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Heathrow to Blackheath?
I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be
appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? I look forward to receiving information. Thank you. JKF |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
"Jkf" wrote:
I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? You should manage it within the hour, I'd have thought. 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) There's a London cabbie that hangs around in here (Mike Hughes IIRC) so he should be able to answer that one..... 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? Depends how much luggage you've got. The Piccadilly line is a slow trek into London so I wouldn't recommend that, but OTOH the Heathrow Express is expensive, but much quicker. If you take the latter, the Bakerloo Line is the easiest to get to from the mainline trains, which is handy as that's what you want. From there you could either stay on until Charing Cross and get the mainline train to Blackheath, or change at Baker Street for the Jubilee Line, get off at London Bridge, and get a train from there. That's possibly easier as there's quite a walk from the Bakerloo Line to the mainline station at Charing Cross, and I *think* that it's easier at London Bridge. Also, changing at Baker Street is very easy as it's a cross-platform interchange, so a quick dash across the platforms - no stairs/escalators involved. Have a look on www.journeyplanner.org - a quick look says it'll take about 1 hour 8 minutes. At a guess a taxi should easily beat that, but obviously it comes at a price. 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? Either the main T1-2-3 or T4 station - not completely sure on that one to be honest, but I think they're part of the same stations as the tube stations. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
On 6 Oct 2006 14:31:31 -0700, "Jkf" wrote:
I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... The TfL Journey Planner says you can make the trip in 1hr 6 mins which I think is pretty good for late evening. I cannot see a cab beating that sort of time because it can be a long slog just to Central London from Heathrow and there are no real fast routes through South London and the trip you are making is a long one by road. http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/use...T2?language=en 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) No idea about taxis - never use them. I understand cabs from Heathrow will charge you a premium. You may also struggle to get one to take you to Blackheath as opposed to Central London. 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? Why get a cab? - trains and tube will get you there quickly Heathrow will be busy, Paddington will be busy and Central London will be busy on a Friday night. It is very unlikely anywhere will feel unsafe. 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? The Journey Planner recommends you take HEX from Heathrow T123 (I made that assumption - the journey will be slightly longer if you are landing at Terminal 4 and would take the train from there). Note that HEX charges a premium fare so you will pay for the fast and comfortable journey. It takes 17 minutes and is non stop to Paddington. This is the 22.02 departure from Heathrow T123 HEX station arriving at Paddington at 22.19. You will arrive at platforms 6 or 7 in the main line (above ground station). Follow the signs for "Underground" - there is a big entrance heading down off the main concourse. There are escalators and steps. The underground ticket office / machines are on your left. The ticket gates are in front of you - once through them follow the signs for the brown Bakerloo line. This is to your left, down a corridor, into another ticket hall and there are escalators heading downstairs. At the bottom you want the right hand platform and the train destination should show Elephant and Castle. This train will take you to Charing Cross. From Paddington you will need to take the Southbound Bakerloo Line (any train from that platform) to Charing Cross. Journey Planner says there is a train at 22.28 - trains are very frequent though. When getting off the tube follow the Way Out signs and then the signs for Charing Cross Main Line Station (Signed as National Rail). At Charing Cross Tube you come up an escalator into the ticket hall. Once through the gates turn to your right and make sure you follow the signs for the Main Line Station. There is a big underground subway complex here and it is easy to get lost - however there will be a decent flow of people heading this way. There is an escalator to take you up into the main line station. In Charing Cross you will take a train to Blackheath. This is the 22.49 departure - its final destination will be Dartford so look for that and the time on the departure boards to find your platform. Charing Cross is a busy but compact station - there are not many platforms to choose from. Your train will arrive at Blackheath at 23.08. Now the one thing I am not sure about is whether you can buy one ticket all the way through from Heathrow on HEX plus the tube plus the train to Blackheath. It will be convenient if you can but I think HEX is separately ticketed from the rest of the main line network - I'm sure someone "in the know" will pop up. My best recommendation is to at least ask at Heathrow HEX station as to whether they can sell you a through ticket all the way - their website is silent about this. If they cannot then buy a single to Paddington. At Paddington Tube Station ask for a through single ticket to Blackheath at the ticket office - they should be able to sell you one. The National Rail website says the ticket should cost £5.40. http://nationalrail.co.uk/index.html What you have not said is how encumbered you will be. If you have 27 suitcases with you then the above route will be difficult as there are escalators and stairs to deal with at each of the stations. If you are not too encumbered then you should be fine. I can't do any more detail than the above (!) so I hope you find it useful. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Paul Corfield wrote: On 6 Oct 2006 14:31:31 -0700, "Jkf" wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... The TfL Journey Planner says you can make the trip in 1hr 6 mins which I think is pretty good for late evening. I cannot see a cab beating that sort of time because it can be a long slog just to Central London from Heathrow and there are no real fast routes through South London and the trip you are making is a long one by road. http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/use...T2?language=en 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) No idea about taxis - never use them. I understand cabs from Heathrow will charge you a premium. You may also struggle to get one to take you to Blackheath as opposed to Central London. 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? Why get a cab? - trains and tube will get you there quickly Heathrow will be busy, Paddington will be busy and Central London will be busy on a Friday night. It is very unlikely anywhere will feel unsafe. 