Cheapest from Heathrow
 

We are staying at the Caring Hotel starting Tuesday night (2/17/04) and would like to know the cheapest transport from Heathrow as we are on a strict budget. The hotel is within walking distance of Paddington Station and Queensway Underground station. Would very much appreciate a quick response.
Thanks very much
Jean

We took the tube...easy and I believe the least expensive way to go.

By far the cheapest would be the tube. But there is no direct link from LHR to Paddington ot Queensway.

A couple of Options would 1) be to take the Piccadilly line from LHR to Hammersmith station and switch to the Hammersmith & City line on to Paddington; or stay on the Picadilly line to Gloucester Rd and transfer to the Circle line to either Queensway or Paddington.

(Purists will say that you could also transfer at other stations and catch the District line to Paddington/Queensway. But the District line goes several different directions and is not easy to figure out which train to catch if this is your first ride on the tube and after a sleepless transatlantic flight)

If you can swing the extra expense at all - the Paddington Express travels from LHR directly to Paddington w/o any changes, and in only 15 minutes.

More expensive than the tube and less expensive than the Paddington Express, the Airbus to Lancaster Gate would be a good choice and as close as either.

Changing to the Hammersmith and City line at Hammersmith actually involves changing stations - up two flights of stairs, through the concourse and crossing Hammersmith Broadway (there are traffic lights, but you might find it a bit scary) and then down again at the H&C station. Changing at Gloucester Road or Earls Court also involves some up and down work.

Another option if you don't have too much luggage might be to take the 27 bus from Hammersmith Broadway to Paddington station (goes up Praed St) - Hammersmith Piccadilly and District Line concourse is incorporated into a bus station as well now.

But the better option would probably be the airbus direct from Heathrow. It would cost at most the price of sandwich or a beer more per person and would be worth the reduction in hassle, if it were me.

http://www.bargainarena.com/air2000/nationalexpress/