shandi

I really need help!
I'm travelling with my grandma to NY and we have to change flight in London BUT we land at London city airport at 09: 20 am and I have to fly from Heathrow at 1:05 pm.
What to do?! Which is best? Bus, taxi, train?


Pleeeease help me!!!!

willit

You can do it by public transport but it means several changes which might be an issue for your grandma if she has mobility issues, or if you have a lot of luggage.

http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk

PatrickLondon

The least encumbering means by public transport would be: DLR to Canning Town, where there are escalators and I think lifts to the Jubilee Line. From there you can change at Westminster (escalators, and again I think lifts) to the District Line, then change at Hammersmith (just a few steps across the platform) to the Piccadilly Line for Heathrow.

You could shorten the time a bit by staying on the Jubilee Line to Baker St., then taking the Bakerloo Line (a short walk on the level from one platform to the other) to Paddington for the Heathrow Express (but I'm not sure whether there are steps to negotiate at Paddington).

Or you could book a car and driver to meet you at London City and take you to Heathrow, which would probably be cheaper than the Heathrow Express option. Others here have recommended a firm like justairports.com.

However, time might be a bit tight if you have to be at Heathrow by 11am to check in for New York, whichever means you choose. You could consult justairports for their advice about timings, as they would have experience of this.

BigRuss

First, this is not a trip report.

Second, you need a lot of time for this transfer and you don't have it. You will clear baggage claim in LCY around 10 am, at best. The Tube to Heathrow will take something close to 1.5 hours, which means you may not be able to make your flight depending upon when check-in closes for international flights. You won't meet the three-hour requirement for checking in before taking a transoceanic flight.

Get a car service, it is your best hope. No bus. No train.

OReilly

Shandi: is what day? There is a hugh differece in time, if it is weekday versus weekend.

Definately recommend a limo service, rather than public transportation - immpossible and horrible! Honestly, I live in SE London, trust me on this one!

http://greenwichtravel.co.uk/

I have used this service dozens of times - not the cheapest, but always reliable. It will cost you about £90. In off-peak, it wil take 60 mins, in on-peak, may be as much as 90 mins.


Click on the link at talk to Steve. He is a great guy!

Best Ger

OReilly

Shandi:

The transition is tight. Some things to consider about timing:

• Are you arriving from outside the UK/Ireland? If not, you go through passport control
• Do you have an EU passport; if not, passport control takes longer
• Do you have checked luggage?

It could take as much as 60 mins to get to the curb to pick up your pre-booked car (lets say 1030, at best). Worst case scenario is it takes you 90 mins to get to LHR, which means you arrive at LHR at 1200, which is very late for an international flight.

Best case scenario would get you to Heathrow for 1130. For a 1300 flight, I would want to get to the airport at 1100.

Regards Ger

Sassafrass

If your flight to London City Airport is even a few minutes late? It will be impossible.

You should book an earlier flight into London or a later flight into NY.

OReilly

Or save yourself a lot of grief by flying into LHR

nytraveler

Heathrow is huge with a ton of flights and I have found security lines there often very time-consuming (for some reason thy seem to have an awful lot of people who don;t now the program and have to be told again and again and go back and forth shedding new items each time).

If a flight to NYC leaves at 1:05 I would want to be at the airport no later than 10 am (but I am risk averse). But definitely no later than 11 (and you should check your airline if that is too late).

I think the chances of getting to Heathrow by then are fairly slim if it's a weekday - no matter what method you choose. If your grandmother is elderly and/or if you have substantial luggage I would definitely get a car service - so she doesn't have to be running through various trains and stations.

But really I think getting to London the day before is a better idea. Or a later plane to NY.

alanRow

It can't be emphasised enough that this is a bad idea in normal circumstances, let alone with an elderly relative.

If you fly into and out of Heathrow then you avoid the need to pass through UK immigration, collecting and rechecking luggage and several hours you'll need between flights.

If you must do it then try a car service like justairports or any of the other companies frequently recommended here.

Tulips

Luggage is very quick at London City; it's nearly always on the belt as I come out of passport control. So you could be outside with luggage at 9.30 (I've done this often - it is very fast).

But travelling to LHR is always going to be messy on public transport, especially if you have a lot of luggage. And with a taxi, you could get stuck in traffic.

I would take a taxi (or car service) and if traffic turns out to be particularly bad, have him drop you off at a Piccadilly Line station.

It will be a challenge to get to Heathrow from LCY in 1,5 hours.

janisj

It really would have been better (much better) to ask this question before booking the flights.

You have some huge issues here . . .

jamikins

On public transit expect it to take 2 hours to get between the two. I live near city airport and do this trek to get home from heathrow regularly. And that is with hubby and I walking very quickly through the interchanges...if you can change your flight to fly into heathrow or land the night before I would highly recommend it. If anything goes wrong you won't make the connection.

cathies

How old is your grandma? I'm a fit, active grandmother in my 50's.