Dover to Heathrow return

[Treasure Hunter]

We are booked on the September 18, 2024 round trip Dover on the Symphony. I need to book flights. What timing is good for the return flight considering the journey from the port to Heathrow and traffic. Thank so much for the help

[Keith1010]

I wouldn't book a flight before 2:00 PM.

 

Keith

[Cruisecyp]

On the assumption you will not be driving a hire car but using a taxi with a driver who knows the journey and driving conditions then you should assume it would be not less than 2 hours from Dover to Heathrow, possibly longer.

 

If you disembark the Symphony between 7:00am and 8:00am on a weekday you will be on some of the most congested roads in Europe in the middle of the morning rush hour travelling in the same flow as everyone else.  Expect congestion.

 

At the moment Heathrow recommends getting there 3 hours before a flight.   

 

I reckon the earliest flight to the States would be mid to late afternoon.

 

Better to be hanging around the airport than stuck in stationary traffic.

 

Best of luck.    

 

 

[Treasure Hunter]

The return will be on a Wednesday by Crystal bus.  I was looking at a 1:50 flight ( British Air) but maybe the next one will be better. Thanks!

[Roland4]

2 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

The return will be on a Wednesday by Crystal bus.  I was looking at a 1:50 flight ( British Air) but maybe the next one will be better. Thanks!

We have done that transfer twice. The first took a little under two hours, the second over three. There are no real alternate routes, and all it takes is one accident!! As I have said many times before, book the later flight. Do you really want to spend the last day of your cruise fretting over getting to the airport on time?? And at the end of the day, does it really matter what time you walk in the front door at home??

[Treasure Hunter]

You are correct. I don’t mind waiting in the airport. We will book a flight around 3:00 or 4:00. We once took a Princess cruise ( and their bus from London). The trucks were backed up for many miles. Because it was a cruise transfer they held the ship and pulled up the gangway behind us. 

[Roland4]

1 hour ago, Treasure Hunter said:

You are correct. I don’t mind waiting in the airport. We will book a flight around 3:00 or 4:00. We once took a Princess cruise ( and their bus from London). The trucks were backed up for many miles. Because it was a cruise transfer they held the ship and pulled up the gangway behind us. 

Good plan!! The ship will wait, the plane will not!! 🙂 

[Keith1010]

For all the reasons mentioned this is why as I said in first response I would not book a flight until 2:00 PM or after. I have gone between Dover and LHR many times over the years.  You have four things to deal with.

 

Ship arriving late.

 

Luggage coming off late.

 

The drive.  And that includes wet roads and/or an accident.

 

And let us not forget the airport at LHR including getting checked in and getting through security.

 

If I can't find the flight I want, we stay over at the airport. Did this on our last Crystal Cruise (got off in Southampton in August).  Given where our flight leaves from we stay at the Sofitel LHR Hotel. We've done this at least five or six times. From there we can walk through the pedestrian tunnel the next day and check in for our flight back to the states. There is also the LHR Hilton Hotel but although we've visited the hotel never needed to use it and do prefer the Sofitel.

 

Keith

[Treasure Hunter]

Thank you. Yes, we did that recently in Minneapolis  ( after an awful Viking Mississippi) when the whole eastern seaboard was shut down for rain/flooding. We stayed at the Intercontinental at the airport with no luggage ( it was on the cancelled plane). But knowing my husband, he will want to go home. So we will probably book British Air for a late afternoon departure. I hear their first class is terrific. This is our first Crystal cruise . The closest we can compare are two Regent cruises many years ago. And we certainly are looking forward to it.

[travelberlin]

46 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Thank you. Yes, we did that recently in Minneapolis  ( after an awful Viking Mississippi) when the whole eastern seaboard was shut down for rain/flooding. We stayed at the Intercontinental at the airport with no luggage ( it was on the cancelled plane). But knowing my husband, he will want to go home. So we will probably book British Air for a late afternoon departure. I hear their first class is terrific. This is our first Crystal cruise . The closest we can compare are two Regent cruises many years ago. And we certainly are looking forward to it.

Yes British Airways has a very nice first class. It is of course much better to enjoy it when you have a day flight. But for the evening you can eat very well before the flight at the first class lounge in LHR. 
 

Ivi

[Treasure Hunter]

We will have a day flight going home😁

[Mickb]

I would endorse Keith’s advice. If time is not of the essence, disembark leisurely and transfer to the T5 Sofitel at LHR. It’s a nice hotel and you can walk directly onto the concourse for check in ( although BA 1st checkin is at the other end of the terminal, it’s only an extra 5 mins walk). There am any mid morning flights to the US so there is no pressure. 
The great thing is that if in the event of a hold up from Dover to LHR - quite likely - you will not be fretting that you are going to miss the plane.

[Treasure Hunter]

I think we are going with a British Air first class mid afternoon and hope for the best. The Delta non-stop is not until after five o'clock. We often come days early to a destination before a cruise but my husband always wants to go right home after. And after 55 years together, I don't fight him on this.

[reenief]

Well I just saw this. We booked a 1:40 flight. Hoping it all goes well. If we leave the ship at 7:30. Assuming a 3 hour ride we would arrive at 10:30. 3 hours ahead. Fingers crossed it all goes as planned. Would have booked a later flight but there was not one. 

[nancygp]

11 minutes ago, reenief said:

Well I just saw this. We booked a 1:40 flight. Hoping it all goes well. If we leave the ship at 7:30. Assuming a 3 hour ride we would arrive at 10:30. 3 hours ahead. Fingers crossed it all goes as planned. Would have booked a later flight but there was not one. 

I had the same flight time last year and left the ship at 7:30.  The ride was just under 2 hours but it was on a Sunday.  I will be doing this again later this year and will leave the ship around 8:15 and get a private transfer 

 

Nancy

[reenief]

16 minutes ago, nancygp said:

I had the same flight time last year and left the ship at 7:30.  The ride was just under 2 hours but it was on a Sunday.  I will be doing this again later this year and will leave the ship around 8:15 and get a private transfer 

 

Nancy

Thanks. Where did you procure your private transfer?  There will 6 of us. 

[nancygp]

2 minutes ago, reenief said:

Thanks. Where did you procure your private transfer?  There will 6 of us. 

You’re welcome.  I haven’t procured a private transfer at this point

 

Nancy

[tryber]

We used a company called Twelve Transfers for transfers from London to Dover and back for a cruise in 2022.  They were reliable and very reasonably priced.  It was a little over 200 pounds each way for a minivan.