London area transport question

I could use some advice from a London expert.

I will be arriving back to London Waterloo station from a 2-day visit
to Paris on a Saturday afternoon. I want to attend a concert in Luton
on Saturday night, then I have to be at Heathrow around noon on Sunday
for my return flight to the US.

Would it be easier to rent a car for this or can I do it all by rail.
I won't be near the airport in Luton. The venue is the Hat Factory
near Guilford St. and it looks like it's near railway lines.
http://www.skiddle.com/whatson/guide...on/Hat_Factory
I was hoping that I could get to Luton center by train and find a
Hotel in walking distance. Not sure if I should take the rail back to
London to get to Heathrow, or go to Luton airport and take a shuttle.

Thanks in advance.


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Waterloo to London Bridge by tube (Jubilee Line). Train from London
Bridge to Luton (takes about an hour).

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk

From Luton to Heathrow there is a bus from Luton airport, supposedly
taking about an hour, so you need to catch one about 9am at the
latest. Alternatively, you could take a train back from Luton to Kings
Cross and take the tube (Piccadilly Line) to Heathrow (or tube to
Paddington and Heathrow Express from there - could save half an hour
and cost about £12 more).

http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/con...p?area=2&id=62

Don't know about hotels and transport within Luton, but it can't be
that problematic. If in doubt, there must be local taxis.

On Sat, 01 Apr 2006 13:29:59 -0500, Mr. Lahey
wrote:

I could use some advice from a London expert.

I will be arriving back to London Waterloo station from a 2-day visit
to Paris on a Saturday afternoon. I want to attend a concert in Luton
on Saturday night, then I have to be at Heathrow around noon on Sunday
for my return flight to the US.

Would it be easier to rent a car for this or can I do it all by rail.
I won't be near the airport in Luton. The venue is the Hat Factory
near Guilford St. and it looks like it's near railway lines.
http://www.skiddle.com/whatson/guide...on/Hat_Factory
I was hoping that I could get to Luton center by train and find a
Hotel in walking distance. Not sure if I should take the rail back to
London to get to Heathrow, or go to Luton airport and take a shuttle.

Thanks in advance.


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

"Patrick Wallace" wrote in message
...
Waterloo to London Bridge by tube (Jubilee Line). Train from London
Bridge to Luton (takes about an hour).

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk

From Luton to Heathrow there is a bus from Luton airport, supposedly
taking about an hour, so you need to catch one about 9am at the
latest. Alternatively, you could take a train back from Luton to Kings
Cross and take the tube (Piccadilly Line) to Heathrow (or tube to
Paddington and Heathrow Express from there - could save half an hour
and cost about £12 more).

http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/con...p?area=2&id=62

Don't know about hotels and transport within Luton, but it can't be
that problematic. If in doubt, there must be local taxis.



Look at http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk and input the times etc.
it suggests taking the JUBILEE LINE but not towards London Bridge but to
West Hampstead where you walk over to the Thameslink Railway for Luton
Parkway and change for the bus to the airport. The Thameslink name changes
wef today to FIRST CAPITAL CONNECT but most publicity etc will still show
Thameslink. www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk

Nige wrote:
"Patrick Wallace" wrote in
message ...
Waterloo to London Bridge by tube (Jubilee Line). Train from London
Bridge to Luton (takes about an hour).

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk

From Luton to Heathrow there is a bus from Luton airport,
supposedly taking about an hour, so you need to catch one about
9am at the latest. Alternatively, you could take a train back from
Luton to
Kings Cross and take the tube (Piccadilly Line) to Heathrow (or
tube to Paddington and Heathrow Express from there - could save
half an hour and cost about £12 more).

http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/con...p?area=2&id=62

Don't know about hotels and transport within Luton, but it can't be
that problematic. If in doubt, there must be local taxis.

Look at http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk and input the times etc.
it suggests taking the JUBILEE LINE but not towards London Bridge
but to West Hampstead where you walk over to the Thameslink Railway
for Luton Parkway and change for the bus to the airport.

