Transportation Dover to Heathrow..

[Mexfolkart]

How do you get from Dover to Heathrow for the plane after the cruise? Private cars are like $600 pounds and there are just 2 of us..are there shuttles? Thanks, Sherry

[agabbymama]

I haven't used this company yet, but I plan to next August for my cruise out of Dover. While the wesite says Gatwick, if you look at the site, it does show Heathrow too.

http://www.taxisgatwick.net/#

There is also a National Express bus a lot of people have talked about, but I'm not interested in the bus, so didn't keep that website.

[HeinBloed]

Originally Posted by Mexfolkart

How do you get from Dover to Heathrow for the plane after the cruise? Private cars are like $600 pounds and there are just 2 of us..are there shuttles? Thanks, Sherry

Wow... what did you asked for Rolls-Royce???

Just as orientation:



An official London-Heathrow licensed taxi takes 275 GBP from Heathrow to Dover...

This picture I took in 2007 at Dover Cruise Terminal:



Unfortunately on the actual boards the destinations like Heathrow do not appear anymore.

But I am sure the truth for a taxi from Dover to Heathrow is between the 145 GBP and 275 GBP...

If you google "Transfer Dover Heathrow" I am sure you find services starting with a 1 as a 3-digit-number in front of the GBP...

Regards,
HeinBloed

[mgasaway]

Originally Posted by Mexfolkart

How do you get from Dover to Heathrow for the plane after the cruise? Private cars are like $600 pounds and there are just 2 of us..are there shuttles? Thanks, Sherry

WOW! What cruise line are you on? We're on Ocean Princess in Aug 2010 and it's $59 each for the ships post cruise shuttle to Heathrow. We don;t usually use the ships service but this seemed reasonable and no hassle. I added it to our cruise package so it's paid for too.

[handfordr]

Originally Posted by Mexfolkart

How do you get from Dover to Heathrow for the plane after the cruise? Private cars are like $600 pounds and there are just 2 of us..are there shuttles? Thanks, Sherry

Shared shuttles as found in the US do not really operate in the UK because of legislative differences and the availability of good public transport that everybody uses, including the affluent.
Your choice is really private hire v public transport v cruise line bus
You can do your own shuttle bypassing UK legislation by putting your own group together on your ships roll call here and hiring yoyr own bus, e.g. a 16 seat private bus between Heathrow and Dover costs around 330 GBP, just over $500 at todays exchange rate which works out about $30 a head. (Your $600 price for a car looks very expensive)
Only downside is that one person has to hire the bus and pay and hope that others don't pull out at the last moment and leave you high and dry.

The page link below gives you the public transport v private hire options with indicative costs and times

Dover - Heathrow Crusie Transfers

[Atomica]

As stated above, no shuttles in the UK.

You might want to give Woodford Chauffeur Cars a ring or an email - we used them this past July to go from Heathrow to Southampton and vice versa, and they were well worth the money - fantastic service. Nothing beats getting off a 9-hour flight and having a cheerful, smiling driver meet you, help you with your luggage, and start your day in the UK off right.

We passed all the people queuing in line for the National Express coach, and I have never been so glad to not have to do that after a transatlantic flight.

http://www.woodfordchauffeurcars.co.uk/

[Wendy The Wanderer]

That sounds like a ridiculous prices. The company we used several years ago doesn't exist any more, but I think they charged about £150. I googled and found one right away that charges £210 Dover-Heathrow. Worth it, if you can swing it, very comfortable and convenient.

[lord of the seas]

Originally Posted by Wendy The Wanderer

That sounds like a ridiculous prices. The company we used several years ago doesn't exist any more, but I think they charged about £150..

That's why they don't exist any more.Far too cheap.

[John Bull]

WOW, YOU ALL SEEM TO KNOW HOW TO PAY THRO' THE NOSE

Even Lord of the Seas, so dismissive of Wendy's £150. Too used to London prices I fear, your lordship.
2 or 3 times a year I taxi from Southampton to Heathrow, about 70 miles by motorway, at around £75, using pre-booked local private-hire taxis. So I would expect to pay £100+ Dover/Heathrow, which is exactly 100 miles, all except 7 miles by motorway.
I've just phoned a long-established & reputable Dover taxi firm, http://www.dovertaxis.com/ and they've quoted me £135. And there are plenty of others in Dover, doubtless at about the same money. This is for a standard-size 4/5 seat car, fine for 2 plus luggage. Acknowledged that 4 plus "American" luggage would need something a little bigger.

I did this by putting "Dover taxi" into my search engine. If you add Heathrow to your search you will be inundated with London-based companies which pay for page 1 Heathrow google listings and charge way over-the-top.

Do yourselves a favour, don't go paying way over the odds. Except Mexfolkart, who I'll be delighted to transport for £600 - and I'll throw in a champagne lunch for the money

Public transport Dover/Heathrow and Dover/Gatwick is poor, coaches & trains all involve a change in central London. Most cruise lines lay on their own chartered coaches - due to poor public transport this may be preferable for two of you.

Regards to all (except taxi touts)

Johm Bull