Heathrow into London - driving time?
 

I'm sure it's been asked a thousand times (but try burrowing through all the posts to find the answer!), so here's 1001: What's the typical driving time from the airport into London...at say, 8 or 9 in the morning as opposed to 9 at night? Thanks!

I'd allow 45-60 minutes, depending on traffic.

Based on past experience I would agree with the 45-60 minutes and the clock starts after you get into the car and not one minute before.

Why would anyone WANT to drive from Heathrow into London? You can take the tube or the train to anywhere you want to go.

You aren't going to rent a car to take into London are you? You'll have to pay the daily London entry fee for cars, never find a place to park, etc. Trust me, you do not want to take a car into London.

the answers so far are pretty accurate - or it could be longer if the traffic is really bad. And a LOT depends on what part of London you are talking about.

But a lot is left unsaid in your question -- are you considering driving? are you booking a car service? do you think driving is the only way to get into London?

If all you want is the drive time for curiosity reasons - 45-90 min. But if you are actually thinking of driving - let us know where you are going and we can offer better alternatives.

I'm just sure that tuckerdc isn't driving, but was asking about the time using a taxi or better -- a car service, right?
As many times as I've done that, it never seems to vary by more than 5 minutes to 10 minutes. A total of 50 to 60 from Heathrow to "my" flat in Covent Garden. And that includes getting pretty stuck in some major morning delays. But the driver always seems to know where to make up for it, closer in.

I'd just like to say that heathrow is the worst and dodgiest airport i've ever endured.

Just so you won't be disapointed when yo get there ;-)

I've had it take anywhere from 25 minutes - (at 6am) to an hour and a half (a crash on the motorway). At 8/9 in the am I would assume an hour at least - less - perhaps 15 or 20 minutes at 9pm.

As for why to take a car - I'm long past the stage of being pack mule woman - so although I'm a big proponent of public transportation - when I have luggage its either a taxi or a limo. For me - any sort of train or bus or??? is just too painful.

Patrick/NY Traveler - You're both right-on, and thank you.

As one of us has mobility issues, "schlepping" - (even if I succeed in my new determination to "pack light")- is not do-able, nor can we take a chance on no elevators to get from-here-to-there-or wherever.

Plus, by my calculations, by the time we took H'row Express and then a cab from P'ton to Victoria station area, it'd be almost as dear as a hired car.

where in London? Depending on what part you're going to the time could vary upwards of 30 minutes. Whe I think of the time to Heathrow, I calculate to/from North London. Other area will vary.
More info please (and taxi/care service/rental car info as well!!)

"Plus, by my calculations, by the time we took H'row Express and then a cab from P'ton to Victoria station area, it'd be almost as dear as a hired car."

By most peoples' calculations that would be true, if you are talking about two or more people. What's more, with the transfer at Paddington and the heaviest part of the traffic being within the city (unless your hotel happens to be very close to Paddington) then it is also doubtful that the HEX and taxi option will be any quicker than a hired car also.

Right again, Patrick. I think we're going to wind up near Victoria station (or poss Kensington). And it is 2 of us.

This is a big hurdle for me - to fork out the $$ for a hired car...we're penny-pinchers about so many things(which is how you get to take dream trips, right?). But then, as I told our kids - all those years of generic catsup (ok, a few years) are finally having some kind of good payoff.

For the terminally frugal, there's always the excellent Transport for London bus service. Express Bus 31 will get you from Heathrow to Victoria without changes. Eventually. (Actually, the TfL Journey Planner says it's just under an hour.)

If your mobility-limited traveler can get into a cab, s/he should be able to manage a bus without too much trouble.

A weekly bus pass costs £11, and will get you unlimited travel anywhere in Greater London.