Do I have enough time to catch a 2:30 pm flight from LHR after cruise from Dover?

[OurDogCisco]

I think, if I read everything right you need to allow 3 hours for check-in at the airport. So, we'd need to be at the airport around 11:30 am for a 2:30 pm flight. I think, it is about 3 hours to travel from Dover to LHR using train. Sounds like a bus would take longer? Is that true? Our ship docks at 8 am. Would this be enough time?

 

I'll be traveling with 2 kids ages 9 and 12 years old so, I'm not sure how we'd handle our luggage on the train if we took the train. I'm thinking kids will each have a backpack and a rolling suitcase. My dh and I will have a roll-on suitcase and one rolling suitcase. Either we'd need to scale down or take some other sort of transportation.

 

Thanks..

[handfordr]

First I would check that your ship actually docks at 8 a.m.

By far the majority of cruise ships dock betweem 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. with disembarkation between about 07:45 and 8:45. Docking at 8:00 is unusual and unless you can get unassisted disembarkation you may not be off the ship until 10:00.

There is normally a cruise bus option and that should state clearly what the earliest time flight that service will connect with.

 

A vehicle will travel between Dover and Heathrow in about 2 hours assuming no delays. Heathrow is the other side of London from Dover so the vehicles have to navigate the oribital motorway/freway notorious for congestion and delays.

 

All public transport options involves getting a taxi to the bus or train station at Dover, travelling to London then getting the London Underground or crossing London to get a Heathrow train.

 

I suspect your only solution will be a private car or the cruise line bus, but the key thing you need to ascertain is the true arrival and disembarkation time of your ship at Dover

[nancy anne]

How about a 2 pm flight from Heathrow from Harwich on a Sat?

 

Nancy

[OurDogCisco]

First I would check that your ship actually docks at 8 a.m.

By far the majority of cruise ships dock betweem 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. with disembarkation between about 07:45 and 8:45. Docking at 8:00 is unusual and unless you can get unassisted disembarkation you may not be off the ship until 10:00.

There is normally a cruise bus option and that should state clearly what the earliest time flight that service will connect with.

 

A vehicle will travel between Dover and Heathrow in about 2 hours assuming no delays. Heathrow is the other side of London from Dover so the vehicles have to navigate the oribital motorway/freway notorious for congestion and delays.

 

All public transport options involves getting a taxi to the bus or train station at Dover, travelling to London then getting the London Underground or crossing London to get a Heathrow train.

 

I suspect your only solution will be a private car or the cruise line bus, but the key thing you need to ascertain is the true arrival and disembarkation time of your ship at Dover

Thank you... We are on the Disney Cruise Line. So, everything I've seen says 8 am dock time but since the cruise is a long way out that might not be the actual port time. I'll check with them. Right now, DCL does not have the transportation to and from the dock arranged yet. But if you are right and we would be docking at 5 am or 6 am then, I could definitely make the 2:30 pm flight. Sounds like taking the cruiseline transportation might be the easy with our children. Thanks for the advice!

[AmoMondo]

Some more info in case they don't provide an airport transfer.

 

The taxi ride from Dover to the station takes around 10 minutes. it is a small station. you only have a kerb step to negotiate before you are in the ticket office. A single to London costs about £26 or £27 each adult. The platform for the London trains is just outside the ticket are (no stirs or platforms to cross). journey time is about 2hr 15 or 2 hr 30 depending on which train you get. Some go to Victoria and other Charing Cross. Trains are appx every 30mins. Transferring on the Underground to get to heathrow would be a real pain with kids and luggage. I normally grab a taxi when i have to change. the heathrow express is a good quick service but you have to transfer to paddington station. Cant rememeber what a sinle fare is. However if you check the websites and add up the cost of the 2 rail fares and 2 taxi rides for all 4 of you, another option may be to negotaiate a fixed fare taxi ride from the port. On a cruise I was on last year, an elderly lady had a flight back to the States at 12. i was really worried about her making it on time as she had not realised that LHR was not close to the port. She also wasn't feeling that great and said she was going to go by taxi. When i got off a little while after her, i checked with one of the prot staff who was organising taxis to check that she had got off in plenty time and they told me they'd organised a taxi for her at a fixed fare of £150 which didn't seem as bad as I'd fear it would be for a 21/2 hour taxi ride.