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? The Journey Planner recommends you take HEX from Heathrow T123 (I made that assumption - the journey will be slightly longer if you are landing at Terminal 4 and would take the train from there). Note that HEX charges a premium fare so you will pay for the fast and comfortable journey. It takes 17 minutes and is non stop to Paddington. This is the 22.02 departure from Heathrow T123 HEX station arriving at Paddington at 22.19. You will arrive at platforms 6 or 7 in the main line (above ground station). Follow the signs for "Underground" - there is a big entrance heading down off the main concourse. There are escalators and steps. The underground ticket office / machines are on your left. The ticket gates are in front of you - once through them follow the signs for the brown Bakerloo line. This is to your left, down a corridor, into another ticket hall and there are escalators heading downstairs. At the bottom you want the right hand platform and the train destination should show Elephant and Castle. This train will take you to Charing Cross. From Paddington you will need to take the Southbound Bakerloo Line (any train from that platform) to Charing Cross. Journey Planner says there is a train at 22.28 - trains are very frequent though. When getting off the tube follow the Way Out signs and then the signs for Charing Cross Main Line Station (Signed as National Rail). At Charing Cross Tube you come up an escalator into the ticket hall. Once through the gates turn to your right and make sure you follow the signs for the Main Line Station. There is a big underground subway complex here and it is easy to get lost - however there will be a decent flow of people heading this way. There is an escalator to take you up into the main line station. In Charing Cross you will take a train to Blackheath. This is the 22.49 departure - its final destination will be Dartford so look for that and the time on the departure boards to find your platform. Charing Cross is a busy but compact station - there are not many platforms to choose from. Your train will arrive at Blackheath at 23.08. Now the one thing I am not sure about is whether you can buy one ticket all the way through from Heathrow on HEX plus the tube plus the train to Blackheath. It will be convenient if you can but I think HEX is separately ticketed from the rest of the main line network - I'm sure someone "in the know" will pop up. My best recommendation is to at least ask at Heathrow HEX station as to whether they can sell you a through ticket all the way - their website is silent about this. If they cannot then buy a single to Paddington. At Paddington Tube Station ask for a through single ticket to Blackheath at the ticket office - they should be able to sell you one. The National Rail website says the ticket should cost £5.40. http://nationalrail.co.uk/index.html What you have not said is how encumbered you will be. If you have 27 suitcases with you then the above route will be difficult as there are escalators and stairs to deal with at each of the stations. If you are not too encumbered then you should be fine. I can't do any more detail than the above (!) so I hope you find it useful. -- Paul C Just an extra thought about changing with luggage. Charing Cross and London Bridge will both be horrible interchanges, although Bakerloo to Jubilee is very easy at Baker Street. London Bridge is thoroughly horrible and you have to walk miles. Charing Cross because you are arriving on the Bakerloo. The Bakerloo really calls at the old Trafalgar Square station. The first escalator takes you up to Trafalgar Square, but the National Rail signs take you along a passage under the Strand so that you come up under Charing Cross after a long walk. So I wonder if it might be slightly better to do the Baker Street change and get out at Southwark instead, where the walk to Waterloo East isn't as long as either Charing Cross or London Bridge I think. Trains are timetabled to depart Waterloo East three minutes after Charing Cross. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Jkf wrote:
I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... I don't have answers to all questions but I have some ideas if you want to save some money. It is possible to make this journey much cheaper if you avoid Heathrow Express or cabs. Heathrow Express - tube through central London - train to Blackheath with cash single tickets will cost you 14.50+3+2.40 = £19.90 and by tube to Charing Cross - train to Blackheath only the price of a Z1-6 day travelcard, £6.30. The difference in time is about 10-20 minutes, Heathrow - Charing Cross is about 50-60 minutes by tube and about 40-45 minutes by HEX+tube. The most optimal tube journey in my opinion is Piccadilly Line to Piccadilly Circus and then Bakerloo Line to Charing Cross. However with much luggage it might be difficult with escalators and then it might be better to change to District Line at Hammersmith and go to Embankment Station and then walk to the Charing Cross main line station from there. An even cheaper alternative is tube - bus but according to TfL Journey Planner it will take between 1:33 and 1:44. With cash single tickets it will cost you 4+1.50 = £5.50. If you want to try this I recommend Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith, then District Line to Westminster, Jubilee Line to North Greenwich and then bus 108 (or maybe 422 depending on where in Blackheath you want to go). http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/...-greenwich.pdf -- Olof Lagerkvist ICQ: 724451 Web: http://here.is/olof |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Unfortunately I think you'll be very lucky to land at 10pm and get to
Blackheath by 11pm. One thing to take into account is that Heathrow is a nightmare airport to exit. It can take quite a while to talk from your arrival gate to passport control. If you have a European Union passport, you can usually get through passport control fairly quickly. However if you don't, the queues can often be quite long. Best case, with an EU passport and hand luggage only, I think you could possibly be out of customs by 10.15pm, assuming your plane lands on time. As outlined elsewhere in this thread, train/tube options would take at least an hour. I've found that the best possible taxi time from Heathrow to Blackheath across central London is about 45 minutes. However this only works in the early hours of the morning (6am). At 10-11pm on a Friday night, central London will be very busy and I think it would take about 90 minutes but this is very variable. Going around the M25 would be quicker at this time of night (though more expensive). I would guess a journey time of 65-70 minutes (make sure the driver leaves the M25 at junction 2 - longer but quicker as compared to exitting at junction 3). Cheaper than a black cab taxi would be to pre-book a minicab. A company that provides a reasonable service and is fairly reliable is Blackheath Cars. I haven't done Heathrow to Blackheath for a while but if memory serves, the fixed cost (ie there's no meter) is about £55-60 across central London (more expensive around the M25). Blackheath Cars can have somebody waiting for you after you exit customs. Note that you'll lose a few minutes over getting a black cab as you'll need to walk to where the driver has parked in the short-term car park and the driver will need to pay for the parking charges. Blackheath Cars can be contacted on +44-20-8318-5432. Given the above, on a Friday night, I reckon train and tube options are better (and cheaper). Are you committed to Heathrow though? Much more convenient for Blackheath is London City airport (to which you can fly from several European locations). You can usually exit City airport in about 5 minutes and a taxi to Blackheath should only take 10-15 minutes (assuming the Blackwall tunnel isn't closed for maintenance - it does happen, search the web). I usually just get a black cab from City airport to Blackheath as the premium isn't too much over a minicab. Obviously you could also book Blackheath Cars as above. Good luck! |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
On Fri, 6 Oct 2006 Jkf wrote:
I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? Just a thought about an alternative route to Blackheath, though this takes longer and wouldn't get you there by 11 p.m. Take not the Heathrow Express but Heathrow Connect to Ealing Broadway. Change there to the Central Line to Stratford. Just outside the station is the bus station, from where the 108 bus goes to Blackheath. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
zin92 wrote:
Unfortunately I think you'll be very lucky to land at 10pm and get to Blackheath by 11pm. Paul C's route described elsewhere on this thread sounds solid but nontheless I also think trying to do it in an hour is pushing it. If you took a taxi I can't help but imagine you'd get stuck up in traffic (friday night is party night after all), though this could possibly be avoided by going round the M25, but that's just much further - depending upon which route you used to get into Blackheath you could end up doing almost a half circle of the M25 - which would eat up time too. Earlier flight? |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
