Which fare option should I use? (victoria to heathrow terminal 4)

[Lavi326]

i'm going to fly out from heathrow on tuesday night and need to now how much it will cost me for the tube to get from victoria to heathrow terminal 4

I'm goin to get off at victoria coach station and walk to victoria tube station and take the district line, change tubes at gloucester road into the picadilly line (as tubeplanner suggested)....

What's cheapest option to buy my ticket?
I'm thinking a single cash ticket of 'zone 1-6' for £5.30...........i'm simply confused if that 1 ticket will take me thru both tubes lines to my destination?? or do I need to buy 2 single tickets (1 for district and then 1 for picadilly)?

Plz plz help...i only have 3 days to find out

thnx in advance

-Lavina

 

[SS4]

Cheapest is the tube but it is not quick. I'm not sure of the stations in that area so cannot advise which is best for interchange but I believe the Piccadilly is still in tube at Gloucester Road so I'd suggest changing at Earl's Court

Your Zone 1-6 single is valid from any zone 1 station (Victoria) to any zone 6 station (Heathrow) so you do not need two tickets.

 

[transportphoto]

Would it not be easier to get a coach from Victoria to Heathrow Central Bus Station?

TP

 

[stut]

Any fare on the Tube is a through fare, so you only have to buy once. If you're only travelling in London very rarely, then yes, a cash fare is a good bet.

I'd recommend changing at Barons Court or Hammersmith rather than Gloucester Road, as that means you can simply walk across the platform (Gloucester Road involves quite a few steps and corridors). However, this means that you can only get a District Line train with a destination of Richmond or Ealing Broadway.

Another option to consider, if you have heavy luggage, is to get the coach there. Many of the coaches heading west (and SW/NW) from London call at Heathrow, and most (all?) go from Victoria Coach station. It would certainly save you dragging cases up the road to Victoria (which is under heavy construction at the minute, too).

 

[causton]

Three main options I can see:

Tube: Sounds like that £5.30 ticket might be a discounted (railcard) Travelcard - which would make it fine for travelling Victoria - Heathrow and you can get a train straight from Barons Court (recommended for cross-platform interchange) to Terminal 4!
USE THIS if you like the tube, otherwise...

Coach: £5 from Victoria Coach Station to Heathrow Central - seems like you can buy this on the day. And IIRC all buses within Heathrow are free so you can hop on another bus to Terminal 4 if you need to
USE THIS if you have heavy luggage!

Bus: No, just no. Cheap but you'll spend all day getting there. DON'T use this.

 

[button_boxer]

Coach: £5 from Victoria Coach Station to Heathrow Central - seems like you can buy this on the day. And IIRC all buses within Heathrow are free so you can hop on another bus to Terminal 4 if you need to

I don't know about buses but it's definitely free between terminals on Heathrow Express trains (but not on the tube).

 

[bb21]

Tube: Sounds like that £5.30 ticket might be a discounted (railcard) Travelcard

This is the price of a Zone 1-6 cash single fare. (Coincidentally the same as a discounted All Zones Off-Peak Day Travelcard.)

Bus: No, just no. Cheap but you'll spend all day getting there. DON'T use this.

Buses are no cheaper if paying cash fare for this journey. You need at least three buses AFAIK to get from somewhere near Victoria to inside the Freeflow zone around the airport, and cash single fare being £2.20 a pop ...

I'd recommend changing at Barons Court or Hammersmith

I echo this suggestion, if you strongly wish to use the tube. Just make sure you get on the correct District Line train.

Coach: £5 from Victoria Coach Station to Heathrow Central - seems like you can buy this on the day. And IIRC all buses within Heathrow are free so you can hop on another bus to Terminal 4 if you need to

National Express coaches offer regular departures from Victoria Coach Station, meaning you don't have to drag your luggage from the coach station to the railway station. Transfer between Terminals 1&3 and 4 is free on buses (frequent, every few minutes) and Heathrow Express (every 15 minutes).

The time it takes to do your journey would be comparable on coaches or on the tube.

In my opinion, National Express coaches are your best option, especially so if you are paying cash fare. Getting the coach and then transferring using buses will mean no climing up/down stairs or escalators for the duration of your journey.

 

[island]

A zone 1-6 cash fare is £5, not £5.30. £5.30 is next year's fare.

 

[bb21]

A zone 1-6 cash fare is £5, not £5.30. £5.30 is next year's fare.

Hmm. You're correct. Seems that I was misled by the TfL website without looking closely at it.

 

[causton]

Hmm. You're correct. Seems that I was misled by the TfL website without looking closely at it.

You're right - the TfL website shows next year's prices as if they are the current ones! Pah! (on another note, it's 5p cheaper to get a Z1-9 travelcard on paper than through Oyster!)

Every time I think about this scenario I am more inclined to strongly suggest getting the coach

 

[LondonJohn]

I too would advocate going by coach especially if you are arriving at Victoria Coach Station. There will be luggage trollies at Heathrow Central Bus Station to help you onto the Heathrow Express platforms for the free transfer to Terminal 4.

This will save you taking your luggage up the road to the tube station, onto a district line train and changing. IF you do decide to take the tube change at Barons Court or Hammersmith as these will be on the next platform without having to go up and down stairs, lifts or escalators.

 

[tannedfrog]

As people are explorin all possibilities, what's the stop before Victoria on the coach?

