Flying into London

[chismrules]

Here is what I plan so far with few questions. 

Arrive 7/26 Sun. Term. 3 at 7:20am, will have 3 luggage because of cruise. Walk to central Station

Take Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, buy early for $11, around 15min.

Question- How much time should I allow to get off go thru customs from US and get luggage and get to Central Station?

Question - Should I buy train ticket on mobile app? If I buy online and print ticket do we have to go trade it in for a ticket?

Then I plan to take cab to Hub by Premier Inn Westminster Abbey at 21 Tothill St., hopefully about $10

Is this the best and reasonable way especially with big luggage? Any thoughts welcome.

Also being at that location for 2 days, will be doing typical tourist things around, do you think we need a oyster card or can we just walk to everything? From Buckingham to Tower of London, maybe boat to Tower of London. Thinking of buying the London Pass to save time in lines etc. 

Thanks

[kctwinmommy]

5 minutes ago, chismrules said:

Also being at that location for 2 days, will be doing typical tourist things around, do you think we need a oyster card or can we just walk to everything? From Buckingham to Tower of London, maybe boat to Tower of London. Thinking of buying the London Pass to save time in lines etc. 

Thanks

 

For this part of your question, I'm not sure you'll save any money with the London Pass. If you're only there for 2 days. Plus, check what it currently allows. When we were there in 2017, we had 4 days in London, so I priced out the pass and found we would save money getting it for the things we wanted to see. And at that time, it offered the skip the line option at the TOL. However, I believe they no longer offer that. I will recommend getting to the TOL about 30 minutes before they open and get your tickets and get in line. Then head right to the Crown Jewels. We did this, and when we left the jewels, the line was already about 30-40 minutes of wait time just to get into that building.

 

We stayed near Hyde Park and walked to Buckingham Palace, then went past all the things near there (Downing St., Cavalry Museum) before hitting Westminster, Churchill War Rooms, Big Ben (just a walk by), then the London Eye, then walked back along the river, through Trafalgar, and back to our hotel. It was about 10-11 miles that we walked for all that! But we wanted to see all those things, so the tube wasn't the best option. However, the other days we took it to get to where we wanted to go, then walked around that area.

[Luv2cruz1000]

Oyster card is a good idea. Use Google/iPad and will tell you which lines for tube. 

Careful with London pass. Make a list to ensure that it makes sense. We also discovered somethings are fast entry while others are not. If it does not say that it skips the lines,it doesn't. Example waited an hour for Churchill war rooms while others in line bought tickets while standing in line and walked up!

Your transfer from the airport to hotel is what we did on our trip. Not sure about Custom times.

Have fun in London!

[Cotswold Eagle]

4 hours ago, chismrules said:

Take Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, buy early for $11, around 15min.

Question- How much time should I allow to get off go thru customs from US and get luggage and get to Central Station?

Question - Should I buy train ticket on mobile app? If I buy online and print ticket do we have to go trade it in for a ticket?

By customs, I assume you mean immigration control - customs at LHR for the overwhelming majority of passengers is a simple walk through the channel, so takes no time at all. Immigration control is an unknowable delay in advance, but if you are able to use the eGates significant delays are rare. You will probably be waiting for your baggage as the determining factor on how long it takes to get landside. 
 

But if you are catching the train, it is of no consequence. Heathrow Express Advance Purchase tickets are valid at any time on the day you specify. (This is not true of Advance tickets on other train operators, which are for specific services). 
 

From a cost point of view, no difference between the app and the website. If you buy through the website you will get a pdf that you can print off and use as a ticket (assuming you just buy the Heathrow Express ticket) and scan at the gates to the platforms. You may prefer to have something tangible to hand. 
 

Do ensure that you specify the right direction - Heathrow to Paddington - when you buy the ticket. This didn’t  matter in the past, when HEX tickets were valid either way, but it does now. 

