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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 23:05:08 GMT
Hello, all... I do hope this is in the right place.
First off, let me introduce myself. I'm a long-time lurker/reader, first-time poster. I love this board and do a lot of reading so I can plan my frequent theatre-binging trips across the pond from New York. This time, I'm seeing 9 shows in 7 days. I'd like to squeeze in one more and THINK I can, but am seeking your advice.
I'd like to catch a 14:00 Tuesday matinee of PINOCCHIO at the National. It ends around 16:40 it seems. I planned to do a luggage leave at Waterloo due to the National's bag restrictions. My flight leaves Heathrow at 8:05 and check-in ends 90 minutes prior.
Am I insane? Is this possible? Can I pick up my luggage and get to Heathrow quickly enough to check in my bags and get through security?
Thanks for any input you may be able to offer. And my sincerest apologies, again, if I've put this in the wrong place!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 23:24:40 GMT
Yes you can do it, and its pretty straight forward.
Seeing as your luggage will be at Waterloo, get the mainline train to Feltham (on the Reading train it's 26 mins direct) then get a 285 bus directly outside Feltham train station to Heathrow and that takes 20 mins. Theres about a 10 min walk from the bus station, via the connecting tunnels and walkways.
Thats the way I go to Heathrow every time. Good luck and enjoy your stay in London!
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Post by andrew on Dec 8, 2017 0:07:17 GMT
I love London transport quandaries.
From Waterloo it'd be about 55 minutes to do Jubilee line -> Green Park then Piccadilly line -> Heathrow
If you have cash to burn there's the insanely quick Bakerloo line -> Paddington then Heathrow Express - likely less than half an hour if you get lucky with times
The Feltham idea is fun, probably the quickest if a direct train is leaving just as you arrive, probably not the quickest otherwise. I hate buses and luggage so I usually avoid, but the tube and luggage is not miles better.
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Post by Jon on Dec 8, 2017 0:10:00 GMT
If you want to avoid getting a bus, you could do Jubilee Line to Green Line then Piccadilly Line to Heathrow but that’s quite a lengthy journey
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Post by martin1965 on Dec 8, 2017 12:36:11 GMT
With your itinerary money is obvs not an issue so Piccadilly Line or Paddington Express. The post about busing to Feltham made me laugh out loud as thats what you did in the 70s before they extended the tube!
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Post by kathryn on Dec 8, 2017 13:56:06 GMT
TFL reckons it takes about 43 minutes if you get the Heathrow Express and an hour and 5/6 minutes if you get the tube all the way. That's to Heathrow T5.
It should be doable as long as you are on a tube before 5.15pm, bearing in mind that Heathrow is huge and it can take 10 minutes to get from train/tube station to check-in desk.
Checking-in online beforehand so you can go straight to the bag-drop would help.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Dec 8, 2017 13:59:25 GMT
I've left suitcases in the NT cloakroom before (when coming straight from the airport) but that was pre- current security issues.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 15:48:23 GMT
I love London transport quandaries. From Waterloo it'd be about 55 minutes to do Jubilee line -> Green Park then Piccadilly line -> Heathrow If you have cash to burn there's the insanely quick Bakerloo line -> Paddington then Heathrow Express - likely less than half an hour if you get lucky with times The Feltham idea is fun, probably the quickest if a direct train is leaving just as you arrive, probably not the quickest otherwise. I hate buses and luggage so I usually avoid, but the tube and luggage is not miles better. The interchange at Green Park between the Jubilee Line and Piccadilly is best avoided.
Best to take the Bakerloo Line to Piccadilly and the Piccadilly Line from there.
