<<< And because we are going to be at Paddington anyway >>>

So you are going to spend MORE money and take a lot longer to get to your hotel which is nowhere near Paddington so your comment doesn't make any sense.

Here's a suggestion. Go to your hotel by Tube, next morning one of you goes to Victoria and buys two Travelcards and come back to the hotel.

We're glad to pay a little extra from convenience. I'd rather sit on a train 25 minutes than in a Tube for 55 minutes. The Connect takes 25 mins from Heathrow to Paddington and from there 10 mins by Tube to S Kens.

We still win about 15 minutes travelling time and get the Travelcards right away at the same time. Saves us the trouble of getting them on next morning. I dont see any problems with that?

but you are not counting the schlepping and time factor between terminal and train, train and tube, tube and hotel. The tube from LHR to S Kens takes approx 40 mins w/o any changes. The train/tube will take as long, or more likely, longer.

But if its convenience you want - by FAR the easiest and at 11PM - probably fastest way to your hotel is a car service like justairports which meets you ate arrivals and drops you at the fron door of your hotel for about £25-£30 total (not each).

Instead of "more likely", I should have said the train/tube combination definitely takes longer than just the tube.

Plus it is a worse schlepp . . .

The HEC also runs only twice an hour to Paddington so you need to add in 15 minutes on average waiting for it. It's also a minimum of 15 minutes transfer time at Paddington plus whatever time you spend actually spend queuing at the booking office.

Agree with janisj...the tube to South Ken is far more convenient and will be faster and cheaper than the Heathrow Connect.

Thank you for all of your hints. Janis we might book that car service to pick us up on LHR and go straight to our hotel. The website says it's £24 for the ride plus £6 for the pick up plus parkings. So yes, it hopefully will be close to £30.

And on Thursday morning we walk to West Brompton station to get those Travelcards and take the underground from there to where ever we decide :)

Justairports may be a bit more than that depending on people, destination and luggage; they want to know exactly how many bags you have; we have pickup from LHR to Bayswater for 44 and from Bayswater back to a car rental for 38. Have not used Justairports yet but they sure come highly recommended and it will certainly mean no schlepping of luggage in tube changes or changes from some sort of train to taxi to tube or whatever.

Yes texas. We checked that because we travel to SW7 zone, our price is £24 + 6£ for the pick up = total £30. Wins the £50+ Taxi charge. Hopefully there will not be any problems with our luggage or something.

Just to make sure, we'll pack our hand bag and back pack inside our trolleys so they are counted just as 2 luggage.