Welcome Eric!

You do have time to go into town for the evening! I would recommend spending the night at the airport because it will be easier for such an early fligt.

As a US citizen you do not need a visa, just your passport. You will get a landing card on your flight, fill that in and go through passport control. You will then be able to grab your bags. I would check into a hotel at the airport and drop your bags and then take the tube into London. The tube (see map here www.tfl.gov.uk) will get you into central London in about 1 - 1.5 hours so you can head out for dinner and see a few sites. Then catch a late tube back to the airport. Be sure you know when the last tube is (see the website above) so you can get back at the end of the night. The tubes close fairly early (think about midnight)

As for going back into the airport - no different than any other. You check in, go through security and head for your gate.

Enjoy your trip!

Hi Eric, welcome to the forum(s).

For visa advice, it is best to check official sources. It is up to the country in question (United Kingdom) to determine the entrance and exit requirements for a given nationality.

Get in the habit of using google or similar search engine, because it can be tricky to find just the right website of the government in question. But eventually I found this:


http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/

Check the site carefully, especially the sections on visiting the uk/general visitor' and 'do you need a visa' as this last will list the nationalities that do.

Generally, tourists from Canada and the US don't need visas. But the point is, don't take the word of a forum hack on this one, check the source, for all the requirements of entry.

I'll leave some of your other questions for people who have done long layovers.

I live close to London and travel a lot from Heathrow. I would agree entirely with above comments. Book a hotel close to Heathrow. You can get the Piccadilly line into central London: http://www.heathrowairport.com/transport-and-directions/underground
Get off at Green Park or Piccadilly Circus and have a look around and dinner. Try to get down to the river if you have time. It will be light in the evening until quite late at that time of year. A taxi is expensive - between 50 to 70 pounds so make sure you don't miss the last tube. You would still need a taxi for the short ride from the tube station to your hotel though.
There are some great walking tours of many different areas of London that usually meet outside a tube station and run during the day and evening. Have a look at:
http://www.walks.com/London_Walks_Home/London_Walks_Schedule/default.aspx
Good luck and enjoy your short time in London - the best city in the world!!

In the UK immigration control and customs are two different operations. For the first, it might be worth making sure your onward ticket to Oslo is readily to hand in case the immigration officer asks to see confirmation that you're only staying the one night. For customs, you should just walk through the green "Nothing to Declare" gate.

Is it possible for you to check most of your luggage through to Oslo from the outset, so that you only need to reclaim what you'll need for overnight (or maybe even take it all in the one carry-on bag, if possible)?

You may not be in central London till about 6pm at the earliest, but at least at that time of year there will be daylight till well past 9pm.

Then as to what sights to see and how to get about: you could go straight to Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus or Covent Garden direct on the tube, which will put you in or very near most of the entertainment and lots of restaurants, or you could change at Hammersmith for the District Line and get out at Westminster to look at Big Ben and maybe stroll along the river for bit, or go up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square; or go to Embankment and walk up to Trafalgar Square (plenty of restaurants around here and up St Martin's Lane too), and then maybe down Whitehall to Westminster. But all that's up to your tastes and interests.

As for getting about, it depends on whether you're likely to use public transport more than just to get in and out of Heathrow. If no, the fares come to just under £6; if yes, you won't pay more than £8.50 (the price of an offpeak day travelcard). Either way, it will come on the electronic Oystercard. So at Heathrow underground station, you could ask the clerk either to put £10 in pay-as-you go money on the card, and claim back what you haven't spent when you leave, or just pay for the travelcard for the peace of mind.

If you need maps:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx

And don't forget to double-check at what time you need to be up and about to check in the next day!

We stayed at the Jurys Inn before an early morning flight. It was very satisfactory.

I would go to hotel in the LHR area (how you get there would depend on your choice, of course--the fastest MIGHT be a taxi. We arrived via rental car company shuttle so that won't help you) and drop my luggage.

Jurys Inn is about a 5 minute walk from the Hatton Cross Tube station; if you stay here, then you would go there and Tube directly into the city on the Picadilly line. Its nearness to an easy to use Tube station is one plus for this hotel. It's about an hour ride into the city center.

One of myriad possible walks would be to get off at Picadilly Circus or Leicester Square, walk to Trafalgar Square, walk down Whitehall to Westminster area, walk along the Thames for a bit. All of London along the Thames at night is fantastic. Then well before the Tube stops running, catch it back to Hatton Cross and get a few hours sleep.

