Heathrow T3 departure, help me figure out a hotel

[Sundiego]

Our NCL cruise ends on Sunday, Oct 1st. The best flight choice for us is departing Monday, Oct 2nd. So I booked an NCL "tour London" excursion that will drop us off at Heathrow in the afternoon. I booked the Hilton Garden Inn Term 2&3 and planned on the excursion dropping us off at Heathrow in the afternoon of Oct 1st.

 

First question, does the above sound like a reasonable plan? Where should I have the NCL excursion driver drop us off? T2 or T3?

 

Second question, I looked at a helpful video on Youtube of the Hilton and it looks like it's actually a long walk from the hotel to T3. We're mobile & great walkers, but we are seniors with luggage so now I'm second guessing that plan.

 

Third question, if we stay at a Heathrow hotel that's not "IN" the airport, I'm reading don't do Hoppa, so what's a good solution for that?

 

Last question, should I consider Aerotel T3 or Sofitel T5 instead?

 

Many thanks for reading!!

 

Denise

 

PS we are staying in London one week pre-cruise so the NCL "tour London" excursion isn't really that appealing, but it was a way to get from Southampton to LHR and not arrive too early for check in to our hotel. So other ideas welcome!

[gumshoe958]

I would stick with the HGI. It’s attached to T2 but there are underground pedestrian tunnels, with moving walkways, linking T2 with T3 so it’s an easy walk that’ll take about 10 minutes.

There is the Aerotel in T3 itself, which would be even more convenient, but note the rooms are very small with no windows, in case that’s an issue for you.

 

The Sofitel at T5 is very nice but you would need to use a cab or public transport as T5 is nowhere near T3.

 

If you choose an off-airport hotel, alternatives to the Hoppa are cabs, Ubers or frequent public city buses.

Finally, check out https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/shore-excursions-and-cruise-transfers.html#tour-tab2

 

They are consistently recommended here. They’ll pick you (and your luggage) up from the cruise terminal at Southampton and drop you off at your hotel at Heathrow, with sightseeing stops en route (various options eg Salisbury, Stonehenge & Windsor, Bath & Windsor or the Cotswolds & Downton Abbey filming locations). 
 

Edited July 30, 2023 by gumshoe958

[Globaliser]

9 hours ago, Sundiego said:

First question, does the above sound like a reasonable plan? Where should I have the NCL excursion driver drop us off? T2 or T3?

 

Second question, I looked at a helpful video on Youtube of the Hilton and it looks like it's actually a long walk from the hotel to T3. We're mobile & great walkers, but we are seniors with luggage so now I'm second guessing that plan.

 

What time is your flight? What you've put together is sensible if your flight out is any time up to mid-morning. But if it's later than that, then there would be an argument for going direct to a hotel in central London, do some central London things at your pwn pace that afternoon and evening, and then transferring to Heathrow by car in the morning (which would drop you off on the terminal forecourt).

 

The walk through the underground tunnels really isn't anything to be apprehensive about. As gumshoe958 says, it's an easy walk, and you can definitely do it at your own pace. If you don't want to drag your luggage on its own wheels, you should be able to use the airport's luggage trolleys.

[Sundiego]

7 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Finally, check out https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/shore-excursions-and-cruise-transfers.html#tour-tab2

 

They are consistently recommended here. They’ll pick you (and your luggage) up from the cruise terminal at Southampton and drop you off at your hotel at Heathrow, with sightseeing stops en route (various options eg Salisbury, Stonehenge & Windsor, Bath & Windsor or the Cotswolds & Downton Abbey filming locations). 
 

Thanks to you and @Globaliser for the excellent feedback. Our flight leaves at 935 am.

 

We are actually booked with Internationalfriends London to Southampton via Windsor Castle. Their Southampton to London excursion options weren't a fit for us so I opted for cruise ship excursion.

 

My last question, regardless of which excursion drops us off at Heathrow... do we tell the excursion driver to drop us off at T2 departures? And then is it apparent how we navigate from a drop off point to the Hilton? I assume the Hilton is outside security and we clear all that the morning of our flight?

 

Thanks!

 

Denise

[gumshoe958]

24 minutes ago, Sundiego said:

Thanks to you and @Globaliser for the excellent feedback. Our flight leaves at 935 am.

 

We are actually booked with Internationalfriends London to Southampton via Windsor Castle. Their Southampton to London excursion options weren't a fit for us so I opted for cruise ship excursion.

 

My last question, regardless of which excursion drops us off at Heathrow... do we tell the excursion driver to drop us off at T2 departures? And then is it apparent how we navigate from a drop off point to the Hilton? I assume the Hilton is outside security and we clear all that the morning of our flight?

 

Thanks!

 

Denise

The HGI is accessed from the arrivals level at T2 (Level 1 I think). From the arrivals hall you walk straight ahead, through the car park. It’s signed, all undercover and takes about 5 mins. If your excursion drops you off at departures just take the elevator down to arrivals.

 

And yes, it is landside so you clear security after check in and bag drop for your flight.

[Sundiego]

1 minute ago, gumshoe958 said:

The HGI is accessed from the arrivals level at T2 (Level 1 I think). From the arrivals hall you walk straight ahead, through the car park. It’s signed, all undercover and takes about 5 mins. If your excursion drops you off at departures just take the elevator down to arrivals.

 

And yes, it is landside so you clear security after check in and bag drop for your flight.

Thank you so much! And since I have your attention lol... for our 935 am flight, if we exit the hotel at, say, 630, would that be enough time to make it through a typical morning at Heathrow to clear security, etc. ?

 

Denise

[gumshoe958]

11 minutes ago, Sundiego said:

Thank you so much! And since I have your attention lol... for our 935 am flight, if we exit the hotel at, say, 630, would that be enough time to make it through a typical morning at Heathrow to clear security, etc. ?

 

Denise

Absolutely fine.

[Island2Dweller]

You can do twilight check in (that is - drop your bags with the airline the night before) at T3.  It's available from 4pm on the day before for flights leaving before 1000 the next day.  That allows you longer in bed the next morning.  As you will be on site, I would be totally comfortable arriving at the terminal two hours before.