses, which we hope we can walk to easily.

 

For our cruise in August, we are arriving in LHR around 10 am and plan to take the bus to Victoria Coach station.  We also plan to take their bus to Southhampton  for our cruise.  What time do you recommend for the latter?  Also, do you have to make reservations in advance?  My husband and I do not mind sitting apart for short trips but would like to be able to just get on the bus if our plane is late or if we are running behind leaving the hotel.

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

We have booked the Comfort Inn Buckingham Palace Road for its proximity to the National Express buses, which we hope we can walk to easily.

 

For our cruise in August, we are arriving in LHR around 10 am and plan to take the bus to Victoria Coach station.  We also plan to take their bus to Southhampton  for our cruise.  What time do you recommend for the latter?  Also, do you have to make reservations in advance?  My husband and I do not mind sitting apart for short trips but would like to be able to just get on the bus if our plane is late or if we are running behind leaving the hotel.

 

 

Pre-booking is recommended.

 

From Heathrow book a coach for minimum 90 minutes but preferably toward 2 hours from your scheduled flight arrival time.

Coaches run every 20 minutes or so, and there's usually space. The important thing is that for journeys from airports only you can switch to an earlier or later coach than the one you booked - Nat Express appreciate that  flights and airport formalities don't always run to schedule.  If coaches are over-subscribed it's best if you hold a ticket for a time that you know you can make.

 

From Victoria coach station to Southampton (spelling) coach station that ability to switch isn't offered, even if there's space on a later coach.

So it's important to catch the coach as booked.

If you miss it your tickets are trash. And worse - later coaches may be booked-out, which means paying over £40 pp for train

tickets

 

JB   

[wendyp247]

Can you please provide advise how how to get from Gatwick  to  Holiday Inn Hotel Kensington, London W8 5S. Should we rake a train or airport shopping title. We also need instructions how to get to Southampton on a Saturday . How would we pick up the bus you discussed from our hotel Thanks in advance 

[Globaliser]

2 minutes ago, wendyp247 said:

Holiday Inn Hotel Kensington, London W8 5S

 

The postcode is actually W8 5SP.

 

The realistic options are basically, train --> taxi, or train --> Tube, or car transfer.

 

Gatwick to central London by road is long, slow and boring, so I would personally be taking the train. Taxi or Tube depends on luggage and fitness.

[wendyp247]

Where do we get off train and then how do we find hotel TIA