Edited February 21, 2020 by Cotswold Eagle

[Globaliser]

6 hours ago, chismrules said:

Is this the best and reasonable way especially with big luggage?

 

No.

 

It's a Sunday morning. Get a car service to take you directly from the airport to your hotel. It'll probably be faster than messing about with the train.

[John Bull]

20 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

No.

 

It's a Sunday morning. Get a car service to take you directly from the airport to your hotel. It'll probably be faster than messing about with the train.

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

LHR to Tothill St via Paddington is a slightly convoluted journey, and a cab from Paddington to Tothill Street will cost more like $17

 

For two people a pre-booked car from LHR to Tothill St will cost about £45, compared to £30 total by HEX and black cab. And no schlepping luggage etc. For more than two passengers the difference is smaller.

 

BTW I don't know the Premier Inn in Tothill Street, but P.I. is an extremely well-respected chain.

And the location is excellent. Just a simple five-minute walk to Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament / Big Ben, then up Whitehall - with its many sights including Churchill's War Rooms, Prime Minister's residence, Cenotaph, Horse Guards Parade - to Trafalgar Square.

Across Westminster Bridge to London Eye and waterside bars & eateries, or a 20 minute walk in the opposite direction to Buckingham Palace. Enough to fill a day without even stepping into a vehicle or tube train. 

 

JB 

[Cotswold Eagle]

3 hours ago, John Bull said:

BTW I don't know the Premier Inn in Tothill Street, but P.I. is an extremely well-respected chain.

Very important distinction, it’s not a Premier Inn it’s a ‘ hub by Premier Inn’. These are more like Yotels, with what are described by the chain as ‘compact’ rooms, but perhaps ‘cabin’ gives a more accurate description. 
 

I assume the OP is aware of this, it is very clearly described on the website. Could be a squeeze with 2 pax and three big items of luggage...

Edited February 21, 2020 by Cotswold Eagle

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

These are more like Yotels,

 

As soon as I saw that, it reminded me of the first "Yotels" that I'd seen - mebbe the first in the world -  in Japan 

Banks of over-size ccffins, stacked three high, with the upper ones accessed by ladders, and each with about 3 to 4 ft headroom 

 

But piccies show this property as proper full-height rooms. A little on the snug side, but not a lot smaller than an Ibis Budget, and with a decent en-suite..

Cruise-long luggage might  make life a little too snug, but I'd be happy with this bolt-hole for a  couple of nights.

https://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/review/accommodation/182757-hub-london-westminster-abbey-great-value-for-a-short-london-visit

 

JB 

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by John Bull

[Globaliser]

57 minutes ago, John Bull said:

As soon as I saw that, it reminded me of the first "Yotels" that I'd seen - mebbe the first in the world -  in Japan 

Banks of over-size ccffins, stacked three high, with the upper ones accessed by ladders, and each with about 3 to 4 ft headroom

 

I don't think Yotel cabins have ever been like that.

[John Bull]

 

For more just google Japanese spaceship hotels

(but don't book me into one )

 

JB 

[chismrules]

Thank you for your help. I'm sure it would be easier to just do a pre-booked cab but trying to save where I can, don't mind just a little extra carrying or walking. If you have a link for a pre-booked cab that would be great in case I change my mind. Assuming it would be cheaper by booking ahead than just walking out. It just seemed too much to take the tubes and change etc. This trip is very expensive for us trying to do what I can lol. Hence the Hub by Premier, although I talked my husband into it, I feel like it would be fine. It has good reviews, looks clean, location, location which I think will save us time and money by walking. For such a short time, we will just be sleeping and shower and off we go.

[John Bull]

The two biggest transfer operators out of LHR are 

https://www.justairports.com/

https://www.simplyairports.co.uk/

or I've seen recommended on Cruise Critic 

https://www.blackberrycars.com/

 

If you choose to use the HEX or a private transfer, don't leave it til on-the-day cos either will cost a lot more.

And HEX prices start to rise from several months out.

