London hotel precruise for Tilbury

We are on Oceania Regatta for an August 19 sailing out of Tilbury. We are planning on getting to London the morning of August 18(depending on which flight either 6am or 10 am) and will need a room for one night before our Baltic cruise. Originally, we thought of staying near Victoria Station but have given some thought of staying near the Tower of London. At the moment (which could change) we will be using public transportation to get to Tilbury. I know that involves the underground, train, and bus if I have the information correct. I thought perhaps it would be easier if we broke that up and took the underground to the Tower of London area on the 18th and then went to the rail station on Fenchurch Street on the 19th. There is no need to be in a top of the line hotel since we will probably be just sleeping and trying to adjust to the time differences, but we do want something that is safe and clean and possibly includes breakfast.

 

We will have basically the 18th to see any sights in London. We have been to the Tower and the Royal Conservatory but have not seen the Tower Museum and wouldn't mind seeing St. Paul's again. With the jet lag we will plan on a slower pace and agenda. Any suggestions as to what else there is within a relative distance from the Tower? I also know one can take a boat to Westminster pier if we really wanted to see things in that area. Also, are there any good eating places for dinner? Pub food is fine for us.

 

Does this make sense to get closer to Tilbury upon arrival in London rather than staying near Victoria? Also, does anyone know how the buses accommodate luggage? We are talking two total pieces. I know on the underground the luggage stays with us.

 

I have yet to try a private car transfer. I figured that price would be exhorbitant but I will check them out if I can find some names of reputable chauffeurs.

 

I appreciate all help especially from those of you from the UK. We have been to London once but are not totally aware of what there is and how to do it easily. I can't seem to find much on Tilbury or to know which Tilbury I need when I am doing the train and bus. There is Tilbury, Tilbury City Centre, Tilbury Riverside which just leaves me totally confused as to which one I need for the port. Again, any help is appreciated.

 

Again, thanks.

 

Pearl

Hotels very near Fenchurch Street station include the Apex, the Grange and the Novotel - all within a couple of hundred yards of the station.

 

From there, you can easily get anywhere in central London. You are very close to Tower Hill Tube. Also, there are plenty of buses that run in a variety of directions from various different stops around the Tower Hill one-way system. Notably, the 15 will take you to St Paul's, and then on to Fleet Street, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus and beyond (and you can get a Heritage Routemaster on this route as far as Trafalgar Square, for a bit of nostalgia).

 

There are plenty of decent places to eat around there, better than just pub food. The Apex has a reasonable restaurant itself. On Byward Street, there's a Pizza Express (one of the better chain pizzas). There's also an intriguing BBQ place called Bodean's, which we keep meaning to go to but haven't yet. Across the street and closer to the river, there are branches of Wagamama and Gourmet Burger Kitchen - both are, again, good chains of their type. There's also a Spanish tapas place on that side of the street.

 

A few minutes further, there's another selection of places to eat around St Katherine Docks. On Royal Mint Street, there's also a very nice (but not expensive) French restaurant called Rosemary Lane, which is highly recommended despite its rather unassuming shop front.

 

To get from Fenchurch Street station to the cruise ship terminal at Tilbury, take the train to Tilbury Town and then the connecting bus service to Tilbury Riverside.

A chauffeur driven car will cost you about £125

 

bookings@jb-chauffeurs are who I use in London.

Again, I thank you for your advice on hotels. I checked into all three and the prices are similar. Now I just have to book one and be done with this aspect of our trip. I will need to find our old Underground map so we know exactly where we are going to get to Tower Hill. I am glad to learn that it seems to be a convenient location. The price is close to what we would have paid in Victoria.

 

I will probably need to check back with you as we get closer to cruise time. I want to be sure I know all the steps we need to take to get from Heathrow to the ship in Tilbury.

 

Again, thanks for your expertise. I am still checking flights and will be ready to pounce when I think I have a flight we can live with.

 

Pearl

Hi we stayed at the Marriot and was very pleased. We also had transfers from Darren at www dotadelphiexecutivehire dot co dot uk or other email address is info at adelphiexecutivehire dot co dot uk They were very reasonable and dependable. He also gave us a private tour of London.

I will need to find our old Underground map so we know exactly where we are going to get to Tower Hill.