"Mizter T" wrote:
Unfortunately I think you'll be very lucky to land at 10pm and get to Blackheath by 11pm. Paul C's route described elsewhere on this thread sounds solid but nontheless I also think trying to do it in an hour is pushing it. If you took a taxi I can't help but imagine you'd get stuck up in traffic (friday night is party night after all), though this could possibly be avoided by going round the M25, but that's just much further - depending upon which route you used to get into Blackheath you could end up doing almost a half circle of the M25 - which would eat up time too. Indeed - just worked it out very roughly on Memory-Map Navigator and it's around 49 miles from J15 to the J3 for the M20/A20 - there's no way in the world you could beat the direct route at that time by going that way. Or, indeed, at most times. One suggestion might be to get a train to Lewisham - you might possibly get a slightly quicker train that might only call at more major stations on the way out to somewhere further out, than a more local stopping service. Wouldn't knock much off the time, but there might be slightly more trains to Lewisham, and depending on where in Blackheath the OP is heading for, it might be almost as close anyway. And from what someone else said, going from the tube to mainline station at London Bridge is probably almost as much of a pain in the neck as it is at Charing Cross from the Bakerloo line. I wouldn't bother with Southwark to Waterloo East though - a quick look on a map reveals it to be a longer walk than at Charing Cross. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
In message . com, Jkf
writes I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) I've read some of the other replies, some of which do not seem to have read your original post correctly. Let me see if I can help you from a taxi driver's point of view. First of all you state that you imagine you'll be out of customs at about 10 p.m. Do you know which terminal you will be arriving at? (If it's long haul BA it will probably be T4, long haul (most) other carriers T3, European T2. In my experience most people take about 45 minutes to collect luggage and complete customs (those who have been away for one day on business with no luggage are usually out within 15 minutes). From this can you confirm that your flight is scheduled to land at about 9.15 p.m.? Time on a Friday - you should do that within the hour. Note that the route the driver should choose would avoid the west end. Cost. The fare is on the meter and would probably be in the region of 75 GBP. There is a Heathrow pick up charge of 2.00 GPB (which is half the 4.00 GBP we get charged to be allowed to pick up !) and that would be shown on the meter as an 'extra'. There is no other premium. Taxis are not forced to take a fare to Blackheath as it is well outside the compulsory 20 mile limit (for Heathrow - 12 miles in town). However, most drivers would be willing to take such a fare. For one person a taxi is obviously a relatively expensive option (unless the business is paying). For two it is marginal, but for 3, 4 or 5 people a taxi is usually cheaper (especially at night when the traffic moves) that the Heathrow Express. There is also the consideration of luggage. How much will you have and how easy is it to move around. If you post more details then I can give you more definitive information. -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
In message , AstraVanMan
writes "Jkf" wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? You should manage it within the hour, I'd have thought. Shouldn't be a problem - that's what the knowledge is all about ! 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) There's a London cabbie that hangs around in here (Mike Hughes IIRC) so he should be able to answer that one..... Done that elsewhere. -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
In message , Paul Corfield
writes No idea about taxis - never use them. I understand cabs from Heathrow will charge you a premium. No premium from Heathrow. Just a 2.00 GBP charge which half what we get charged to go into the system before being allowed to pick up at the terminal. You may also struggle to get one to take you to Blackheath as opposed to Central London. Blackheath is outside the compellable distance but there are usually plenty of drivers prepared to go there. 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? Why get a cab? - trains and tube will get you there quickly But probably not within the hour, especially if you don't know your way around the system and may be laden with luggage. Heathrow will be busy, Paddington will be busy and Central London will be busy on a Friday night. It is very unlikely anywhere will feel unsafe. -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
AstraVanMan wrote: "Mizter T" wrote: Unfortunately I think you'll be very lucky to land at 10pm and get to Blackheath by 11pm. Paul C's route described elsewhere on this thread sounds solid but nontheless I also think trying to do it in an hour is pushing it. If you took a taxi I can't help but imagine you'd get stuck up in traffic (friday night is party night after all), though this could possibly be avoided by going round the M25, but that's just much further - depending upon which route you used to get into Blackheath you could end up doing almost a half circle of the M25 - which would eat up time too. Indeed - just worked it out very roughly on Memory-Map Navigator and it's around 49 miles from J15 to the J3 for the M20/A20 - there's no way in the world you could beat the direct route at that time by going that way. Or, indeed, at most times. One suggestion might be to get a train to Lewisham - you might possibly get a slightly quicker train that might only call at more major stations on the way out to somewhere further out, than a more local stopping service. Wouldn't knock much off the time, but there might be slightly more trains to Lewisham, and depending on where in Blackheath the OP is heading for, it might be almost as close anyway. And from what someone else said, going from the tube to mainline station at London Bridge is probably almost as much of a pain in the neck as it is at Charing Cross from the Bakerloo line. I wouldn't bother with Southwark to Waterloo East though - a quick look on a map reveals it to be a longer walk than at Charing Cross. Don't think so. The Bakerloo platforms are under Cockspur Street. The Jubilee platforms are to the West of Blackfriars Road. To be honest, this is all a bit academic. I don't think that the journey is actually possible in the time specified. Probably won't even be out of Heathrow by the time required to be in Blackheath. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
In message . com, zin92
