Confused. Isn't Heathrow express and the tube the same?
 

I have read several posts on getting from LHR to London-city and now I am very confused. We are staying in Regents Park, at Melia White House. We are both carrying one checked and one carry on. I read that you can take Heathrow express and then others recommend taking the Piccadilly line into London. Are these not the same? How can I find out which is best for us. I thought all HEX lead to Paddington and we could get a cab from there, will that work?

Clea

No - entirely different things.

The tube is the Underground (a subway in US lingo). The Piccadilly line starts at LHR and crosses all of London through many stations.

The HEX is a regular train (like Amtrak) from LHR to Paddington Station. It costs much more that the tube.

The Heathrow Express will be much faster than the tube. However, a car service from LHR to the Melia will cost about the same as two Heathrow Express tickets, and you'll travel right to the door of your hotel, instead of Paddington Stn. I recommend a car service instead of the Heathrow express and taxi option.

The Underground will be the cheapest option, it will take much longer and will be the most bothersome, ie, carrying luggage up and down stairs, etc,

Thanks Janisj, appreciate the explanation. Now that I know the difference I can figure out how to get to our hotel.

Clea

Now there is a slightly cheaper service called Heathrow Connect, which runs on the same mainline track as Heathrow Express. It makes several stops along the way. (Tickets are not inter-changeable).

I have stayed at the Meliã White House, and made my airport transfers by Tube. The hotel is just across Euston Road from the Great Portland Street Tube station.

Ride the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith, then change to the Hammersmith & City line (some stairs between them) straight to Great Portland Street.

More than "some stairs" at Hammersmith - you'd have to come out and cross Hammersmith Broadway (one of the busiest traffic junctions in west London) to another station entirely.

You can do it without changing platforms, but with several changes where different lines use the same platform: at Hammersmith (to eastbound District Line), Earl's Court (to High St Kensington or Edgware Road train), and at any station between High St Ken or Edgware Rd (to the Circle Line for Great Portland St).

Robespierre wrote:

<< Ride the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith, then change to the Hammersmith & City line (some stairs between them) straight to Great Portland Street. >>

PatrickLondon wrote:
<< More than "some stairs" at Hammersmith - you'd have to come out and cross Hammersmith Broadway (one of the busiest traffic junctions in west London) to another station entirely. >>

I definitely agree with PatrickLondon. I did this route 3 weeks ago and I will NOT recommend it to anyone. The Hammersmith stop mentioned above are 2 separate stations when transferring from Piccadilly line to Hammersmith & City line.

It involves lots of stairs and crossing the street.

Yep - the tube map makes it look straightforward. But if one has actually made that transfer, it is a bear! Definitely different stations.

Hmmm - perhaps the poster's counting of stairs was influenced by his thought that all the doors are on the right hand side of the tube!

<<a car service from LHR to the Melia will cost about the same as two Heathrow Express tickets>>

I told my husband this info and he didn't believe me so can you recommend a car service. A taxi is quite expensinve - I believe I read 30 - 50 pounds.

Thank you.

www.justairports.com

There are several others, but I've only used this one.

You also have to climb out of the Tube and cross a busy 6-lane street to get to the White House. So big deal. Push the button and wait for the Walk signal.

It all depends on what your priorities are. A life of frugality dictates that I trade a momentary discomfort for $50. For the same reasons that others recommend against the HX, I choose alternatives to car services. One reason I have the disposable income I do is because I have never wasted a dollar if I could avoid it.

Well Robes - the OP can still take the tube. She can take Piccadilly line then change for Bakerloo line and get off at Regents Park station. I think this route is the one recommended on the Tube's journey planner. I'm not against taking the tube, but as I have done your suggestion 3 weeks ago (changing at Hammersmith), I would NOT recommend that.

Rhonda: &quot;<i> so can you recommend a car service.</i>&quot;

A taxi would cost approx &pound;55-&pound;60. A car service like justairports.com will cost in the region of &pound;30 if you pay cash.

Two tix on the HEX would cost &pound;29 plus a &pound;6-&pound;10 cab (or a tube ride) from Paddington to the hotel

A car service is door-to-door w/o schlepping bags to the LHR train station and from the train to the Paddington taxi rank.

Thanks much for the recommendation. Which car do you usually request? The Saloon says it can take 4 passengers and 2 bags which includes handbags (?) and the Estate which is 4 pounds more holds 4 people and 4 pieces of luggage. What is your experience?

An estate is station wagon. How many people and what size bags? If it is just two or three of you, and you aren't lugging huge suitcases, a saloon (sedan) should be plenty big enough.

Just the two of us, computer bag, rolling small tote (makeup bag), carry on bag, and one slightly larger. So sounds like the saloon will do.