R

We will be coming into Heathrow at 8:30 a.m. London transfers says the two of us can be taken to our hotel for $48. The Heathrow express looks easy, but we would then have to take the tube to our hotel which is the Thistle Charing Cross, so it is right on the line. Which do you all recommend? We then will need to get to the place where the Eurostar leaves for Paris (a few days later). How early do we need to arrive? What mode of transport should we use for this leg? There will be 4 of us on that part of the trip. Thanks

Joanne

I say use London Transfers, even though it costs a few &pound; more. <BR><BR>You'll be arriving at 8:30 AM London time, which your body will think is sometime in the afternoon, after a night of little sleep. IMHO, it's a very good investment to have someone meet you at the airport and take you directly to your hotel, rather than coping with public transport right away when you're all tired and jet-lagged.

R

Thanks Joanne. I was thinking the same thing, but since we will be on the tube line, I wasn't sure. Do you know anything about the Eurostar departure and transfer?

Joanne

Sorry, I know nothing about Eurostar. <BR><BR>I do know that tube transfers within one station can involve a LOT of walking and stairs. The rule of thumb for tube travel is to allow 3 minutes for each stop between your start and your destination, and 15 minutes for each transfer. That should give you an estimate of the hassle factor. Especially for more than one person (i.e., train/tube costs multiple, transfer service costs the same), the extra cost is worth it (IMHO).

bettyk

If you are coming from the US and arrive in Heathrow at 8:30 AM, your body will think it is the middle of the night -- not the afternoon. Either way, you will be pooped and should take London Transfers to your hotel!

joanne

Oh, bettyk, duh, thanks for the correction. I'm usually pretty good with those time-zone things! Yes, London is five hours later than New York, so 8:30 AM would be 3:30 AM New York time.

Victoria

We arrive at 6:00 AM so we are using airport-transfers-uk.com. they seem to have their stuff together.<BR>Vicki

Joanne

For Eurostar you need to get to Waterloo Station. We stay at the Strand when in London and rarely take a cab (because public transport is so great and so easy), but we did to the train station. A nice, big, black London cab. Lots of room for us and our luggage. It just seemed easier and more convenient, if perhaps a little more expensive.<BR><BR>I think we arrived an hour or more before our scheduled departure and enjoyed looking in shops, etc. while we waited to board our train. <BR><BR>Hope this helps.<BR><BR>j