Best way to get to London Heathrow (LHR) from Manchester

[Jalinne]

Hi all,

We live in Manchester and have a flight to catch on the 15th of April (Tuesday) from London Heathrow airport at 0945. Anyone know what the best way to go about would be? Also, would it be best if I arrived in London the night before, and then left for the airport in the morning or is there a reliable service that could get us to the airport on time the same day?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lewismachyach]

is there a reliable service that could get us to the airport on time the same day?

Not a feasible rail option, but there are National Express bus services that run through the night to Victoria Coach Station. (From there, allow an hour to take the London Underground to Heathrow). There's also a direct FlixBus that leaves Manchester at 23:40 and arrives at Heathrow at 5:35. If comfort is more important, you'll want to travel the day before and sleep in a hotel.

There are hotels at the airport itself - I'd suggest looking at the Premier Inn at Heathrow Terminal 4.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Jalinne. Might be better to travel the evening before. Earliest midweek train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston is the 0505 which, if you're lucky, arrives in Euston just before 0730. What time does the check in close at London Heathrow for your flight at 0845? Will you be able to get to check in, in time? Seems doubtful. As @lewismachyach suggests, a hotel might be better.

 

[redreni]

Personally I wouldn't dream of travelling down on the morning.

In fact, I'd probably book one of the airport Premier Inns. The Terminal 4 one is one I've gone for before, as it's connected to the Terminal building where you can get free transfers to whichever other terminal you may need.

 

[plugwash]

There are no direct services from Euston to Heathrow. I'm pretty sure the fastest option is circle/hammersmith to Paddington and then Heathrow express to Heathrow. Other options are the picadilly or the lizzie but I expect those to be slower.

According to fastJP the first route from Manchester to heathrow leaves Manchester at 05:05, arrives in Euston at 07:27 an arrives at Heathrow terminals 2 and 3 at 08:25. If there is a problem with that, then there is another option, with an additional change in Crewe leaving manchester at 05:11 and arriving at heathrow 08:55 but it involves crosscountry for the Manchester to Crewe leg, so if you have an advance ticker you may not be able to use it. Then there is the 05:55 which will get you to Heathrow at 09:10.

So going down on the morning by rail is probablly feasible if everything goes according to plan, but I think the risk is higher than most would deem acceptable. Anytime tickets on Avanti also tend to be extremely expensive.

 

[lewismachyach]

There don't seem to be any advances available for the 5:05 > 7:27 Avanti service on the 15th anyway. I suspect paying upwards of £100 per-person for that route would be uneconomical for the OP.

 

[Captain Bigwig]

You can currently get a room at the Terminal 4 Premier Inn for next Monday night for £50.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My recommendation would be to travel the night before. There are loads of hotel options at Heathrow for all budgets.

 

[AlterEgo]

I’d also be getting an airport hotel. That date doesn’t look too expensive.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Fly down, early evening flights for £100 ish, depending who you are flying with might be able to get your bags checked through as well.

 

[signed]

There are hotels at the airport itself - I'd suggest looking at the Premier Inn at Heathrow Terminal 4.

And if price is an issue, the Holiday Inn Express is usually cheaper and also connected to T4

 

[sheff1]

Presumably there was no option to book a through ticket with connecting flight from Manchester (with an overnight stay if necessary) when making your ex-Heathrow booking.

Booking a hotel at LHR T4 would also be my suggestion. Premier Inn is usually cheapest.

 

[185]

We've stayed in Maidenhead (£35ish) then 35 mins the next morning by Elizabeth Line train changing at Hayes & Harlington to LHR T2.

 

[Dirty_Mac]

FlixBus is the best budget option. You can probably catch up on sleep on the plane anyway. Currently costs £30.49.

There don't seem to be any advances available for the 5:05 > 7:27 Avanti service on the 15th anyway.

There is. It's not very cheap, but I found a £112.95 advance split (anytime single to Nuneaton then an advance single to Euston) from the forum's site. The through ticket would cost £149.50. These are both just to Euston as it's cheaper to use contactless to get to Heathrow.

 

[John R]

You are asking for trouble trying to do it on the morning. Everything has to work absolutely spot on for you to get your flight. Ask yourself what are the implications if you miss it.

Others have recommended the Premier Inn at T4 and I would too. It’s very clean and comfortable and even if your flight is from T5 is reasonably convenient. (Obviously more so if it is from T4 or T2/3.)

 

[AlterEgo]

If the flight is from T5 and you’ve not booked your flights yet you should just book a connecting flight in the morning from Manchester, which will be protected if on a through ticket.

 

[Alfonso]

Definitely go to London on Monday. Key to saving money and convenience is staying in a hotel directly or nearly directly connected to a terminal. In addition to the premier inn/holiday inn express/crowned plaza already mentioned, the hilton Garden Inn by Hatton Cross tube station is good if you don't have loads of luggage- there is a flight of steps and no lift down to the platforms for the free with contact less tube to whichever terminal you need. Some airlines including BA have twilight drop off, so yiu can check in your bags the evening before. Most other hotels around Heathrow will either Nedd the expensive and alow hotel hoppa bus or a public bus which is fine with a backpack but not ideal with suitcases... oh and for a train geek option the thistle terminal 5 is connected by the not free driverless pod thingy

 

[drueberflug]

Not a feasible rail option

I suspect paying upwards of £100 per-person for that route would be uneconomical for the OP.