We found the suggestions of being at LHR over 2 hours before a transcontinental flight to be conservative. For an 8ish flight to Norway I don't know; you probably want to be there maybe 5:30ish. We rode the HoppaBus thing from Jurys Inn which was fine; some posters have not found that convenient or timely. You could order a cab. I think the Tube wasn't running early enough for us so we had to find different transport.

Not a lot will be open in London, and between all the stuff at LHR and transport to a hotel and checking in and transport to London (about an hour at least), it will be pretty late (after 7 I would think at very earliest), but you'd still have a few hours to walk around a bit.

Read PatrickLondon's suggestions carefully; he gives good advice. You might also need to be aware of the TfL (Transport for London) website which gives up to the minute, generally, info about Tube line problems--pre-check to make sure nothing planned to be closed for maintenance etc. on times you plan to use Tube. You won't have lots of time for making different plans.

Enjoy!

Just note that you will need to be at the airport very early and it is unlikely that tubes will be running in time to get there - so plan you hotel accordingly. If you are going to stay at Hatton Cross station you will likely need to book a taxi/car service to get you to the airport in time.

So my question is this: is it plausible to leave Heathrow and explore London during my layover? If so, what are my best options to get into London? Train, tube, taxi?

Yyou have no choice but to leave airside as it's closed at night, so you have to find a room or bunk down in a corner landside. I'd stay somewhere like the Jurys Inn which is a short distance from Heathrow and which is on the direct Tube route into London.

Thank you everyone for your replies!! I've been so focused on the Sweden part of my trip, I've neglected planning on my short stay in London, and then Oslo, Norway, before I board my cruise to Stockholm.

I'm not sure what alanRow means by "it's closed airside at night, so you have to find a room or bunk down in a corner landside."

Does part of the Airport close?

Also, I looked at Jury Inn, and in USD, I'm looking at $135 for a night, when I'm only looking for a few hours of sleep - anyone else have any recommendations?

Alternatively, I could just sleep on the 13-14 hour flight from LAX to London and just stay up all night

Eric

I was considering a flight with a long layover at Heathrow on my way back from Paris. I thought about using Yotel. Never used it before so I have no clue what it's like.

www.yotel.com

Yes the airport essentially closes so I think you need to leave the airport.

Airside vs. Landside are airport terms - same meaning as in the States. Essentially "airside" is after security/immigration (after you check in for a flight). "landside" is before security - where you are before going through to the departure lounge/gates.

As for a hotel --I would not use Yotel since they charge by the hour and an over night stay gets pretty pricey. They are great for a 3 or 4 hour rest - not for over night.

I'd bid priceline for your hotel at LHR. You can get a 3 or 4 start modern hotel for well under $100, and maybe under $50. Every hotel in the LHR zone that you might win is on the Hotel Hoppa bus route or w/i a very short cab ride.

that should be a 3 or 4 star hotel . . .

Does part of the Airport close?

Airside (after security) is closed at night. Landside whilst not closed has few open facilities beyond toilets and isn't a nice place to spend even a few hours.

Thank you very much everyone for your replies. I'm amazed at the outpouring of feedback for a newbie like myself! There is so much I want to do in London, and I realize I have limited time, so I will do my best to make the most of it. Walking by the River Thames sounds delightful! As long as I can hit up a pub, I think I'll be good!

Also, I will definitely try PriceLine for the Heathrow Airport hotel, thank you!

Eric

Pubs:
http://www.fancyapint.com/

Yes, Jurys Inn is the one LHR hotel within walking distance of a Tube station, that's where we plan to stay in July on our return after our cruise. We plan to go into town after checking in, to get back late evening, like you we also have an early morning flight.

Yes, Jurys Inn is the one LHR hotel

It's the one OFF-AIRPORT LHR hotel that is walking distance of a Tube station. There are three on-site hotels which by their very nature are within walking distance of a Tube station

geetika - that only helps if the tube stop is open when you need it to be. If it's closed early morning when you need it that doesnt help and leads to the price of a taxi ride. For his 7:20am flight he would need to be at the airport about 2 hours prior (I think the airport reopens at 5am) and the tube isnt running at that hour.

The ones AT the airport are within walking distance of the Heathrow tubes and at the airport so no need to worry about transportation the next morning!

I feel I may have screwed myself over by having such a long layover in London. I may end up spending several hundred dollars in hotel/taxi it seems.

Sigh.

Regardless, I am excited, just feel a bit overwhelmed with all the planning I have to do for 2 weeks in Europe!

