Euston to Paddington for Heathrow Express?
 

I'm flying back home for Christmas next month from Heathrow and am spending the night before my flight home near Manchester with a friend for his birthday. I've got a 10 am flight on American Airlines back to the states so need to get a very early train from Manchester to get to Heathrow in time for my flight. I've looked on Virgin Trains and have found a train that will get me to Euston at 7:30 am and then from there it has me taking the tube to Paddington to get the Heathrow Express. It doesn't look like Euston is that far away from Paddington so hopefully I'd make the 8:10 am or 7:55 train to Heathrow.

I'll be flying business so I suspect I'd be okay to check in all the way up until 9 am and just rush through security to make my flight. Is this pushing it to make my flight? I can always spend the night in London with family but would love to be at my friends birthday.

It sounds far too close to me.

Whilst the train from Manchester is reasonably reliable, delays do happen. Likewise with the tube and HEX. And to arrive in Euston at 07:30 you'll be having to wake up pretty early so there is the chance of missing the alarm clock.

If you're on a flexible ticket then go for it and if you miss the flight then just get transferred to a later one. Otherwise how about celebrating your friends birthday at lunchtime?

The other option is to fly MAN-LHR-USA with all the flights on one ticket so that you are protected in the case of a delay.

You'd be doing well to make the 7.55am Heathrow Express. To get to Paddington from Euston on the Underground you have to go out of Euston Station, cross the Euston Road and walk along it for a few hundred yards to Euston Square Underground Station. That in itself will probably take 10-15 minutes, especially if you aren't familiar with the terrain. Will you need to by an Underground ticket?

At Paddington, you need to get out of the Underground system (the Hammersmith & City Line doesn't stop at the same place in Paddington Station as the Circle Line), but in either case egress from the Underground system on to the main station concourse will take some minutes.

The 8.10 is much more likely, but it is possible that you won't make it to Paddington until the 8.25. Don't forget this will be the height of the rush hour.

Another possibility, especially given the cost of the aeroplane ticket, would be to bite the bullet and get a taxi from Euston to Paddington: but even then I doubt you'd make the 7.55 Heathrow Express.

Just looked into getting a British Airways flight from MAN-LHR and I'd get into LHR at 8:10 on that. Not sure if I'd be able to link that ticket with my American ticket so I'm protected in the event of a delay. Not sure what's the best option at this point. If I fly down there's a chance it's delayed (train could be delayed to but I'd guess it's more likely the flight would be) and I'd be able to check my luggage all the way to LAX so I could just make the walk to Terminal 3 for my American flight. If I end up doing the train I'd definitely take the taxi to be safe even though it looks like the Virgin train, tube, and heathrow express would all be on one ticket so that would save some time.

I've got no preference for either as the cost is similar but not sure what everyone thinks in regards to which might be the safer bet? Thanks for the insight everyone.

Here is another vote for "Don't risk it" - cutting it far too fine, with no margin whatsoever for delays.

If your friend isn't free to have a birthday celebration at lunchtime then how about an early evening celebration after which you could take the last train down to Euston at 21.15 (arr 23.50)? There are several hotels around Euston - the nearest being a Travelodge which is right next door (a bit basic but perfectly adequate, I have stayed there several times)

PS Just read your post which crossed with mine... I wouldn't risk flying either... unless your transatlantic flight is on a flexible ticket AND you don't have any commitments which mean you have to be back that day.

Travel down the day before, have a night in London then set off for the airport before the rush hour starts.

BTW from Paddington you can get the Heathrow CONNECT for half the cost of the HEX and it won't be busy at that time of the day as most people will be travelling in the opposite direction

If you are travelling in the morning from Euston to Paddington (despite all the cautions) then get a taxi. The distance is not great and you'd have to get an expensive tube ticket as it would be before 0930, so the price difference would not be that great. But like others, I think you'd be better off travelling the night before if your ticket is not flexible.

I'm gonna go ahead and take the chance and realize it is a bit risky but it's a big 21st birthday party for a good friend of mine and I'll get to see some friends I haven't seen in ages. Anyway, sounds like I should quickly get off the train at Euston and get a taxi over to Paddington? How long will a taxi take and should I expect to wait in line for a taxi for ages?

Appreciate all the advice.

True, but the Heathrow Connect runs only every half hour instead of every quarter of an hour, and it is slower, being a stopping service. Time may be of the essence here...

If they are staying overnight in London then the only reason time would be of the essence would be if they slept in.

But the OP isn't staying overnight in London, despite suggestions to the contrary. Ah well...

I know that others have recommended a taxi... but I would actually disagree with that advice; if I was taking that journey, especially during the rush hour, I'd go by Tube from Euston Square.

Google's "get directions" tool claims that the taxi journey is 12 minutes. Having walked along Euston Road quite a few times my guess is that it would take longer than that because of traffic... plus you may have to queue for a taxi.

Getting from Euston to Euston Square Underground takes, at the most, five minutes (and you DON'T have to cross Euston Road as someone else seemed to think; just turn right out of Euston, walk along your side of the road and the Tube entrance is about one block away). Journey time to Paddington is 10 minutes.

If you have a through ticket from Manchester to Heathrow then this should include the Tube journey - if there is an asterisk on the ticket after the name of the destination station then it means "London Underground included".

Having been in similar situations myself, there is an option open to you - at the expense of sleep - although it sounds like you were only contemplating the briefest of sleeps anyway!

If you took the coach form Manchester instead of the train, you could easily delay your departure until at least midnight for a service with limited waiting.
Possibly even until around 3am with a wait in Birmingham, etc


This would either get you to london earlier than the first train, or perhaps straight to Heathrow airport! [You can they head to the lounge for a very welcome shower.]


It's not clear if the family in london are flying with you the next day, if yes they could bring your luggage. If not, then there are moderatly sized coin lockers at Manchester coach station IIRC (check this), or possibly better still would be left luggage at Heathrow airport (check what time they open in the morning).

Don't push it too fine, always have some kind of contingency plan, but I've done that before and it is perfectlyl viable. You just sit on the coach and then have a nice shower in the lounge...



EDIT TO ADD:
http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/index.cfm
Check both Manchester-London and also Manchester-Heathrow Airport.
And check for the specific date you need to travel, don't assume ever weekday or every tuesday (Etc) will be the same.

What a brilliant idea!

Couldn't find anything at 3 am, but there is 2355 and 0130, getting to Heathrow at 0545 and 0740 respectively (nothing after that unfortunately - next one doesn't get in until after 1000). Both services require a change at Birmingham (i.e., Manchester to Birmingham, Birmingham to Heathrow), connecting time is 20 minutes for the earlier service and 95 minutes for the later one.

That's an excellent idea. And you're right I wasn't planning on getting much sleep anyway so this would work. No need to worry about the family as they live in the UK so they'll be spending Christmas at home.

I think I'll go this route, seems like a pretty safe bet. This way I can check-in, hopefully not have to rush, and get a shower in the lounge before I get on the long flight home. Thanks guys!