Originally Posted by
wrekker platinum
Thanks for all the posted suggestions. I see that there are no easy options for getting to Nottingham from an international airport.
I will have a computer-backpack and one medium roller suitcase. It is not always easy to use the underground with luggage as I noticed in the past. I get disabled assistance in airports but can manage trains if there are lifts available in the particular stations. I checked the timetable online and the journey time is about 3 hours total.
I also notice that National Express offer a direct 3hr20 service at 07:30 to Nottingham arr 10:40, so that may be an inexpensive option, but not sure about the comfort in these buses.
I am on a RTW ticket, so the LHR-MAN-LHR flights were at no cost. Originally I planned to avoid LHR and come to MAN via HEL.
I thought that already starting at the Airport out of Manchester might make the drive more pleasant than the M25 and M1.
I will have to consider all the options.
I would not be inclined to take the bus as the train would be more comfortable and civilised.
There is a lot of engineering work at St Pancras at the moment and it is quite a walk from where taxis drop you off to the lift to the Midland Mainline platforms, so if you feel you need assistance Midland Mainline can provide this for you. Details are here:
http://www.midlandmainline.com/stations.aspx?id=225
You can buy tickets at midlandmainline.com A standard open single would cost approximately £62. There are a limited number of cheaper advance tickets on some services at that time of day. However, train companies are very strict about advance tickets and if you do not travel on the service you are booked on, you will have to buy a new ticket. You can't even pay the difference between the advance fare and an open fare. There are also discount codes for the Heathrow Express on here.
Note, when you arrive at Paddington I would not use the taxi share service. You may jump to the head of the queue and save some money, but you will have to wait until the marshalls find four other people who are going to the same postcode area as you (WC1) to fill up the taxi, and if your destination is the furtherest away from Paddington you would be one of the last to be dropped off and your taxi journey will be elongated considerably.
If you have the time I would allow a couple of hours to have a shower, breakfast, spa treatment etc in the arrivals lounge.
Finally, one other option is to fly from SIN to FRA and then change to a connecting flight to BHX, which is the closest international airport to Nottingham. However, as you have again the hassle of changing to a connecting flight I would still think that the best option is to just fly to LHR and get a train to Nottingham (and make full use of the BA arrivals facilities!).