Tilbury departure dilemma

[bookbabe]

Okay, so we have booked Viking’s British Isles Explorer itinerary, London (Tilbury) to Bergen, for March 2025.  Yes, I know it’s fairly far out still, but I’m not sure what to do for our pre-cruise plan.

 

We have easy direct flights from our home airport to Heathrow, anything else requires a connection, likely through the US so adding complexity.  We’ve flown into Heathrow before, it works for us since the flight itself is so easy.  Previously, our plan has always been to fly to London for a couple of days pre-cruise, then fly from Heathrow to our embarkation port elsewhere in Europe.  We have usually stayed at the Hilton Paddington, based on an initial recommendation from folks here on CC, and the location works for us, again, because travel to/from the hotel is so easy via the Heathrow Express.  You will notice a theme here.  We don’t like convoluted travel plans, and we will pay extra if we have to for ease and convenience.

 

However, Tilbury, our departure port, is far enough from Heathrow to be inconvenient but close enough that another flight to get there doesn’t really make sense.  🙂

 

So, my questions:

 

Pre-stay in London itself for better hotels, restaurants and attractions, or stay nearer to Tilbury to ensure easy embarkation?

I’ve seen the various threads with tube/rail/taxi routes to get to the port from Heathrow and/or other tube/rail stations.  The routes all make me a bit hesitant to rely on all the various pieces falling together smoothly on embarkation morning.  But Tilbury doesn’t seem to have much to offer.

 

If staying near Tilbury, nicest hotel?  I’ve seen a few that look interesting, in a fewer-amenities-but-lots-of-atmosphere kind of way, Orsett Hall and the Bell Inn.  Thoughts?  Is the Gravesend side of the river an option or does it throw transportation risks back into the works?  Would like to avoid Travelodge and the like if possible.

 

Or, are the safe, convenient, nice options around the Tilbury cruise port limited enough that I should just get the Viking pre-stay even though we really don’t need a guided tour of London?

 

Any other options that haven’t occurred to me?  Am I overthinking this?

 

[Island2Dweller]

There is nothing of interest near Tilbury.  It is a working port surrounded by industry.

Stay in central London.  Noting your point about ease of transfer, the new Elizabeth line opens up many areas of central London - no need to use the expensive Heathrow Express.  The Elizabeth line uses the same platform as Heathrow Express at the airport, and all the central London stations are fully accessible (lifts and escalators).  The trains are spacious and have air con

[bookbabe]

6 hours ago, Island2Dweller said:

There is nothing of interest near Tilbury.  It is a working port surrounded by industry.

Stay in central London.  Noting your point about ease of transfer, the new Elizabeth line opens up many areas of central London - no need to use the expensive Heathrow Express.  The Elizabeth line uses the same platform as Heathrow Express at the airport, and all the central London stations are fully accessible (lifts and escalators).  The trains are spacious and have air con

That’s the impression I got from my reading about Tilbury, but I’m not as worried about having things to see and do as I am about having an easy trip to the port on embarkation morning.  Yeah, a nice hotel and half decent restaurants are important, but the point of staying extra days in London is really to get to the ship without issues or delays, not to sightsee.  Been there, done that, will go to London as an actual vacation there if we want to do a ton of sightseeing.

[Island2Dweller]

I hear you.  But as both the places you mentioned are out in the country, they're not especially easy to get to without a car.

It's actually just as simple from central London, so long as you stay near Tower Bridge.  The train (commuter service, frequent) from Fenchurch Street (station near Tower Bridge) to Grays takes 35 minutes.  There are taxis at Grays station for the short hop to the terminal.

[bookbabe]

4 hours ago, Island2Dweller said:

I hear you.  But as both the places you mentioned are out in the country, they're not especially easy to get to without a car.

It's actually just as simple from central London, so long as you stay near Tower Bridge.  The train (commuter service, frequent) from Fenchurch Street (station near Tower Bridge) to Grays takes 35 minutes.  There are taxis at Grays station for the short hop to the terminal.

Thanks.  Why Grays rather than Tilbury Town?

[Island2Dweller]

Three reasons. 

(1) The distance to the port is about equal from both stations.  But there is a taxi office at Grays, whereas you need to phone for one at Tilbury. 

(2) There are more trains to Grays

(3) You don't need to buy a ticket.  Just tap a bank card or phone (as you do everywhere within London).  Though this reason goes away later in 2024, when the contactless payment system will be extended to cover Tilbury (and all the stations on the Southend line)

[John Bull]

The simplest - but not necessarily the best - route by public transport from LHR to Tilbury involves one change, as indicated by @Island2Dweller.