I unfortunately have to agree with the others, with those long journey times, a hotel in combination with another mode of transport than rail might be the way to go in this case.

However, I am wondering why the Off-Peak Single here does not cover e.g. Manchester Victoria to Manchester Piccadilly and the cross-London journey according to the journey planner, as the ticket is issued from "Manchester Stns" to "Heathrow Rail" with a ✠ on the ticket anyways.
Also, imo, it should also cover Heathrow Express, so if the OP does decide on this exhausting journey, they could just take any direct trains from Paddington onwards.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@drueberflug. Think the £107.80 Off Peak Single ticket is valid from Manchester Victoria. However, is 20:53 perhaps too late to be starting from there, without paying extra to travel on Metrolink?

P.S. Is the upper part of your first (itinerary) screenshot missing?

 

[drueberflug]

Think the £107.80 Off Peak Single ticket is valid from Manchester Victoria. However, is 20:53 perhaps too late to be starting from there?

P.S. Is the upper part of your screenshot missing?

Oops, the upper part indeed seems to be missing. I, too, believe that the ticket would be valid from Manchester Victoria, but the journey planner says otherwise.

Also, just to add, if one actually were to opt for this journey, an Off-Peak Return ticket for £159.00 would be an okay-ish choice pricewise.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Oops, the upper part indeed seems to be missing. I, too, believe that the ticket would be valid from Manchester Victoria, but the journey planner says otherwise.

For travel by rail, would need to be on the 20:40 TPE departure. Otherwise it's an extra £1.40 to use Manchester Metrolink.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oops, the upper part indeed seems to be missing. I, too, believe that the ticket would be valid from Manchester Victoria, but the journey planner says otherwise.

Also, just to add, if one actually were to opt for this journey, an Off-Peak Return ticket for £159.00 would be an okay-ish choice pricewise.

View attachment 178056

It would be valid if you use the once hourly TPE service round the Ordsall Chord, or maybe changing at Salford Crescent (but that's a heck of a faff compared to just walking). However Metrolink isn't included on tickets that aren't entirely within the TfGM area. If an Advance you'd need an itinerary including those services if you wanted to use them, for an Off Peak or Anytime you can just use them (but if going via Salford Crescent check it's a permitted route for that ticket, it won't be for everything).

 

[AlterEgo]

Hotels can be found for £60 ish at Heathrow plus Advances for £60, suggestions of paying £100 plus to have the privilege of Britain’s most exhausting railway journey are a bit mad.

 

[Watershed]

Oops, the upper part indeed seems to be missing. I, too, believe that the ticket would be valid from Manchester Victoria, but the journey planner says otherwise.

View attachment 178056

The journey planner is correct that for that journey (i.e. departing Manchester at 20:53, and crossing London between 1 and 4am) you would need to pay for the cross-Manchester and cross-London transfers yourself, as there is nothing included in your ticket that runs at those times. You could of course take a Metrolink tram and London bus, but you'd have to pay for it.

However if you left at 20:40, you could take a TPE train from Victoria to Piccadilly and this would be included in the ticket. The reason the journey planner isn't showing this is that it's deemed an 'overtaken' journey.

Before 06:00 or so, Elizabeth line services start at Paddington's "National Rail" terminus platforms rather than the subterranean through platforms. The Elizabeth line doesn't run through central London, between Paddington and Liverpool Street, until around then. Similarly, the first Underground journey of the day from Euston to Paddington would involve taking the Circle line from Euston Square at 05:08.

This particular ticket is routed "+Any Permitted", so it is valid on either the Elizabeth line or the Heathrow Express. The first Heathrow Express service leaves Paddington at 04:51.

 

[Dirty_Mac]

a hotel in combination with another mode of transport

You don't have to book a hotel if you take the Flixbus that leaves at 23:40 and arrives at 05:35.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You don't have to book a hotel if you take the Flixbus that leaves at 23:40 and arrives at 05:35.

That's a heck of a risk.

I would travel the night before without any doubt at all. You don't want to risk road delays impacting upon your flight.

 

[Dirty_Mac]

That's a heck of a risk.

I would travel the night before without any doubt at all. You don't want to risk road delays impacting upon your flight.

3+ hours worth of road delays on a 6 hour journey in the dead of the night seems astronomically unlikely. Probably easier for the bus to break down.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'd agree with those saying get down to the Heathrow area the day before.

Even the earliest domestic flight from Ringway to Heathrow at 06.00 is very risky if it's delayed or cancelled.

 

[MattyH]

Another vote to find a local hotel, no shortage of them, including at stops near Piccadilly line stations in the vicinity. Not worth the stress of a broken down coach or other delay. The Premier Inn app is good, as is Booking.com

 

[John R]

You don't have to book a hotel if you take the Flixbus that leaves at 23:40 and arrives at 05:35.

But you do go through the night without any meaningful sleep, which might not be the best preparation for the trip ahead.