How to get to Cambridge from Heathrow? Urgent!

Hi guys. I've got an interview at Cambridge next week and I'll be flying by myself to the UK. I've never been so I know zilch about the transportation there. I was wondering what's the safest (and easiest preferably) way to get from Heathrow (I'll be staying near the airport for a night) to Cambridge?

Reply 1

thatapanydude

14

Original post by jvinmurrey

Hi guys. I've got an interview at Cambridge next week and I'll be flying by myself to the UK. I've never been so I know zilch about the transportation there. I was wondering what's the safest (and easiest preferably) way to get from Heathrow (I'll be staying near the airport for a night) to Cambridge?

Heathrow Express to Paddington, Circle line to King's Cross or Liverpool Street then the train to Cambridge. That will be the quickest way to Cambridge.

Reply 2

jvinmurrey

OP

13

Original post by thatapanydude

Heathrow Express to Paddington, Circle line to King's Cross or Liverpool Street then the train to Cambridge. That will be the quickest way to Cambridge.

What about taking the bus? I feel like it'd be less complicated, since it seems to be direct.

Reply 3

username2855962

18

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Heathrow+Airport+(LHR),+Longford+TW6/Cambridge+University,+Trinity+Ln,+Cambridge/@51.8341087,-0.6556352,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x48767234cdc56de9:0x8fe7535543f64167!2m2!1d-0.4542955!2d51.4700223!1m5!1m1!1s0x47d8774ed42712a9:0x21ca80abf36db5bb!2m2!1d0.1149085!2d52.2042666!3e3

Reply 4

Amanzhol

19

Original post by jvinmurrey

Hi guys. I've got an interview at Cambridge next week and I'll be flying by myself to the UK. I've never been so I know zilch about the transportation there. I was wondering what's the safest (and easiest preferably) way to get from Heathrow (I'll be staying near the airport for a night) to Cambridge?

The Picadilly line on the Underground is much cheaper than the Heathrow express (~£3 instead of ~£20) and goes directly from any of Heathrow's terminals to King's Cross station (note that the underground station is called King's Cross St. Pancras and from there you follow signs to King's Cross rather than St. Pancras which is very close by) and from here you can get a direct train to Cambridge (they run every half an hour or so).

Reply 5

jvinmurrey

OP

13

literally don't respond if you don't have a more useful answer, thanks

Reply 6

sportyegg

16

Original post by jvinmurrey

What about taking the bus? I feel like it'd be less complicated, since it seems to be direct.

Hope you dont mean the london buses lmao.

But yes there are actual buses made to go from london to Cam uni: http://www.nationalexpress.com/routes/london-to-cambridge.aspx

Reply 7

jvinmurrey

OP

13

Original post by Amanzhol

The Picadilly line on the Underground is much cheaper than the Heathrow express (~£3 instead of ~£20) and goes directly from any of Heathrow's terminals to King's Cross station (note that the underground station is called King's Cross St. Pancras and from there you follow signs to King's Cross rather than St. Pancras which is very close by) and from here you can get a direct train to Cambridge (they run every half an hour or so).

Thank you!! A similar route is suggested on their website but I don't know why I find it a bit daunting :/

Reply 8

jvinmurrey

OP

13

Original post by sportyegg

Hope you dont mean the london buses lmao.

But yes there are actual buses made to go from london to Cam uni: http://www.nationalexpress.com/routes/london-to-cambridge.aspx

I was referring to the National Express ones! They have them at the airport too so I thought it'd be quite easy to get there using them. Are they the London buses you're talking about? Because if it's best to stay away from them, please let me know :K:

Reply 9

Huw M Thomas

16

Taxi from HR to Camb would be around £80

Reply 10

Amanzhol

19

Original post by jvinmurrey

Thank you!! A similar route is suggested on their website but I don't know why I find it a bit daunting :/

That's understandable, but there's really nothing to worry about with it, the underground system is very easy to navigate, especially from Heathrow because there is a station for each terminal, then you just stay on the same underground train ('tube') and get off at king's cross. It's also easy to navigate your way to the train station and get the train to Cambridge. Then again, for a no-interchange journey, you can get the national express coach (which aren't normal London buses, national express coaches use main roads and motorways to get to Cambridge, so there's no going through the centre of town or anything)

Reply 11

sportyegg

16

Original post by jvinmurrey

I was referring to the National Express ones! They have them at the airport too so I thought it'd be quite easy to get there using them. Are they the London buses you're talking about? Because if it's best to stay away from them, please let me know :K:

haha noo the London buses are fine! (just don't sit at the back when youre alone at night..like, for real). i was just saying i hope you dont mean the London buses because they (obviously) would not go to Cambridge as they are only for London.

In my previous reply I attached a link to the National Express buses - that's the easiest and best way to travel there. Yes, it may be a bit more expensive than getting trains there but it's much quicker an efficient :smile:

Reply 12

jvinmurrey

OP

13

I get your point, but there are certain technicalities that I wouldn't understand simply off of seeing them on Google maps. Perhaps that's a testimony to my own subpar intelligence but regardless, I think it would've been safe to assume that I had resorted to Google maps before posting on here anyway.

Reply 13

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

I assure you the bus is the worse option :tongue:

You should wait for the "fast" train at Kings Cross if you can - they normally overtake the other ones. If I recall correctly they're the ones that go at quarter past and quarter too the hour, but I'm not 100% sure. They will be the ones that don't show dozens of stops on the board :wink:

But it's probably better to sit in a cafe at Kings X for half an hour than wait an extra hour on a stuffy train xD

There are tons of signs on the tube trains and in the stations though, and various staff - particularly, at Paddington and Kings Cross there are information booths who are used to getting a lot of non-Londoners coming through (both from abroad and from elsewhere in the country - traversing the City is daunting for many...) so you shouldn't go too far wrong :smile:

Reply 14

LRxS

20

It’s probably a lot cheaper and simpler to use trains rather than the bus. As someone has already said, Piccadilly line to King’s Cross and then a direct train to Cambridge is probably the best way. English buses are pretty gross; the trains are definitely preferable lol.

Reply 15

Student1256

13

how do you buy an oyster card for the shuttle and underground to king's cross? is there an oyster card buying place at the airport? how do you pay for bus rides in cambridge? i have to get off from the train to cambridge and board a bus to my college according to google maps but im not sure how you would pay for it as im only somewhat familiar with oyster card

Reply 16

username3302112

10

Oyster cards aren’t the only way to pay you can pay with a contactless card or buy a ticket using cash

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 17

Amanzhol

19

Original post by Student1256

how do you buy an oyster card for the shuttle and underground to king's cross? is there an oyster card buying place at the airport? how do you pay for bus rides in cambridge? i have to get off from the train to cambridge and board a bus to my college according to google maps but im not sure how you would pay for it as im only somewhat familiar with oyster card

You'll either be able to get an oyster card from the underground station at Heathrow or just use the ticket machines there to get a ticket rather than an oyster card. As for the buses in Cambridge, it's highly likely that you just hand cash over to the driver when boarding and get a ticket (that's usually how buses work in English towns, different for London though)

Reply 18

shiningsunset

8

Original post by Student1256

how do you buy an oyster card for the shuttle and underground to king's cross? is there an oyster card buying place at the airport? how do you pay for bus rides in cambridge? i have to get off from the train to cambridge and board a bus to my college according to google maps but im not sure how you would pay for it as im only somewhat familiar with oyster card

You don't need to get an oyster card, just get a train ticket that includes underground use. For busses in Cambridge, you buy your ticket from the bus driver on board.

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