writes Unfortunately I think you'll be very lucky to land at 10pm and get to Blackheath by 11pm. The OP posted that they expected to clear customs by that time so it would be reasonable to assume that the flight lands before that time. One thing to take into account is that Heathrow is a nightmare airport to exit. It can take quite a while to talk from your arrival gate to passport control. If you have a European Union passport, you can usually get through passport control fairly quickly. However if you don't, the queues can often be quite long. Best case, with an EU passport and hand luggage only, I think you could possibly be out of customs by 10.15pm, assuming your plane lands on time. As outlined elsewhere in this thread, train/tube options would take at least an hour. I've found that the best possible taxi time from Heathrow to Blackheath across central London is about 45 minutes. However this only works in the early hours of the morning (6am). At 10-11pm on a Friday night, central London will be very busy and I think it would take about 90 minutes but this is very variable. One hour should not be a problem. That's where the knowledge of London comes in, enabling a taxi driver to choose the best route to avoid the Friday night jams (clue: Vauxhall Bridge is usually best). Remember that taxis can also use bus lanes which does help, even at night times since many people do not realise that they are legally allowed to use most of them but don't leaving it clear for buses and taxis. Going around the M25 would be quicker at this time of night (though more expensive). I would guess a journey time of 65-70 minutes (make sure the driver leaves the M25 at junction 2 - longer but quicker as compared to exitting at junction 3). Cheaper than a black cab taxi would be to pre-book a minicab. A company that provides a reasonable service and is fairly reliable is Blackheath Cars. I haven't done Heathrow to Blackheath for a while but if memory serves, the fixed cost (ie there's no meter) is about £55-60 across central London (more expensive around the M25). Not a lot different from a licensed taxi - and you don't have to go around the M25 which will be at least treble the distance of going through town. Blackheath Cars can have somebody waiting for you after you exit customs. Note that you'll lose a few minutes over getting a black cab as you'll need to walk to where the driver has parked in the short-term car park and the driver will need to pay for the parking charges. And charge the customer a fee for the parking and waiting! What's more, if they are local to Blackheath there is a strong probability that they do not know their way through the centre very well and could well be relying on GPS which will definitely lead you into some of the most congested night time areas. Blackheath Cars can be contacted on +44-20-8318-5432. Given the above, on a Friday night, I reckon train and tube options are better (and cheaper). Are you committed to Heathrow though? Much more convenient for Blackheath is London City airport (to which you can fly from several European locations). You can usually exit City airport in about 5 minutes and a taxi to Blackheath should only take 10-15 minutes (assuming the Blackwall tunnel isn't closed for maintenance - it does happen, search the web). Again it would be reasonable to assume that the OP is coming from somewhere which does not have a service to and from City Airport so this would not be an option. Now if they were coming into Gatwick at that time of a Friday I'd leave home later and could offer them a very competitive fixed price rate as I often pass Gatwick on the way to and from (night) work. :-)) I usually just get a black cab from City airport to Blackheath as the premium isn't too much over a minicab. Obviously you could also book Blackheath Cars as above. Good luck! -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 12:13:06 +0100, Mike Hughes
wrote: In message , Paul Corfield writes Why get a cab? - trains and tube will get you there quickly But probably not within the hour, especially if you don't know your way around the system and may be laden with luggage. Which is why I provided such a detailed set of directions. With that you're very unlikely to be lost. I accept the luggage point which is why I specifically mentioned it at the end of the post. If someone is laden down with stuff then public transport is much more difficult and will take more time on the interchange legs of the journey. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Paul Corfield wrote:
(snip much helpful advice) Now the one thing I am not sure about is whether you can buy one ticket all the way through from Heathrow on HEX plus the tube plus the train to Blackheath. It will be convenient if you can but I think HEX is separately ticketed from the rest of the main line network - I'm sure someone "in the know" will pop up. My best recommendation is to at least ask at Heathrow HEX station as to whether they can sell you a through ticket all the way - their website is silent about this. If they cannot then buy a single to Paddington. At Paddington Tube Station ask for a through single ticket to Blackheath at the ticket office - they should be able to sell you one. The National Rail website says the ticket should cost £5.40. http://nationalrail.co.uk/index.html The National Rail (NR) website is also talking balls! The £5.40 fare quoted by the NR website would appear to be the price of a zones 1-4 off-peak Day Travelcard. However the NR website seemingly doesn't take account of the new "Tube/DLR - Train tickets" which are "the maximum you will pay for a single journey in the London zonal area" - see the pricing table on the TfL website [1] or in the TfL fares booklet [2]. In this case a Paddington (zone 1) to Blackheath (zone 3) fares would be £4.40, which you would buy at Paddington Underground station. Like Paul I've no idea about whether there's any possibility of purchasing a through ticket at Heathrow before boarding the HEX, but as Paul rightly says you can but ask. ----- [1] Tube/DLR - Train fares on the TfL website http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...e/rail-2.shtml [2] Tube/DLR - Train fares in the TfL Fares & tickets booklet (PDF file) http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...006.pdf#page=6 |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
AstraVanMan wrote:
"Mizter T" wrote: Unfortunately I think you'll be very lucky to land at 10pm and get to Blackheath by 11pm. Paul C's route described elsewhere on this thread sounds solid but nontheless I also think trying to do it in an hour is pushing it. If you took a taxi I can't help but imagine you'd get stuck up in traffic (friday night is party night after all), though this could possibly be avoided by going round the M25, but that's just much further - depending upon which route you used to get into Blackheath you could end up doing almost a half circle of the M25 - which would eat up time too. Indeed - just worked it out very roughly on Memory-Map Navigator and it's around 49 miles from J15 to the J3 for the M20/A20 - there's no way in the world you could beat the direct route at that time by going that way. Or, indeed, at most times. Yeah, a spectacularly bad idea! It's not one that I would ever try myself but I threw it out there just to see whether anyone else might rate it or not. One suggestion might be to get a train to Lewisham - you might possibly get a slightly quicker train that might only call at more major stations on the way out to somewhere further out, than a more local stopping service. Wouldn't knock much off the time, but there might be slightly more trains to Lewisham, and depending on where in Blackheath the OP is heading for, it might be almost as close anyway. At that time any train to Blackheath will be coming from Charing Cross so there's no point in going to Lewisham to pick up another to get to Blackheath. You could go to Lewisham if there's a wait for the next Blackheath train and pick up a cab from there - as there's a rank at Lewisham - but you might have to wait for a taxi as that's a busy time taxi-wise (either in a queue or waiting for one to pull up, or both). Doing this could be useful if there's a long way to go from Blackheath to the final destination as there's no taxi rank at Blackheath station, but it's dicey as you might be waiting at Lewisham a while. And from what someone else said, going from the tube to mainline station at London Bridge is probably almost as much of a pain in the neck as it is at Charing Cross from the Bakerloo line. I wouldn't bother with Southwark to Waterloo East though - a quick look on a map reveals it to be a longer walk than at Charing Cross. It's not a long walk for a very good reason - Southwark tube station has two exits, one onto the street and another exit directly connected to Waterloo East - there's no exit to the street via this dedicated link, just a concourse that leads to stairs up to the far end of the platforms. Given that Southwark tube station is practically underneath Waterloo East it's very easy - I've done it myself several times. One issue with catching a train from here is that the train information screens aren't as useful as they should be and there's a choice of two platforms (whilst the train will almost certainly go from one of these I wouldn't rely on it). So it'd be helpful to know the time of your train and the ultimate destination so you can decipher which platform you need to be on quickly - unfortunately there won't be any staff to ask on this concourse (there is a member of Underground staff, but they don't know about the railway) but there are often railway staff on the platforms above - along with other passengers to ask of course. The information at Charing Cross is much more thorough, if it weren't for that I'd give the Waterloo East route my full thumbs up. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Olof Lagerkvist wrote:
