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Heathrow Airport Shuttle To Central London

Heathrow Airport Shuttle To Central London

Old Feb 21st, 2009, 06:06 PM
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Heathrow Airport Shuttle To Central London

My husband and I are in our 60's. We will be in London at the end of May. We want to go from Heathrow to our Holiday Inn, 100 Cromwell, SW7. Due to our luggage, we don['t want to take the tube. I already went on-line to inquire about shuttles. Most of them will not take us, as we are going to have two large suitcases, two carry-ons and one medium suitcase. I was told that we can only take two medium suitcaes and two carry-ons, TOTAL. Then I got a price from "London-AIrport-Shuttle.co.uk". I was advised we could upgrade to a VW Caravelle mini van, as that would hold our luggage. I was quoted a price of 50 British pounds, per trip (100 British pounds round-trip). We would be the only two people being transferred. Does that sounds like an o.k. price? I guess the regular British sedans are not meant for large pieces of luggage. Once I make a reservation with "London-Airport-Shuttle", there is a huge penalty for cancelling it. Thank you. Elaine
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Old Feb 21st, 2009, 06:09 PM
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Try JustAirports.com and tell them how much luggage you'll have. Many of us here have used them before. You get a slight discount if you pay cash.

Just curious, why are you bringing so much luggage?
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Old Feb 21st, 2009, 06:28 PM
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I agree - that is a tremendous amount of luggage. But in any case, definitely use justairports. They will be cheaper -around £30-£35 each way -- and a bit less for cash.

(Where are you going to put all that luggage in a small London hotel room??)
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Old Feb 21st, 2009, 06:38 PM
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If you use justairports, ask for an estate (station wagon) rather than a saloon (sedan). It will accommodate all your luggage. The cash price will be £34.
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Old Feb 21st, 2009, 07:00 PM
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I just re-checked the justairports site. With all your luggage, you may need a MPV (minivan). The return (roundtrip) cash price would be £82. It would be £62 return for an estate, but the site says you can only have four bags in an estate. It would be best to give justairports the dimensions of your luggage and have them tell you if you could get by with an estate or not.

Even better would be to pack lighter!
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Old Feb 21st, 2009, 10:44 PM
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Well my husband and I will each have one large suitcase (29"). We both will have a carry-on (that is four pieces). I figured I had to bring one additional medium case to handle the extra items which weigh too much for the other cases. We are going to be gone for a whole month to London, Paris, Lugano (going to The Lakes), Zurich and Lucerne. I can't get everything to fit into just two cases for both of us. The airline weight requirements are pretty stiff. Thank you all very much for your suggestions.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 12:44 AM
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How are you travelling to rest of Europe - if flying you are going to be hammered for excess baggage charges, if by try it's going to be your problem to get everything on the train - and a 29 inch suitcase is going to go at the carriage ends.

I'm sorry but your luggage is totally unreasonable and is going to cause you severe problems which will ruin your holiday

Haven't you heard of washing?
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 12:45 AM
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You should try to cut down on the luggage - travelling light is liberating. You are going to places with good shops and hotels. You get things washed or dry cleaned and the shops will stock incidental items that you might need.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 01:52 AM
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Another option might be www.dot2.com, a shared minibus service.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 04:25 AM
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Before you decide you have to take all that luggage, go to this page: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/tips_menu.htm. Read the articles under the "Packing" heading. If you can't convince yourselves to pack extremely light, following some of the suggestions in the articles should help you eliminate at least one bag.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 04:45 AM
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I know you've asked about a shuttle but I really think your bigger problem is the amount of luggage you are taking. We travel for a month in winter,when heavier clothes are needed, and manage with a 22" rollaboard which we check and 1 small piece of cabin luggage. There is a self service laundromat very near your hotel. I think it's on Harrington Rd and there is also a dry-cleaner /laundry on Gloucester Rd that has 1 day service.

