Consider the mail-in option on that page LotusPilot links.
I'm in the US and needed a new battery for an older iPad. I used Apple's Mail-in option. I set up the repair online and Apple notified my local UPS Store that I would be dropping it off there.
I handed over the tablet at a local UPS store on a Friday morning. The replacement iPad, cosmetically perfect and exactly the same specs as the old one, was delivered to my house by noon the following Wednesday. Six days, including two weekend days. And, yes, over two years later, I still use that refurbished iPad daily.
Apple's article on their refurbished products: Why Refurbished - Apple
I agree with LotusPilot—the store will only send it to the repair center. That will likely add a day at each end. The mail-in service is the best if available in your area.