Jkf wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... I don't have answers to all questions but I have some ideas if you want to save some money. It is possible to make this journey much cheaper if you avoid Heathrow Express or cabs. Heathrow Express - tube through central London - train to Blackheath with cash single tickets will cost you 14.50+3+2.40 = £19.90 and by tube to Charing Cross - train to Blackheath only the price of a Z1-6 day travelcard, £6.30. There's no need to buy seperate tickets for the tube and the railway journey - as I state on another post in this thread you just need to buy a "Tube/DLR - Train ticket" from Paddington at a cost of £4.40. An even cheaper alternative is tube - bus but according to TfL Journey Planner it will take between 1:33 and 1:44. With cash single tickets it will cost you 4+1.50 = £5.50. If you want to try this I recommend Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith, then District Line to Westminster, Jubilee Line to North Greenwich and then bus 108 (or maybe 422 depending on where in Blackheath you want to go). http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/...-greenwich.pdf Given that time is tight I don't think the bus is going to help the OP! But North Greenwich is useful especially if the destination is somewhere in the Westcombe Park area of Blackheath - the 108 or 422 bus goes that way. There's also a taxi rank at North Greenwich but I don't know how well inhabited it is by taxi's at that sort of time of night - but the OP could of course arrange for a minicab to pick him up from there. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
"Mizter T" wrote:
Indeed - just worked it out very roughly on Memory-Map Navigator and it's around 49 miles from J15 to the J3 for the M20/A20 - there's no way in the world you could beat the direct route at that time by going that way. Or, indeed, at most times. Yeah, a spectacularly bad idea! It's not one that I would ever try myself but I threw it out there just to see whether anyone else might rate it or not. Heh. I certainly wouldn't. Apart from if they completely closed all of London within the North/South Circulars, or something equally extreme.... :-) At that time any train to Blackheath will be coming from Charing Cross so there's no point in going to Lewisham to pick up another to get to Blackheath. You could go to Lewisham if there's a wait for the next Blackheath train and pick up a cab from there - as there's a rank at Lewisham - but you might have to wait for a taxi as that's a busy time taxi-wise (either in a queue or waiting for one to pull up, or both). Doing this could be useful if there's a long way to go from Blackheath to the final destination as there's no taxi rank at Blackheath station, but it's dicey as you might be waiting at Lewisham a while. That was my idea - if a cab would have been required from Blackheath station to the destination anyway, then it'd probably be as well to get off at Lewsisham, especially if a Lewisham train that wasn't stopping at BH came along first. And from what someone else said, going from the tube to mainline station at London Bridge is probably almost as much of a pain in the neck as it is at Charing Cross from the Bakerloo line. I wouldn't bother with Southwark to Waterloo East though - a quick look on a map reveals it to be a longer walk than at Charing Cross. It's not a long walk for a very good reason - Southwark tube station has two exits, one onto the street and another exit directly connected to Waterloo East - there's no exit to the street via this dedicated link, just a concourse that leads to stairs up to the far end of the platforms. Given that Southwark tube station is practically underneath Waterloo East it's very easy - I've done it myself several times. Ah - noted. Didn't know that. I'm only going on an A-Z - though I do know the tube network reasonably well (having done a bit of 'tube challenging' here and there) - just not that particular connection. One issue with catching a train from here is that the train information screens aren't as useful as they should be and there's a choice of two platforms (whilst the train will almost certainly go from one of these I wouldn't rely on it). So it'd be helpful to know the time of your train and the ultimate destination so you can decipher which platform you need to be on quickly - unfortunately there won't be any staff to ask on this concourse (there is a member of Underground staff, but they don't know about the railway) but there are often railway staff on the platforms above - along with other passengers to ask of course. The information at Charing Cross is much more thorough, if it weren't for that I'd give the Waterloo East route my full thumbs up. Yup. Sounds like the interchange between Southwark and Waterloo East is the best choice compared to the masses of walking at Charing Cross and London Bridge, and Bakerloo Southbound to Jubbly Southbound is an easy change at Baker Street. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
zin92 wrote:
Going around the M25 would be quicker at this time of night No. I think there would be no significant traffic jams between Heathrow and Blackheath at this time of night, whether you went via Vauxhall or Westminster bridges, so taking the M25 would be crazy, unless you are going to travel at 150% of the speed limit. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
MIG wrote:
AstraVanMan wrote: (snip) And from what someone else said, going from the tube to mainline station at London Bridge is probably almost as much of a pain in the neck as it is at Charing Cross from the Bakerloo line. I wouldn't bother with Southwark to Waterloo East though - a quick look on a map reveals it to be a longer walk than at Charing Cross. Don't think so. The Bakerloo platforms are under Cockspur Street. The Jubilee platforms are to the West of Blackfriars Road. As I state elsewhere Southwark to Waterloo East is a direct interchange - you don't have to leave the station premises to get from platform to platform. To be honest, this is all a bit academic. I don't think that the journey is actually possible in the time specified. Probably won't even be out of Heathrow by the time required to be in Blackheath. Yeah, getting through Heathrow can be pretty slow. The flight might well be late in (could be late starting out in fact), you can spend a bit of time trundling around the taxiways of Heathrow before you even get out, baggage reclaim can take an age (if you've got baggage in the hold of course), etc etc. However if the OP's got the money then a mad dash across south London in a black cab could be fun - cutting through south London is all about knowing the sly backstreet routes. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Jkf wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? I look forward to receiving information. Thank you. JKF Heathrow to Blackheath in an hour would be a struggle by any mode of transport. More like 1:30 on a good day. And probably closer to 2 hours in reality. Depending on terminal it can take about 15 minutes just to get from the exit of customs to either the Underground or Heathrow Express. Suggestions above are fine. Although I would think the cabbie would have to go some speed and know his way around to get to Blackheath in 1hr. So you'll have to tell them you want to get there by 11pm and let them know you are in a rush. BTW. Why do you so urgently need to get to Blackheath for 11? Anyway, another possible route not mentioned and a good alternative Heathrow route period is to travel via Feltham. 285 bus or cab ride to Feltham is no more than 5-10 minutes. Then fast train to Waterloo. Walk over to Waterloo East and the train to Blackheath. Zone 1-6 travelcard will do you for the journey so it's the same price as the choob if you take the 285 bus. Trains will be fairly empty and SWT trains have nice new airconditioned rolling stock. Same amount of changes as the tube in central london and probably less stressful. A. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
