Travel from New Forest to Heathrow
My family needs to catch an international flight that leaves Heathrow at 10:30 am. What time should we leave Lyndhurst to reach Heathrow on Friday morning?
Valerie
Carmel, Ca usa 12/2/12
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Cant answer your direct question- but for a 10.30 international flight out of Heathrow, you should arrive the recomended 3 hours before your flight (security can be a bear with long lines); thats 7.30; then from London to heathrow- minimum 30 minutes; across London from your arrival station to Paddington, at leats another 30 minutes- so you need to arrive in London from Lyndhurst no later than 6am..... doesnt make sense. You will need to sleep in London (or in vicinity of heathrow ) the night before your flight
Leave Lyndhurst late afternoon on the day before your flight. I know New Forest is a special place, but I am sure you will find something to do in London
The first morning train from Lyndhurst Road to London Waterloo departs at 06:41 and arrives at 08:16, nearly an hour after you should be at Heathrow.
You could take a National Express coach (highway bus) from Southampton to Heathrow. If you depart at 05:05, you'll arrive at 08:15. That's still too late. The only time that would work for you would be to depart at 03:40 and arrive at 06:35.
Go into London the day before your departure and either stay in the city or in a hotel near Heathrow. For a list of airport hotels with detailed descriptons of each one, go to this page on the London Toolkit site.
I figured that we would drive our rental car from New Forest into Heathrow.
Looking for replies on what time in the morning should we leave to make it to Heathrow at 7:30 am.?
Thanks for your input.
90 minutes would be about right to drive, but at that time of day I think I would be conservative and plan for 2 hours. Also, don't forget to add time for dropping off the car, getting to the terminal, etc.
You say "international flight", but not "transatlantic". Whilst being there three hours in advance is usually required if you are going to USA, for flights to Europe, two hours is more normal (sometimes less, though personally I would't cut it much closer than that) - what does your airline recommend?
I'd worry about trying to get to Heathrow in the Friday morning rush hour using the M3, M25, M4.