Transportation from Gatwick

[hugosmom]

This isn't a cruise vacation, but I'm hoping you folks can help me out here just the same. We leave in two weeks for a trip to London and Birmingham - my husband has a trade show in Birmingham and we are going over early to see London. The "we" includes myself, my husband who is blind and travels with a guide dog, and my mother who is 76.

 

We are flying into Gatwick and are spending three nights in London at the Quality Crown Hotel which seems to be close to Paddington Station. I made the reservations thinking that being close to the station was a good idea, but now I'm having second thoughts about that location.

 

Here is what we need to do:

 

We need to get from Gatwich to the hotel on a Friday morning. Is there a train we can catch there and get off at Paddington, or should we look for a car service?

 

We will be taking various day trips in London Friday - Sunday, and I had hoped we could get public transportation from Paddington. Is that true?

 

On Monday, we need to get from the hotel in London up to Birmingham. Again, I was thinking we could take a train from Paddington up to Birmingham, then take a taxi from the train station there to our hotel (Quality Hotel Birmingham is where my husband's business is).

 

Mother and I will tour around Birmingham Tuesday and Wednesday, and we have tickets to fly over to Paris (this is Mother's idea!) for the day on Thursday, leaving Birmingham at 6 am and arriving back about 8 pm.

 

Friday, we need to get from Birmingham back to London (Holiday Inn Gatwick) and I thought we could take a train again. The hotel has a shuttle that will get us to the airport on Saturday.

 

So - any help anyone can give me about how to get to train stations or if trains are even the best way for us to travel would be great. I'm having a very hard time figuring out where to find what I need to know, even though I've been reading these posts for several weeks now.

 

I'd also like to know if perhaps I should have looked for a hotel closer to Victoria Station than Paddington.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Globaliser]

We need to get from Gatwich to the hotel on a Friday morning. Is there a train we can catch there and get off at Paddington, or should we look for a car service?

...

On Monday, we need to get from the hotel in London up to Birmingham. Again, I was thinking we could take a train from Paddington up to Birmingham, then take a taxi from the train station there to our hotel (Quality Hotel Birmingham is where my husband's business is).

...

Friday, we need to get from Birmingham back to London (Holiday Inn Gatwick) and I thought we could take a train again.

...

I'd also like to know if perhaps I should have looked for a hotel closer to Victoria Station than Paddington.

The train issue is the first one to sort out for you.

 

The trains from Gatwick to London do not go to Paddington. Both the Gatwick Express and Southern Railway services go to Victoria. The Thameslink (now, I think, under a different name) goes to London Bridge, Blackfriars and Kings Cross Thameslink amongst other stations as it wends its way through the centre of the city. None of these are particularly convenient for Paddington. With luggage, the Tube will not be an option for you. If Paddington is where you need to go for your hotel, I would recommend Gatwick Express to Victoria + taxi to hotel.

 

Similarly, the trains from London to Birmingham do not go from Paddington. They go from Euston, which is basically a taxi trip from Paddington.

 

However, if you are near Paddington in any event, it is theoretically possible to take a train from Paddington to Reading, and there change for a Virgin train to Birmingham. However, generally those trains are slower than the trains that go from Euston to Birmingham.

 

The train trip from Birmingham to Gatwick will involve one change of trains. It looks like once every hour there is a Virgin trains service that calls at Reading, where you change for a First Great Western service that calls at Gatwick. Also, once every hour there is a Virgin trains service that calls at Watford Junction, where you change for a Southern Railway service that calls at Gatwick. These options are roughly half an hour apart from each other, so twice an hour there is a one-change journey to Gatwick.

 

You will see these if you search the timetable limiting the options to "1 change".

 

Every other train trip from Birmingham to Gatwick will be offered as a two-change journey: The second sector of these trips is usually a Tube transfer across London. If you choose this option, you would probably have to do by this transfer by taxi in any event. However, it is possible that you can do this journey a little quicker overall than the one-change trips via Reading or Watford Junction.

 

Consequently, I personally don't think that staying near Paddington makes any sense at all. It's a station that doesn't necessarily feature in your plans in any way.

We leave in two weeks for a trip to London and Birmingham - my husband has a trade show in Birmingham and we are going over early to see London. The "we" includes myself, my husband who is blind and travels with a guide dog, and my mother who is 76.