 

[Lavi326]

As people are explorin all possibilities, what's the stop before Victoria on the coach?

im taking the coach down from leicester into vic coach station (already booked it)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thankx evry1 for all the suggestions ...i am definitely re-considering my first planned route...thnx again

 

[MarkyMarkD]

Funnily enough, I am also thinking about travelling from Victoria to Heathrow T4.

But I will be travelling into Victoria by rail. So, does the advice change? Will it be less painful - with heavy bags and child - to do 2 tubes direct to T4, or to walk to Victoria Coach Station, get a coach, then change to get to T4?

It's a bit cheaper by underground - £9 for 2 adults with Oyster and the child is free - compared to the coach, but the cost difference isn't much if the coach will be more convenient.

Isn't the tube going to be quicker too? Risk of traffic delays on the coach (daytime for us) must be significant?

 

[tannedfrog]

im taking the coach down from leicester into vic coach station (already booked it)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thankx evry1 for all the suggestions ...i am definitely re-considering my first planned route...thnx again

If coach stops at Golders Green I would say better to get off coach and get on tube there

 

[Lavi326]

Funnily enough, I am also thinking about travelling from Victoria to Heathrow T4.

But I will be travelling into Victoria by rail. So, does the advice change? Will it be less painful - with heavy bags and child - to do 2 tubes direct to T4, or to walk to Victoria Coach Station, get a coach, then change to get to T4?

It's a bit cheaper by underground - £9 for 2 adults with Oyster and the child is free - compared to the coach, but the cost difference isn't much if the coach will be more convenient.

Isn't the tube going to be quicker too? Risk of traffic delays on the coach (daytime for us) must be significant?

I would much rather advise you to take the coach from victoria to T4, especially if you have heavy luggage and a child with you. It's not worth saving a few quid to go through the hassle of going by tube....even i was considering the coach but the timings did not match (also in my case..ill be travelling alone with only a carry-on luggage with me)

as for timing issues...coaches usually get there on time as stated on the ticket...sumtimes even earlier

 

[dzug2]

deleted

 

[transportphoto]

Except the coaches have a no travelling short rule as well as trains

No they don't.... See: https://help.nationalexpress.com/help/fares-discounts/funfare_alight

TP

 

[dzug2]

No they don't.... See: https://help.nationalexpress.com/help/fares-discounts/funfare_alight

TP

Apologies - that's changed since I last looked it up. Admittedly some time back

 

[tony_mac]

Their terms and conditions say

You may not board or leave any service except at the starting, or finishing, point of your journey

http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach_ims/pdf/NXConditionsofCarriage2011.pdf
But they have a load of customer unfriendly and almost certainly unlawful nonsense in them.

If we cancel or withdraw a service... our liability will be at our option to:-
...
(iii) cancel the ticket, and allow you to claim a refund of the full amount... or if the outward part of a return ticket has been used, 50% of the fare

I think they have changed it fairly recently and not amended other pages.

 

[MarkyMarkD]

I would much rather advise you to take the coach from victoria to T4, especially if you have heavy luggage and a child with you. It's not worth saving a few quid to go through the hassle of going by tube....even i was considering the coach but the timings did not match (also in my case..ill be travelling alone with only a carry-on luggage with me)

as for timing issues...coaches usually get there on time as stated on the ticket...sumtimes even earlier

Thanks. I guess you are persuading me! We normally fly from Gatwick and I know what I'm doing in getting there ... Heathrow is more of an unknown quantity.

 

[transportphoto]

You may not board or leave any service except at the starting, or finishing, point of your journey

This could be interpreted that you can not continue your journey once you have left the coach, it makes no reference the your booked journey. Can't you finish your journey at an intermediate stop?

Its open to interpretation, however I am in favour of the most favourable to the consumer, the interpretation that you can 'stop short'.

TP

 

[island]

I don't think there is any reasonable second meaning which could be assigned to that sentence, I'm afraid!

 

[tgsh2011]

Easiest interchange between District and Piccadilly is Barons Court. Simply walk across platform!

 

[Wolfie]

Easiest interchange between District and Piccadilly is Barons Court. Simply walk across platform!

....or Hammersmith - ditto!

 

[dzug2]

This could be interpreted that you can not continue your journey once you have left the coach, it makes no reference the your booked journey. Can't you finish your journey at an intermediate stop?

Its open to interpretation, however I am in favour of the most favourable to the consumer, the interpretation that you can 'stop short'.

TP

Well if the coach doesn't bother stopping at the intermediate stop (coz no-one's booked there) interpretation is academic. May not happen very often, but it's a possibility.

 

[Statto]

One word of warning, if your taking the Tube to Heathrow T4, make sure it's going to Heathrow T123, as Heathrow T5 Tubes do not go via T4, however if you do end up on a T5 Tube then as has been mentioned, change for the Heathrow Express at T123 to T4 which is free.

 

[Deerfold]

Well if the coach doesn't bother stopping at the intermediate stop (coz no-one's booked there) interpretation is academic. May not happen very often, but it's a possibility.

I've had NX tickets and got off beforehand - I've checked with the driver "I'm only going to go to XX" to make sure they stop (and sometimes put my luggage in the right section so it's easy to get out at that stop). I've never had problems travellnig short with NX - but you can't then resume your journey on the same ticket.

Golders Green - Victoria tends to be the slowest part of a NX journey.

If you get the Northern line from Golders Green it will be no more expensive than the tube from Victoria. Just trying to remember how many steps there are changing at Leicester Square.