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Post by Tibidabo on Dec 8, 2017 16:40:15 GMT
From where I lived, you took the 140 bus on a magical mystery tour that lasted almost 2 hours on a good day...OMG! We used to rock up so sloshed on that one! Top deck, brandishing litre Sunkist bottles (or whatever the imperial equivalent of 'large' was at the time) that contained just enough Sunkist to look like it was diluted squash......well, actually it was....diluted with vodka and we could SMOKE all the way!! Oh that was the life! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 17:50:33 GMT
With your itinerary money is obvs not an issue so Piccadilly Line or Paddington Express. The post about busing to Feltham made me laugh out loud as thats what you did in the 70s before they extended the tube! If you live in South London why go into town to come back out again?? Its a much quicker and easier route for me. |
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Post by martin1965 on Dec 8, 2017 18:17:54 GMT
With your itinerary money is obvs not an issue so Piccadilly Line or Paddington Express. The post about busing to Feltham made me laugh out loud as thats what you did in the 70s before they extended the tube! If you live in South London why go into town to come back out again?? Its a much quicker and easier route for me.  ?? |
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Post by martin1965 on Dec 8, 2017 18:20:45 GMT
thats what you did in the 70s before they extended the tube! From where I lived, you took the 140 bus on a magical mystery tour that lasted almost 2 hours on a good day... Ha! I used to live in Harrow and got the 140 a few times, always amused that a london bus went into the Airport☺ |
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Dec 8, 2017 18:21:35 GMT
If you do make the change at Green Park, follow the exit signs on the platform and take the escalator up to the ticket hall, and then take the other escalator down to the new platform. Far quicker and easier than traversing all the tunnels.
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Post by Tibidabo on Dec 8, 2017 19:03:27 GMT
I'm afraid I was the nerdy one at the front top of the routemaster, pretending to drive. Would you like your hat back? |
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Post by Phantom of London on Dec 8, 2017 19:44:42 GMT
Leave your bag at the National coatroom.
Leave National From front entrance (where the river Thames is), turn left and walk along river (about 5 minutes) until you get to the Hungerford Bridge, which is just before the Millennium wheel.
Go up the stairs and cross Hungerford Bridge, to cross the Thames, you will have rail tracks on your left. Go down the first set of stairs the other side of the Thames, there you will have Embankment Underground (Subway) Station. This walk will take no more than 10 minutes.
Go through the ticket gates, straight in front of you, you will have the District Line, walk down the stairs marked Westbound, when on the platform (track), only take a Richmond/Ealing Broadway Train, not a Wimbledon or Circle these run every 3/4 minutes.
Catch the train to Hammersmith takes 20 minutes. Get off train and walk to the platform (track) opposite, board a Piccadilly Line train to Heathrow, the one marked terminal 5 is best and most direct, although you can catch the one marked Heathrow Term 2/3/4, this does not stop at Terminal 5. This will take 30 minutes.
Enjoy the show and you will make it easily.
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Post by viserys on Dec 8, 2017 20:46:45 GMT
I've done something similar last winter - caught a 2pm matinee of Wonder.land at the National and an 8pm flight out of Heathrow with time to spare. I did leave my smallish suitcase at the National's cloakroom which was no problem at all.
What I did though was, after the show I scooted across the bridge to Embankment Station and took the District or Circle Line (can't remember which) to Earl's Court and changed to the Piccadilly Line there. I figure Embankment isn't much longer to walk than Waterloo and changing at Earl's Court is quicker than at Green Park, which is horrible (as wrighty pointed out)
Edit: Ack, didn't see the second page of this - yea, I did pretty much what Phantom described and which is probably the best thing to do.
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Post by martin1965 on Dec 8, 2017 20:51:25 GMT
Leave your bag at the National coatroom. Leave National From front entrance (where the river Thames is), turn left and walk along river (about 5 minutes) until you get to the Hungerford Bridge, which is just before the Millennium wheel. Go up the stairs and cross Hungerford Bridge, to cross the Thames, you will have rail tracks on your left. Go down the first set of stairs the other side of the Thames, there you will have Embankment Underground (Subway) Station. This walk will take no more than 10 minutes. Go through the ticket gates, straight in front of you, you will have the District Line, walk down the stairs marked Westbound, when on the platform (track), only take a Richmond/Ealing Broadway Train, not a Wimbledon or Circle these run every 3/4 minutes. Catch the train to Hammersmith takes 20 minutes. Get off train and walk to the platform (track) opposite, board a Piccadilly Line train to Heathrow, the one marked terminal 5 is best and most direct, although you can catch the one marked Heathrow Term 2/3/4, this does not stop at Terminal 5. This will take 30 minutes. Enjoy the show and you will make it easily. Maybe a tad too much detail?😂 |
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Dec 9, 2017 8:22:52 GMT
Yes, if you can leave your case in the National cloakroom, definitely Embankment rather than Waterloo - it's about the same distance and much quicker to get to the platform. Then you can either do as suggested above, or get the Bakerloo to Paddington for the Heathrow Express.
