London Travel Forum

Arriving Heathrow 3pm on Friday 29th August and I guess after clearing customs and collecting bags it will be past 4 pm. What is the best method to travel to the Ramada. Is the train easy or will it be busy with peak our travel?

If we take the train will it involve change of trains when we reach London centre?

Alternative is to take a taxi which might cost 50 quid??

Appreciate all replies.
Mike

Mike

You have three options.

1. Taxi all the way but this is the most expensive and likely to be £50 - £60.

2. The cheapest is to get the Picadilly line to the nearest Tube station but it will be crowded and sweaty and you will have to change lines to get to to Notting Hill or Queensway and it's about half a mile walk from both.

3. The third - and this is what I recommend you do - is to get the train to Paddington. If you arrive at Terminal 4 it's the Heathrow Connect www.heathrowconnect.com , if it's Terminal 5 it's the Heathrow Express www.heathrowexpress.com. Both trains stop at Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The Heathrow Connect is cheaper (£6.90) because it is a stopping service and a bit slower) but both will get you into Paddington Station and you can easily get a taxi from beside platform 1 to your hotel which is only two miles away from Paddington Station so a taxi won't break the bank. Best of all there are no stairs to climb with luggage and the Heathrow Express train is air conditioned.

Good reply. I would add, though, that you will be arriving at Paddington at rush hour, so be prepared for a slowish (therefore more £) taxi journey. Every time I go through Paddington, there is always a great long queue for the taxis BUT I have noticed that it moves reasonably quickly.

The Heathrow Express stops at Terminals 1,2,3 (one stop) and Terminal 5 (you have to transfer for T4).

www.heathrowexpress.com

The Heathrow Connect stops at Terminals 1,2,3 (one stop)and you then have to transfer for T4 or T5.

www.heathrowconnect.com

Agree that train + taxi from Paddington is your best option. Taxi all the way will cost 40-70GBP, and may well be slow at that time of day.

I would guess though that Mike is flying in long haul to either Terminal 5 or 4 so depending on which it is he can get either the Heathrow Expree or the Connect without having to change.

Also this will be the start of the journey so he will get a seat all the way and not have to climb stairs with luggage.

C.

Which is by far the best option, I agree.

The Heathrow Connect does stop at T4: my error.

Hi Thanks for your replies. I am actually flying in from Dublin after having 10 days in the Republic. I think the train to Paddington is the answer then taxi. I guess taxi from Heathrow at that time of day would be in traffic and train /taxi solution should be faster.

Mike

If you are flying in from Dublin both Aer Lingus and BMI fly into Terminal 1.

Just head for the Heathrow Express platform and catch either the Heathrow Connect or Heathrow Express train to Paddington - it's the platform on the right and there are ticket machines in the lobby.

C.

Re-reading your post you mention customs, just to advise there aren't any customs or passport control when you fly in from Dublin because of the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland.

C.