Eric, if you stay in a hotel that is actually AT Heathrow and you catch the tube before it shuts you wont need a cab.

Enjoy your trip (and try to enjoy the planning, I find it almost as much fun as the trip itself...almost!)

easy hotel (run by same company as easyjet) in London has prices starting at 39 pounds - and goes up depending on which location, date, if you want a window, etc. But for just a few hours sleep if you could get that price you could take the tube there, drop your luggage and have the whole evening and not worry about when the tube stops running. Then in the morning you'd have a rather expensive taxi ride back to the airport but if you add up all the tube rides/taxi from hotel to airport in the a.m. if you stay out near the airport, etc. Anyway, it might come out just as cheap and you would have more time in London.

As I understand it, it's one taxi ride in either case. From central London to the airport at that time in the morning, we're talking the price of a very swish hotel room, as against a few pounds from a hotel near Hatton Cross. Neither would be necessary for a stay in a hotel nearer the central terminals.

If you follow isabel's suggestion of easyHotel (or any budget hotel in central London for that matter) there'd be NO reason to take a cab back to LHR. You can pre-book w/ justairports.com and pay around £35 for a private car service. This is about £20 or £25 less than a cab.

I found a hotel, about 1.5 mi away from Heathrow Airport - Heathrow Lodge which boasts free airport shuttle to and from the airport - of course, with me needing to be at the airport by 5:00 am for a 7:20 am flight, I'm not sure if they will have shuttle at that time.

Has anyone had any experience with this hotel?

Disregard Heathrow Lodge - their shuttle service doesn't start until 6:00 AM BST, and my flight is at 7:20 - cutting it too close, I believe.

So I suspect I am stuck with a taxi then?

Forgive all my questions - first time traveling overseas!

Eric

So how are you planning to get to and from London, if you're still going into town? You certainly don't want to pay for taxi service. But it looks like from terminal to hotel when you arrive and hotel to terminal the next morning will require a taxi. So you have that cost to add to the room cost. Plus cost of getting to Tube station if you're going to ride that into town. And then Tube station to hotel. plus Tube. All that will have to be added to cost of your room, so what may look like a bargain room (if that's why you picked it) may not be. Not having some of these transport costs is factor in staying in one of the more expensive (I'm guessing) hotels either very near one of the terminals at LHR or someplace like Jurys Inn.

IT IS a lot of logistics to consider. Maybe you've nixed the idea of any time in London. Hope not.

We rode the HoppaBus thing from JurysInn about 5 am one morning to make it to early flight. It was cheaper than a taxi but don't remember when exactly they start running or their stops exactly.

When I have an early flight I stay at the Holiday Inn Heathrow. I just checked your dates and got a room rate of 60 pounds. The several times I've stayed they have given me a ride to the airport very early, and I haven't had to take either the shuttle or taxi. I tip them which they never declined.

My plan at the moment is Comfort Hotel Heathrow. They are 5 minutes from Heathrow Airport. The plan is to take the Hoppa from either Terminal 1,3 or 5 (don't know which terminal I'm flying into yet, will find that out later when I have time) to the hotel. When I get to the hotel, check in, change, if necessary my clothing, and then head BACK to Heathrow Airport, and then hop the Tube into London.

This is where it may get expensive - I figure I will have to take a Taxi back to the hotel, as I heard the Tubes close relatively early at night? Perhaps I heard wrong?

If not, I'll take the Tube back into Heathrow, and then take a taxi or Hoppa back to the hotel.

That said, I need to find out what time the airport closes, and what time shuttles and taxis stop frequenting the airport.

Eric

Hmmm... I question whether going to and from the hotel is worthwhile. Let's assume that you stay at the Comfort Inn and can take the Hoppa. By my calculations, this will work out to something around $87 ($61 for the hotel + £16 for the two return tickets on the Hoppa).

The Yotel will be more expensive at $105 (£61), but I would think it much easier. You take the free train between the terminals and are right at the airport. FWIW, I actually quite like the Yotel. The rooms are tiny, but if you are just sleeping there (and I'm assuming you are traveling solo) it works well - the beds are very, very comfortable and the room is thoughtfully designed.

For $18, I'd go with the Yotel and be done with it.

As for your terminals, it looks like you are arriving on Virgin and heading to Oslo on SAS. If so, you will be arriving and departing from T3.

For American citizens departing from the UK, there is nothing particularly special to do. Check in and clear security. I would think that if you are at the terminal around 1:30 before the flight, you should be more than okay. When you arrive, however, be prepared for quite a line at immigration. Depending upon what other flights arrive at the same time, you could end up waiting upwards of an hour.