Having said all that, this suggests to me that you could be better off with car services where feasible, and with help where a train is almost unavoidable (eg London to/from Birmingham). I don't know how strong you and your mother are, or how easily you can between you handle all your luggage unaided, but public transport in the UK is generally not that good at accommodating people who need a lot of extra time or people who need extra help. Help is available, but it is not always easy to get hold of; and everyone (including yourselves) can feel under pressure from the timetables that are being operated.

 

Also, I don't know whether you're planning to bring the guide dog, or whether you've researched all the import and quarantine requirements for doing so. If, for some reason, you haven't yet, I'd strongly suggest that you do so as it could avoid some nasty surprises on arrival in the UK. Of course, if you have already done the research, you'll know why my advice is couched in strong terms.

We will be taking various day trips in London Friday - Sunday, and I had hoped we could get public transportation from Paddington. Is that true?

For touring around London, at least, Paddington is not a bad place to be. It's on a number of Tube lines, which can take you to a variety of different tourist spots without much difficulty, and there are also a number of bus routes that will also take you into town with the added bonus of being able to see where you're going. It's also well supplied with taxis - at least if you avoid trying to get one during the morning peak, when the taxi queues can reach horrendous lengths.

[hugosmom]

Globaliser, thank you so much! I've been afraid that I picked the wrong place to stay in London. I'll have to re-think because we are definitely "people who need a lot of extra time or people who need extra help" and really don't do well under pressure!

 

Yes, we are taking Hugo and we have everything in order for him. I do appreciate your words of warning, though - I think Hugo is only the second guide dog from US to enter under PETS - at least that's what the folks at the airlines have told us. My husband has been to this trade show every summer for seven years and I always stay home to take care of the guide dog who hasn't been able to go with him. But last year with the restrictions eased a bit, we started the process to get Hugo ready to go, and now he's legal! In fact, we were able to take him to Australia in May, since we had already started the whole process for UK last summer.

 

If you don't mind my imposing some more - is Euston an area we might want to find a hotel? And do you have any suggestions for us to try to find a car service? I really appreciate your time.

[gratefulguy]

Would coach (bus) service be any easier? National Express has service from Gatwick to Victoria Coach Station that takes longer, but might be easier with luggage and perhaps fewer lifts and escalators. I don't know how Hugo would fit in, but there might be a way. I once helped a blind gentleman go from a Tube stop to Waterloo for the Eurostar, and he was most worried about his dog's paws getting caught in the tread of an escalator. I might suggest that you look at a web-site which shows the hotel's location in relationship to the Tube stations and main bus routes. You can also download an Underground map from http://www.tfl.gov.uk

Other sites: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk http://www.tourist.co.uk http://www.visitbritain.com http://www.londontown.com http://www.pti.org.uk http://www.londonchoice.com (for apartments)

Since I've not been to Birmingham, no thoughts there!

I'm going to London pre-cruise on July 27&28, and was able to book entrance to the Buckingham Palace State Rooms from http://www.royal.gov.uk, you might enjoy that, too.

Happy Travels

[gracecarmo]

Last year my husband hurt his back while on a cruise and could not walk more than a few feet without terrible pain. We had to fly home from Gatwick. I arranged (through our hotel there at the airport) for assistance to get to the gate.

It was the best help anyone could ask for. A nice gentleman came with an electric cart, loaded us up, and took us right to the gate. He checked us in, we went to a special security area, and right to the tramway of the airplane.

 

I do know that they have the service for incoming pax also. Probably you already know about this service, but we were so thankful for help.

 

I love Hugo.

[gratefulguy]

Another option for airport to hotel transfers is http://www.hotelink.co.uk They meet you in the Arrival Hall, and at Gatwick, escort you to the Gatwick Express, and then meet you at Victoria Rail for a shared mini-van to your hotel. It's 22 GBP per person, so it may or may not be less expensive than hiring a car to do the trip (it's only 17 GBP from Heathrow, no train involved). They also do tours, and might be a resource for some of your other needs.

[hugosmom]

Just checking in to say thanks for all the help earlier when I was planning our trip. Our hotel (Quality Crown) is just fine - tiny rooms for sure, but I was expecting that. We were able to hire a private car from hotelink.com that picked us up at Gatwick and brought us straight here. Very handy service. Our flight over (Thursday/Friday) was not great - we had a three-hour delay and the in-cabin crew was very grumpy and really didn't want to be there.

 

We saw the lions at Trafalgar Square today - at least the tops of their heads - and also went to St. Paul's. We rode the tube back to Paddington and the hotel, so I feel like we're acclimated!

