Questions on Transportation from Heathrow to pier

I arrive at Heathrow at 8:00 AM and can a ticket on the National Express for 11:30 AM. Is this plenty of time? For my return, our ship (EOS) arrives in port at 6:00 AM. Can I make the 7:45 AM bus back to Heathrow? There's also a return at 9:45 AM and it gets to Heathrow at 12:00 (Noon). My plane leaves at 2:25 PM. Would a little over 2 hours be enough time to check-in and make my flight if I have to take the 9:45 AM bus? How long of a walk from the terminal to the bus station? Thanks so much for any help.

Each terminal has its own bus stop (well almost!). Terminals 1,2 &3 use the Central Bus station, which is a 5-10 minute walk from each terminal. Terminals 4 and 5 have their own bus stops just outside the terminal.

Arriving 8am, you would be very unlucky not to have cleared immigration and customs by 10am, so shouldn't be a problem.

Although your ship arrives at 6am, you probably won't be able to self disembark until 6:30 or 7. Usually you go straight through customs etc at Southampton, so you should be able to get a taxi outside within 10 mins. Its then a 5 minute ride to Southampton bus station. You could probably just make it...depends on the stress levels you want!! Otherwise, the 9:45 bus should be OK. If its a Saturday, traffic is a lot lighter. 2 hours should be long enough to check in etc, but check with the airline.

Simon

A scheduled flight arrival at 8am will give plenty of time for the 11.30 coach.

In fact, you are likely to be hanging around for a couple of hours. So you might want to consider booking the 9.50 coach. Should your flight arrive late or formalities take longer than usual, you can re-book for the 11.30 for a small admin. fee.

For your return to Heathrow .....

The 7.45 doesn't give you long to make the coach. You'd have to self-disembark, usually around 7am, but that at least means a speedy departure - no grief with locating your bags, or lines, or shortage of taxis. Depending on your cruise terminal a taxi will get you to the coach station in 3 to 8 minutes. I know that quite a lot of cruisers book for the 7.45 coach & I've not heard of anyone missing it.

Scheduled arrival at Heathrow at 10.10 gives stacks of wiggle-time.

There's no facility to re-book to a later coach for departures from Southampton. So if you book & miss the 7.45 coach to Heathrow you have to throw away those tickets - and the 9.45 may have booked-out.

The 9.45 is very easy to make and although the scheduled arrival time of 11.55 gives a lot less wiggle-time for a 2.25pm flight, with Heathrow formalities (particularly security) usually taking less than an hour from check-in to departure gate you should still be OK.

Its a bit of a fine balance & you may get conflicting advice, though either time should work.

I think I'd be inclined to book the 9.45.

If you want to play ultra-safe, book for both the 7.45 and the 9.45

(I have no problem spending other people's money :rolleyes:)

What ship & date/day of the week?

It may swing the balance.

In the event of a foul-up in either direction, there's a frequent (3 trains per hour) rail service, which involves a shuttle-bus at the Heathrow end. Costs £40 per head and not so simple ass the coach, but a useful Plan B.

JB :)