You're welcome!

 

From Heathrow, take a Piccadilly Line train to Barons Court. Change there for a District Line train that goes at least as far as Tower Hill - most of them do, but you will want to read the destination of the train before you get on. The change at Barons Court is very easy: you get off the Piccadilly Line train and walk across to the other side of the same platform - it's about 15 feet.

 

If the weather is poor, or you are in the middle of the morning peak hour, changing at Hammersmith may be better. The process is the same, but it's a slightly wider platform there. (Reasons: The platform is more sheltered if it's wet. And in the morning peak quite a few people get off the District Line train at Hammersmith so it tends to be a little easier to get on the train there if you have luggage.)

 

When you get to Tower Hill, you will have to carry your luggage upstairs to street level. It's the equivalent of about one tall storey in a building. Use the exit that is nearer the rear of the train (in the direction in which you were travelling), as it's closer to the hotels and the exit from the station itself is exactly at street level. During the day, that is usually the only exit that's signed "Way Out", although you may see other people using the other exit as well, ignoring the signs to the contrary.

Hotels very near Fenchurch Street station include the Apex, the Grange and the Novotel - all within a couple of hundred yards of the station..

 

This area is the financial district of London, The City.

As such hotels, are very expensive during the working week and very good value at the weekend - the opposite of many hotel districts in London.

 

If you're coming during the week do look elsewhere, the difference may easly pay for your taxi fares.

I will need to find our old Underground map so we know exactly where we are going to get to Tower Hill.

 

By the way the Underground map has changed slightly recently. The Circle Line no longer goes round and round - it has a start and finsih.

 

It shouldn't affect materially any journeys you make though - you might just have to change trains in a small minority of cases

This area is the financial district of London, The City.

As such hotels, are very expensive during the working week and very good value at the weekend - the opposite of many hotel districts in London.

 

If you're coming during the week do look elsewhere, the difference may easly pay for your taxi fares.

True, although it should be a bit better in August. And I think that the sheer convenience of being that close to Fenchurch Street station as well as to Tower Hill Tube might be worth a little in addition to the extra taxi fare involved. But it sounds like Pearl64 has a good finger on the "value" question. Edited January 14, 2010 by Globaliser

Thanks again, Globaliser! I did get reservations at the Novotel. They had a toll free number here in the US and I can cancel if I need to. All of the hotels prices did not include the VAT which is substantial. The price seems to be what the other hotels were quoting so I just went with them(Novotel). It is a little more than the hotel I had picked out in Victoria but I think you are right, being right near the tube and rail will be a godsend in the end. I did try the Hilton which does have a hotel at Tower Hill but their price was the same. Had we been there on the weekend we could have gotten it for less but we have no control when the cruise leaves! I am not going to dwell on the dollars here. We can find someplace else to pinch the pennies. I feel comfortable about this.

 

Now to getting from point A to B. I understand how to go from Heathrow (will need to wait until I do the air to see which terminal) to Tower Hill and the train from Fenchurch Street to Tilbury Town. But, I can not seem to get via bus from Tilbury Town to the pier. It is probably me that cannot figure out the time schedule but I can't seem to get it to work. When I put in the final destination-Tilbury Riverside I get several options: Grovelands Road/Riverside road; Hersham/Riverside Road; rivereside Industrial Estate; Riverside Quarter Pier. Which one?

 

Also would it be to our advantage to buy a one day ticket either anytime or off peak for the 18th the day we arrive? That way we could get in from Heathrow and still be able to use the Tube the rest of the day. This is what we did the last time we were in London.

 

Also, how much time should I allow for us to go from Tower Hill to the pier in Tilbury? I do not know what time we can actually board the ship. I do know we sail at 8 pm so it will probably be sometime in the afternoon. I think I would like to have a tour of the Globe if the times are right. Would we have enough time the morning of the cruise to do this and not cut us short on time to get to the pier?

 

I do apologize for all of my questions--but I have to have my t's crossed and i's dotted! Thank you again for all of your assistance. you have been most kind.

Pearl

I did try the Hilton which does have a hotel at Tower Hill but their price was the same.