 

You can take a direct tube train (Circle Line) from Paddington station to St James' Park station.

Needs a Londoner to advise how easy those stations with luggage.

 

JB 

[Cotswold Eagle]

3 hours ago, John Bull said:

For more just google Japanese spaceship hotels

(but don't book me into one )

Those are ‘capsule hotels’.  Yotel have ‘cabins’, similar to hub by Premier Inn, never capsules,  as far as I am aware. 

[John Bull]

2 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Those are ‘capsule hotels’.  Yotel have ‘cabins’, similar to hub by Premier Inn, never capsules,  as far as I am aware. 

 

Hi, Eagle,

 

As per my post, my feathered friend, I first saw accommodation with the capsule / spaceship concept in Japan many decades ago.

And back then they were called Yotels. That's why the word struck a chord. 

 

JB 

 

[Cotswold Eagle]

2 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Hi, Eagle,

 

As per my post, my feathered friend, I first saw accommodation with the capsule / spaceship concept in Japan many decades ago.

And back then they were called Yotels. That's why the word struck a chord. 

 

JB 

 

I’m afraid not. Yotel is a trademark, a portmanteau of YO! (as in YO! Sushi, part of the same group) and hotel. 

[John Bull]

1 minute ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

I’m afraid not. Yotel is a trademark, a portmanteau of YO! (as in YO! Sushi, part of the same group) and hotel. 

 

 

I very very distinctly recall being amazed by those capsules. (and not in a good way).

It was in Japan (Tokyo I think) and decades ago.

The name was very definitely yotel.

Even tho the Yotel company was founded in 2007.

All of which proves something I've always known.

I'm a psychic  

 

JB 

[Post Captain]

Fortunately, I've never had the "pleasure" of sleeping in a Yotel😵/ pod😱 / whatchamacallem🤔 . . .

 

Nor have I yet experienced a Premier Inn hub.  However, a quick search on YouTube for "premier inn hub london" brings up quite a few video reviews of PI hub rooms:

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=premier+inn+hub+london

 

Thankfully for the OP, hub rooms are distinctly larger than the aforementioned Yotel / pod / whatchamacallem accommodations, with the added advantage of decent en-suite facilities, basic amenities (e.g., a bottle opener attached to the wall--though I'd rather do my drinking in the pub than the hub), and ample headroom for those who are prone to bump their noggins on the ceiling beams🤕 when wandering through Tudor-period establishments.

 

Just think of the hub room as a miniature high-tech version of a ship's cabin.😄

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[SarahD112]

Trying to figure out best way to get from LHR into London myself. I emailed Justairports.com and they quoted me £71 + parking fees if they have to wait. I assume it’s because there’s four of us and quite a bit of luggage. Looks like Uber (or comparable rideshare) might make more sense. I wouldn’t mind taking the tube - we can all handle luggage, even on some stairs, but my concern is Thursday morning rush hour. We land before 8am. Also thinking that’s my best way to Windsor Castle and back after checking luggage in early at LHR the following Sunday. 

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, SarahD112 said:

Trying to figure out best way to get from LHR into London myself. I emailed Justairports.com and they quoted me £71 + parking fees if they have to wait. I assume it’s because there’s four of us and quite a bit of luggage. Looks like Uber (or comparable rideshare) might make more sense. I wouldn’t mind taking the tube - we can all handle luggage, even on some stairs, but my concern is Thursday morning rush hour. We land before 8am. Also thinking that’s my best way to Windsor Castle and back after checking luggage in early at LHR the following Sunday. 

 

Your best (easiest or cheapest) way to get from LHR "into London" depends mainly on exactly where you want to get to in London. Hotel name / address please.

 

Yes, the tube if your hotel is handy to a tube station on the Piccadilly line (navy blue on the tube map).

