I ARRIVE AT 8 P.M. IN LONDON IS THE TRAIN STILL OPERATING????
 

Hi all:

My flight gets into Heathrow around 8 p.m....are the trains still running? My first time to London!

thanks.

If you are talking about the Heathrow Express, it runs, sure :)

And the tube is still running. Piccadilly Line to central London. Most trains will be running in as much as trains in UK do run these days.

Kenderina - I obviously have never been there so when I get out of the airport is there signs that will easily direct you to the right train? I am leaving heathrown into central london to a hostel.

I suppose so,don't worry. I've never been in Heathrow though. My first trip was to Gatwick Airport. I know that of the Heathrow Express because a friend of mine arrived to London at 10 PM and was able to catch the train :)
Anyway, you speak English..so you can ask anyone :)

The Heathrow Express is a train that takes you from the airport to Paddington Station. The fare is £15 one way.
From Paddington Station you will either need to walk, take the Tube, or take a taxi to your hostel.

You can also take a Tube all the way from Heathrow into central London, the fare for the Tube is vastly less than the Heathrow Express.

If you tell us the address of your hostel, we can help you with directions.

And - when you tell us the address of your hostel, also tell us which Heathrow terminal you are arriving at.

It will make a little difference of how you need to get into London.

Thank you for everyone's assistance. I don't know how to determine what terminal I am arriving at - does it tell you on your ticket??? I booked a couple nights at Wake Up! London which looks like (off of their website) is close to the Paddington station.

I forgot - their address is 1 Queens Gardens, Paddington

The London Underground ("The Tube") costs £3.80 and takes about an hour to Piccadilly. Directions all over Heathrow will show you how to find it.

If you plan to use public transport a lot, you might want to look at getting a Travelcard.

<b>http://www.ticket-on-line.com</b>

That hostel is a short walk from Paddington station - so even though it is more expensive than the tube, I would take the train.

There is a cheaper train just starting. It takes just a little longer than the Express but costs about &pound;5 less.

There are very clear signs in the Arrivals Hall directing you to the trains (and to the tube too).

If you want to do it even cheaper you could take the tube but you would have to change lines and it will take nearly and hour.

Just a note re Robespierre's info: Piccadilly Circus is nowhere near where you are going. In general - if you were going to near Piccadilly, the tube would be the best method. But since your hostel is only three very short blocks from Paddington - take the train.

Just a note re janis's note re my info:

I missed the &quot;Paddington&quot; part - it was posted since the last time I refreshed the thread. I was still working on &quot;central London.&quot;

Since you're staying at a hostel, the Express might be more than you want to pay. The Tube will get you to the same station for much less.

The Non-express train is cheaper than the Express and still 45 minutes faster than the tube through the line transfers.

I think the fare is around &pound;9.50. True, that is almost &pound;6 more than the tube, but at 9:00 at night I really think the faster trip is more than worth it . . . .

Not really wanting to confuse Ibui05, but has anyone actually tried to take the non-express train (branded Heathrow Connect)?

At Paddington yesterday, it was impossible to find it. It wasn't shown on the departures board: what the board lists is a departure to Hayes and Harlington, which surreptitiously turns out to go on to Heathrow for a bit cheaper than the HEX. Whether they pull the same trick at Heathrow I don't know, and no doubt someone is justifying this on grounds of not wanting to &quot;confuse&quot; passengers. But, with Ibui's concern about finding Ibui's way to the station, maybe looking for the Heathrow Connect isn't the easiest introduction to London.

Since Ibui's staying in a hostel, we can assume Ibui will be penny-pinching. If I were penny-pinching, I'd get the tube to Earl's Court, then change to a northbound District Line tube to Paddington.

Unless and until someone comes on and says they found the Heathrow Connect really was as easy to get onto as you'd have thought it ought to be.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYONE'S RESPONSE...but I am still confused so I don't have to stay at a hostel but choose to because I just need a bed and I hate to spend my vacation money on lodging...so JANIS you are correct at 9 p.m. I want to get to the hostel asap - so its my understanding that the Heathrow express is the most expensive but the fastest correct? Also I can take the non-express train that is a little less expensive but faster than the tube right? I think I got it - does anyone know the time difference between the express and non-express to my destination?

Thanks!

Well, we don't know that you can effortlessly take the Heathrow Connect, because I'm saying it's signed misleadingly, and no-one's yet come onto this board to say they were able to get onto it (It started only a week or two ago, and it's not really designed to provide a cheap Heathrow-Paddington alternative.)

You may take objection to the term &quot;penny pinching&quot;. But you're clearly trying to save money. The Heathrow Express is &pound;13 if bought online and takes 15 mins. The Heathrow Connect is &pound;9.50 and takes 25 minutes. The tube is &pound;3.80 and takes 50. All are perfectly reliable, especially as early as 2100. If I were staying in a hostel, I wouldn't personally be wasting &pound;6 to save 25 minutes, but you may prioritise differently.

OK - it seems that convenience and speed are more important to you than the few &pound; difference. In that case, I would definitely take one of the trains instead of the tube. Not that you won't use the tube a lot during your stay, but w/ luggage and after a flight landing in the evening the train will be a lot easier.

I don't know if the Heathrow Connect signs are any better at Heathrow than flanneruk says they are at Paddington. I haven't flown through LHR since this new train started running.

But there is an information desk in the arrivals hall so if you don't see the signs, ask them to direct you.

But, IF money really isn't an issue - I'd just take the Express. Not only is it a bit faster, there is less wait between trains. So depending on your timing getting to the platform it could be as much as 30 minutes faster.

With arrival at 8 p.m., depending on where you are from, how long you have to wait for a gate, wait for luggage, etc it could be 9:30 before you are on the train so you are talking about 10:30 arrival at the hostel if you take the tube.