Heathrow to Dover with DCL transfers

[SuzanneSLO]

When does the earliest DCL bus leave from London-Heathrow to Dover? The information on the website only says not to book a flight arriving after 11:15. And yes, we know it's a risk to fly in that morning. -- Suzanne

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Well the last time DCL did Dover was in 2010 and even if anyone knew then it could have changed.

I would say they tailor the service to the incoming flights booked by DCL.

Flights from the USA often arrive early morning after flying overnight, so I think they would start around 8 am.

This thread is good.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/london-heathrow-to-hotel-to-dover-back-to-heathrow.3415559/

A 11.15 am arrival, means say getting out of the airport post border control and bag reclaim at 12 noon. If you travel by bus there and then and the roads are clear you would be arriving at 1.30 pm.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Well the last time DCL did Dover was in 2010 and even if anyone knew then it could have changed.

I would say they tailor the service to the incoming flights booked by DCL.

Flights from the USA often arrive early morning after flying overnight, so I think they would start around 8 am.

This thread is good.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/london-heathrow-to-hotel-to-dover-back-to-heathrow.3415559/

A 11.15 am arrival, means say getting out of the airport post border control and bag reclaim at 12 noon. If you travel by bus there and then and the roads are clear you would be arriving at 1.30 pm.

Thanks for the info. I tried to go back and read old trip reports but could not really find anything. Apparently most Disney cruisers took to heart that the best travel insurance is to arrive a day early.

We're sailing in 2016, but will be booking flights this month because we are using FF miles. We will be in Dublin the night before and will probably land at LHR at 9AM. There are only 2 of us, so DCL transport is not not as cost prohibitive as it might be for a family. We obviously have time to weigh our options.

-- Suzanne

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thanks for the info. I tried to go back and read old trip reports but could not really find anything. Apparently most Disney cruisers took to heart that the best travel insurance is to arrive a day early.

We're sailing in 2016, but will be booking flights this month because we are using FF miles. We will be in Dublin the night before and will probably land at LHR at 9AM. There are only 2 of us, so DCL transport is not not as cost prohibitive as it might be for a family. We obviously have time to weigh our options.

-- Suzanne

9am should be OK, if you allow an hour to get off the plane do border control collect yuor bags thats 10am, then an hour and a half to Port that's 11.30am.

But as you say I would say come in a day early.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

9am should be OK, if you allow an hour to get off the plane do border control collect yuor bags thats 10am, then an hour and a half to Port that's 11.30am.

But as you say I would say come in a day early.

I called DCL and was told that the transfer from Heathrow to Dover leaves at 10:30 AM for the 2015 cruises and probably the same for 2016.

Edited to add: how bad is the traffic likely to be Heathrow to Dover be on the Sunday morning of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend?
-- Suzanne

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I called DCL and was told that the transfer from Heathrow to Dover leaves at 10:30 AM for the 2015 cruises and probably the same for 2016.
-- Suzanne

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Edited to add: how bad is the traffic likely to be Heathrow to Dover be on the Sunday morning of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend?
-- Suzanne

Sunday morning is most likely the very best time to travel there, no rush hour! On a bank holiday only the afternoon/ evening will be bad at the end of it.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Again, thanks for your help! If we live to regret flying in day of, we will be another cautionary tale for future cruisers! -- Suzanne

 

[lolainkent]

Thanks for the info. I tried to go back and read old trip reports but could not really find anything. Apparently most Disney cruisers took to heart that the best travel insurance is to arrive a day early.

We're sailing in 2016, but will be booking flights this month because we are using FF miles. We will be in Dublin the night before and will probably land at LHR at 9AM. There are only 2 of us, so DCL transport is not not as cost prohibitive as it might be for a family. We obviously have time to weigh our options.

-- Suzanne

I'm not 100% sure but I have it in my head that flights from Ireland to the UK are treated as Domestic. (I'm aware that it's not actually domestic though!) If this is the case, you would't clear customs at LHR, which would save a large amount of time and a big headache, especially on days where they are backed up. Might be worth looking into, or asking a TA?

Sunday on a bank holiday weekend generally isn't the day to worry about, but, for example, we've had gale force winds down here on the Channel (I live 10 minutes up the motorway from Dover) and Operation Stack (trucks at a standstill taking up 1 lane of a two lane motorway) was in full force tonight. You can have a good clear run, or be backed up. You just can't really know, but I would say that the Sunday morning should be relatively clear.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I'm not 100% sure but I have it in my head that flights from Ireland to the UK are treated as Domestic. (I'm aware that it's not actually domestic though!) If this is the case, you would't clear customs at LHR, which would save a large amount of time and a big headache, especially on days where they are backed up. Might be worth looking into, or asking a TA?

Sunday on a bank holiday weekend generally isn't the day to worry about, but, for example, we've had gale force winds down here on the Channel (I live 10 minutes up the motorway from Dover) and Operation Stack (trucks at a standstill taking up 1 lane of a two lane motorway) was in full force tonight. You can have a good clear run, or be backed up. You just can't really know, but I would say that the Sunday morning should be relatively clear.

Thanks for the reminder that flights from Ireland are treated as domestic due to inclusion in the Common Travel Area.
My biggest concern, of course, is flights not landing or really delayed. I expect that we won't be the only cruisers who will not be overnighting in Dover and may be delayed if traffic is crazed. And if we won't be arriving the night before, we will have actual travel insurance.

