Holy cow, our trip is coming up in the no-so-distant future.

To get to our hotel (London Regency on Queensgate), it looks like from Terminal 5 we would take Piccadilly Line straight to Gloucester Road. I assume the signage to Tube station at Terminal 5 is good (if I remember from when I had to change planes at Heathrow, they also have some helpful people to answer stupid questions from tourists). Does that sound correct?

A week later, we are going back to Heathrow to pick up a car to go to Salisbury, Bath and the Cotswolds. I'm driving on the wrong side of the road here in L.A. to get used to it. Is it better to take the Tube or a Cab back to Heathrow. Where are the car rentals at Heathrow? Thanks.

Have you looked on the car hire (rental) website for their location? That would be the place to look and they'll likely have instructions on how to get there. Tube back to LHR will be significantly cheaper and possibly faster.

Yes, Tom, there are people who will answer your questions, I found them to be helpful last fall when trying to get from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5. The signage was pretty good too.

I would suggest a car service when going out to pick up your rental car; I think it will be cheaper than a cab. Taking the tube would be a pain as you take it to the terminal and then get a shuttle to the area where all the car rental places are.

We were just there three weeks ago dropping off a car at Hertz. We had a car and driver from www.justairports.com pick us up there to take us into South Kensington, it was 36 GBP.
We were very happy not to have to load our bags on the shuttle and then find the tube etc.

I also used the same service for my early morning flight home and it cost 28 GBP. My friend used it five days before at 5:30pm and it was 36 GBP, so I guess the price depends on the size of the car and the time of day. They were very punctual and courteous.

Could you post a YouTube video of yourself driving on the wrong side of the road in L.A.? lol.
I can barely drive on the right side of the road in L.A. without a panic attack let alone the wrong side!!

Have a great time! I am already having London withdrawal...love, love London.

Actually it was Enterprise and it was on the Northern Perimeter Road West, and it looked like all or most of the car rental places were near there on that Perimeter road.

Tube to the hotel is easy peasy.

For the trip back out to LHR definitely take a car service (NOT a cab - that would cost a fortune)

A car service like justairports.com will cost half what a taxi does. The reason to use a car service is the car hire firms are all of airport. So taking the tube would mean to LHR, then schelpp to the car rental ground transport (a fairly long walk) and then catching the shuttle. A car service will be door to door.

You must prebook the car service . . .

Thanks. Looks like Tube in from Heathrow and Car Hire out to Rental Car at Heathrow. Kim has printed out our 2-4-1 vouchers (he and Tracy are the organized ones on the trip). Now back to planning!

To clarify vocabulary, car hire = car rental. Car service = transport to car hire agency.

"

"I'm driving on the wrong side of the road here in L.A. to get used to it."

LOL, Tom - have a great time and safe driving!

MmePerdu beat me to it.

No, you aren't doing a car hire.

Car Hire is what you are doing AFTER you get to Hertz or whichever.

A Car service is what you'd call a Limo in LA.

(Gotta get the lingo right )

Damn, I'm in trouble!

>>A Car service is what you'd call a Limo in LA.<<

...And I always thought that "Car Service" was an Americanism... I'd never heard that expression before I ventured into Fodorland. More widely used UK English expressions for this would be an "airport car", or a "chaffeur-driven car" (if it's a large prestige vehicle). Both are examples of what are technically Private Hire taxis.

The word "Limo" is never used in the UK other than for one of those awful stretch Limos (usually with a garish pink paintjob) transporting boozed-up hen party-goers to provincial nightclubs.

The only time I've heard regular use of the term "car service" in the US was in New York City. I don't know how extensively it's used otherwise. I've never heard it on the West Coast.

" I'm driving on the wrong side of the road here in L.A. to get used to it."

I've driven in LA, how can you tell if you're on the wrong side?

Another term is mini cab - nothing at all to do w/ Mini Cooper nor the size of the car. And not a 'cab' to confuse even more.

A mini cab is a pre booked 'car service' . . . which is not a hire car

One more question. I have justairports picking us up at hotel and taking us to the car rental (Avis) at Heathrow. Our pick-up just says the car rental office is located "in the terminal." Can they drop us at any terminal or is there a specific one? Thanks.

Looks like they have offices at all terminals. So unless they say otherwise, I'd assume any terminal would do - and that the JustAirports driver knows all about such things (though that may be wishful thinking, I don't know).

But then you'd have to take their shuttle to the actual rental location off the Bath Road. I'd have justairports take me there instead

http://www.avis.co.uk/CarHire/Europe...FWQ6QgodCBEAbQ

Janis, I owe you a bundle of martinis. That's the answer. Thanks so much.

I'm a wimp and have done the Tube to Heathrow then rental/hire shuttle to the rental/hire facility several times. Thought it was easy. If I remember, the shortest walk from the tube at Heathrow was to terminal 2. The shuttle stop was just a few yards from the escalator up from the Tube. It would save money but whether the savings are worth the extra effort is up to you.

In addition to JustAirports, I would get a mini cab quote as well, Addison Lee is a good firm with immaculate cars.