[OurDogCisco]

Some more info in case they don't provide an airport transfer.

 

The taxi ride from Dover to the station takes around 10 minutes. it is a small station. you only have a kerb step to negotiate before you are in the ticket office. A single to London costs about £26 or £27 each adult. The platform for the London trains is just outside the ticket are (no stirs or platforms to cross). journey time is about 2hr 15 or 2 hr 30 depending on which train you get. Some go to Victoria and other Charing Cross. Trains are appx every 30mins. Transferring on the Underground to get to heathrow would be a real pain with kids and luggage. I normally grab a taxi when i have to change. the heathrow express is a good quick service but you have to transfer to paddington station. Cant rememeber what a sinle fare is. However if you check the websites and add up the cost of the 2 rail fares and 2 taxi rides for all 4 of you, another option may be to negotaiate a fixed fare taxi ride from the port. On a cruise I was on last year, an elderly lady had a flight back to the States at 12. i was really worried about her making it on time as she had not realised that LHR was not close to the port. She also wasn't feeling that great and said she was going to go by taxi. When i got off a little while after her, i checked with one of the prot staff who was organising taxis to check that she had got off in plenty time and they told me they'd organised a taxi for her at a fixed fare of £150 which didn't seem as bad as I'd fear it would be for a 21/2 hour taxi ride.

Thank you for your insights. I think, we are planning on going to London a few days prior to our cruise. So, does the Tube connect you to the train to Dover? I have a feeling I'd need to make some transfers. At this point, I'm leaning towards using the cruise line transfers at least from the hotel to port and the port to airport. As for the airport to hotel, it will probably all depend on what hotel we end up at. Since we are staying on points I'm not sure I'll get my first pick.

[OurDogCisco]

First I would check that your ship actually docks at 8 a.m.

By far the majority of cruise ships dock betweem 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. with disembarkation between about 07:45 and 8:45. Docking at 8:00 is unusual and unless you can get unassisted disembarkation you may not be off the ship until 10:00.

There is normally a cruise bus option and that should state clearly what the earliest time flight that service will connect with.

 

A vehicle will travel between Dover and Heathrow in about 2 hours assuming no delays. Heathrow is the other side of London from Dover so the vehicles have to navigate the oribital motorway/freway notorious for congestion and delays.

 

All public transport options involves getting a taxi to the bus or train station at Dover, travelling to London then getting the London Underground or crossing London to get a Heathrow train.

 

I suspect your only solution will be a private car or the cruise line bus, but the key thing you need to ascertain is the true arrival and disembarkation time of your ship at Dover

Okay... I confirmed you were right. The ship does dock earlier. They said that the latest we'd get off the ship would be 8 am. They also said not to book flights prior to noon so, I'm guessing a 2:30 pm flight would be perfect. Thanks for clarifying that for me.

[NorbertsNiece]

FYI the Lndon Underground network system does not extend to Dover.

[OurDogCisco]

FYI the Lndon Underground network system does not extend to Dover.

Thanks... I guess... I thought you could take the underground to the train station and then, take the train to Dover. I'm thinking it might be easier to use the cruiseline transportation instead. It might be too much for us to figure out on our 1st visit to London.

[dfwguy62]

Thanks... I guess... I thought you could take the underground to the train station and then, take the train to Dover. I'm thinking it might be easier to use the cruiseline transportation instead. It might be too much for us to figure out on our 1st visit to London.

 

Yes. This you can do. But it is a different train system that actually takes you to Dover. It is not the London Underground. But you can switch between the two at common stations in London. So your goal can be done. You just need to study up on which stations to use and which train line, etc.

 

Keep reading these messages. You'll find all the info you need or you can ask for more details if you can't find it.

[havepassportwilltravel]

Last August we caught an 11 a.m. flight out of LHR after arriving in Harwich that morning. As has been mentioned, most ships are docked by 6 a.m. and begin disembarkation quickly. We had a driver waiting for us, and we had no problem at all. The ships are eager to get you off, too. Be sure to tell the purser's office you need an early disembarkation slot.

 

Cathy