Dover to Heathrow?

[MizLizzie]

We are coming back through Dover after an NCL Baltics cruise this spring. We will book our own air, but will book NCL transfers back to the airport. Does anyone know how long it takes to travel via bus from the port to Heathrow?

 

Also, I'm sure each ship and line vary, but in general, do you wake up in port on your return, and get onto your bus fairly promptly? We will have priority disembarkation, but obviously the bus won't leave until it's full . . . just trying to figure the earliest time we can get to the airport.

 

Many thanks,

Lizzie

[belle907]

Our coach ride this past July from our Carnival cruise, on a Friday morning, took just under 2 hours. We were at the airport about 10am. We got very lucky and had no traffic.

I believe Carnival said not to book a flight before 1pm out of Heathrow.

[handfordr]

We are coming back through Dover after an NCL Baltics cruise this spring. We will book our own air, but will book NCL transfers back to the airport. Does anyone know how long it takes to travel via bus from the port to Heathrow?

 

Also, I'm sure each ship and line vary, but in general, do you wake up in port on your return, and get onto your bus fairly promptly? We will have priority disembarkation, but obviously the bus won't leave until it's full . . . just trying to figure the earliest time we can get to the airport.

 

Many thanks,

Lizzie

 

The buses on a straight run take about 2 hours to go from Dover to Heathrow. The road is motorway/freeway nearly all the way. The buses have speed delimiters so they can only do 100km/hour (62 mph) maximum.

Normally disembarkation at Dover begins about 08:00 and the buses start moving off to Heathrow not long after. There are many buses to Heathrow, as soon as one is full up it will go and another takes it place.. Stragglers have normally disembarked by 9:00.

However, Heathrow is the other side of London from Dover and the bus has to go around London's notorious orbital motorway/freeway the M25.

Mid week, the last section of the journey will be heavily congested with commuter traffic up until around 10:00, so the bus may get a further delay of 15/20 minutes.

[doverphil]

Disembarking at Dover is usually easy and fairly quick. Coach travel to Heathrow takes two hours, but the M25 motorway can be a problem. To be on the safe side, I would plan not to arrive at Heathrow prior to midday.

[MizLizzie]

Thanks, everyone. On our return, we can take a quick, 11 AM direct flight and be home in time to cook dinner, or we wait until 4:30 PM and connect through Kennedy. :cool: Looks like we'll be having a long, leisurely lunch at Heathrow, doesn't it? Hey, at least the shopping is good, and the dollar is stronger . . .

 

Happy trails to you,

Lizzie

[Globaliser]

... a quick, 11 AM direct flight and be home in time to cook dinner ...

If it's any consolation, you wouldn't have felt like cooking dinner, anyway. It might only be 6 pm in New York, but if you've spent a week or two in the Baltics your body will be screaming at you that it's midnight and high time to go to bed.

[MizLizzie]

Ya know, I don't know what it is, but I always hit the ground running when I return from Europe. Been that way for twenty years. It's like I never left home. But the going over -- very spotty. Most times I do okay with a two-hour nap, but occasionally I'm just pole-axed. I've learned over the years to allow an extra day so I can conduct business reasonably coherently. Or make sure I don't ruin my vacation when I'm traveling for fun. And I take Ambien. LOL. No naked driving yet.

 

Happy trails,

Lizzie

[Globaliser]

East Coast -> Europe on an overnight flight is my personal flight from hell. I sympathise!

[Giantfan13]

We are also returning to Dover and leaving at 4:30 PM from Heathrow, what are other options if we do not book transfers thru the cruise line???

[Globaliser]

Public transport or private car transfer. Both are extensively discussed on this forum.