On 7 Oct 2006 06:46:45 -0700, "Londoncityslicker"
wrote: Jkf wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? I look forward to receiving information. Thank you. JKF Heathrow to Blackheath in an hour would be a struggle by any mode of transport. More like 1:30 on a good day. And probably closer to 2 hours in reality. Depending on terminal it can take about 15 minutes just to get from the exit of customs to either the Underground or Heathrow Express. Suggestions above are fine. Although I would think the cabbie would have to go some speed and know his way around to get to Blackheath in 1hr. So you'll have to tell them you want to get there by 11pm and let them know you are in a rush. BTW. Why do you so urgently need to get to Blackheath for 11? Anyway, another possible route not mentioned and a good alternative Heathrow route period is to travel via Feltham. 285 bus or cab ride to Feltham is no more than 5-10 minutes. Then fast train to Waterloo. Walk over to Waterloo East and the train to Blackheath. Zone 1-6 travelcard will do you for the journey so it's the same price as the choob if you take the 285 bus. Trains will be fairly empty and SWT trains have nice new airconditioned rolling stock. Same amount of changes as the tube in central london and probably less stressful. My only comment on the above would be that Waterloo and Waterloo East will be busy. A better explanation of the relationship and link between the Waterloo Stations would help a stranger as it's not that obvious and I've always found big main line stations to be moderately bewildering places the first time I've ever used them - whether in the UK or elsewhere. That's partly why I went into such excruciating detail in my first response - trying to make an "alien" environment as understandable as possible. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Paul Corfield wrote: On 7 Oct 2006 06:46:45 -0700, "Londoncityslicker" wrote: Jkf wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Here are some questions... 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? I look forward to receiving information. Thank you. JKF Heathrow to Blackheath in an hour would be a struggle by any mode of transport. More like 1:30 on a good day. And probably closer to 2 hours in reality. Depending on terminal it can take about 15 minutes just to get from the exit of customs to either the Underground or Heathrow Express. Suggestions above are fine. Although I would think the cabbie would have to go some speed and know his way around to get to Blackheath in 1hr. So you'll have to tell them you want to get there by 11pm and let them know you are in a rush. BTW. Why do you so urgently need to get to Blackheath for 11? Anyway, another possible route not mentioned and a good alternative Heathrow route period is to travel via Feltham. 285 bus or cab ride to Feltham is no more than 5-10 minutes. Then fast train to Waterloo. Walk over to Waterloo East and the train to Blackheath. Zone 1-6 travelcard will do you for the journey so it's the same price as the choob if you take the 285 bus. Trains will be fairly empty and SWT trains have nice new airconditioned rolling stock. Same amount of changes as the tube in central london and probably less stressful. My only comment on the above would be that Waterloo and Waterloo East will be busy. A better explanation of the relationship and link between the Waterloo Stations would help a stranger as it's not that obvious and I've always found big main line stations to be moderately bewildering places the first time I've ever used them - whether in the UK or elsewhere. That's partly why I went into such excruciating detail in my first response - trying to make an "alien" environment as understandable as possible. -- Paul C If I'd been more on the ball, the correct response would have been "If I was going to Blackheath, I wouldn't start from Heathrow.". |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
"Londoncityslicker" wrote:
Heathrow to Blackheath in an hour would be a struggle by any mode of transport. More like 1:30 on a good day. And probably closer to 2 hours in reality. Nah, most of the services are pretty frequent and reliable - within 1h15m from the Heathrow Express departing to the train pulling up in Blackheath should be quite possible. Simple things like getting near the front of the hEx train to get straight down to the tube, and changing at the right places (i.e. easy ones) will help a lot. Depending on terminal it can take about 15 minutes just to get from the exit of customs to either the Underground or Heathrow Express. Suppose there is that.... Suggestions above are fine. Although I would think the cabbie would have to go some speed and know his way around to get to Blackheath in 1hr. Well they should know their way around, given that they've all got the Knowledge. So you'll have to tell them you want to get there by 11pm and let them know you are in a rush. BTW. Why do you so urgently need to get to Blackheath for 11? -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Thank you so much for your help. I am amazed, and delighted, that so
many people took the time to try and figure this one out for me! I'm working on it! Joanne AstraVanMan wrote: "Jkf" wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? You should manage it within the hour, I'd have thought. 1. If I got a cab at the airport, how long would it take and about how much would that cost (approximately) to get to Blackheath? (I'm afraid to hear the answer, because I recall that cabs in London were a King's ransom.) There's a London cabbie that hangs around in here (Mike Hughes IIRC) so he should be able to answer that one..... 2. Can I take either the Heathrow Express or the Underground at Heathrow and get off someplace in London from which I could get a cab? What stop would I get out at? Would this save time or money? Would it be safe? Depends how much luggage you've got. The Piccadilly line is a slow trek into London so I wouldn't recommend that, but OTOH the Heathrow Express is expensive, but much quicker. If you take the latter, the Bakerloo Line is the easiest to get to from the mainline trains, which is handy as that's what you want. From there you could either stay on until Charing Cross and get the mainline train to Blackheath, or change at Baker Street for the Jubilee Line, get off at London Bridge, and get a train from there. That's possibly easier as there's quite a walk from the Bakerloo Line to the mainline station at Charing Cross, and I *think* that it's easier at London Bridge. Also, changing at Baker Street is very easy as it's a cross-platform interchange, so a quick dash across the platforms - no stairs/escalators involved. Have a look on www.journeyplanner.org - a quick look says it'll take about 1 hour 8 minutes. At a guess a taxi should easily beat that, but obviously it comes at a price. 3. Does the Heathrow Express make stops between the Airport and Paddington? Where do you catch the Picadilly Line at Heathrow? Either the main T1-2-3 or T4 station - not completely sure on that one to be honest, but I think they're part of the same stations as the tube stations. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
I have been amazed by and grateful for all the responses to my note.