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Post by Mark on Dec 9, 2017 10:14:36 GMT
When I saw Beginning at the National last month I left my large suitcase in the cloakroom. Personally I’d say the best way is a quick 10 min walk over the bridge to Covent Garden and Piccadilly line direct to Heathrow.
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Post by joem on Dec 10, 2017 23:00:59 GMT
Already plenty of good suggestions but just throw in a couple of others.
If you want to avoid the Waterloo luggage drop - it could add 15/20 minutes easy, maybe more if there is a problem with queue - and you are of a nervous disposition, you might want to leave the luggage at Heathrow. It of course would mean having to go there and back in the morning.
Another option is a good minicab service from the National or Waterloo (especially if you have a lot of luggage and/or you are travelling with others). The people I use charge me about £35 from central London. You won't get much change from that if you get onto the Heathrow Express.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Dec 10, 2017 23:02:27 GMT
Or hire a helicopter.
Or wish up a magic carpet.
Or become an illegal immigrant.
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Post by joem on Dec 10, 2017 23:08:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2017 20:02:57 GMT
Thank you ALL so much for the replies and input. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I've decided to get an early start that day, head to Heathrow, and use Left Luggage to store my bags at the terminal. That seems to be the option that will put me most "at ease". And so, with your help, I've also booked for Pinocchio!
THANK YOU! 12 shows in 7 days. I can't wait!
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Dec 15, 2017 20:05:49 GMT
Good plan. Just a thought, but you might be able to check your bags in for your flight early and save paying for left luggage  |
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 16, 2017 16:15:22 GMT
A further option would be to use one of the services that picks the luggage up from your hotel and checks it into the airline for you.
For instance, there's AirPortr if you're flying with either BA or AA. The cost is around £30, but you'd be spending much of that for Left Luggage at Waterloo (or more for a morning trip to Heathrow and back - unless you can stand the extended Tube journey twice in a day).
It would be worth it for me to avoid the hassle and the (relatively slim) risk of transport delays.
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Post by joem on Dec 16, 2017 23:52:06 GMT
A further option would be to use one of the services that picks the luggage up from your hotel and checks it into the airline for you. For instance, there's AirPortr if you're flying with either BA or AA. The cost is around £30, but you'd be spending much of that for Left Luggage at Waterloo (or more for a morning trip to Heathrow and back - unless you can stand the extended Tube journey twice in a day). It would be worth it for me to avoid the hassle and the (relatively slim) risk of transport delays. How does that work from a security aspect? |
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 17, 2017 12:42:46 GMT
How does that work from a security aspect? I believe they collect the luggage and put coded tamper tags on it. Then they have agreements with the airlines to check these in at the airport through to be collected at the destination (or possibly taken straight to homes and offices at the other end). I suspect that the main customers are business users around the city, so they know their luggage has gone but don't need to leave the office so early. Also, those people who have to carry large amounts of business materials with them (for instance, to give out at trade shows). There's a more detailed explanation on the Head For Points blog somewhere, but in some ways it's not that different to just sending a package by air mail and the type of checks that would be done then. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2017 17:34:23 GMT
Thank you! I'm tempted to give that a try but honestly very nervous about it. I'm assuming there is a way to check with the airline that our bag has actually arrived and been checked? And I'm assuming these companies are insured for lost baggage...
Thank you for any input.
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