Last Piccadilly line trains from central London leave shortly after midnight so it depends what you call early. I think its early for a large city like London, but it will take about an hour to get back to Heathrow and then you need to get out to your hotel so that may be fine for you. Then there is no need for an expensive taxi ride. You can see last train times from stations for that line here:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/first-last-piccadilly.pdf

The Hoppa quits running around 11:30 PM (slightly different times for different routes)

So,

The Yotel looks like it may be the best bet then, plus, I'll be close to the train, and won't have to use a taxi at all. For an extra $18 or so, it's worth it. Plus, as a foreigner, I won't have to worry about calling a cab.

Thank you everyone for your information!

So, I'll stay at the Yotel, and then I can hop the tube from Heathrow (or the Heathrow Express, I believe?) to London, explore for a few hours, have my fill of fish and chips and a few pints, look around, and then head back to Heathrow.

I trust the Yotel is "Landside" correct?

Also, last question, when riding the Tube, should I change $$ here in the States to Pounds, or may I swipe my Visa card to purchase Tube tickets?

Eric

Yes, the Yotel is landside. It is in T4 mezzanine near the Weatherspoon's pub.

You can use a normal US Visa in the ticket machines.

The Tube (which is, you realize, what we call a subway system--subway means something different in the UK) is totally different from the Heathrow Express. You need the Tube.

DON'T change pounds here; just get some out from ATM if you need some, or just use your CC. Be sure to alert your Visa provider of overseas travel.

I can't help with the detail but *absolutely* I'd figure out a way to leave the airport and do something. 15 hours is WAY too long.

Eric, the Heathrow Express is an expensive direct train to Paddington, which is north-west of the city centre: not convenient for what you want to do, although it is a quick ride to Paddington.

Take the tube (it will take about 15-20 minutes longer to get you into the centre).

My hubby and I stayed at the LHR Yotel this past Sept. It was tiny but perfect because of the convenience. Well worth the slightly higher cost. We took the free shuttle from the terminal we landed in to the one Yotel is located in. They run regularly, it's about a 10 min drive if I recall correctly, easy check in and saves a huge hassle of getting to and back from any place off the airport itself. I did that years ago before Yotel existed and let me tell you, this was just great. The efficiency of the layout of that tiny pod of a room was amazing. Plus, it was quiet so I could sleep well.
Enjoy visiting London, however briefly.

I have the same situation for Zurich and am staying overnight in one of their 'dayrooms'. Slightly more expensive but well worth the convenience and piece of mind. Go for the Yotel. You are right there for checkin 2 hr before your flight.
A couple of years ago I took the tube from Heathrow to Earl's Court. It was an interesting ride since it is mostly above ground, you see all the neighbourhoods.
Definitely go for the walk along the river. That's one thing I missed.
Thanks to the person who posted the info on Easy Hotels. I didn't know about them when I reserved a Zurich dayroom for overnight.
Have fun. You have enough time to have an enjoyable evening. You may want to have an early night anyways after the time difference from LA which is 8 hr.
I would get some British pounds before you leave because the ATM charges might be a significant % compared to buying pounds before hand. Then use your CC for the Yotel.

"I would get some British pounds before you leave because the ATM charges might be a significant % compared to buying pounds before hand."

WRONG! Buying £ ahead of time costs more than using an ATM at Heathrow or in London.

I was actually just at my bank - J.P. Morgan Chase, and I was told there is a 2% fee for using my ATM abroad for "foreign currency exchange". So I'm wondering if buying £ ahead of time might be better?

Gosh I just got onto this thread...and haven't read them all but I am going to chime in on your JP Morgan card.....If you have time and you can be processed in five minutes on the internet, and perhaps they can overnight it to you.......Capital One Ventura card, it is by far the best card out there, no transaction fees, and double points....sound like a spokesperson....just got fed up with all those fees overseas and now I use it for everyday living...I love the points

ericjonolsen: "I was told there is a 2% fee for using my ATM abroad for "foreign currency exchange". So I'm wondering if buying £ ahead of time might be better?"

Some banks charge 1%, some 2%, some 3% . . . But in ANY case that is less than you'd pay to buy currency ahead of time . . .

