>>>It is a sad reflection on the state of the England's roads and the ludicrous position of its main airport that what should be a pleasant journey engenders so much trepidation on the part of the thousands of people who have to do it.
IMO it's also a positive reflection on people such as the OP who take time to consider what route to take to save their time and energy levels as well as a thumbs up to people on sites like this who are willing to offer useful advice. If more people did this rather than jump into their vehicle, set the sat nav, press the loud pedal and stress out all the way ...well I don't know what difference it would make but some is enough. :-)
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>>It is a sad reflection on the state of the England's roads and the ludicrous position of its main airport >>
So where should it be situated then, yes east of London would be better from Norfolk etc though not from most of the rest of the country. The fact of the matter is those issues exist around major airports the world over. It can be convenient to all.
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Thanks for the info, looks like the M11 then!
I had forgotten about the works on the M25, if I leave slightly earlier and push it I can be through them works by 0700. I had planned on sitting on the side of the road somewhere (possibly towards Datchet) and waiting til the last minute to go to the Terminal.
I am aiming at T3, I know my way round down there as used to live in Uxbridge until 8 years ago, however will bow to anyone's knowledge of that area as things do change.
Thanks again
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yes east of London would be better from Norfolk
Beg to differ!
There are only two ways South from Norfolk, one being the A140 out of Norwich (if you want to see a nightmare of a road then look at this one), the other being the A11/M11.
At least with the A11/M11 there are a number of routes once out of Norfolk, there is no other option after the A140 except the A12.
Now I reckon it should all be transferred to Stansted, but then they would probably stack the planes over Norfolk :(
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But ND you don't need all flights moved to Stansted just the one from the USA your friend is on!
Edited by old crocks on 07/10/2009 at 15:18
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>> yes east of London would be better from Norfolk Beg to differ!
Just making the point that there is no ideal location.
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The flights are on Teletext, pages 441 to 445 (for Heathrow) BAA Heathrow phone number for flight arrivals is 0844 335 1801, make sure you have the flight number to hand.
I would suggest you meet your friend outside the terminal building, it will save car parking charges, time and the possibility of getting your car bashed in the car park.
If you let me know which terminal your friend is coming in to, I can give you some advice where to meet.
I would second any of Henry k's routes around Heathrow. when he first started posting his airport routes, I was firmly convinced he was an airport minicab driver!
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I forgot to mention the BAA Heathrow website. Check that before you leave home just in case there is a long delay!
tinyurl.com/5l3j6r
Edited by drbe on 08/10/2009 at 09:21
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Thanks for all the info.
I have the LHR arrivals in my favourites and will be checking before I leave home.
Couple of other questions.
Avoid the M25 from Watford Junction to J16 after 0700. Happy with this but the alternative I can see is A1 to Bushey, through to Watford (ish), Northwood, Uxbridge and then down to LHR. Is this a recommended alternative?
Secondly, where is the cafe at Hatton Cross? I know roughly where the tube station is but not familiar with the rest of that area.
Edited to add: I'm aiming at T3, should hopefully have plenty of time to get to Terminal once I am down there. Its the getting there that concerns me!!
Thanks in advance
ND
Edited by NorfolkDriver on 08/10/2009 at 14:04
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>>Secondly, where is the cafe at Hatton Cross? I know roughly where the tube station is but not familiar with the rest of that area.
>>
If coming round the peri track from north of the airport (from Uxbridge) in case you are not aware the road across the taxiway has been closed for some years and you are sent round the east of BA base and eventually get to Hatton Cross.
Exit LHR at Hatton Cross Tube station (or turn off the A30 ) for Feltham.
Green Man pub is on your left just beyond the farm yard and I assume the cafe that has been there for ever is the one a few feet past the pub.
So turn left at the pub and park up.
If needs be carry on towards Feltham ( Right at next lights and keep out of the bus lane)
Past big GSF car spares on left. Next right is Tescos where I hover waiting for my arrivals to call from Terminal 4 baggage reclaim.
Tescos is only about half a mile from Hatton Cross.
I assume it is T4 you are collecting from?
Re checking flights. If you are not aware
Scheduled airline have a flight plan filed with the authorities weeks / months in advance. This timing is what you see initially.
When the flight gets away the actual depature time and Arrival prediction is logged. The predicted time usually alters little until close to arrival.
If you can work out that there is a flight flying to collect your passenger you can check if it is on schedule.
If not you can deduce that there will be " a delay due to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft"for your passenger.
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Exit LHR at Hatton Cross Tube station (or turn off the A30 ) for Feltham.
>thats straight across the lights on the A30 from hatton x tube
Green Man pub is on your left just beyond the farm yard and I assume the cafe that has been there for ever is the one a few feet past the pub.
So turn left at the pub and park up.
>It was there last week.
There is another.
If taking the A30 from the m25 towards hatton cross., after the traffic lights at the bulldog pub (a harvester) / Ashford hospital there is a transport cafe about 1/2 mile down the road on the left (its on the a30) before you hit the A30 roundabout at bedfont with the vauxhall garage.
To avouid the M25 roadwork I take the watford exit, into watford, then down via denham to the A40
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AE:
I haven't been on the M25 recently on the stretch alluded to, but things must be diabolical if it's worth driving into Watford, whose traffic congestion is legendary. (It depends on the time of day, I suppose.)
Unfortunately I've got to go to Watford in a few minutes, but I'll make sure my return is after 7 pm.