We are really looking forward to having a chance to see your part of the world next year. -- Suzanne

 

[bumbershoot]

Again, thanks for your help! If we live to regret flying in day of, we will be another cautionary tale for future cruisers! -- Suzanne

Well, flying in from Dublin is a bit different than coming from the US.

I personally would take the Fast ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, take the train (the train station is *right there* and the ferry/train schedules are linked up) towards London. I think you can get a train to Dover, at least from London (DisneyFantasy would know better on this). I wouldn't do this on the same day, of course! But I would go the day or so before, really make it an adventure.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I'm not 100% sure but I have it in my head that flights from Ireland to the UK are treated as Domestic. (I'm aware that it's not actually domestic though!) If this is the case, you would't clear customs at LHR, which would save a large amount of time and a big headache, especially on days where they are backed up. Might be worth looking into, or asking a TA?

Sunday on a bank holiday weekend generally isn't the day to worry about, but, for example, we've had gale force winds down here on the Channel (I live 10 minutes up the motorway from Dover) and Operation Stack (trucks at a standstill taking up 1 lane of a two lane motorway) was in full force tonight. You can have a good clear run, or be backed up. You just can't really know, but I would say that the Sunday morning should be relatively clear.

baggage claim at Heathrow can take far longer than border control so minimal difference. Heathrow is so big the majority of time taken is walking here and there.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Well, flying in from Dublin is a bit different than coming from the US.

I personally would take the Fast ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, take the train (the train station is *right there* and the ferry/train schedules are linked up) towards London. I think you can get a train to Dover, at least from London (DisneyFantasy would know better on this). I wouldn't do this on the same day, of course! But I would go the day or so before, really make it an adventure.

Train connections are all explained on the other Heathrow thread the link in my first post.

 

[Starwind]

I will always remember the time in ~2005 the line for inbound border control at Heathrow for non-EU/non-UK residents was just under three hours long. I know this because I was stuck in it and timed it (it was constantly very slowly creeping). After an eight hour flight it was not particularly fun.

I have no idea what the normal time for that line is, but be warned that it IS possible to have a horribly long line.

SW

 

[lolainkent]

baggage claim at Heathrow can take far longer than border control so minimal difference. Heathrow is so big the majority of time taken is walking here and there.

But it can also not. I have to queue in the "foreign" line (I'm Canadian) and if you land at the same time as three other A380's or similar full of non-British/EU passengers and they're understaffed you can wait for hours. The longest I've waited is 3 hours; the longest I've waited for someone clearing immigration (my dad and sister) as their ride is 5 hours. If I'm right and Ireland flights don't have to deal with immigration, it just takes any "what if's" in that regard off the table.

That said, absolutely luggage can take awhile. I find Heathrow is big guessing game half the time; you just never really know!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I will always remember the time in ~2005 the line for inbound border control at Heathrow for non-EU/non-UK residents was just under three hours long. I know this because I was stuck in it and timed it (it was constantly very slowly creeping). After an eight hour flight it was not particularly fun.

I have no idea what the normal time for that line is, but be warned that it IS possible to have a horribly long line.

SW

Yes there have been some times it was bad as you say.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

But it can also not. I have to queue in the "foreign" line (I'm Canadian) and if you land at the same time as three other A380's or similar full of non-British/EU passengers and they're understaffed you can wait for hours. The longest I've waited is 3 hours; the longest I've waited for someone clearing immigration (my dad and sister) as their ride is 5 hours. If I'm right and Ireland flights don't have to deal with immigration, it just takes any "what if's" in that regard off the table.

That said, absolutely luggage can take awhile. I find Heathrow is big guessing game half the time; you just never really know!

I understand. To me from a regular user they are better on most lines they went through a bad patch on staffing a year or so back. Baggage and walking a long way is the biggest time user, Heathrow has five terminals all over the place only three connected together without requiring transport. As a hub goes the border control is good as its in competition with Gatwick who have different owners.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Well, flying in from Dublin is a bit different than coming from the US.

I personally would take the Fast ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, take the train (the train station is *right there* and the ferry/train schedules are linked up) towards London. I think you can get a train to Dover, at least from London (DisneyFantasy would know better on this). I wouldn't do this on the same day, of course! But I would go the day or so before, really make it an adventure.

We looked into the ferry/ train option, but it really takes a full day of travel. If you leave Dublin on the 8:05 AM ferry, you arrive in London at 4:40 and then transfer to the train to Dover, which gets in about 7 pm. The price is reasonable (about $55 per person) and some of the train journey is very scenic. -- Suzanne

 

[SuzanneSLO]

baggage claim at Heathrow can take far longer than border control so minimal difference. Heathrow is so big the majority of time taken is walking here and there.

Although all part of the CTA, is there a restriction on liquids carried aboard on the flight from Dublin to London? Our checked bag is actually small enough to carry on, but it doesn't help if we need to limit our liquids. -- Suzanne

 

[lolainkent]

Although all part of the CTA, is there a restriction on liquids carried aboard on the flight from Dublin to London? Our checked bag is actually small enough to carry on, but it doesn't help if we need to limit our liquids. -- Suzanne

I think you're still limited to nothing bigger than 100ml and what can fit in one of those bags they provide at security per person. A friend who flew Stansted to Dublin last year said her travel partner was forced to throw out some high quality hair products because the bottle could hold more than 100ml despite there being only a small amount left in them.