I'm working on figuring out the best method. Many thanks, Joanne AstraVanMan wrote: "Londoncityslicker" wrote: Heathrow to Blackheath in an hour would be a struggle by any mode of transport. More like 1:30 on a good day. And probably closer to 2 hours in reality. Nah, most of the services are pretty frequent and reliable - within 1h15m from the Heathrow Express departing to the train pulling up in Blackheath should be quite possible. Simple things like getting near the front of the hEx train to get straight down to the tube, and changing at the right places (i.e. easy ones) will help a lot. Depending on terminal it can take about 15 minutes just to get from the exit of customs to either the Underground or Heathrow Express. Suppose there is that.... Suggestions above are fine. Although I would think the cabbie would have to go some speed and know his way around to get to Blackheath in 1hr. Well they should know their way around, given that they've all got the Knowledge. So you'll have to tell them you want to get there by 11pm and let them know you are in a rush. BTW. Why do you so urgently need to get to Blackheath for 11? -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Jkf wrote:
Thank you so much for your help. I am amazed, and delighted [...] .... and possibly ever so slightly disturbed?! ;-) ... [...] that so many people took the time to try and figure this one out for me! I'm working on it! Joanne Apols for referring to you as a he - I saw JKF and thought you were possibly the somewhat confused ghost of Camelot who'd got their initials muddled up, hence I erroneously assigned you the male gender. You could always try these boys... http://www.virgin.com/subsites/virginlimobike/link.html ....it's out of their normal hours but they're "open to queries" about out of hours jobs, presumably so long as your purse is open for them to take out a fat wedge of notes! I'd offer you a lift myself, but my bike doesn't go that fast, something to do with it being powered by my legs or something. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
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Heathrow to Blackheath?
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Heathrow to Blackheath?
Jkf wrote:
I have been amazed by and grateful for all the responses to my note. I'm working on figuring out the best method. While the devotion shown by many on this group to buses and trains is touching, you aren't in England every day and probably don't get that much holiday time per year, so this probably isn't a good time to slum it. In this circumstance I think you should get a taxi from Heathrow to the exact address in Blackheath, rather than worry about relying on at least three trains or buses all being punctual. Make sure you get a proper taxi from the taxi rank - there are numerous illegal chaps touting "taxis" in the airport, and these have been known to take very circuitous slow routes, and aren't insured. |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 15:06:16 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote: Jkf wrote: I have been amazed by and grateful for all the responses to my note. I'm working on figuring out the best method. While the devotion shown by many on this group to buses and trains is touching, you aren't in England every day and probably don't get that much holiday time per year, so this probably isn't a good time to slum it. In this circumstance I think you should get a taxi from Heathrow to the exact address in Blackheath, rather than worry about relying on at least three trains or buses all being punctual. Make sure you get a proper taxi from the taxi rank - there are numerous illegal chaps touting "taxis" in the airport, and these have been known to take very circuitous slow routes, and aren't insured. Come on John - it's not devotion to a favoured mode it's about trying to be helpful. There are some people on here who do or have worked in the taxi / private hire business (you're one IIRC) which is fair enough and they've had their say too in this thread. I suspect that I would struggle to spot an illegal taxi at Heathrow (or any airport for that matter) so quite why the OP will have developed a sixth sense to be able to do so I know not. There are pluses and minuses to all of the choices that have been put forward so let's not get into a "bidding war" as to which is best. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
In message , Paul Corfield
writes On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 15:06:16 +0100, "John Rowland" wrote: Jkf wrote: I have been amazed by and grateful for all the responses to my note. I'm working on figuring out the best method. While the devotion shown by many on this group to buses and trains is touching, you aren't in England every day and probably don't get that much holiday time per year, so this probably isn't a good time to slum it. In this circumstance I think you should get a taxi from Heathrow to the exact address in Blackheath, rather than worry about relying on at least three trains or buses all being punctual. Make sure you get a proper taxi from the taxi rank - there are numerous illegal chaps touting "taxis" in the airport, and these have been known to take very circuitous slow routes, and aren't insured. Come on John - it's not devotion to a favoured mode it's about trying to be helpful. There are some people on here who do or have worked in the taxi / private hire business (you're one IIRC) which is fair enough and they've had their say too in this thread. I suspect that I would struggle to spot an illegal taxi at Heathrow (or any airport for that matter) so quite why the OP will have developed a sixth sense to be able to do so I know not. Quite simple: Do not accept *any* offer by someone purporting to take you to the 'taxi'. Look for the signs guiding you to the taxi rank where you will find taxis properly ranked up with one or two BAA authorised agents controlling the queue of taxis and customers ensuring that the first taxi takes the first customer (if within the 20 mile compellable distance). Each licensed taxi has a licence plate on the rear and is fitted with a taxi meter. The big danger with attempting to arrange for a 'mini-cab' to pick you up is that you do not know the person and you do not know what vehicle you are getting into. It is these circumstances that the touts attempt to exploit. All of these are uninsured, many do not even have driving licences! At least a London taxi is easily recognised and is controlled and regulated. If you were arriving at an unfamiliar (if indeed the OP is unfamiliar with London) location which would you rather try to use? There are pluses and minuses to all of the choices that have been put forward so let's not get into a "bidding war" as to which is best. -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 19:24:08 +0100, Mike Hughes
