Canuckk

(Softly insert choice of slang here), I'm trying to sort out my first trip to London. I've read a lot on the internet, yet remain puzzled in part. If you have an answer to any one of the following questions, it would be appreciated.
1. How do get from Heathrow to London? Railcard meaning?
2. What do I get that allows unlimited access to travel in the tube, on rail, and/or on Thames?
3. Is there transport to Windsor castle, Hampton Court and/or Hatfield House?
4. Which pleasant area is best for moderately priced (2-3 star) accommodation for 3? Victoria? Bayswater? West End?, etc.
Thanking you advance for your time and effort.

nytraveler

As far as accommodation - what do you mean by reasonable? (Inexpensive London hotels are often notoriously awful.)

You can easily get to Windsor by train (not tube) - about 35 minutes. Hampton Court can be reached by boat and I believe bus (we drove which IMHO makes day trips a lot easier).

Michael

You can go from Heathrow to London using the Underground.

janisj

>>1. How do get from Heathrow to London? Railcard meaning?<<

How you get to London almost entirely depends on where you are staying and what time/day you arrive.

Do you mean 'Travelcard?

>>2. What do I get that allows unlimited access to travel in the tube, on rail, and/or on Thames?<<

You don't really. They are different systems. However, the trains that are <u>within</u> London can be covered by the same travelcard that covers you for the tube and buses.

>>3. Is there transport to Windsor castle, Hampton Court and/or Hatfield House?<<

Yes. But Windsor is not in London so you take a train - simply go to either Paddington or Waterloo stations and buy a return (round trip) ticket to Windsor. Hatfield House is also not IN London - so you'd buy tickets from Kings Cross station to Hatfield. Hampton Court is in outer London and you can buy a separate ticket to go there, or use your London transport travelcard (a whole 'nuther discussion of travelcard vs Oyster)

>>4. Which pleasant area is best for moderately priced (2-3 star) accommodation for 3? Victoria? Bayswater? West End?, etc.<<

Stars don't tell us anything - what is your budget? There are MANY pleasant/central areas.

justshootme

1, depends on where you are staying. You can take a car service for a fixed rate, which will be most convenient. The underground (tube) also goes to LHR but you'd have move your luggage on/off trains and possibly up/down stairs depending on which lines and stations you need to take to your hotel.

2, Buy an Oyster Card, with an Oyster Card you won't pay more than the price for a one day travelcard, but you could pay less depending on which rides you take. You can use this on buses and the underground when travelling around London.

3, For Windsor you can take a train from Paddington stn or Waterloo stn. For Hampton Court, you have a few options, rail and then a bus or underground and then a bus or a cruise on the Thames. Hartfield house can be visited by train from Kings Cross stn. Hampton Court Palace is not near Hatfield House; you won't be able to visit both places on the same day.

4, London has good public transport, tourist sights are easy to get to from most places in central London. Without knowing your budget it is impossible to suggest places to stay.

janisj

"<i>You can go from Heathrow to London using the Underground.</i>"

It really isn't quite that simple. Sure the underground/tube connects LHR and London, but it really makes a huge difference where you are staying whether the tube is the best option.

janisj

"<i>For Hampton Court, you have a few options, rail and then a bus or underground and then a bus or a cruise on the Thames. </i>"

That confuses things a bit. You get on the train at Waterloo, you get off at Hampton Court and walk 5 mins to the palace gates.

Easy as can be.

Canuckk

Thanks to all four responders. The posts do clarify some things.
Re: accommodations in London, we ( 3 adults) are looking for a triple under 130 pounds/night in a nonseedy area, if possible, and within a few blocks of a rail station realitively central to the usual top tourist sites. Whew, guess I'm asking a lot, eh (eh: Canuck sound)

Re: cards, what is the difference between a railcard, travelcard, Oyster, Brit pass, and London pass? Which one should a 4-5 day city (with Windsor, Hampton Court visit) tourist obtain?

danensis

The best way to find out about the Oyster card is to visit the Transport for London website. It took me a while to get my head round how it works - you have to "touch in" at the tube stations, and on the buses, but it saves quite a considerable amount on the fares.

flanneruk

1.If you start your questions with "I", everyone will assume there's one of you. This almost guarantees you've be given the wrong information about transport passes. And that's what's happened.

2. You now need to research the 2 for 1 admission deal on paper Travelcards from railway ticket offices, which might work better in your case than Oystercards

3. There's no pass worth your while getting for Windsor. Buy the right TfL package (for which only you can do the sums), then just buy a train ticket for Windsor..

avalon

We hotels try Londontown.com. I always get good rates there. I think you mean you want to be close to a TUBE station not a train station. You'll be taking the tube or a bus a lot more frequently than you would be taking a tain.

