PalenQ

The most reliable way may be the train to Feltham - quicker than the Tube and much more comfy and then a taxi from there to your terminal - most reliable in terms of time - tubes can be delayed and road traffic can be gridlock at times.

Doppio

More confused now than ever.

What EXACTLY would I have to do to take teh tube to get from St James station to Heathrow terminal 4? Step by step.

Waterloo, Paddington, Hammersmith, Feltham, Ealing ???. I really need it spelled out, I guess. Sorry

Doppio

What about this??

http://www.londondrum.com/transport/...row-terminal-4

Journey: St. James’s Park → Victoria → Sloane Square → South Kensington → Gloucester Road → Gloucester Road → Earls Court → Barons Court → Hammersmith → Acton Town → South Ealing → Northfields → Boston Manor → Osterley → Hounslow East → Hounslow Central → Hounslow West → Hatton Cross → Heathrow Terminal 4 - from http://www.londondrum.com/transport/...row-terminal-4

Doppio

1) → At St. James’s Park take the District Line
2) → Change train at Gloucester Road to the Piccadilly Line
3) → Leave the train at Heathrow Terminal 4 - from

xyz123

Here goes.....

1. Descend the steps into the subway at St. James Park. Either buy or use your existing fare media to enter the tube.

2. You want the district line (green on the maps) going westbound. Schematic diagrams of the routes are present as you go down the stairs.

3. There are countdown timers which tell you how many minutes to the next train. Take any district line train marked going westbound to either Ealing Broadway or Richmond.

4. The eighth stop will be Hammersmith (you will know you're going in the right direction if the next stop is Victoria, followed by Sloan Square followed by South Kensington, Glouester Road, Ear;s Cpirt. West Kensomgtpm. Barpms Cpirt The stop after Barons Court is Hammersmith.

5.Get off the train. The District line train you're on will come in against the wall. The Picadilly line tracks are across the platform in the middle....no steps to climb or anything. Check the countdown timer again which will tell you when the next trains arrive. You want the train marked Heathrow Termina 4. When that train arrives, get on.

6. Take the train to Heathrow Terminal 4. You will know you are headed in the right direction when you start seeing stops such as Acton Town, Boston Manor, Hounslow East, Central, West, Hatton Cross. At Hatton Cross you will hear all sorts of annoucements telling passengers bound for Heathrow terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 to get off the train and take a train bound for those terminals on the same track. Ignore the annoucements. The next stop is Heathrow Terminal 4. You are there.

It is really a piece of cake once you get on the District line train bound for either Richmond or Ealing Broadway.

The trains are marked in the front and as noted the countdown clocks will show the destination of the next train on the track and how long away it is......

I hope that helps.

Doppio

Thanks xyz, very helpful. That's exactly what I needed.

Not sure why this has been so confusing to me. I have taken trains in other cities in Europe with no problem. I think because back then there was no hurry or schedule. Now that I have a flight to catch, I'm nervous about getting there on time.

Should be fine for 3 adults and one kid, all with 21" carry on bags? (+ wife has a big purse, her 'personal item')

Doppio

Ooops, I mean 2 adults and one kid ^^

Avalon2

I'd go as I always do with Justairports and avoid the hassle it's worth the difference in money! Never had a problem with rush hour in many trips!

janisj

None (NONE) of this will be AT ALL confusing on the day . . . because . . . you will have been staying IN London already and will have used the tube <u>multiple</u> times before that morning.

Us explaining it long distance like this will probably confuse you unnecessarily. By the time you board that westbound District line train, you will be an old pro.

Sometimes getting all the teensy details before you are 'on the ground' is overkill.

PalenQ

the quickest way would be to take the Tube to Paddington station then hop the Heathrow Express which in about 20 minutes will put you right at your terminal. More expensive than the tube but a dedicated airport train. I've taken the Tube many times to Heathrow with baggage and it can be a complete hassle if trains are full as they often seem to be.

Indeed a taxi to Paddington then Heathrow Express is by far the quickest and most reliable and most comfy way to the airport from any place in central London.

menachem

I totally agree with that, but it's what I suggested earlier already.

Once I've taken the tube from Heathrow into the town, because my destination was near Hammersmith. Never again.

xyz123

PalenoQ...I don't quibble about the Heathrow Express being a nice train and all that however....

From St. James Park, the op if taking the tube to Paddington either has to take a circle line train bound for Edgemere Road or the westbound District line train to Earls Court and change which means going either up or down a flight of stairs to the opposite platform for the district line train bound for Edgeware Road. And then upon arrival at Paddington walk a bit to find the track where the Hex runs. All this eats up time whereas once the op is on the westbound District line train (and train except those marked going to Wimbledon which might be running in the morning but the countdown timers are very clear), there is the quick and easy change at Hammersmith across the platform. It's a straight on ride and will take not much more door to door than 50 minutes from the time they get on the district line train at St. James Park.

I'm sorry and I don't mean to be argumentive but the few minutes sved, and that's all it is once the connections are taken into account, are simply not worth the money.

Now if they were staying at a hotel near Paddington, then there's a rel time saving. I believe a cuople of years ago I remember reading a story about two people setting off from central London for Heathrow...one via the Hex and the other via the tube. The guy on the Hex won...by about seven or eight minutes. Is it really worth it?

xyz123

Of course it's Edgeware Road not Edgemere Road as I stupidly typed above....circle line (yellow on the map) to Edgeware Road (you can check the countdown timer to see if one is due) or westbound District line train to Earls Court then up and don (or down and up) to other side and District line train bound for Edgeware Road to Paddington via tube....will take at least 15 minutes if not longer...5 minutes or more to walk from Paddington underground stop to Paddington main line station...perhaps stopping to buythe ticket (although you can pay on the train)...so where is the time savings?

Tulips

Doppio, not very useful to you if you have booked your flight from LHR, but I find it much easier to use City Airport; it's small, quick to get through, efficient. If you have only hand luggage, you can get there half an hour before your flight leaves (even 15 minutes before, you will make your flight - don't try that at Heathrow!).
Cityjet flies LCY - AMS for about 112 pounds.