I think that you're actually lucky that you haven't gone for this. I think that the Hilton that you were thinking of is not at Tower Hill. It's actually called the "Hilton London Tower Bridge", and is on the other side of the river and closer to London Bridge than Tower Bridge.

But, I can not seem to get via bus from Tilbury Town to the pier. It is probably me that cannot figure out the time schedule but I can't seem to get it to work. When I put in the final destination-Tilbury Riverside I get several options: Grovelands Road/Riverside road; Hersham/Riverside Road; rivereside Industrial Estate; Riverside Quarter Pier. Which one?

The bus concerned actually shows up on the railway timetable. If you go to the National Rail site and use "Tilbury Riverside" as your destination, you will see the times of the bus connection and the overall journey time.

Also would it be to our advantage to buy a one day ticket either anytime or off peak for the 18th the day we arrive? That way we could get in from Heathrow and still be able to use the Tube the rest of the day. This is what we did the last time we were in London.

It sounds like a pretty reasonable plan to me, if you are thinking of using public transport for the rest of the day. Depending on exactly what time you arrive, it might work out slightly cheaper to buy a single (ie one-way) ticket from Heathrow to the edge of Zone 2, and then a one-day Travelcard for Zones 1+2. But (without looking up the exact prices) I suspect that there's probably not very much difference.

Thanks, Globaliser! It worked. I was on some other site--I think travel London. I have bookmarked the national rail site. Thanks. Total travel time is under one hour but then one has to figure in if the times align. It looks as if bus/train has a couple of departures per hour.

 

Also, thanks for the heads up on the Hilton and the Travel Cards. I have saved all of the information so we should be good to go. Thank you ever so much.

 

Pearl

If you're flying in the day before you cruise and need a place to crash and recover from jet lag, Premier Inn, West Thurrock filled the bill for us. Clean, quiet (despite construction), superb staff, cold beer on draft, what else do you need. There is absolutely nothing nearby and this property is utilitarian but we liked it. Inexpensive and a quick transfer to the port with little traffic. Road work in area is making congestion terrible!

 

When you get to Tower Hill, you will have to carry your luggage upstairs to street level. It's the equivalent of about one tall storey in a building.

 

Didn't they just put lifts in at Tower Hill?

Didn't they just put lifts in at Tower Hill?

 

It doesn't show up on TFL's step free tube guide. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdf

 

There are lifts at The Tower Gateway, but that's on the DLR.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Bob++

It doesn't show up on TFL's step free tube guide. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdf

 

There are lifts at The Tower Gateway, but that's on the DLR.

 

They haven't updated the map yet, it only happened last week :)

 

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2016/august/new-lifts-transform-accessibility-at-tower-hill-tube-station

 

They are listed on the individual page for the station too:

 

https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUTWH/tower-hill-underground-station/

 

I thought I read about it in the Standard last week!

They haven't updated the map yet, it only happened last week :)

It's taken so long, I'd pretty much given up on ever seeing them in operation! Thanks for the update - I haven't been through the station in the last week, as it's only a randomly occasional occurrence (usually there's a Bank train that's going to be better for me, but occasionally I get a Tower Gateway train and change there).

I belatedly noticed that someone had resurrected this thread some six years after the OP travelled. The lifts definitely weren't there then :)

 

Good to have them 'on record', I suppose... I'm usually better at spotting threads from beyond the grave!

Good to have them 'on record', I suppose...

No worries - it was good to hear from you that they are finally finished. It will make for easier eastbound journeys with luggage for me. Until now, if I didn't fancy lugging the bags up and down stairs at Monument or Tower Hill, it would have been a change at Westminster to the Jubilee Line and then a change at Canning Town to the DLR.

For long and complicated reasons (well, OK, I've had a gammy knee for a couple of days and couldn't do stairs easily) I've been using the Tower Hill lifts for the first time.

 

Very welcome they were.

 

One point to note, though, is that the lift for the eastbound platform is (at street level) situated within the upper part of the station, the part that does not have the ticket hall and has hitherto been exit only. It used to be that when traffic was sufficiently slow, the upper park of the station would be closed and the ticket hall was used for all entrance and exit. I imagine that this will no longer work.

 

In addition, those who want to enter the station to use the lift for the eastbound platform will need to know where to go; its location is not intuitive.