From LHR take the Elizabeth line Tube to Tower Hill. LHR is the terminus so no difficulty getting seats with your luggage close by although I don't know how crowded it gets during the journey.

 

From Tower Hill tube station it's a walk of a little more than 100 yards to Fenchurch Street train station  - again it's the terminus so should be easy getting a seat with your luggage close by. And passengers are likely to thin out during the journey.. There are 4 direct trains per hour to Tilbury (or, as I2D suggested get off at Grays for a short taxi ride to the ship). Train fare £6 pp., journey time about 40 minutes

 

If you want to spend an evening in central London, a hotel near Tower Hill / Fenchurch makes a lot of sense.

 

But if you prefer to get closer to Tilbury (and spend less on a hotel) take the train from Fenchurch Street station as far as Chafford Hundred. 

Premier Inn Thurrock East is just a half-mile / 10-minute walk from the station (or there's a taxi rank at the station). Premier Inn is a national chain, significantly better than Travelodge, this one is two-storey with a good-value pub/restaurant in the same ownership. And the most comfortable beds in the business.There are a very limited number of other hotels, B&Bs & apartments

Across the train line from the station it's a five minute mainly-covered walk to the huge Lakeside indoor shopping complex, where you can blow your entire vacation budget 😄 

Next morning, less than 10 minutes on the same train to Grays or Tilbury. Or a 15-minute taxi ride from hotel to ship. 

 

Or for something a little more "rural England"  the Orsett Hall Hotel which you mentioned (10-minute taxi ride from Tilbury station & same to the ship) or the De Rougemont Manor Hotel near Great Warley, but it's a 15-minute taxi ride from Chafford Hundred station and 20 minutes by taxi to the ship

 

JB 

 

 

[bookbabe]

Thanks for all the responses.  I have presented the options to DH, who countered with the suggestion of a taxi or private car of some kind to the ship directly from whatever hotel we stay at in London itself.  
 

Are we likely to find a driver willing to make the trek from say the Paddington Station area to Tilbury?  Or are we still better off staying on the Tilbury side of the city somewhere, to increase our chances of finding a taxi easily?  

 

Not really worried about cost so much as convenience.  DH has decided he does not want to walk very far or to have to switch trains at all while dragging suitcases.

[Island2Dweller]

John Bull (who is an expert here) has had a senior moment.  The Elizabeth line does not serve Tower Hill.  But it will get you to many other spots in central London.

There is absolutely no point in staying near Paddington if you are destined for Tilbury.  The wrong side of London. 

If you wanted to take a car service or taxi, there won't be a problem finding one to take you.  But it'll take longer and cost a lot more than the train.  The traffic across London and out to Tilbury can be slow / congested.  The road out to Tilbury is the A13 and for some reason, every time I have used it over the past few days it has been virtually stationary, slow queue, near Barking.  There is a dearth of alternative routes, so if it backs up, you just have to sit it out.

Personally I hate sitting in traffic and that would get me in a lather.  I would far rather whizz along on the train.  Your view may differ.

[John Bull]

19 hours ago, Island2Dweller said:

John Bull (who is an expert here) has had a senior moment.  The Elizabeth line does not serve Tower Hill.  But it will get you to many other spots in central London.

 

Ooops, my bad - I don't know how I managed that, but thanks for the correction.

 

Paddington is very easy by train or tube from LHR and it's a passable location for central London sights but the wrong side of the city for travel to Tilbury by train or by road. Staying on the Elizabeth line to somewhere like Tottenham Court Road or Farringdon tube stations would take you closer to the sights of London and shave about 30 minutes off the road transfer to Tilbury.

 

You'll have no difficulty pre-boking a private transfer to Tilbury. I'm not a Londoner so can't give any recommendations, but google something like "private transfers London to Tilbury". From central London I'll hazard a guess that  it should cost in the range of £45 to £60. Be very wary of operators who quote waaay below the norm., and check out independent reviews. 

 

Or, more relaxing, consider a private transfer from Heathrow to a hotel like the Orsett Hall, a shortish taxi ride from the port. The driver will probably use the M25 London orbital motorway, taking about 1 hour 15 rather than straight thro London which would take up to 2 hours.

 

Do pre-book. You'll get a fixed price and better value.

Hailing a black-cab taxi from the rank or in the street makes life simple for a journey of two or three miles, but for longer journeys it'll cost you an arm and a leg. 

 

JB 🙂

 

[bookbabe]

Being close to the sights of London isn’t a huge priority, we do need to have something to do rather than hang out at the hotel for a day but really the priorities are nice hotel, decent restaurants, easy to get to from LHR on arrival and easy to get to Tilbury for departure.

