Going to see the Arsenal? Want to?

[antifan]

This is all a lot to take in, but I'm interested in going to a game, preferably a home Champions League match.

I don't know if I'd stay in town long, just a day or two before or after the game. My trip would be really just be for the game, maybe a day of sight-seeing. Is arriving the morning of the game alright, or is it better to plan on arriving the day before?

Trying to imagine the schedule I'd have to keep...what kind of travel is involved? A half-hour for taking the train from the airport is mentioned. After that, what? How long can necessary travel like the tube lines get, i.e. getting from one of the neighborhoods mentioned to the stadium? A matter of minutes? An hour?

If someone who has done it could sum up what their itinerary was, that'd be cool. :)

Do members ever meet up and do their traveling together?
Arriving in the morning would be fine for a CL match. For an early kick off it would be dicey. It usually takes me about 2 hours to get to my hotel in Central london from the time the plane lands. Figure on a half hour to an hour just to get out of the airport, then an hour plus to get from the airport to London. Then from Central london it's not far to the stadium, but i usually leave 45 minutes before i'm supposed to be there.

As far as travelling together, ArsenalAmerica usually has a rode trip once or twice a year to see a game. Other than that small groups will plan their travel together for away games, particularly in Europe.

Once there people usually meet up at the Tavern before and after the match on matchdays.

[Publius]

This is all a lot to take in, but I'm interested in going to a game, preferably a home Champions League match.

I don't know if I'd stay in town long, just a day or two before or after the game. My trip would be really just be for the game, maybe a day of sight-seeing. Is arriving the morning of the game alright, or is it better to plan on arriving the day before?

Trying to imagine the schedule I'd have to keep...what kind of travel is involved? A half-hour for taking the train from the airport is mentioned. After that, what? How long can necessary travel like the tube lines get, i.e. getting from one of the neighborhoods mentioned to the stadium? A matter of minutes? An hour?

If someone who has done it could sum up what their itinerary was, that'd be cool. :)

Do members ever meet up and do their traveling together?

Anti is right. Arriving game day for a night kickoff is fine. I wouldn't do so for a daytime league game as flight delays and jet lag are real issues to contend with. Historically, I've tended to land in London at about 0700 the day before the game. The problem with arriving that early is that your hotel room is never ready when you arrive. Getting in at about 1000 is much preferable, but if I were flying in for a night game I think I'd still try to arrive as early as possible.

Once you are out of customs you can catch the Tube into town, which will take you about an hour. You can also take the Paddington Express which gets you into central London in 15 minutes but it's really expensive. They've also just come out with a Paddington Express Lite (I forget the actual name of it) that gets you into central London in half an hour but at about half the cost of the regular Express.

The Arsenal tube stop is about a half an hour from most of central London, as well. Usually, you will meet up with Rick at one of the souvenir stands outside the stadium to get the tickets at a designated time and everyone then heads to the Tavern for a few before the game. I'm not sure what the protocol is now for midweek night games as I expect there's less drinking time built into the work night games than there is for the Saturday matches.

[antifan]

Anti is right. Arriving game day for a night kickoff is fine. I wouldn't do so for a daytime league game as flight delays and jet lag are real issues to contend with. Historically, I've tended to land in London at about 0700 the day before the game. The problem with arriving that early is that your hotel room is never ready when you arrive. Getting in at about 1000 is much preferable, but if I were flying in for a night game I think I'd still try to arrive as early as possible.

Once you are out of customs you can catch the Tube into town, which will take you about an hour. You can also take the Paddington Express which gets you into central London in 15 minutes but it's really expensive. They've also just come out with a Paddington Express Lite (I forget the actual name of it) that gets you into central London in half an hour but at about half the cost of the regular Express.

The Arsenal tube stop is about a half an hour from most of central London, as well. Usually, you will meet up with Rick at one of the souvenir stands outside the stadium to get the tickets at a designated time and everyone then heads to the Tavern for a few before the game. I'm not sure what the protocol is now for midweek night games as I expect there's less drinking time built into the work night games than there is for the Saturday matches.

Not neccessarily. ;)

[Skizz]

The Heathrow Express is non stop from Heathrow Central to Paddington and costs £29 return. The Heathrow Connect train calls at Hayes, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Paddington, takes longer and is less frequent, but the return fare is £12.90.

[DriveShot]

Is there any possible way to do a late registration for Arsenal America? I know they stopped accepting registration in February. Desperate for some tickets without paying 400 USD per.

[akofman12345]

so i'm landing at 7 40 before the West Brom 12 45 kickoff.

I wouldn't have booked that flight if i knew it was the early kickoff, but i think i booked that flight in May when i had no clue who and when we were going to play on opening day.

The flight has been booked and the tickets have been requested so what i want to know is what is the best thing that i can to make sure that i can get to the meet-up spot on time?

I also don't want to stop off at the hotel before because its kinda out of the way, so has anyone had to drop off luggage at some sort of storage and pick it up after the match or something like that?

[Schu419]

Worst comes to worst, the easiest and quickest (though most expensive option) would be to leave your luggage at Heathrow at Left Luggage, take the Heathrow Express into Paddington (buying a round-trip ticket) and then take the Tube from Paddington Station to the Stadium. After the game you could take the Express back to the airport and then the regular old Tube back into Central London.

