After a three week trip in Greece and Italy, my husband and I have an overnight in London before we fly back to the US. Since we don't arrive in London until 8:30pm and our flight leaves the next morning at 10:30 am, i booked the Sheraton Skyline hotel at Heathrow.
Now I'm finding out that the Heathrow Express train takes you back and forth into London in basically 15 minutes. (Is this correct???) So I'm second-guessing my decision to not stay IN London, having spent only a few nights there about 10 years ago.
Please help me decide!
Thanks,
Dina
LONDON: Airport or city hotel for quick overnight stopover?
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If you were arriving earlier I'd recommend staying in London. But w/ an 8:30 landing you won't be in town til 10:00 or later. Yes, the HEX only takes 15 minutes - but that merely gets you to Paddington which is basically nowhere sites-wise. You'd then have to take a cab or the tube another 15+ minutes to get anywhere interesting.
Then in the AM you'd want to be at LHR by 8:00 AM
Keep your Sheraton booking.
You'd have to be back to check in pretty early in the morning.
The Heathrow Express drops you in Paddington. You might get enough time to drop in somewhere for a drink in a nothing special pub before you need to get some sleep. So that's an extra £68 in train fares (for the two of you) to get -------- what?
You could use the tube to make it much cheaper and end up in a nicer part of town - but you'd have a bit less time to appreciate anything.
And all that assumes no delays on your incoming flight, no problems clearing immigration and collecting your luggage, etc.
If it were me, I'd stick with the airport hotel, however characterless it might be, and get a good night's sleep.
Well I'm going to plug the place we stayed in Oct. that is near Heathrow but has all the ambiance of an lovely English Inn in the country - The Swan in very nearby Staines. It is right by the Thames and has a lovely restaurant and outside terrace for dining. You can watch the crews skulling and ducks and swans a swimming - if it is still light, you can stroll the footpath. Very charming, reasonable and a short taxi ride to the airport. Doesn't that sound nicer than a souless aiport hotel?
If you absolutely MUST stay in London then consider booking the Hilton Hotel which has an entrance off the Paddington platforms.
And as to that Sheraton...believe me, it pops up on both Priceline and HotWire all the time and at a deep discount.
Thank you so much for making me feel better about my decision to stay at the airport!