NewbieRunner

Does this help?

http://www.eurostar.com/sites/defaul...nsfers_map.pdf

stut

There are plenty signs - the underground station is officially Kings Cross St Pancras, so it is set up to serve both stations.

It's slightly complicated in that there are two exits from the platform - the best one for you is at the front of the train (coming from Heathrow) that will take you along a fairly long corridor, then up to the new ticket hall. You then turn left, and there is a passage along to the new section of St Pancras where the Southeastern Hispeed platforms are (it's quite a complex station, in 4 sections). There are ticket machines in this passage.

(If you end up going the other way, don't worry - it's still well signed and you'll get to the same place...)

You then reach the main shopping area. If you have time, it's well worth heading down to the main part of the station for a look around - it's a stunning building (with plenty places for food and coffee).

The Southeastern platforms are on an upper level in the new section of the building.

I don't think there are any advance purchase fares on this route - the high prices are because they're set up for a captive commuter audience, more than anything else.

Gagravarr

Not sure if it would apply to a Heathrow to London ticket, as that'd be a HEX only one. Pretty sure it must apply to a Heathrow to (somewhere beyond London) route Any Permitted or route HEX, as those are normal National Rail tickets.

With any luck they'll fix this mess when Crossrail starts running to Heathrow

David-A

I hope, but I fear not.

It should be made a condition for the heathrow expansion and any future train links to the west.

enviroian

Brilliant! Thanks

enviroian

Thanks for the tips to you and everyone else on here. It all worked seamlessly. You were right on about the fare prices too.

A couple of observations, some related to my OP some not.

1 To use the senator lounge and shower at DUS I had to go through passport control and re-enter to get back to the departing gate. i thought this was someone inefficient.
2. LHR was WARM. Do they not put on the a/c there?
3. The tube was also very warm. Are the cars not air conditioned?
4. The train to Ashford was fast and very comfortable with the a/c on.

stut

1. This, I suspect, is due to the non-Schengen/Schengen divide in the airport. I would guess that most short-haul flights are intra-Schengen these days (with countries like the UK being the outliers). So, for a smaller airport, it makes more sense to have the lounge in the Schengen zone.

2. They do, but it's pretty gentle. AC isn't needed for most of the year here, so it tends not to be as prevalent - and it's rare you get blast-chiller mode.

3. Only a handful of lines have air-conditioned carriages - the 'subsurface' lines (District, Circle, Metropolitan, H&C). The others - the deep tube lines - simply don't have the tunnel size to support it - no space, and the air down there would heat up to pretty dangerous temperatures. They are working on air cooling solutions, but again, it's a small portion of the year where it's an issue.

4. Yup, it's a very good service. You can tell the trains are Japanese - right down to the little jingles.

NewbieRunner

Correct. The only Lufthansa lounges in DUS are in the Schengen zone although there are a few longhaul flights departing from DUS. At least the lounges are close to passport control.

stockmanjr

+1 it's a silly mindset that some seem to have that the HEX is the only answer to these questions.
Cheers
Howie

BearX220

I will be across in a couple of weeks and have bought an advance Heathrow Connect single ticket online, stupidly clicking the Heathrow-Paddington button when I will in fact only be riding Paddington-Heathrow. Assuming I can retrieve it from the kiosk, will the conductor care? Or do I need to go to a booking window and see about having it changed?

Mizter T

It won't be a problem, because Heathrow Express tickets are valid in either direction - see their FAQ on this...

Worth noting this only applies to the Heathrow Express - don't try it on the Gatwick Express, Stansted Express or anywhere else!

stut

Does that apply to Heathrow Connect as well as Express, though? I've a suspicion it might not, or else you could get yourself a very cheap season ticket between Hayes and Ealing!

BearX220

Understood, but this is for the stopping train, Heathrow Connect, which I have begun to favor -- half the HeX tariff for only a few more minutes on route, plus a chance to admire West Ealing station up close.

Stut, that's exactly my concern.

BearX220

Had this response from the Heathrow Connect answer-bot:

"You can use your ticket for any journey, regardless of the name on the ticket, date booked or direction of travel, provided that it is within 3 months of purchasing your ticket."

Which begs the question of why they insist that you specify a direction of travel when buying in the first place.

UKtravelbear

Ditto for the GEX to LGW and replace West Ealing with East Croydon !