manika

I was suggested to take metro/tube down to Cromwell st (Kensington Forum hotel). I doubt it is a good idea when there are two suitcases to carry. Any suggestions?

What about Airbus? It looks like it stops near the hotel. and costs 7 pounds one-way.

Please advise.

Thank You

WillTravel

Where does the Airbus (actually National Express now) stop near Holiday Inn Kensington Forum? If you specify the address it stops at, maybe someone can tell you if it's nearby.

For the Piccadilly Line tube, I seem to recall that at the Gloucester Road stop (which is the one you would use for the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum), you have to walk up one flight up stairs and then you take an elevator to the top. It's not ideal if you have two suitcases, but not difficult for a person of average fitness.

manika

WillTravel,

Thank You for your reply. I simply looked at a map and as you said there is a metro stop: Gloucester Rd and on the other side of the street there is a National Express bus stop.

You sounded encouraging with regards to taking the tube. Our plane arrives at 3 pm. Is it good time to take the metro? I assume it is very crowded. Or I shoudn't worry about it.

WillTravel

I hope someone with more information will weigh in. However, if I go to the NationalExpress.com web site and look for the bus from Heathrow to London, Kensington, Gloucester Road LT station, I see that for that particular stop, and no other, there is a message that says "hand luggage only". So it looks like there indeed is a National Express stop right there, but I'd be a bit concerned about the luggage situation.

Why not take a look at the NationalExpress.com site and note what you see?

If you are supposed to land at 3, I wouldn't count on getting on the tube before 4:30 PM. Since you would be getting on at the first stop at Heathrow (presumably?) you wouldn't have to worry about being crowded at that point. It would be more uncomfortable for someone heading out to the airport.

I wouldn't push taking the tube if you aren't comfortable with the idea, and I would suggest you try going up and down some stairs with your luggage and see how you do. I'm happy to take the tube or other cheap transport methods to save a few pounds, because I'd prefer to spend those pounds on something else. Also the tube is about the quickest method possible in traffic-congested London.

PatrickLondon

As I understand it, the A2 airbus doesn't go past Gloucester Road, but further north along Kensington High St and Holland Park Avenue, so the tube is the only option.

Landing 3pm = getting into the Underground about 4pm. The train will not be full when you get on to it, and the rush hour shouldn't be in full swing even by the time you get to Gloucester Road. I've found an anorak's website that lists lifts and escalators on the Underground, and apparently there are lifts from the Piccadilly line platforms to street level at Gloucester Road; but never having had to use them, I can't promise it. You could email [email protected] to ask directly.

vcl

There is a lift in the Gloucester Road Station, but there are also a couple of half-flights of stairs to navigate before you get to it. The hotel is right around the corner from the station. I imagine there must be convenient bus transport from Heathrow to the hotel as well. There's a huge concentration of hotels in that immediate area including two Holiday Inns, a Mariott, two Milleniums, and and Edwardian Radisson along with some smaller hotels. I'm sure I remember seeing airbus signs in the area.

WillTravel

Just a wild guess, but I think that perhaps the reason that the National Express site says "hand luggage only" for the Gloucester Road stop is that there is no convenient place to park the bus and disgorge luggage from the hold (unlike there is at Victoria Coach Station). So passengers are thus restricted to what they can bring on board (which might include two suitcases).

I would suggest writing to the National Express site - I have gotten a response to email in the past.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Kensingon Forum and observed there were a bunch of buses that loaded up in front of the hotel. Those might have all been tour buses, but it's also possible there is some other service. Why not contact the hotel?

manika

Thank You for your replies:

I wanted more info on the tube rather than Airbus actually : ))). But I guess I should have rephrased my question.

the tube was taken afterall, it was cheaper and convenient. having only 2 suitcases with wheels to carry for two people wasn't a problem.

tudorprincess

vcl is absolutely correct about the two half flights of stairs up to the lift at Gloucester Rd. We took the tube from Heathrow in March to that stop and we each had two suitcases. It was a little awkward but not a hassle. If you have the newer suitcases that you can strap together and roll it isn't a big problem at this stop. Hope this helps.