European Pair Go Championships

Maidenhead is very close to Heathrow Airport (1 hour by local bus), but up to 2 hours by train away from Gatwick and Stansted. We may be able to pick you up.
Fares and times shown below are correct at January 2005. Euro prices are shown for comparisson, but only pounds can be used to buy tickets. Railways stations accept debit but few credit cards.
If arrive at Maidenhead station by train you will need your tickets to exit the barrier gates.
For train time information you may like to use TheTrainLine

23rd - 24th April 2005

Directions

Maidenhead is very close to Heathrow Airport (1 hour by local bus), but up to 2 hours by train away from Gatwick and Stansted. We may be able to pick you up.
Fares and times shown below are correct at January 2005. Euro prices are shown for comparisson, but only pounds can be used to buy tickets. Railways stations accept debit but few credit cards.
If arrive at Maidenhead station by train you will need your tickets to exit the barrier gates.
For train time information you may like to use TheTrainLine


Heathrow Airport

From Terminal 1, 2 or 3 it is 5 minute walk through the subways to the Central Bus Station.
From Terminal 4 you will have to transfer to Terminals 1-2-3 by the Heathrow Express train (go down by elevator to the platforms). This is free between the airport stations, but quite expensive if you stay on to London Paddington. Follow the signs up to the Central Bus Station.
At the Central Bus Station go to the drive-through stops nearest terminal 2 and go to the stop at the west end (Number 5).
Take a FirstBus route 75 destination Maidenhead (note some only go as far as Slough). The bus is usually a silver and purple Mercedes, but other coloured buses are used sometimes. The single fare from Heathrow to Maidenhead is 4 pounds (about 6 euro).
The bus timetables can be found at the First Bus site. Buses are every half an hour during the day, but only hourly in the evenings and on Sunday.



Journey time to Maidenhead is one hour. On reaching Maidenhead you will cross the River Thames on an old stone bridge - you will see the Thames Hotel if you look out the right side of the bus. For Hitachi and The Thames Hotel alight at the next stop (Midenhead Bridge stop). Follow the road signposted Cookham, alongside the river, for about 200 m for The Thames Hotel and 2 km to Hitachi.
Alternatively take any bus from Heathrow to Slough, West Drayton or Hayes and Harlington railway stations and take a train from there to Maidenhead.


Stansted Airport

From Stansted Airport station trains leave for London Liverpool Street station every 15 minutes. The journey lasts about 45 minutes.
At Liverpool Street enter the Underground station through the main entrance opposite the train barriers. Cross over the line by the footbridge and take a Circle Line (yellow route) or Hammersmith and City train (pink route). Do not catch a Metropolitan Line train (maroon route) as these do not go to Paddington (change at Baker Street if you do). Trains run about every 5 minutes and the journey to Paddington takes about 20 minutes. This route is usually not very crowded even in the rush.
At Paddington take a First Great Western Link train to Maidenhead. There are normally 4 trains an hour; the fastest take just over 20 minutes and the slowest about 40 minutes.
Total journey to Maidenhead station is about 2 hours 10 minutes.
The single fair from Stansted Airport to Maidenhead is 20.70 pounds (29.50 euro) or 21.40 (30.50 euro) early on weekday mornings, and includes the journey on the underground.

Gatwick Airport

From Gatwick Airport station there are two ways to Maidenhead. Both take a little under two hours and have similar cost.
To avoid London take the First Great Western Link train to Reading. This only runs once an hour, leaving at 3 minutes past. Journey time to Reading is about 1 hour 15 minutes.
At Reading catch another First Great Western Link train to Maidenhead. These run four times each hour and take about 15 minutes.
The single fare is 19.50 pounds (27.85 euro) or 19.60 pounds (28.00 euro) early on weekday mornings.

The best way via London is to catch the cross-town Thameslink service to Farringdon station. These run every 15 minutes and the journey takes 40 minutes.
At Farringdon cross one set of tracks by footbridge and take a westbound Circle Line (yellow route) or Hammersmith and City train (pink route). Do not catch a Metropolitan Line train (maroon route) as these do not go to Paddington (change at Baker Street if you do). Trains run about every 5 minutes and the journey to Paddington takes about 15 minutes. This route is usually not very crowded even in the rush.
At Paddington take a First Great Western Link train to Maidenhead. There are normally 4 trains an hour; the fastest take just over 20 minutes and the slowest about 40 minutes.
The single fare is 17.40 pounds (24.85 euro), but is 22.30 pounds (31.85 euro) early on weekday mornings, and includes the journey on the underground.

Travel via London

If you are visiting London on the way through then the best ticket to buy is a "oneday Travelcard". This costs about 2.00 pounds (3.00 euro) more than the single fare into London, and allows travel on all trains, buses and underground lines throught all of London. For instance Stansted Airport to London single is 14.50 pounds and Oneday Travelcard is 16.50 pounds.
If you just walk around London, then best is to buy one ticket from airport to Maidenhead. This ticket allows one journey on underground between mainline stations, so is not so convenient for visiting London. There is also a one day bus pass for 3.00 pounds (4.50 euro).
If you have a Oneday Travelcard you can get a cheaper fare to Maidenhead from London, otherwise single fare from Paddington to Maidenhead is 7.70 pounds (11.05 euro).


From Waterloo International

If you arrive by Eurostar at Waterloo International station, then take a zone 1 single ticket on the Bakerloo tube line (brown route) northbound to Paddington Station. Then take a Great Western Link train to Maidenhead at the single fare of 7.70 pounds (11.05 euro).

From Station to Hitachi and The Thames Hotel

To reach Hitachi and the Hotels from the railway is quite a long walk. You would have to walk through the town centre: walk to the bottom of the station year, turn left and immediately cross the dual carriageway road. Head straight into the side road and bear right by the Bell Inn into Queen Street. Follow this road accross one junction and to its end. Turn right on to the High Street. Follow this road and the path eventually merges into a dual carriageway road which changes to single (bridge Raod). Follow this to to Maidenhead Bridge and then turn left alongside the River Thames. The Thames Hotel is very soon on the left. Carry only following the road (not the river) to Hitachi. The total journey would be about 40 minutes (4 km) to Hitachi and 20 mins (2 km) to The Thames Hotel. The number 9 "Borough Bus" leaves from Frascati Way near the station at 47 minutes past the hour during the working day and goes near Hitachi (Maidenhead Court stop). There is a taxi rank outside Maidenhead station, but we can probably pick you up.

From Channel Tunnel/Ferry

From the Channel Tunnel or Ferry take the M20 towards London. This splits at junction 3, so take the M26 leading to the M25. Continue to junction 15 and take the M4 west bound. Leave the M4 at junction 7 (signed as Slough West). Turn left at the roundabout on to the A4 road and follow this road for 3 km to Maidenhead.
As soon as you cross the old stone bridge over the River Thames, turn right at the roundabout and follow the riverside road (signed to Cookham) for 200 m for The Thames Hotel. The entrance and car park is in the side road just before the hotel which is on the left.
Follow this road for 2 km to get to Hitachi. Whitebrook Park, Hitachi Headquarters, is the entrance on the right by the tower, just before you leave the town. It is the only modern office building on this road. The door is directly in front of you and there is ample car parking.
The journey is about 160 km but the M25 can be very congested, especially during the evening rush, so this could take 3 hours or more.
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Last updated Wed Dec 19 2012.
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