LHR is the terminus and it's hardly affected by commuter time, so you'll have no trouble getting seats & keeping your luggage around you. As your tube train gets closer to central London it will get quite crowded and your luggage will probably make life a little difficult 

If your hotel isn't on the Piccadilly Line "it depends". For instance a switch from Piccadilly Line to District Line (green on the map) at Barons Court is a simple cross-platform, but some other changes involve long tunnel walks, long escalators, some switches can be done by elevator. By then commuters won't be a problem (they'll already have their noses to the grindstone) but switching tube trains with luggage can be problematic. You need to quote your hotel location and seek advice from Cruise Critic's Londoners (not me, I'm a country boy)

 

If your hotel is close to Paddington station, the obvious choice is the Heathrow Express (HEX) - a fast & frequent direct service. Good value if you book months ahead, but expensive walk-up fares.

 

If your hotel is in the Victoria area, the National Express coach is simple and cheap.

 

For other parts of central London, the best bet will be either a pre-booked private transfer, or a combination of train or bus followed by a short taxi hop.

 

Get quotes from other operators for LHR to hotel, to ensure that JustAirports price is in the ball-park 

£71 is high, but yes that might be because of your numbers / luggage.

But be very wary of quotes that are significantly below the norm. And definitely rule them out if they have overwhelmingly poor reviews, or very few reviews (fly-by nights, or a recent change of name due to poor reputation)

 

Worst option of all is taking a cab from the rank at LHR.

Hailing a cab is fine for a short hop, but for the 16 urban miles from LHR to central London it'll be outlandishly expensive, esp since you'll probably need two.

------------------------------------

Windsor from LHR is difficult by public transport. There's a bus to Windsor from Terminal 5 (which is a stand-alone terminal at one end of the airport) so you'd need to get there. Alternatively a combination of bus and train, but it's a poor use of time.

Since you won't have luggage you can all fit in one car, so I suggest a pre-booked private transfer. Windsor-based operators have a better reputation for price & service than the plethora of airport-based operators. I guess around £30 e/w.

 

Don't under-estimate the time taken to get to LHR, checking-in luggage, getting to & from Windsor, and being back at LHR at least 2 hours before your flight. Depending on your flight time it may not be worthwhile, it may even not be possible.

 

If you can switch things around a little, consider visiting Windsor from central London. Direct trains from London Waterloo, or trains with one simple change from London Paddington. 

If you then want to spend part of that last sunday in central London, most (all?) hotels will hold your luggage past check-out time.

 

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

And https://www.londontoolkit.com/ (lots of help with London logistics etc)

 

JB 

[Globaliser]

18 hours ago, John Bull said:

I very very distinctly recall being amazed by those capsules. (and not in a good way).

It was in Japan (Tokyo I think) and decades ago.

The name was very definitely yotel.

 

Do you have a source for this?

 

FWIW, the Wikipedia article on capsule hotels does not mention the word Yotel at all.

 

And this long article about capsule hotels that does mention Yotel explains the differences that there have always been between capsule hotels and the Yotel concept, although it seems that that itself has now branched into at least two different strands, as the airport hotels have been rebranded Yotel Air.

[SarahD112]

6 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Your best (easiest or cheapest) way to get from LHR "into London" depends mainly on exactly where you want to get to in London. Hotel name / address please.

 

Yes, the tube if your hotel is handy to a tube station on the Piccadilly line (navy blue on the tube map).

LHR is the terminus and it's hardly affected by commuter time, so you'll have no trouble getting seats & keeping your luggage around you. As your tube train gets closer to central London it will get quite crowded and your luggage will probably make life a little difficult 

If your hotel isn't on the Piccadilly Line "it depends". For instance a switch from Piccadilly Line to District Line (green on the map) at Barons Court is a simple cross-platform, but some other changes involve long tunnel walks, long escalators, some switches can be done by elevator. By then commuters won't be a problem (they'll already have their noses to the grindstone) but switching tube trains with luggage can be problematic. You need to quote your hotel location and seek advice from Cruise Critic's Londoners (not me, I'm a country boy)

 

If your hotel is close to Paddington station, the obvious choice is the Heathrow Express (HEX) - a fast & frequent direct service. Good value if you book months ahead, but expensive walk-up fares.