"WRONG! Buying £ ahead of time costs more than using an ATM at Heathrow or in London" NOT!
There are the ATM fees on both ends plus the currency exchange. I haven't found it cheaper and what if there is a problem for whatever reason. It's always better to arrive with some local currency. A lot depends on your home country and bank. A $3 charge for using an ATM = 3% on $100 pus the currency exchange. Of coures, buying more of less changes %.

cdnnomad: ""WRONG! Buying £ ahead of time costs more than using an ATM at Heathrow or in London" NOT! . . . there are the ATM fees on both ends plus the currency exchange"

Sorry cdnnonad - but British banks don't charge to use their machines. Your bank may charge an 'out-of-system' fee, but the UK banks don't. Plus the North American banks use a much worse exchange rate to sell foreign currency than one gets using an ATM/Cashpoint.

Well this just leaves me confused! I'm going to get some foreign currency just to be sure, I believe.

Problem solved: I have gotten myself the American Express Prepaid card (yes, I do have a bank card, and a credit card), and the benefit of this card is: ZERO FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEES! All I pay is the currency conversion rate.

Yay.

Thank you to everyone for your input!

Hi Eric!

I've been doing some research for a long layover at LHR I have next spring, and I'm curious as to how your plan worked out. Did you find the Yotel worth it? How did your AMEX prepaid card work out for you?

Thanks!
Melanie

Melanie,

Hello there, my apologies for this being so late - I logged into Fodor's to post a new question, and saw your reply.

I loved the Yotel - it is small, yes, but it was perfect for my needs which was to sleep. Inexpensive and the bed was comfortable.

The AMEX card worked out well, although it does take literally 5 business days for your monies to appear from your checking account to the AMEX card.

However, not everywhere accepted it - especially in the smaller towns in Germany I visited. Some in Stockholm also did not take it. However, most hotels and all airports accepted it, in fact, they seemed happy to accept it. Everyone I asked replied, "Yes, of course, we gladly accept American Express."

I'm headed to Europe again in a few weeks, and I do not know if I will use the card or not - mainly because I will be only doing a cruise, and then spending just a few days in Ibiza, Spain (I'm doing Spain > South of France > Italy > Barcelona), so I haven't decided if it's necessary to use the card or not, or just use my normal bank card.

If you have further questions, you may feel free to message me at: ericjonolsen@gmail.com

Thank you,

Eric

And how did you get on with nipping into central London for the evening? It's the kind of question that gets asked quite often, so others might be interested in your firsthand experience rather than our suggestions.

PatrickLondon,

I actually just visited Paddington. Being my first time in London, I decided not to risk missing the last train back to LHR. I stayed at the Yotel, and took the Heathrow Express in to Paddington, and then walked around Paddington and just explored a bit.

I realize that really doesn't help the question of how to get into Central London, but I did enjoy myself in Paddington.

Next year, I'll be visiting London and will provide detailed accounts.

>>I did enjoy myself in Paddington. <<

That may be interesting to others in itself - most people would think Paddington nothing special.

Granted, I had never been to England before, so to me, Paddington seemed pleasant. Perhaps I was caught up in the moment, but it was nice to walk around someplace non-touristy to enjoy England from a local's perspective. Sure, Central London would be/will be fun to visit in the near future, no doubt about it, but sometimes, it is fun to explore a country "through the back door" as Rick Steves would put it - meaning, to enjoy a country as a local.

To me, sitting at a pub, having a steak and chips and a Guiness listening to the locals gossip about the latest happenings was intriguing. I just sat, listened, and soaked it all up.

Paddington Station reminded me a bit of Penn Station in NYC, and it was interesting to people watch - the hustle and bustle of people connecting trains - even on the other side of the world, some things don't change - everyone always seemed to be in a hurry (makes sense though).

I look forward to going back, visiting Paddington, as well as Central Londn.

>>everyone always seemed to be in a hurry <<

Foreign visitors were noticing that about Londoners as long ago as the thirteenth century (according to Peter Ackroyd)!

It's worth pointing out that Paddington can be a lot more than "nothing special".

Walk along Platform 8 or 9 back the way the trains have come, follow the stairs to the overhead bridge, then follow overhead signs to "Waterside" You'll soon emerge on a canal towpath that, in theory, you can follow into the middle of Liverpool, 330 miles away as the canal meanders. Follow the towpath NW for about a mile and you're in Little Venice, an area of houseboats,stucco Regency houses and canalside pubs of serious charm.

Or exit the station from your arrival platform towards Praed St. Using Google Maps, walk the half mile to where Hyde Park turns into Kensington Gardens, and give yourself a real rural break after hours in the air and around airports.

Either excursion should get you back into the station within an hour of leaving.