National Express Heathrow to Colchester

I hope someone on these boards can give me some some advice/information/advice:(

We are 2 adults stopping over at Heathrow for 4 nights prior to flying on to Amsterdam for a cruise.

We are trying to get from Heathrow to Colchester, the easiest way that doesn't cost a fortune. We have been looking into traveling on the National Express, since we will have several bags and this method does not involve transfers or bus changes.

In looking further at reviews and trying to find the drop off location in Colchester, we are a little discouraged. National Express reviews are pretty negative, and the location in Colchester is reported to be seedy and dangerous-especially at night. (We would be arriving at approx. 8:15 PM into Colchester).

Any advice or suggestions? Is the bus really that bad? Is the stop in Colchester truly dangerous, especially at night? Is the Colchester drop off point for the National Express the stop at the Town Center on Stanwell street? We would need a taxi from the bus stop on to the Wivenhoe House Hotel.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Tim

I've had a quick look round for you. First off, we have used NE coaches several times and never had any problems. All the coaches are modern and comfortable and usually only a few years old. The driver will load your luggage into the hold in the belly of the coach, so you haven't got to do it. Looks like the fare is about £20 each which is a bargain! Stanwell Street stop is actually beside the Colchester Bus station, so I don't think you will have any problems with 'crime', other than those you might expect anywhere...just be careful like you would at home. As you are beside the bus station I would imagine there will be taxis about...you might just have to walk round the other side of the bus station. Looking at the map, I'd say the fare to your hotel would be about £15-20. Have you got to come back to LHR? If so, a return ticket on the coach will probably be cheaper.

I'd have no worries geting the NE coach to Colchester...you shouldn't have any problems. Just remember to pre book your seat to make sure you get on the service you want.

So you know, at LHR, terminals 1,2 and 3 are served by the Central Bus station (well signed from all terminals and about a 10-15 minute walk). T4 and T5 have their own NE bus stops just outside the terminal.

Simon

If you have a cell phone that works in the UK, I suggest that you put these two taxi firms into the memory. There is no guarantee that there will be taxis around when you arrive, but a phone call should get one there pretty soon.

Minicab Services Ltd 01206 544444

Lucky 6 Taxis 01206 666666

Wow!

Thanks very much for the info and investigating.

Do you know if they are strict with the weight limitations on the luggage? Probably going to be in the 27 kg area and not 20 kg.

Any chance of Uber service in Colchester??

Truly appreciate all you efforts!

Tim

Yes - Uber is in Colchester.

Do you mean that you would have a single piece of luggage weighing 27Kg? (60Lbs) That would be pretty weighty, and I doubt that the airline would accept it. Better to split it into more cases. The coach drivers have no means of weighing bags so I doubt that they would refuse, but there is a general rule here that 23Kg is the maximum a person can be expected to lift.

National Express luggage policy here

http://www.nationalexpress.com/Footer-pages/luggage.aspx

The 20kg (44lb) limit per item is in the regulations mainly to cover the company against injury claims from drivers.

But the drivers aren't wimps and, as Bob's post, luggage isn't usually weighed

Drivers can gauge weights from experience and 27kg might be problematic, depending on the driver - but might also be a problem with the airline.

Can you divide your luggage more evenly? You'll see the NE regs allow two 20kg cases per passenger.

Excess total weight is subject to a small surcharge - if they bother to charge it.

If the coach is full and everyone has their max luggage allowance or more, the driver may decline excess baggage because it would take the coach's total weight over the legal road limit. I've never heard of that happening, but there's a small possibility.

NE is definitely the cheapest way to get to Colchester, and other than an expensive airport-to-hotel private transfer it's also the simplest.

I don't know Colchester, but I very much doubt it's dangerous around the bus station mid-evening, especially in summer when it'll still be daylight.

JB :)

Thank you so much for the information and suggestions.

We (my spouse and I) will each be traveling with 2 checked bags approx. 27 kg each. We are not light packers! This is the first leg of a week in Europe and 3+ weeks on a cruise.

As far as the flights, the cabins we are booked in accept 2 32 kg checked bags for each of us.

Just was curious if there would be a problem on the bus with such heavy bags. Would pay the overage charges if necessary....

Thanks to all again!

Hi tnt10

As usual the advice on this forum is excellent. Can I add some local information?

I live in Colchester and much as I wouldn't hang around the bus station area very late at night, it is really not a problem at any other time! By the way the bus station is a major stop for all local buses too, but does not have facilities/drinks/toilets etc.(there is just a small waiting room)

The service 250 from Heathrow is a direct and very comfortable service - as others have stated.

I have called the 2 suggested cab firms and Minicab charges £7.20 currently for the ride to Wivenhoe House. 666666 is charging £10-£11.

Our preferred company is Hawaii cars -01206 543210 - and they are charging £7.40 for that trip. They have a website http://www.hawaiiuk.com and app called hawaii cars - worth looking at. They will all pick up from close by the NE stop.