The OP wants Luton town centre! I wouldn't recommend changing at West
Hampstead as it's no quicker than other routes and is an unfriendly
interchange, particularly if it's raining, involving a 250-yard walk
along a busy street. Patrick's suggestion of the Jubilee Line to London
Bridge is a good one. Trains to Luton run every 15 minutes from there
and take 53 or 54 minutes. (By the way, the Journey Planner seems to
produce some odd ideas for this journey, so don't rely too much on it!)

The Thameslink name changes wef today to FIRST CAPITAL CONNECT but
most publicity etc will still show Thameslink.
www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk

The *company* running the trains is First Capital Connect, but they seem
to be retaining the Thameslink brand name for the services to Luton.

As you are travelling at a weekend, normal routes may be affected by
engineering work. What are the actual dates?

--
Richard J.

On Sat, 01 Apr 2006 13:29:59 -0500, Mr. Lahey
wrote:

Would it be easier to rent a car for this or can I do it all by rail.
I won't be near the airport in Luton. The venue is the Hat Factory
near Guilford St. and it looks like it's near railway lines.
http://www.skiddle.com/whatson/guide...on/Hat_Factory

The map there shows it to be close to the main station in Luton so
it's easily accessible by train.

I was hoping that I could get to Luton center by train and find a
Hotel in walking distance. Not sure if I should take the rail back to
London to get to Heathrow, or go to Luton airport and take a shuttle.

Both would be quite reasonable - going into London will be a bit more
expensive but the shuttle bus is at the mercy of the traffic on the
M25.

If you do take the shuttle bus option, consider looking for a hotel at
or near Luton airport so you'd get a quick getaway on the Sunday
morning.

Renting a car probably isn't a good solution for any of this -
certainly not for getting from Waterloo to Luton on a Saturday where
you'd need both to negotiate central London traffic and navigate your
way onto the M1 motorway

Martin

On Sat, 01 Apr 2006 22:21:51 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:

As you are travelling at a weekend, normal routes may be affected by
engineering work. What are the actual dates?

Saturday and Sunday, April 22,23.



----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 09:17:02 +0100, Martin Rich
wrote:

Both would be quite reasonable - going into London will be a bit more
expensive but the shuttle bus is at the mercy of the traffic on the
M25.

Enough said Looks like the rail option will be fine. I can always
use a cab as as Plan B.




----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Mr. Layhey wrote:
On Sat, 01 Apr 2006 22:21:51 GMT, "Richard J."

wrote:

As you are travelling at a weekend, normal routes may be affected
by engineering work. What are the actual dates?

Saturday and Sunday, April 22,23.

Good choice! I've checked the planned engineering works for both London
Underground and National Rail, and there are no works affecting the
services that have been mentioned on this thread on the Saturday. On
the Sunday, there may be some adjustment to First Capital Connect's
"Thameslink" services because of engineering works near Sutton in south
London, but this shouldn't affect your journey. There are plenty of
their trains from Luton.

You may notice at Luton station that there are also fast services from
there to London St Pancras operated by Midland Mainline. These won't
save you much time, and will leave you with an awkward on-street
interchange from St Pancras to the Underground (King's Cross St
Pancras). Better to stick to FCC/Thameslink in my view.
--
Richard J.

"Mr. Lahey" wrote in message
...
I could use some advice from a London expert.

I will be arriving back to London Waterloo station from a 2-day visit
to Paris on a Saturday afternoon. I want to attend a concert in Luton
on Saturday night, then I have to be at Heathrow around noon on Sunday
for my return flight to the US.

Would it be easier to rent a car for this or can I do it all by rail.
I won't be near the airport in Luton. The venue is the Hat Factory
near Guilford St. and it looks like it's near railway lines.
http://www.skiddle.com/whatson/guide...on/Hat_Factory
I was hoping that I could get to Luton center by train and find a
Hotel in walking distance. Not sure if I should take the rail back to
London to get to Heathrow, or go to Luton airport and take a shuttle.

Thanks in advance.



http://www.hotelstlawrence.co.uk/ is next door to the venue