I can't see how you'll manage that amount if your are traveling on the trains between cities.There is no one at the stations to help.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 05:27 AM
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Here's another recommendation for JustAirports. We used them three times and were very pleased. And, my brothers used them just last month and were thrilled.

About the luggage...I do not subscribe to minimal packing, and have my husband to help, but even I wouldn't leave home with that much luggage, even if we were staying in just one place. From one place to the next, the bags get more and more burdensome.

Strongly recommend you swap those 29" cases for 25-26" maximum and keep to just one other small bag each. A filled 29" bag will almost surely exceed the weight maximum. People here will have all sorts of tips and recommendations for packing lighter. Best first plan of attack is a wardrobe of "black and..." (white/ivory tops, sweaters/blazer in your favorite colors, only black shoes, etc.). Think in terms of layers (and everything matches everything else versus "outfits"). Packing outfits requires far more bags than mix/match separates. And, keep the shoes to two or three (walking, dressy, sandals). Pack only clothing you love, fits well, and is very comfortable. (Believe me, as one who used to mega overpack, you will haul all that around and come home with half of it unworn.) The best tops, slacks, skirts, etc., are those you can rinse out in the hotel sink and will dry overnight. I do pack one or two plastic hangers with swivel hooks and skirt hooks, as most hotel hangers are useless for drying clothes. Also, carefully consider toiletries. I cannot use hotel provided products due to allergies, but still bring only what I absolutely have to have and nothing I don't use at home every single day, and just enough to last the trip.

If you will be traveling by train, as mentioned, there will be no assistance in the stations. There will be very little time to board the train with all those bags. On our first trip to Europe, in Switzerland, we barely got ourselves and our too many bags on the train before the doors slammed shut. Then, you have to store and secure your bags on the train.

I'll never be able to spend a month out of a 21" rollaboard, but the smaller large bag and smaller carryon you can make do with the better your travels will be.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 05:57 AM
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Sorry but I also have to chime in here ... getting to your hotel in London with all that luggage is the least of your problems... How are you getting to Paris from London, and how are you getting around Switzerland? Even if you take cabs to/from hotels and train stations and airports, I honestly do not see how one person can manage a 29" suitcase plus a carry, not to mention that "medium piece" suitcase. You have to lift your suitcases up and down the trains, and most train stations do not have luggage trolleys. Perhaps you are renting a car once you're on the Continent, but I can't imagine you finding a car that can fit all your luggage in the trunk!

I can travel to Europe in the winter for 2 weeks (without doing laundry) with a 19" carryon plus a day bag, so I can definitely do the same for 1 month if I do laundry once or twice on the trip.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 06:16 AM
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29 inch bags - should be interesting getting them into some London bedrooms as I've been in some rooms where going over the bed was the easiest way to cross the rooms
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 06:27 AM
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The luggage will become a burden--it already is--witness the problems you're having just getting into London. I used to want to pack everything but the kitchen sink but got over it and it's so liberating. Best advice was to reduce the size of your checked luggage and get rid of the "extra" case.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 09:12 AM
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Hi there. Another choice might be to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington, then cab it to your hotel. There are luggage racks on the HEX and you can take two trolleys to get the backs to the train.

Re: the luggage. I agree with others. My husband and I spent four months in Europe and didn't have the luggage you do. Perhaps, you're attending a lot of fancy functions, but if not I think you would be surprised how little you'll need. If you'd like a look at our packing list, you can send me an email at [email protected]
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Old Feb 22nd, 2009, 11:47 AM
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You can do 1 week or 1 month or even 1 year w/ less luggage than you are taking.

As the others have said -- forget about getting into London -- That is no biggie. How do you plan on handling the luggage during the rest of your journey? Are you flying? Airlines have strict baggage limits and charge a LOT for over weight. Trains? You have to be able to schlepp all your own things on/off the trains (up steps/into overhead racks, etc) often in just a few seconds. There are no porters . . . . .

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