lizzybirdy

I've decided to change my strategy and try for an area that would be easy to get to from Heathrow. We will be based there for 3 nights --wherever that is. Any suggestions? I imagine we will take Heathrow express? Or alternatives..taxi sounds like a bad idea.

janisj

The ONLY reason to take the Heathrow Express is if you are staying at/near Paddington station. Since that is not the most convenient/nice area to stay - I'd forget about the Heathrow Express.

If you take the tube - then anyplace along the Piccadilly line would be a straight shot from LHR. Those would include South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Green Park/Mayfair, Covent Garden, Russell Square.

If you take a car service - then you can stay absolutely anywhere in central London.

tod

Janisj is spot on with that excellent advice - For many years and even now we choose to stay in the Russell Square area having tried these hotels:

THE ROYAL NATIONAL - enormous hotel set out in two sections with a North & South reception. Corridors are long and confusing. Loads of tourist coaches coming and going.
One advantage is that it is a pick up for the coach tours on day trips out of London. Very handy when they want you to board at +-7.30am.

THE TAVISTOCK - very basic but clean.
Haven't stayed there for the last 20 years.

THE PRESIDENT - This hotel is the closest to Russell Square Tube station, being a short walk down a lane next to the tube.
We have stayed here 3 times and prefer it to the others above.
Last time I was there with my mum in June 2000 and we had a roof-top room. These rooms have a seperate elevator but found them hot and no aircon.

THE TRAVEL INN:
Oposite Euston Station - not convenient for Picadilly Line & LHR but cheap & basic.

THE IBIS EUSTON: This is our preferred hotel for the last 4 visits to London. Not as convenient when you come from Heathrow by tube but we mostly come via Eurostar from Paris so this hasn't bothered us.

THE RUSSELL HOTEL:
Boy would I liked to have stayed here just once! If you can afford it ( and it's not HUGE money) this lovely old queen of hotels is right on the corner facing the Russell Square garden itself. The tube is right behind it.

These are but a few cheaper options in the area but you must do some web-searching. Good luck!

lizzybirdy

Thank you. That is valuable information. The Russell is lovely, a little more than we wanted to spend...but this gives me an idea about where to look , in case I want the option of taking the tube. I am leaning toward convenience as this is my husband's 1st time to Europe, our 1st transatlantic flight. jet lag, unfamiliar territory..I'll probably do some research on car service. I found a hotel in Knightsbridge that looks reasonable, Grosvenor Kensington, I may hold a back up reservation .I'm still considering Hotwire & Priceline. This part of the planning is the hardest, probably because of the dollar situation.I am thrilled about the Apt. I got in Paris. I feel like I can stay anywhere in the Cotswolds. But ,London has been a challenge.
The other piece of this puzzle is coming from the Cotswolds and taking Eurostar to Paris. But, somehow I think that will be simple.
This Forum has been such a tremendous help!
Thanks again.

flanneruk

Cotswolds to Paris.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with Eurostar: I'd drive, get a taxi (typically £80-90) or under some circumstances a train, to Heathrow or Birmingham airports and fly.

If you want to do it the difficult way, drive to Ebbsfleet if you've hired a car (slightly less hassle than driving to Psris, but only slightly) to get the Eurostar. With luggage and no hired car, train to Paddington, Circle Line tube to St Pancras, and look carefully for the lift. There is one, but they keep VERY quiet about it and you need Sherlock Holmes skills to find it - which is probably why the tube stops at Baker St on the way.

Cab queues at Paddington can be a nightmare in the morning, and only the Circle Line gives you no-stair access from the mainline trains to the tube.

janisj

"coming from the Cotswolds and taking Eurostar to Paris. But, somehow I think that will be simple."

