poutine

I have read the boards and considered my options. We are two adults and two kids (7 & 9), arriving at Heathrow terminal 4 at 9 a.m. on a Monday morning. I would love to book a private car, but can't find a price lower than 50 pounds to County Hall (SE1 7 PB). So, I have convinced myself to suck it up and take the Tube.

We will each have a rolling suitcase, and as we will likely be tired, I want to make this as simple as possible. The Journey Planner tells me to take the bus to Hatton Cross. Take Piccadilly to Gloucester Rd. and change to either the District or Circle Line and get off at Westminster. Is this the best/easiest way? By easist I mean the fewest escalators, and least confusion.

Also, will it be feasible to walk from Westminster to County Hall with rolling suitcases?

I will be at the County Hall for 7 nights, and will then change hotels for the Jurys Chelsea SW6 2GA. The Journal Planner says District line from Westminster to Fulham Broadway, and then walk 12 minutes. Seems simple enough...... Is there much around this area? There is little in the usual travel guides about this part of Chelsea.

Finally, the journey from Fulham Broadway to Heathrow 4 seems more complicated. My flight is BA LHR-CDG at 10:45. The Journey Planner says Fulham Broadway to Earl's Court to Hatton Cross. Then a bus to Sheffield Way and walk to terminal 4......

So, are the Journey Planner recommendations my best bet? Or are there better routes to get where I'm going.

I have a couple of other transport questions, but I want to get these out of the way first!

Thanks all.

janisj

Have you tried justairports? They will probably be less than £40 to county hall. In your situation I Highly recommend using a car service (for both trips). The Walk from Westinster Tube to County Hall isn't bad - but it IS across the river and fairly strenuous especially for the little ones after a flight.

But if you do opt for the tube DO NOT change at Gloucester Rd - no matter what the trip planner says. You will want to change at Hammersmith to District line. At H'smith there are NO stairs or long walks between lines. You simply walk across the platfrorm and wait for the next train. Much, MUCH easier than changing almost anywhere else.

Lori

I agree with Janis - please take a car service and save yourself the jetlag factor that comes into play in dealing with public transport, luggage and kids (plus you do not know, it could be raining and there you are dragging luggage out to find a bus).

Sometimes it is better not to take the cheapest way and in this case it may be worth the price of a car service. It certainly strikes me as a better way to start a trip then dealing with jetlag and public transport.

Lori

I might add there are some posters who swear by tube/bus from Heathrow and I'm ok with that - however, while it sounds inexpensive it can be costly in annoyance if you do not know your way around. I know London well, but I still do not do it as comfort is as important to me as saving some money.

Robespierre

The Tube to Westminster isn't hard to manage (if you change at Hammersmith as recommended), and you can grab a 159 bus at Westminster right to the hotel. And you sure can't beat the Oyster fare.

You may also want to adjust for the fact that the Heathrow Express is free between LHR T1-2-3 and T4.

I've lost count of the number of times I've used the Tube without difficulty after an 11-hour flight.

poutine

Thanks Lori and Janisj. I have e-mailed Justairports to find out if their cash quote of 32 pounds includes VAT and airport pickup charge. If so, I might be persuaded on the way to the hotel, especially if it is supposed to rain.....

Janisj, I do appreciate the tip about Hammersmith. That is the kind of info I hoped to receive.

poutine

Sorry Robespierre, I hadn't seen your message when I posted. It can't be that difficult to take the Tube with a suitcase each. I was more worried about any jetlag, or rain. If the price is low enough I may take justairports on the way to the hotel, and the Tube between hotels, and on the way back.

Now, with kids 7 & 9, they don't pay for the bus (ever I think), and only pay for the Tube before 9:30. Do I have that right? So, if we only plan to take the Tube two or three times before 9 a.m., is there any point buying an Oyster for them?

poutine

I meant putting money on an Oyster card for my kids.

Robespierre

Kids have to pay on weekdays before 9:30, but if you arrive at LHR at 9:00, I doubt if that will be an issue. They would have to pay (£1.50 single fares) for the early trips the other days - but you could always finesse that by taking the bus for £0.

Getting them Oyster cards would not only be a hassle, it would cost more than single fares.

Intrepid1

Sorry, but I would not add to any possible Tube "hassles" by adding a change to a bus.

The walk across the bridge from the Tube stop isn;t that far HOWEVER it does involve a flight of stairs from the tunnel out of the Tube stop to the bridge itself.

CotswoldScouser

Jury's Chelsea isn't in what most of us would call Chelsea. It's in the Chelsea Harbour project - a collection of (in most people's view) charmless, characterless new buildings miles away from anywhere, except the Battersea heliport on the other side of the river and the Sands End gasworks. There's nothing in the guidebooks about it, because there's nothing to put in.

The journey planner is a bit confusing. The T4 tube station is closed while the line is being rerouted. So the shortest route to T4 is to get the tube to Hatton Cross, from where a bus takes you to T4. "Sheffield Way" is the name of the approach road at T4: the walk at T4 is trivial.

Unlike the walk from "Chelsea" Harbour to Fulham Broadway tube.

janisj

OH - I dodn't look up the address of the Jury's Chelsea. If there is any way to change that booking - I'd <b>REALLY</b> consider it. Especially for a sightseeing vacation with children along, and where the budget is important.