 

Somewhere along the Elizabeth line sounds good, but we really aren’t familiar with the areas.  What are the Tottingham Court and Farringdon areas like?

 

The whole Orsett Hall thing sounds the most convenient, with a pre-booked private car there and then a taxi to the port on embarkation day, but I’m leery of booking a hotel that seems to cater to weddings, and it does look pretty isolated so we’d be stuck just hanging out there and having all our meals there.  Which is okay if it’s a fabulous spot, but less so if it’s not, or if we are the only guests not involved in a wedding.  Would a private car to Chafford Hundred make more sense?  At least it sounds like there’s a mall and other restaurant options besides the hotel.

 

Thanks for all the assistance.

 

 

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, bookbabe said:

 

Somewhere along the Elizabeth line sounds good, but we really aren’t familiar with the areas.  What are the Tottingham Court and Farringdon areas like?

 

 

"Tottingham" was a good try, but it's Tottenham Court Road. 😏 

(Which incidentally is a couple of miles from Tottenham itself).

 

A good area.

The British Museum is 5 minutes walk east, Covent Garden 10 minutes south-east, and Leicester Square , Chinatown, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square are all under 15 minutes south.

 

Farringdon isn't an area that I know, perhaps others can chip in

 

JB 🙂

[Aulanis]

On 2/10/2024 at 7:49 AM, Island2Dweller said:

and all the central London stations are fully accessible (lifts and escalators). 

 

If you include Euston as   a central  London station that is not quite true.

I find the steps in the  Underground quite a nightmare and would rather

take a bus to  Waterloo when  heading for Southampton than negotiate

them with a suitcase -  even worse on the return.!  All the money they have spent over the years on  Euston and still they dont have access to the Underground platforms.  Its disgraceful.

 

 

[bookbabe]

Thoughts on the area near the Liverpool Street stop on the Elizabeth Line?  Specifically the Canopy by Hilton London City.  Says it’s a ten min walk from the station, which is doable if the area isn’t too sketchy.
 

So Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Street Stn from LHR to the hotel, then about a 40 min drive by pre-booked car to Tilbury.  Would be traveling from LHR to hotel around lunchtime on a Friday and then to the ship on Sunday morning.

 

Am I missing or not factoring in anything that would throw a wrench into this plan?

[Island2Dweller]

Chafford Hundred is the name you'll see on the map - but very few London folk have a clue where it is.  The giant shopping centre that you've spotted is known as Lakeside, and everyone calls it that (and never Chafford Hundred).  Is there anything to see?  Not really.  Just lots of (perfectly OK, but quite ordinary) shops.  The whole area surrounding Tilbury is mostly industrial.  I know you're keen to be close to the ship, but I personally would never recomend anyone stay out there.

Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Street lunchtime on a weekday - absolutely fine.  These new trains are long, they can scoop up massive mumbers of people and at midday you should have loads of space.

Travel from near Liverpool St on the Sunday morning?  Yes, that's fine, and on most weekends there are direct trains from Liverpool Street to Grays (this doesn't happen on weekdays).  A pre booked car is fine too, but it's worth posting again a couple of days ahead to check any particular issues on your weekend.  There is major construction around the Blackwall Tunnel area (you don't use that - but you go past it) and this can cause truly awful traffic jams - and yes that includes Sunday mornings.  These jams are uncommon, but when it goes wrong it goes wrong really badly - being stuck for hours can happen.  The lack of diversionary river crossings means if one is blocked then the traffic backs up very badly.

[Essex_uk]

As someone who lives in Essex where Tilbury is located, stay in a hotel around Tower bridge lots to choose from and only short walk to Fenchurch street station. I worked in the area for years so know it very well. From there take the train to Grays then a v short taxi to the port.

[Essex_uk]

13 hours ago, Essex_uk said:

As someone who lives in Essex where Tilbury is located, stay in a hotel around Tower bridge lots to choose from and only short walk to Fenchurch street station. I worked in the area for years so know it very well. From there take the train to Grays then a v short taxi to the port.

Correction station is Tilbury Town NOT Grays.

[MBP&O2/O]

Some interesting ideas on here. We were looking at a cruise from Tilbury and we would be coming down by either BA to LHR or train to KingsX 🤑.

Neither gets me excited.

We are getting on a bit so mobility rears it's head. 😒

A conundrum if the needs arise.

Having said that  Kings X to the Isle of Grain many moons ago was a wonderful experience for a 17 yrs old with three suitcases 🤪