 

I would like to go to Windsor Castle tomorrow afternoon - our hotel staff (who are great) have suggested we take a train from Paddington and gave us the stops we would need - does that make sense? We really hadn't planned to take another tour while here.

 

Our tour bus (and all the tour buses today) got caught in major traffic jams all day long - we only went on about half of the tour because we were going nowhere - there was a race or charity walk or some such. Tomorrow in the city there is a parade that will have things closed from 12 - 6, so that's why we thought we might get out of town and go to Windsor.

 

We are having a great time, though, and I appreciate all the help so far. We know how we're getting to Birmingham on Monday, how to get back to London on Friday, and how to go home on next Saturday. Otherwise, we're asking lots of questions and reading all we can.

 

Thanks again for the help!

[hugosmom]

Here is the correct address for hotelink - http://www.hotelink.co.uk/

 

Sorry. Also - here's something to keep this cruise related - yesterday when we were bumping into each other in the hotel room (it's very very small) DH said "this is like the cruise ship cabin." We quickly realized that this room is SMALLER than our cruise ship cabin - at least on the ship we had a tub, a couch, lots of storage space, and a balcony! But other than the size of the room (which we were prepared for thanks to the reviews y'all told me about at the travel advisory site - don't know the exact address) we are pleased.

[Kindlychap]

A couple of words on the train issue.

 

Thameslink is now First Capital Connect. There is no difference of note other than the name, and that there is a new livery for the trains. It's revolting, but there you are.

 

You can get from Marylebone to Birimingham directly - although I don't think it takes you to New Street, which is the main station in Birmingham. But the trains from Euston are far better.

 

Euston isn't an area that I'd choose for a hotel, but it does have hotels such as the Ibis and a Travelinn that are relatively cheap and basic, if that is what you are looking at.

 

Paddington is, of course, a station designed by I K Brunel and worth a look on that basis alone......

[gratefulguy]

Hurrah for Hugosmom!

Glad to see that things are going (relatively) well. Your good attitude about the little bumps in the road (or snarled traffic!) are heartening--sometimes it seems that too many posts are mostly negative experiences.

Safe Journeys

[hugosmom]

But the trains from Euston are far better.

 

Paddington is, of course, a station designed by I K Brunel and worth a look on that basis alone......

 

Could you please define "far better"? We were on the train from Victoria Station to Windsor/Eton and it was fine - the trains from Windsor back to Paddington were horrid. It was so hot and very crowded and I know there's no way we can do that to get to Birmingham. I'm also concerned about getting our luggage (two large and two small bags), Mother, and Hugo on a train without someone getting hurt or something getting left behind. We've already looked into flying from here to Birmingham, but that won't work - any ideas about how to find a car service that would take us? I know it will be expensive but we just can't handle the high temps on the train if they're not air conditioned. I was particularly worried about how hot Hugo got.

 

That aside, the folks at Windsor Castle were so nice! It was miserably hot and the guides/wardens(?) were so kind. They even let Clarence and Hugo sit and wait for us in the gallery where it was cool and quiet - and that's where Clarence listened to the audio guide so he knew what all was there. And one of the fellows who guards the china brought Hugo a huge bowl of water - but not in the Queen's china, of course. Everyone was so very nice.

 

And Paddington - I LOVE that station! It was my first stop the very first time I came here and I was happy it looked like I thought it did.

 

If anyone has any suggestions for a more comfortable way for us to get to Birmingham, please let me know. Or if you can give me reassurance that the trains from Euston are airconditioned and suitable for us to bring on our luggage, I'd be most grateful.

 

Thanks!

[Globaliser]

Could you please define "far better"?

...

If anyone has any suggestions for a more comfortable way for us to get to Birmingham, please let me know. Or if you can give me reassurance that the trains from Euston are airconditioned and suitable for us to bring on our luggage, I'd be most grateful.

The trains from Marylebone to Birmingham are operated by Chiltern Railways. This is essentially a commuter-type service.

 

The trains from Euston to Birmingham are operated by Virgin Trains. This is a long-distance inter-city service.

 

As you'd expect, the latter are much faster. The Chiltern service typically takes about 2:20 during the day. The Virgin trains can do it in about an hour less than that. But the Chiltern service should be somewhat cheaper.

 

The Virgin trains ought also to be more comfortable. They will be airconditioned. You should also be able to make seat reservations on the train, if you do so sufficiently far in advance.