BigRuss

To get good advice, you need to speak English English -- a RAIL station means some branch of "National Rail," which is anything from commuter trains to intercity to Eurostar lines to Paris and Brussels. The London Underground is the TUBE and almost only the TUBE, never the rail or the "train".

For three people, you can get a car service to central London for less than 40 GBP.

Windsor is accessible by train (that's national rail) from either Waterloo or Paddington rail stations. See if you can get a voucher from the ticket seller for the Windsor admission when you buy the ticket. We received 3.50 GBP discount and skipped the line for entrance.

Hampton Ct. Palace is accessible by train from Waterloo. Get off train, walk over bridge, walk into Palace. This bus-and-boat-and-Tube arrangement is nonsense -- far more trouble than it's worth.

The Days Out Guide two-for-one vouchers will save you money at Hampton Ct. Palace, the Tower, the Cabinet War Rooms and ton(ne)s of other places.

Michel_Paris

I always stayed in the Bloomsbury area. You can access it directly from Heathrow. The British Museum is right there, restaurants, can walk to St Paul's, Covent Garden, the City,etc.

There are quite a few B&Bs in the area, some within your budget. I liked Harlingford Hotel.

Last trip, I got a good deal via Expedia on the Academy Hotel (a hotel).

PalenQ

For Hampton Court, you have a few options, rail and then a bus or underground and then a bus or a cruise on the Thames. "

That confuses things a bit. You get on the train at Waterloo, you get off at Hampton Court and walk 5 mins to the palace gates.

Easy as can be.>

Yes but for many locations in London the best route to Hampton Court is not to backtrack to Waterloo but to take the Tube to Wimbledon and change there to the train that terminates at a station right opposite Hampton Court (on the other side of the Thames) - it is in the London Transport zones so TravelCard of all zones would cover it and if a paper TravelCard perhaps get you 2 for 1 entry to the Palace (not sure if H C is participatory to 2 for 1 but believe so

DancingBearMD

PalenQ, yes, Hampton Court participates in the 2:1 voucher program.

DancingBearMD

However, probably not necessary to get a Zones 1-6 Travelcard, rather get a Zones 1-2 Travelcard and just by the Rail ticket from Zone 2 to Hampton Court.

julia_t

Victoria is an okay area to stay.

I've not stayed here, but I did reserve a couple of rooms last year when I thought I might! They were easy and pleasant to deal with.

http://www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk/

As regards triple rooms, you may find a family room (comprising one large bed and a single sofa bed) at a Travelodge might be worth looking into.

www.travelodge.co.uk

PalenQ

TravelLodge offers some, a few, deep discounted rooms that you only usually have a chance of scoring by booking months in advance.

juliat - if i remember correct said she scored a 29 pound or so incredibly cheap price at the Travelodge near Covent Garden, a great place within walking distance of so so many main sights.

PalenQ

Premier Inn - Book Cheap Hotels in the UK and Worldwide from 29 pounds
Premier Inn is the UK and Ireland's biggest and fastest growing hotel company. ... Liverpool hotels · London hotels · Manchester hotels · Newcastle hotels ...
www.premierinn.com/ - United Kingdom -

Premier Inns are like Travelodge and also offer some rooms at a deep discount.

PalenQ

DancingBearMD on Aug 17, 10 at 2:34pm
However, probably not necessary to get a Zones 1-6 Travelcard, rather get a Zones 1-2 Travelcard and just by the Rail ticket from Zone 2 to Hampton Court

Yes - thanks for the correction - take the Tube to either Richmond, Clapham Junction or Waterloo mainline station and then buy your paper train ticket - 2 for 1 only works i think with a paper ticket - train ticket or TravelCard - thus do not use the Oyster Card except to get to one of the train stations to buy a return paper ticket to Hampton Court - and i believe you can, if time allows, use that paper train ticket back in central London for 2 for 1 discounts.

If coming from either airport you can buy, my understanding is, a paper round-trip ticket and for the whole time before your return train trip to either Heathrow or Gatwick or Stansted get 2 for 1 with that paper ticket for your whole sojourn and then just use the Oyster Card for Hampton - Oyster Card of course always giving you the best deal - a no brainer thing to get and always use. Not sure if it covers trains to Hampton yet but i believe suburban Overground trains are being rapidly integrated into the Oyster Card scheme.