Chelsea Harbor is near the river and your room may be wonderful - BUT you will have to take cabs to get anywhere from there. It is not near any tube stations and very few buses. Any saving you would have made by taking the tube to/from the airport will be eaten up the first day at Chelsea Harbor.

Unless you have already paid for the hotel (hopefully not) definitely look for something else. Are you staying on points by any chance? If so - what other hotels are available to you - we can help you pick the best one.

Lori

I also just re-read your original post and I agree with the last posters - that hotel is NOT near anything. You will not be happy campers at that location if your prime concern is sight-seeing. No, it is not the end of the world, but it may very well seem like it, particularly with kids in tow. Please reconsider and book elsewhere.

obxgirl

poutine, If you used justairport's online estimate and chose pickup &quot;from the airport&quot; then the 32 GBP cash price to an SE1 address includes the airport pickup charge and VAT.

However the more relevant question is whether or not 4 people and 4 rolling bags will fit in the standard sized saloon (sedan) car. You might need to go up a level to the estate (minivan) car.

I'd call them directly and ask about this. Justairports (and a couple of the other car services) are not terribly good or swift about responding to emails.

Other the email thing, I think they're a great service!

poutine

Thanks for the info about the Jurys Chelsea. Our flight is with British Airways, and at the time they offered two free nights from a small list of hotels. All the others listed had Tripadvisor scores in the 300-500 range, and pretty universally dismal comments. The Jurys Chelsea had better comments regarding the hotel, with a couple of minor caveats regarding it's isolation. At the time, I figured I already had 7 nights at the more centrally located County Hall, and at least it was supposedly clean.......and the free part appealed to me.....

I will only check into the Jurys early evening in that case, and so will only have one full day and the trip back to Heathrow to worry about. Justairports is 25 pounds (how do you make that pound sign?) from Chelsea to Heathrow, which I can swing.

Thanks for all your help.

Mucky

Hi poutine,
To be honest &pound;50 is pretty good value for a private car from LHR to CHall for 4 people. By the time you add up all the various fares and factor in the tiredness and inconvenience, it is a small price to pay.
I am not sure what a cab will cost from there, anyone know?

Plus your within an hour of the rushhour on a Monday Morning. Give yourself a break and take the private car, you won't regret it.

Good Luck

Muck

Lori

Poutine - I guess you now know why the hotel was &quot;free&quot; .. basically in this world there is a price to be paid for everything in some manner or form As they say &quot;live and learn&quot; and that goes for hotel locations as well as everything else !!

Just a thought regarding your comment about checking in at Jury's in early evening - you will need to be out of your other hotel by noon, what do you plan on doing with your luggage until early evening ? Perhaps County Hall hotel will hold on to it for you while you go sightseeing and then you can come back and collect it before heading off to Jury's ?

Incidentally, remember those car service quotes don't include tip - which is generally appreciated (and expected in most cases I might add). No matter you will not regret the convenience of being picked up, save a few pounds some where else and go with a car service.

Enjoy your trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

julia_t

I have read through this thread, and if Mucky hadn't said that &pound;50 for 4 of you from LHR right into London to County Hall was not a bad price, then I would have!

Anyway I echo him - that's only &pound;12.50 per head, and yes, you could do it a bit cheaper by tube and bus but why bother with all that fuss and hassle after a long overnight flight when people are likely to be feeling slightly grumpy? Take the private car, and it seems as though you have found a cheaper deal with justairports anyway.

County Hall is in a really great location and I'm sure you will find it a perfectly good place to stay in London. And by the time you find yourselves a bit of a way out in Chelsea Harbour, it is at the end of your trip, and by then you will have much more of a specific idea of what to do/where to go on your final day.

Have a great trip!

janisj

poutine: Just another (ANOTHER) reason I don't rely on Trip Advisor. Are you stuck w/ the Jury's thourgh BA - or can you still change to one of the other hotels offered? What were some of them?

If you end up sticking w/ it, geting there will definitely will require a cab. You <i>could</i> take the tube part way and then catch a cab from wherever - but much more trouble than its worth. Leave your bags at county hall then come back late in the day, retrieve you bags and then take a cab to Chelsea harbor.

Next time ask us first (before you book a place)

poutine

Mmm, I booked my tickets in January (thankfully), and picked the Jurys Chelsea back then. I did not keep a print out of which other hotels were offered, however I do know that for the two nights I wanted only the Jurys accepted my kids (thus all four of us) in the same room. I tried the BA holidays phone number, but it the department was closed right now. I will try again tomorrow, however I think I might be stuck at this point.

I am sure the County Hall will let me check out in the morning and leave my bags until later that day. No rain and we can Tube it to Chelsea. Rain and we will see, I might give in to a cab! I think however that from the Jurys to Heathrow, I will reserve with Justairports. The rate is reasonable and the routing seems much more complicated on public transit than Heathrow to County Hall.

This is the first vacation in twenty years that my husband and I haven't either booked a shuttle, or driven out of the airport in a rental car. But I am trying to keep the overall cost of this trip from skyrocketing. There aren't that many costs in a vacation that are variable once the flight and hotel choices are made. Food and transport are flexible costs, so that is were I am trying to keep things manageable.

If BA says I can switch hotels, I will let you know my options.

Thanks again for your opinions.