Will you have time to enjoy Colchester the next day? It is the oldest recorded town in England and we have a wonderful Castle, Roman Circus and Dutch quarter to visit - and that is for starters!!

Ruth

Thanks for the inquiries on cab fares Ruth! Much appreciated.

We are planning to spend 3 nights at the Wivenhoe House, so 2+ days to sightsee.

Had this trip planned a couple of years ago but had to cancel due to illness:(

Thanks again!

I hate to put a spanner in the works, but your four x 27kg bags does kinda concern me for using National Express.

That's all four bags well over the regulation 20kg - I said the drivers don't pay much heed to the regulations, but all four bags a long way over the limit might be problematic.

And that's 28kg over the total allowance for the two of you.

If that means an excess charge, it won't be a huge charge.

But if as per my previous post the coach is full & everyone has a significant luggage (which is quite likely on an airport route) the driver may decline folk with excess luggage in order to keep below the vehicle's permitted weight limit - and with four overweight bags I reckon you'd be first in line to get bumped off. :eek:

Exceeding luggage limits by this amount is territory beyond my limited experience of National Express, and perhaps my concerns are groundless. But I do think you should dig deeper. ............

- Read through those regulations linked in my post, though don't worry about precise figures.

- Hopefully others with experience of travelling overweight on Nat Express can chip in.

- Check posts about Nat Express luggage on other forums like TripAdvisor, or ask on those forums, though just one or two experiences, positive or negative, might not be typical.

- Ask Nat Express by e-mail. But altho information "straight from the horse's mouth" is generally the most reliable source you may find that stock answers are negative and don't necessarily reflect the more customer-friendly approach of drivers.

- Get prices for a private transfer from Heathrow to your Colchester hotel. Perhaps starting with those mentioned by waggie - my experience is that provincial operators like them offer better prices and service than those based at airports. If the cost is manageable compared to 2 x Nat Express tickets + local taxi, you might feel that would avoid any worry.

- I get the impression you've already researched travel by train, and know that there are Heathrow Express trains every 15 mins to central London's Paddington station (cheap if you book months ahead) and frequent inexpensive trains from central London's Liverpool Street station to Colchester. But that it's a 5 mile (about £20?) taxi ride (with your luggage that's the only sensible way to do it) between those two central London stations and a lot of luggage schlepping. The positive about travel by train is that your luggage is permitted & not charged. Worth re-considering if luggage turns out to be fraught on Nat Express and a door-to-door private transfer too expensive

To repeat, my concerns may be groundless but you should try to get more-informed opinions.

JB :)

Thanks JB.

I have checked on private cars from LHR to Colchester, and frankly, I feel that they are just a rip-off. £140.00 each way plus gratuities. $400.00 round trip:eek: And the schlepping of luggage between train stations is not something either of us wants to do.

May have to re-think the whole side trip plan.

Thanks to all for your help!

Thanks JB.

I have checked on private cars from LHR to Colchester, and frankly, I feel that they are just a rip-off. £140.00 each way plus gratuities. $400.00 round trip:eek:

I googled "taxi Colchester". Important not to include "Heathrow" in your google search because the entries will be dominated by Heathrow-based operators.

These Colchester-based operators all quote around £100 one-way.

The drive is about 95 miles, up to 2 hours, so that's reasonable.

I don't know any of these operators, I just googled them.

http://www.roman-cars.co.uk/services/airport-specials/

http://www.minicabservices.com/

http://www.colchester-taxis.com/en/book-taxi-cab-online/search=1

No prices on waggies' Hawaii or 666666, but here are their websites

http://www.hawaiiuk.com/

http://www.taxi6.co.uk/index.html

JB :)

Thanks again JB, but all the companies raise the rates since there is so much luggage. They all require an estate car or mini bus, which increases the fares to the £130.00+ range.

We have done this for several years, and paid the going price, but this year we decided enough is enough.

Thanks again for your help, but I think we are going to change our plans and not visit Colchester this trip.

In fact are looking into staying at the Sofitel at Heathrow, (since that is the terminal where we will be arriving into and departing from), and then take day trips on the local buses from there. Looks to be very convenient AND reasonably priced. Actually, not much different than taking a cruise and leaving luggage in one place and visiting different places during the day. Appears to be the most reasonable solution for us.

Thanks again for all your help and information.

Tim

If the plan was always to come back to Heathrow for the flight to Amsterdam, have you considered leaving most of your luggage at either the Sofitel or left luggage in the terminal and taking just a light bag for a side trip to Colchester?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

If the plan was always to come back to Heathrow for the flight to Amsterdam, have you considered leaving most of your luggage at either the Sofitel or left luggage in the terminal and taking just a light bag for a side trip to Colchester?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We have. However, we are thinking now that this would be a great time to discover Windsor-and the sights there one day, Oxford another. Then the third say is still in the planning stages. Much better to have a home base and take the side trips from there.

Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions!!