 Poster: A snowHead
|
Booked myself onto a weekender to Grindelwald at Easter, flying out of Heathrow evening of 24th March, congratulating myself heartly as it means only a half day off work in return for 4 days on the slopes.... ...And then with a sickening feeling I thought about the fact that I'll need to get to Heathrow from Southampton. On Easter eve.
How bad's traffic likely to be?
(oh dear god. That sinking feeling's getting worse)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Manda, from Southampton it can't be done. You may as well auction the tickets now. I'll start the bidding with £0.05.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
What about the train ? To Woking or Reading then bus. Could be more reliable than driving and you save on parking charges.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Manda, I would have thought, and I may be wrong, that most traffic will be heading west on 24th March - making my journey home from work in Andover to Salisbury a nightmare . The M3 should not be too bad going North, you can get to Thiefrow avoiding the M25 by going onto Sunbury and picking up the A308 and A30, if you know the area there are other ways too.
CP ex Sunburyite and BA employee
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Manda, M3 northnound will be OK after Winchester, in fact you can wave to the stationery cars heading South! As its al ate ish Easter we are predicting stationery/slow traffic back to the M3 on the A303, (Happily there is no Major motor racing at Thruxton this Easter.) But check car parking costs at Thiefrow. Kuwait Ian's suggestion of the train is a very good idea.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
boredsurfin, Arghh!! don't mention the A303 please, I have to get just West of Winterbourne Stoke that evening - tour of Larkhill or the Woodford Valley coming up 
CP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CP, The green lanes of Salisbury Plain are a serious option!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
boredsurfin, Tanks 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Manda, what time of day are you making the journey? Driving yourself, or taxi/lift?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh dear god. I thought it might be bad - didn't realise it would be THAT bad. 
moosepig I'm car-less (by choice), so relying on public transport. Flight leaves 7pmish, so wot with needing to arrive 2hrs ahead (mind you, it's BA - surely I can leave check-in until the plane's nearly taxiing up the runway?), was planning to leave directly from work about 3pmish.
Nationalexpress coach from Soton normally 1.15hrs, but sounds likely to get stuck in traffic. I'm worried re: Railair service as bus bit from Woking to Heathrow could also run into traffic snarlups. Could hire a car, but traffic's still a worry and I haven't done that run before by car. Train all the way, via Reading, this route takes ....[checks with National Rail] ....how LONG?! 2hrs!!! Blimmin 'eck. Serves me right for travelling at Easter, I guess.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
We flew from Gatwick on Dec 27th. Flight was 1320, airport minibus picked us up from Soton at 0800 - their suggestion - and that was on a day with only light traffic. We were well early, but rather that than the other extreme.
Manda, best of luck! Sorry can't be any more help than that. I was due to drive up that way around that time, and could have offered you a lift, but it since transpires that (a) I'm going on the Friday now, and (b) I mis-read your original post and thought you were going to Gatwick 
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
Manda, relax, its only, what, 70 miles? Sounds like you'll have plenty of time to me.
No warranty expressed or implied
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
laundryman, "only" 70miles??? "ONLY" ???? [falls off chair]. Blasphemer! 13hr delays have occured in shorter distances!
Am thinking seriously about training it into Waterloo and then picking up the Piccadilly line out to LHR - at least I'm familiar with the cockups of those forms of transport! moosepig, thanks for the thought - hope your travel goes well.
BTW I'll correct my earlier mistake - from Reading you can't get to LHR by train: it's a bus. Sigh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