 

If your hotel is in the Victoria area, the National Express coach is simple and cheap.

 

For other parts of central London, the best bet will be either a pre-booked private transfer, or a combination of train or bus followed by a short taxi hop.

 

Get quotes from other operators for LHR to hotel, to ensure that JustAirports price is in the ball-park 

£71 is high, but yes that might be because of your numbers / luggage.

But be very wary of quotes that are significantly below the norm. And definitely rule them out if they have overwhelmingly poor reviews, or very few reviews (fly-by nights, or a recent change of name due to poor reputation)

 

Worst option of all is taking a cab from the rank at LHR.

Hailing a cab is fine for a short hop, but for the 16 urban miles from LHR to central London it'll be outlandishly expensive, esp since you'll probably need two.

------------------------------------

Windsor from LHR is difficult by public transport. There's a bus to Windsor from Terminal 5 (which is a stand-alone terminal at one end of the airport) so you'd need to get there. Alternatively a combination of bus and train, but it's a poor use of time.

Since you won't have luggage you can all fit in one car, so I suggest a pre-booked private transfer. Windsor-based operators have a better reputation for price & service than the plethora of airport-based operators. I guess around £30 e/w.

 

Don't under-estimate the time taken to get to LHR, checking-in luggage, getting to & from Windsor, and being back at LHR at least 2 hours before your flight. Depending on your flight time it may not be worthwhile, it may even not be possible.

 

If you can switch things around a little, consider visiting Windsor from central London. Direct trains from London Waterloo, or trains with one simple change from London Paddington. 

If you then want to spend part of that last sunday in central London, most (all?) hotels will hold your luggage past check-out time.

 

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

And https://www.londontoolkit.com/ (lots of help with London logistics etc)

 

JB 

Staying at Premier Inn London County Hall, so choices for switching lines are Green Park, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square. 

[Globaliser]

3 minutes ago, SarahD112 said:

Staying at Premier Inn London County Hall, so choices for switching lines are Green Park, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square.

 

Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith, District Line to Westminster, step-free access to the street, walk over Westminster Bridge to County Hall.

 

It's actually a shorter walk to the hotel than from the Jubilee Line exit on Waterloo Road.

 

You don't want to be trying to change to the Bakerloo Line or the Northern Line.

[John Bull]

46 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

Do you have a source for this?

 

FWIW, the Wikipedia article on capsule hotels does not mention the word Yotel at all.

 

 

 

This was decades ago, before the days of  Google and Wiki and such, when all telephones had tails, and pizza was exotic. 

So my only source is my memory

 

I can only repeat my response to the feathered one.

 

JB 

 

19 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

 

I very very distinctly recall being amazed by those capsules. (and not in a good way).

It was in Japan (Tokyo I think) and decades ago.

The name was very definitely yotel.

Even tho the Yotel company was founded in 2007.

All of which proves something I've always known.

I'm a psychic  

 

JB 

 

 

 

 

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith, District Line to Westminster, step-free access to the street, walk over Westminster Bridge to County Hall.

 

It's actually a shorter walk to the hotel than from the Jubilee Line exit on Waterloo Road.

 

You don't want to be trying to change to the Bakerloo Line or the Northern Line.

 

 

Demonstrating the value of a Londoner's advice on tube travel with luggage 

 

JB 

[geoherb]

I would skip the London Pass and book each attraction ahead of time. The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will be open when the OP is there:

https://www.rct.uk/visit/the-state-rooms-buckingham-palace

 

We prebooked the Churchill War Rooms as well on one of our trips. I haven't been to the Tower of London in several years. We did not prebook Kensington Palace a couple of years ago, but did not have too long a wait since we arrived early in the morning.