 

For comfort, see if you can buy a cheap restricted first class ticket. If you can get one at a low fare, it'll be very good value. Alternatively, at the weekends you can often buy a standard class ticket and simply upgrade on board for cash - different railway companies have different policies, but it's typically £5, £10 or £15 or so one-way to do this.

[hugosmom]

We are back home again, safe and sound. My thanks again to all who helped me plan this trip even though it wasn't cruise related. I can't say I had a wonderful time, due to the intense heat and the severe discomfort of not having air conditioning in our hotel in Birmingham or in any of the vehicles we traveled in, but I do want to come back when I can enjoy everything in more moderate temperatures.

 

I know now that I didn't do my homework properly - for example, "taking a train" means different things to different people and most cars/taxis/buses aren't air conditioned - so I look on this trip as a huge learning experience that will make me better prepared for the next time. But my husband appreciated having his guide dog with him during his trade show and my mother appreciated being able to see a whole new part of the world.

 

Happy travels, everyone!

[lord of the seas]

Ofcourse,

The saying is true

 

You get what you pay for!!!

[gratefulguy]

Glad you're back. hugosmom

If you can plan a trip for late September, you may enjoy the trip more--London is a lot like New York City in that the expense masks a lot of the charm! Of course, this year's weather was extreme, but it still is usually uncomfortable in any large city whose buildings were built long before A/C was available. I've lived for so long in the parts of the US where most places are air conditioned, that it took me a couple of trips to Britain/Europe to realize I just didn't want to do that in the Summer anymore. I know you had no choice because of the trade show, so here's hoping you get to go back when you want to go!

[neelie55]

Can someone please advise me re: the best method of transport from Marriott County Hall to Heathrow Airport for a 9:30 a.m. flight. We are two healthy people with luggage on wheels.

[lord of the seas]

Can someone please advise me re: the best method of transport from Marriott County Hall to Heathrow Airport for a 9:30 a.m. flight. We are two healthy people with luggage on wheels.

 

The Concierge at the Hotel will get you a Taxi. Leave at 06.30 and you will be at Heathrow for 07.15 Cost about £60. Easy no fuss transport.

[Globaliser]

Can someone please advise me re: the best method of transport from Marriott County Hall to Heathrow Airport for a 9:30 a.m. flight. We are two healthy people with luggage on wheels.

And if you want to do it by public transport, the best thing is to walk over Westminster Bridge to Westminster Tube station. Take the District Line to Barons Court, then change to the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. If you have a pre-pay Oyster card, I think that this will cost no more than £3.50 per person. Including the walk, it should take you no more than 80 minutes end to end, a little faster if you're lucky with the trains. It is, of course, your call as to whether you have better things to do with 35 minutes or £53 cash.

[neelie55]

Thank you for your responses. The train doesn't sound all that difficult and we would certainly save a great deal of money to spend in our next stop which is Rome.

[lord of the seas]

It is, of course, your call as to whether you have better things to do with 35 minutes or £53 cash.

 

Globaliser,now you are getting the idea about choice.

[Globaliser]

Thank you. How gracious of you to acknowledge that taking the Tube might be a rational option.

[lord of the seas]

Thank you. How gracious of you to acknowledge that taking the Tube might be a rational option.

Yes, taking the tube is always an option,but the poster did ask for the best way to get from the Marriott to Heathrow,which is by Taxi,unless all the roads are closed.

Now if the poster had asked for the cheapest way then probably the tube or bus would be the answer.If only posters would tell us what they really wanted,then the right answer could be given.

[Kindlychap]

Yes, taking the tube is always an option,but the poster did ask for the best way to get from the Marriott to Heathrow,which is by Taxi,unless all the roads are closed.

Now if the poster had asked for the cheapest way then probably the tube or bus would be the answer.If only posters would tell us what they really wanted,then the right answer could be given.

 

The best way is the cheapest if you are on a tight budget.

[lord of the seas]

The best way is the cheapest if you are on a tight budget.

 

Ofcourse it is but the poster did not say that they were looking for the cheapest deal.

[Kindlychap]

Ofcourse it is but the poster did not say that they were looking for the cheapest deal.

 

Neither did they say they wanted to throw money at the problem.

 

Globaliser pointed out two options, and stated the advantages of each. More information for this questioner, and also for those who are reading the board and not contributing.

 

His way seems sensible to me.