Expert: Michael - 2/4/2008

Question
Hi there

I will be travelling to Harwich from Dublin in the next few days for a funeral.  
Realistically, I will be flying into either Stansted or Heathrow and travelling on
from there.  In terms of connections and times etc, is it
handier/cheaper/reliable from either destination or are they much of a
muchness?  Also, what sort of times are we looking at?

Thanks in advance

David

Answer
Hello David,
I'm afraid the journey from either airport is a bit disjointed - perhaps slightly less so from Stansted - and rather lengthy.
While Stansted is certainly the closer airport, if you are relying on public transport for onward travel then you will have to travel into London all the same.

From Stansted you would need to travel by train into London's Liverpool Street rail terminus where you could pick up an outgoing service to Harwich. The journey time is a total of just over 2 and a half hours, with tickets costing between £33 and £35 one way. A return ticket may, of course, offer a saving.

From Heathrow travel would be via underground to Liverpool Street to meet the connecting trains. The journey time for this route is nearer to 3 hours (half of which is on the underground portion crossing London). Tickets are, however, slightly cheaper at around £27 one way.

Overall, there isn't a huge amount to choose between them, so perhaps you decision on flights will be the key - let me know if I can offer any further assistance.

Regards
Michael