OMG - could not be further from the truth!

flanner explained some of the options/issues for traveling from the Cotswolds to the Eurostar to Paris. Tell us a bit about your itinerary - and we can give you better options.

lizzybirdy

OK, I may have to re-think the itinerary.We arrive Heathrow May 13th ,noonish. The plan was to stay in London 3 nights and then the Cotswolds 2 nights, bringing us to Sunday when we have our Apt booked in Paris.
We don't have to rush, but we will have luggage, not good for hopping in & out of multiple stations..if a car could take us to Heathrow---what about back to Pancras Station?Or a bus/ train to the city & then a taxi to Pancras??

janisj

Do you already have the Eurostar booked? If not - I'd fly from Bristol (or maybe Heathrow or Birmingham depending on where you are staying in the Cotswolds)

OR - if the train tix are already paid for, you could do the Cotswolds at the beginning. Then go into London for 3 nights and take the Eurostar from there.

Either of the above would be relatively easy.

Otherwise you'll need to drop your car somewhere (Oxford - a pain, LHR - maybe) and get into Paddington and then on to St Pancras (or the tube all the way to St Pancras if you use LHR).

But if you drop the car at LHR - you might as well just fly.

lizzybirdy

ACTUALLY, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BOOKED YET, so, it's wide open.It would be better to be in the city if we were leaving from the city...I suppose we could go from Heathrow directly to the Cotswolds, however, after travelling for 12 hours or so, I'm not keen on getting on a train for another 2 hours. I'm more inclined to get from the Cotswolds to an airport--even Heathrow by train-& fly to Paris. Perhaps there are commuter flights to Paris. I have an article saved that listed several sites to book "affordable" European travel--Flycheapo; Whichbudget; Skyscanner.Maybe thats the way to go. I think we were both looking forward to trying the "Chunnel" tho..So , you don't think the Train from Morton-on MArsh to Paddington....then Taxi to St. Pancras? on Sunday.

janisj

There are no trains to LHR from the Cotswolds (or from anywhere else for that matter, except for London). You can tale an express bus from Oxford to LHR, though.

Were you planning on touring the cotswolds by public transport, or by car?

lizzybirdy

Well, the plan was no car. Get there by train or bus, stay in one place....hike around. I'm open as to where we stay---was looking at Chipping Camden; or Broadway.I suppose, we could rent a car--if we rented outside London, and dropped it at , let's say, Bristol airport. Which airport would be the easiest? There are flights from all 3, I just checked. Bristol runs about $139; Birmingham is less and Heathrow--$102--for midday --2:00 ish fllights.Since we didn't have much time, I didn't want to spend it in a car.W really only have part of the 16th and all day 17th. So, if there are ways to get to the airport--we could train..but if it really makessense, and makes our trip easier, we could pick up a car.

lizzybirdy

Flanneruk suggested a taxi to Birmingham--maybe that's the way. It's gonna be a toss--rent a car--or pay for a taxi. Birmingham has a flight at 1:30 for 32 pounds , on FLybe..I'm imagining Birmingham & Bristol are smaller airports..which would be nice.

lizzybirdy

I was just looking at the map, and I thought what might work ,if we could get to Bristol from London(i know there's a train to Birmingham), but we could rent a car in Bristol, drive thru Bath; Gloucster and up to Broadway area for the night.Spend the next day hiking around and drive back to Bristol airport the following day, return the car & fly out.

lizzybirdy

I think I want to simplify this. Taxi to Paddington from wherever we stay in London. Train to Moreton In Marsh. Probably have to Taxi to CC or Broadway, unless we stay in Moreton In Marsh. Hike and explore that day & next. Taxi--to Birmingham & fly to Paris.

janisj

That is about as simple as you can do -

The taxi to B'ham won't be cheap - but neither will a 2-day car rental.

lizzybirdy

Thanks for the confirmation. It's really a toss up. We only have 1 day & 1/2.I'd prefer spending it outside of a car. And it seems flights are not bad.Correct me if I am wrong but the Eurostar fare apppeared to be about $200/pp. The flights seem much less expensive.I think I priced 2 one ways for about $120--130.Anyway, I'll go back and confirm everything & get down to making some reservations. One way or another we've got to pay for transportation.And there are many posts by those who have "trained "from Paddington , bussed or taxied around, and even round tripped back to LOndon. I think the flying suggestion was a great idea.Thanks for all your imput.