Khiori

If I go to UKrail and put in Heathrow Terminal 4 (arrivals) to Paddington I get 15.5 (~$30) fare. BUT, if I put in Heathrow terminal 1-2-3 to Paddington I get 6.9 (~$14) fare.

Say I jump on the Tube at terminal 4 and go one stop ($2) to terminal 3, THEN get the Express, it appears I can get to Paddington for a total of $16!

Does this make sense? Or is it not possible? Am I missing something?

flanneruk

I've no idea what UKrail is, and I doubt anyone else has. But:

- It's more or less £15 single on the Heathrow Express between any Heathrow station and Paddington, either way. There's no £6.90 fare
- It's £6.90 to get the rather slower Heathrow Connect stopping train between Heathrow and Paddington.

If you want to go to somewhere immediately near Paddington, the Heathrow Connect service is probably a good deal for the extra 15 minutes or so journey time. If you want to go elsewhere in central London, Paddington's pretty inconvenient, and you're probably better off getting the tube anyway.

flanneruk

I should add that the Heathrow Connect doesn't go to T4, but that the HEX is free between T4 and T1-3.

The Tube - a completely different service, using different tunnels and stations, and under quite different ownership - is NOT free between T4 and T1-3.

So you can get the HEX from T4 for free, LEAVE THE PLATFORM AND BUY A CONNECT TICKET for £6.90 (on the Connect, you pay a penalty if you get on without a ticket) then get the Connect into town. It NEVER makes sense to gert the tube to T1-3 then change to the HEX or Connect

The tube will almost certainly be quicker to most destinations

PalenQ

tube may be quicker to many but not as leisurely with baggage - Heathrow Ex or Heathrow Connection is a seamless way to get to Paddington to hop a taxi to your hotel as these trains have large luggage racks and are rarely crowded.

As for tube if you're on the Piccadilly line from Heathrow you're Ok but if you have to change you may have a struggle with lots of luggage and oft swarming crowds.

The airbuses are also a good economical way in to major hotels and areas near where they go.

keefmick

Can you tell me how to find info on the airbus? We are going to Marriott County Hall, right by the london eye. Thanks.

Robespierre

Alas - the Airbus died in 2004.

To get to your hotel with not much luggage, I would ride the Tube to Piccadilly Circus, then the #12, 159, or 453 bus to County Hall (that's the name of the bus stop, just past the Westminster Bridge). £1 to £4, depending on when you travel and with what kind of ticket.

An Oyster Card is a stored-value payment vehicle that can be used to contain either cash for Pay As You Go fares, or Travelcards (passes). PAYG Oyster fares are cheaper than their cash equivalents, and "cap" each day's expenditure at an amount equal to 50p less than the equivalent Day Travelcard.

The ideal situation for travelers is to have a Travelcard for Zones 1-2 (where virtually all of the tourist sights are located), and buy a "supplement" from Zone 2 to Heathrow in Zone 6. During off-peak travel hours, this supplement costs £1.

If you have more luggage than can be conveniently wrestled aboard trains and buses, a private car service becomes desirable.

flanneruk

To find information on the Airbuses you need to go back about five years.

Failing a time travel machine, your choices are:
- get the National Express bus to Victoria coach station, which is useless for the South Bank (or practically anywhere else unless you love carrying basgs to the distant tube station, or lashing out on a taxi), or
- go to the Hotelink website and see if their £19 service suits you, or
- get a tube or train, changing for Waterloo, or
- get a bus to Feltham, then train to Waterloo

PalenQ

OK my airbus was a bit outdated but i did take the bus from the combined terminal 1, 2 and 3 bus terminal to Feltham train station recently to get to Waterloo and it was not only cheap but easy with luggage. Waterloo is nearly adjacent to your hotel.

Could use Oyster Card on the bus and train i believe though Feltham may not yet be equipped with the readers - due to be very soon but not sure yet.

Flanner - day late and dollar short? I am embarassed by this five years late and five quid short advice gaffe i gave.

wombat7

I stayed at the County Hall at beginning of month - was not traveling with much luggage (ie did not mind a flight of stairs) - so took tube to Westminster and walked across the bridge to the hotel. If you change from Pic line to District at Acton Town or Hammersmith you just walk across the platform (no stairs). I think that the entrance to the County Hall is probably closer to Westminster than Waterloo - certainly a nicer walk because you'll get a good view of the HofP

keefmick

Thanks to both of you for the info! The bus to Feltham and then train to waterloo sounds good. How do I find out about getting the bus from Heathrow to Feltham and what is an oyster card?

wombat7

Keefmik - take the tube - much easier - search the website for information on the Oyster Card - in a nutshell it is a smart card which you load with money and then swipe everytime you go into and out of a tube station and everytime you get on a bus.

You can get one at the London Transport Office at the tube station at Heathrow. See http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ for more than you will ever want to know about Oyster

PalenQ

You get - at least i got the Feltham airbus at the unified bus stop at terminals 1, 2 and 3 - i landed in terminal 4 and hopped the free Heathrow Express train to terminals 1, 2 and 3 unified Heathrow Express train station and went into terminal 3 and the bus stop was just outside - but ask airport information at terminal 4 to check. The bus does not or did not serve terminal 4, though that terminal is at most a few miles from Feltham. Buses and trains go very often. The bus does take quite a while to get from heathrow to Feltham however as it stops a lot.

wombat7

PalQ - The journey by tube was about 1 hour 15 mins dorr to door - think that would probably be quicker than bus plus train

Robespierre

For further information, refer to my post of 04/25/2007, 02:44 pm.

keefmick

thanks everyone--very helpful!

wombat7

Robes - just curious but do you favour the tube plus bus route becuase you know for sure that on the bus only the doors on the left, as you face forward, open? ;-)

Robespierre

Get a life.

wombat7

Have one thanks - was just a little bit of leg pulling

keefmick

A couple more questions came to mind. I like the idea of tubing to westminster and walking across the bride. We are a family of four whose luggage is all on wheels. How long would you estimate the walk to be? longer than 10 minutes? And how much is the tube per person from Heathrow to westminster. We can get a car service door to door for 36 pounds so trying to determine if the savings is worth tubing and walking. Always like to save money but not worth the hassle factor if not a good savings.

Robespierre

Ten minutes is probably about right, by the time you've exited the Tube station and got oriented.

Here's a map of the area: http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/Dow...r.pdf#page%3d2

Tube fare is from £1 to £4 (see above).