wrote: At least a London taxi is easily recognised and is controlled and regulated. If you were arriving at an unfamiliar (if indeed the OP is unfamiliar with London) location which would you rather try to use? Completely honest answer is that I avoid taxis wherever I travel. I have paid for a black cab once in 23 years as I had a lot of luggage with me but even then it was a struggle to get a cab as I was outside the compulsory limit. The only other time was when I was with work colleagues who decided to use one - quite why when we have free travel I know not. I always research the public transport options before I go anywhere and I certainly make sure that the airport - central area / hotel journey is feasible by public transport. I then use public transport at my destination where I need to - most tourists walk extensively when they are on hols anyway. Just call me odd. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
In message , Paul Corfield
writes Just call me odd. OK Odd :-)) -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
Jkf wrote: I have been amazed by and grateful for all the responses to my note. I'm working on figuring out the best method. Many thanks, Joanne My suggestion is that you pre-book a licensed mini-cab rather than use a black cab, because the price could be a lot lower. But your best bet if you want to save the money is not to pre-book in advance but to call while you are waiting for your baggage. If you book in advance they will charge you waiting time from the time your plane lands. If the Blackwall Tunnel is open at the time and not too busy then the journey could probably be completed in less than an hour via M4/A4 and along the Embankment. It can sometimes be faster to go along the South side of the river (short side of the bend) via Southwark (Baylis Road etc) then through Bermondsey. (Following the A2 is usually not a great idea). |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
There is a local (licensed) mini-cab company called LHR Cars that have
a good system. You pre-book with them giving approx arrival time. When you arrive in the baggage hall, give them a call and they will pick you up once you get out. Sometimes there is bit of a palaver about the pickup (i.e. how to recognise their car and how they spot you), so it's a bit slower than catching a cab, but it's cheaper. -- Harry Earl Purple wrote: Jkf wrote: I have been amazed by and grateful for all the responses to my note. I'm working on figuring out the best method. Many thanks, Joanne My suggestion is that you pre-book a licensed mini-cab rather than use a black cab, because the price could be a lot lower. But your best bet if you want to save the money is not to pre-book in advance but to call while you are waiting for your baggage. If you book in advance they will charge you waiting time from the time your plane lands. If the Blackwall Tunnel is open at the time and not too busy then the journey could probably be completed in less than an hour via M4/A4 and along the Embankment. It can sometimes be faster to go along the South side of the river (short side of the bend) via Southwark (Baylis Road etc) then through Bermondsey. (Following the A2 is usually not a great idea). |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
On Sat, 7 Oct 2006, Londoncityslicker wrote:
Jkf wrote: I'm trying to do something that may be impossible...help would be appreciated. I will be arriving Friday night at Heathrow in a few weeks. I imagine I'll be out of customs by 10:00 pm. Is there any way I can arrive in Blackheath, where I will be staying by 11:00 pm? Anyway, another possible route not mentioned and a good alternative Heathrow route period is to travel via Feltham. 285 bus or cab ride to Feltham is no more than 5-10 minutes. Then fast train to Waterloo. Walk over to Waterloo East and the train to Blackheath. I was going to suggest this - definitely beats going through the middle of town, IMHO. Nice big trains with plenty of room for your bags, no central London crowds of friday night revellers, no schlepping up and down escalators deep in the bowels of the earth. The change from Waterloo to Waterloo East isn't the easiest in the world, but it's no worse than the mucking around you'll do on any tube route. Getting from customs to Blackheath inside an hour isn't going to happen, though. According to the NR journey planner, if you can get to Feltham by 2235, there's a pair of trains that will get you to Blackheath in 67 minutes, arriving at 2342. If you're quick at Waterloo, you might be able to get a slightly earlier train and shave a few minutes off that, but not a lot. Going to Lewisham and getting a cab doesn't seem to help, either. tom -- When you mentioned INSERT-MIND-INPUT ... did they look at you like this? |
Heathrow to Blackheath?
In message . com,
NewsPosting writes There is a local (licensed) mini-cab company called LHR Cars that have a good system. You pre-book with them giving approx arrival time. When you arrive in the baggage hall, give them a call and they will pick you up once you get out. Sometimes there is bit of a palaver about the pickup (i.e. how to recognise their car and how they spot you), Which is where the touts are ready to pounce. That's why it's safer to use a proper licensed taxi from the rank which is controlled by the BAA agents. Since the licensing of minicabs the advice about their prices is no longer as clear cut as some would believe. Many of them charge more - and in some cases a lot more - than the metered rate. Their prices have risen because they have found that licensing involves costs which the traditional taxis have always had (proper insurance, vehicle testing, PCO costs, etc). There is also a reduction in the numbers of minicab drivers as previously many of them were working outside of any legal framework. To attract people and keep them operators are having to put up their prices. Basically, if it seems very cheap there is every chance that the driver and/or vehicle may not be properly licensed and insured. I believe that the OP is a female who *may* be coming to the UK for the first time (correct me if I'm wrong please). In these circumstances I'd suggest that she uses a taxi rather than any minicab company as she doesn't have any knowledge about them. If she's able to get one from *personal* recommendation (rather than off this thread) then she *may* wish to use them - but can she be sure it's properly licensed and insured? -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
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