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You just go to the big roundabout just north of the town centre. Its fine at 7:15 in the morning. At 7:15 if there is an accident int he roadworks, the M25 is not.
I have to do A1 south / M25 west early one morning a week si i am a hardened veteran at this
I also have to do M25 north / A1 North One evening a week to so I am doubly blessed.
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>> Past big GSF car spares on left. Next right is Tescos where I hover waiting for my arrivals to call from Terminal 4 baggage reclaim. Tescos is only about half a mile from Hatton Cross. I assume it is T4 you are collecting from?
>>
Tesco has a cafe - not sure what time it opens in the morning 08.00? - and of course loos and ample parking.
Have you considered what I said about meeting outside the terminal? Or are you up to speed on that?
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Your friend may have had a good reason to arrive at Heathrow ... but, really, the best solution would have been for him/her to have flown into Norwich airport using Dutch carrier KLM via Amsterdam.
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I think that good reason would be cost. Have lived in Norwich for 40 years and only used Norwich airport once for that very reason. Its always a lot cheaper to fly from one of the London airports, preferably Stansted even taking parking into account. Best/quickest way to Heathrow by the way is the obvious one A11/A14/M11/M25
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google street view links
Green Man, Hatton Cross tinyurl.com/yjru9xz
Tesco, Hayes tinyurl.com/yfodtbb
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Thanks for the replies.
KLM isnt an option, airmiles says she comes over with American Airlines so lands at LHR.
Hopefully get down there earlier enough for some breakfast before the flight arrives :)
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Green Man Hatton Cross tinyurl.com/yjru9xz
>>
and if you swing right and go a few yards on you will see the Cafe on your left that AE referred to but the Google photo join does it no favoursTesco Hayes tinyurl.com/yfodtbb
The Tescos I refered to is along Faggs road and right for a few hundred yards.
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go a few yards on you will see the Cafe on your left that AE referred to but the Google photo join does it no favours >>
this one? tinyurl.com/ykhr7wx
The Tescos I refered to is along Faggs road and right for a few hundred yards. >>
The reason I chose the Hayes store was that it is on the North side of Heathrow and may possibly be just a little quicker to get to T3 in the morning from there.
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Now I reckon it should all be transferred to Stansted but then they would probably stack the planes over Norfolk :(
If north of Cooling they could stack over the estuary. The profits from the Dartford crossing could be used towards a new crossing and better links. The lives of tens of thousands of Londoners would be transformed.....how many other capital cities have the noisy glide path into the prevailing wind directly overhead?
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What a day that was!
Firstly thanks to all for their suggestions as to breakfast.
I was awake just after 4 this morning so thought I may aswell get on the road which happened at 4.30am.
Out of Norfolk and onto the M25 by 0605, not bad going but this is where the problems would start. No one told me about the roadworks at the M11/M25 junction :) Sat in them for around 20 mins before moving towards the A10 turn off, again got stuck but not for long this time.
Finally it was those wonderful roadworks near Watford. How come the front of the queue is never moving as slowly as the back ?
Got to Heathrow at 0815 and decided on Tesco's at junction 3. Enjoyable breakfast.
Collected friend and then we got stuck on the M25 on the way back between 21A and 23, we turned off and went X country through St Albans.
SO, to all you down there that fight the M25 every day. You can keep it. I'd much rather be behind a tractor doing 20mph than sat in a queue going nowhere :)
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I've come to this too late but, as a general observation one can be trying to meet someone at T3 and, on approaching the main area at the end of the tunnel, see a sign saying "T3 Car Park full - use T1". I had to do that and it was a fair trek thru tunnels and subways to get to T3 for my meeting duties. Allow a bit extra, even for when you are within a mile of your destination! Thanks for the feedback BTW!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 15/10/2009 at 21:19
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a sign saying "T3 Car Park full - use T1". I had to do that and it was a fair trek thru tunnels and subways to get to T3 for my meeting duties.
Meet outside the terminal and you won't have that problem.
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You can tell that I don't do this very often - LHR meeting I mean! If you meet outside the terminal where do you park? On this occasion person I was meeting was nearly an hour after landing before being available (queues at Passport control, broken baggage belts etc) I didn't see any alternative to obeying the sign. Plus, when I saw the sign I wasn't aware of the admin delay, see above. Where is there to wait at a Terminal with a full car-park, for an hour, without getting towed or clamped?
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 16/10/2009 at 05:23
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drbe - to save the mods time and effort do you feel llike e mailing me at the address in my profile? Thank you.
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Next time I suggest that your friend consider Norwich airport. Yes, I know the ticket might cost more or that your friend might prefer BA/AA into Heathrow as against KLM (via Amsterdam) but, really, you can't put a price on local airport convenience.
Over the years, KLM has built up a thriving business in carrying passengers to their local UK airport via Amsterdam for this very reason. Regional passengers avoid London airports as often as they can.
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I fly overseas about six times a year from Manchester - usually going east.
The cheapest flights usually go via Heathrow, but there is no way we will do that. It is so congested, there are so many delays of flights arriving, planes stuck in limbo on the ground waiting for a parking space.
We usually spend a little bit more and fly via Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Zurich which are pleasant enviroments. Also, the time spent hanging around in these airports is far less than at Heathrow where for one of our regular routes, the stop over time at Heathrow is about 5 hours (and I can fly the whole route via Zurich in 6 hours and 40 mins).
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