Quick Googling (and results that somewhat go with what I remember) tell me that above and beyond the normal one way Tube ride, this will cost you:

$8 per bag
$56 for Heathrow Express Return


Really, you're probably going to have to take Heathrow Express at least one way ($28) into Central London to guarantee that you get up to Islington on time, so this whole thing may not be THAT much more expensive and really may be worth it, given the ease of not racing around with your luggage pre-match.

[HomeatHighbury]

so i'm landing at 7 40 before the West Brom 12 45 kickoff.

I wouldn't have booked that flight if i knew it was the early kickoff, but i think i booked that flight in May when i had no clue who and when we were going to play on opening day.

The flight has been booked and the tickets have been requested so what i want to know is what is the best thing that i can to make sure that i can get to the meet-up spot on time?

I also don't want to stop off at the hotel before because its kinda out of the way, so has anyone had to drop off luggage at some sort of storage and pick it up after the match or something like that?

Where's the hotel at?

[Publius]

so i'm landing at 7 40 before the West Brom 12 45 kickoff.

I wouldn't have booked that flight if i knew it was the early kickoff, but i think i booked that flight in May when i had no clue who and when we were going to play on opening day.

The flight has been booked and the tickets have been requested so what i want to know is what is the best thing that i can to make sure that i can get to the meet-up spot on time?

I also don't want to stop off at the hotel before because its kinda out of the way, so has anyone had to drop off luggage at some sort of storage and pick it up after the match or something like that?

In times past, you could make arrangements to leave stuff at the Tavern. With Rick no longer around, I don't know if that would work anymore.

[aa tickets]

The Tavern is probably not an option because the guy who Rick knew at the Tavern left at the end of last season so as of now I don't think we know anyone there anymore.

Paddington should have a left luggage place so if you can confirm that it does, probably better to leave it there instead of Heathrow so you won't have as far to go to get it after the match (which of course would cost less, too). Check online first to make sure Paddington does have left luggage facilities.

[surfcam]

If akofman is coming into Gatwick, switch the train to the Gatwick Express and the station to Victoria.

Good luck!!

[Schu419]

Paddington should have a left luggage place so if you can confirm that it does, probably better to leave it there instead of Heathrow so you won't have as far to go to get it after the match (which of course would cost less, too). Check online first to make sure Paddington does have left luggage facilities.

Yes, definitely a better idea! Possibility totally slipped my mind...

[antifan]

Doesn't Kings Cross have luggage lockers too?

[Bluto11]

info and contacts for left luggage locations in London. at least that is where I was redirected from the National Rail site I found after googling "Kings Cross left luggage"

http://www.excess-baggage.com/contact.php

[akofman12345]

Thanks for all of your advice. I changed my hotel earlier today and its going to be close to the paddington underground. this will make it a lot easier to drop off the luggage at hotel storage, and i figure that the new hotel is a much better location.

[antifan]

Thanks for all of your advice. I changed my hotel earlier today and its going to be close to the paddington underground. this will make it a lot easier to drop off the luggage at hotel storage, and i figure that the new hotel is a much better location.
I figure you've got about 4 hours between landing and picking up your ticket. As long as the plane isn't too late you'll make it, it should only take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to make it from the plane to the stadium. Good luck and have fun.

My only other advice is this. Try to get a seat close to the exit of the plane, and hustle down to Passport control. Everyone you pass on the way down is someone you won't be waiting behind in line. I don't run, but i walk pretty damn fast when getting to London.

One more thing, if you can get by with just a small carry on, do it.

[HomeatHighbury]

hustle down to Passport control.

Absolutely.

One more thing, if you can get by with just a small carry on, do it.

Wish I was able to...:o

[Frankgarrison]

My only other advice is this. Try to get a seat close to the exit of the plane, and hustle down to Passport control. Everyone you pass on the way down is someone you won't be waiting behind in line. I don't run, but i walk pretty damn fast when getting to London.

One more thing, if you can get by with just a small carry on, do it.

On my last journey, last November, I had only a carry-on, and was traveling solo. Employing those tips, I was off the plane, through customs, and outside smoking a cigarette before the time scheduled for arrival!

One other point. Do NOT lose the excess baggage claim ticket. It was like 20 pounds to reclaim!

[Bluto11]

Thanks for all of your advice. I changed my hotel earlier today and its going to be close to the paddington underground. this will make it a lot easier to drop off the luggage at hotel storage, and i figure that the new hotel is a much better location.
if you are staying near Paddington, there is a decent pub on London Street called The Sussex Arms. It had cheap beer in '04, like 1.50 pound pints. plus there's a fish & chip place right next door that didn't close until the pub did.

there's another pub on the same street called Dicken's Tavern (err, so maybe not a pub!) and it claims to be the longest pub in London. and finally there's a place called The Monkey Puzzle on Sussex Gardens that has a nice outdoor area in front

[surfcam]

Doesn't Kings Cross have luggage lockers too?

You would likely have to leave the tube and go into the train station part, but I'm sure they have it.