ACL
Member
Back in March I asked for some advice on the best way to get 9 people from Heathrow to Dover to catch a ship for a Baltic Cruise, and many of you were very helpful.
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31581
This is a report on how things went.
First, I wanted to say that each and every rail employee we met on our journey was both friendly and helpful. Many thanks to each and everyone that we had the pleasure to meet.
We took the advice of taking the Piccadilly Tube Line from Heathrow to St. Pancras. There was room for most of our luggage, and you just couldn't beat 4 Pounds 50 per person.
We arrived at St. Pancras, and while everyone was seeking some refreshment, I went to the ticket office to inquire about fares. I asked the lovely lady in the ticket office about the Group Save option, and we were able to take advantage of that. I thought I would have to go and get my two mates so I could buy 4 tickets, another could buy 4 tickets and the other could buy the odd one. No. She was kind enough to sell me a Group Save ticket for 8 and another full fare ticket for the 9th person.
For 175 Pounds 50, or 19 Pounds 50 per person, we had return tickets to Dover Priory.
We caught the 11:12 Javelin (395 003, the Sir Steve Redgrave) to Dover Priory. What a train. Everyone enjoyed the ride.
When the ship returned, one of my worries was realized. The group wanted to leave the ship early. We arrived at Dover Priory at around 8:25. I went inside to check with the lovely lady in the ticket office to see if our Group Save tickets would allow us to catch the 8:44 Javelin. She said that it was a Peak train and that our tickets were not valid for that particular train. But she told me that they were valid for the 8:45 train to Victoria Station (she was so kind to offer that information). That worked out even better since our hotel was near Victoria Station, about a block from St. James Park Tube Station. We were able to walk from Victoria to our hotel. (Another savings since we would have probably had to cab over from St. Pancras.)
Then returning to Heathrow was a snap on the Tube. We went back on a Saturday, so crowds weren't a problem. The super-nice fellow that was in St. James Park tube station kindly told us that if we waited until teh Barons Court or Hammersmith stations, all we would have to do is step out of our District Line train and cross the platform to board the Piccadilly Line train to Heathrow. Again, just 4 Pounds 50 per person.
Total of 28 Pounds 50 per person to go from Heathrow to Dover Priory and return. My friends think I'm a genius.
Again, I thank everyone here who gave me advice. And if any of you work in a ticket office, at a barrier, check/sell tickets on a train, or provide information and help on the Tube, and you happen to have helped a bunch of wayward Yanks with too darn much luggage on the 10th, 22nd, or 24th of July, you have my sincere appreciation for your help and kindness.
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31581
This is a report on how things went.
First, I wanted to say that each and every rail employee we met on our journey was both friendly and helpful. Many thanks to each and everyone that we had the pleasure to meet.
We took the advice of taking the Piccadilly Tube Line from Heathrow to St. Pancras. There was room for most of our luggage, and you just couldn't beat 4 Pounds 50 per person.
We arrived at St. Pancras, and while everyone was seeking some refreshment, I went to the ticket office to inquire about fares. I asked the lovely lady in the ticket office about the Group Save option, and we were able to take advantage of that. I thought I would have to go and get my two mates so I could buy 4 tickets, another could buy 4 tickets and the other could buy the odd one. No. She was kind enough to sell me a Group Save ticket for 8 and another full fare ticket for the 9th person.
For 175 Pounds 50, or 19 Pounds 50 per person, we had return tickets to Dover Priory.
We caught the 11:12 Javelin (395 003, the Sir Steve Redgrave) to Dover Priory. What a train. Everyone enjoyed the ride.
When the ship returned, one of my worries was realized. The group wanted to leave the ship early. We arrived at Dover Priory at around 8:25. I went inside to check with the lovely lady in the ticket office to see if our Group Save tickets would allow us to catch the 8:44 Javelin. She said that it was a Peak train and that our tickets were not valid for that particular train. But she told me that they were valid for the 8:45 train to Victoria Station (she was so kind to offer that information). That worked out even better since our hotel was near Victoria Station, about a block from St. James Park Tube Station. We were able to walk from Victoria to our hotel. (Another savings since we would have probably had to cab over from St. Pancras.)
Then returning to Heathrow was a snap on the Tube. We went back on a Saturday, so crowds weren't a problem. The super-nice fellow that was in St. James Park tube station kindly told us that if we waited until teh Barons Court or Hammersmith stations, all we would have to do is step out of our District Line train and cross the platform to board the Piccadilly Line train to Heathrow. Again, just 4 Pounds 50 per person.
Total of 28 Pounds 50 per person to go from Heathrow to Dover Priory and return. My friends think I'm a genius.
Again, I thank everyone here who gave me advice. And if any of you work in a ticket office, at a barrier, check/sell tickets on a train, or provide information and help on the Tube, and you happen to have helped a bunch of wayward Yanks with too darn much luggage on the 10th, 22nd, or 24th of July, you have my sincere appreciation for your help and kindness.
