London Experts Please help re: Heathrow, Windsor, London
 

I just need to bounce this idea off to make sure I'm thinking straight.

I'm arriving Heathrow (from US) on May 22 (Thurs) at 8:30pm.

I want to be in London for 4 nights, however, I plan to visit Windsor on May 23 AM.

I have trouble finding affordable hotels for the 4 nights in London, even w/Priceline and Hotwire. Fodorite WillTravel pointed out the obvious - May 22 is weekday which jacks up the price.

I can get a hotwire hotel (Holiday Inn Regents Park) for May 23-26 for 3 nights for a very cheap price.

So what to do for May 22? Since I'm arriving from Heathrow, and going to Windsor the next morning, won't it make sense for me to go directly LHR-Windsor? And stay in Windsor for 1 night 5/22?

Thanks to BTilke's suggestion on another thread, I can book the new Travelodge for £70 for that night.
https://www.travelodge.co.uk/find_a_...WindsorCentral

In that case, I'll arrive LHR 5/22, go to Windsor and stay that night. See Windsor 5/23 AM, then go to hotel pick up luggage, and go into London and check in at the HI Regents Park.

does this make sense?

Next question:
How do I get from LHR to Windsor at ~9:30pm? I'd like to avoid car service as I'm trying to save $. Will the bus work?

THANKS!

Being a budget traveler, I'd probably Priceline a LHR hotel for the 22nd. You can usually get them really cheap. Then in the AM and leave your bag at the hotel and travel over to Windsor. Unfortunately, the stations in Windsor don't have left luggage so you'd have to return to your hotel to get your bag.

My logic behind staying at a hotel in Windsor is to avoid backtracking to the Heathrow hotel after touring the Castle.

Just thinking:
LHR hotel -> Windsor Castle -> LHR hotel -> LHR -> London

vs

Windsor hotel -> castle -> Windsor hotel -> London
(with the hotel walking distance from castle)

I do feel paying £70 is kind of a rip-of for travelodge, but since I'm in a time crunch (need to be at Chelsea Flower Show by 5:30pm that day), I feel the windsor hotel option may be better in this case.

After some investigation, I found the bus schedules for Heathrow to Windsor on FirstGroup bus co.

Route 71 last bus leaves at 21:40, so there's no way I can catch it.

Route 77 last bus leaves at 22:11. But this is from T5. My flight arrives in T3 at 8:30pm.

I guess the chance of me making that 22:11 bus is slim too. If I can make it, it'll work out well as the stop is very close to the Travelodge.

How do I transfer from T3 to T5 landside?

I'm ready to pull my hair out! #o

If you opt to stay at Heathrow and decide for whatever reason not to PriceLine, www.hotels.de shows the Travelodge at LHR T5 has a room on the 22nd for £49 (without breakfast).

BTilke - You mentioned you have several car services that you use. I assume if I want to do that, I'll have to pre-book in advance, right? Can I just call them (without pre-booking) when I arrive at LHR?

If you think you want that Hotwire hotel, I'd book it, because those deals are prone to disappearing. Also, more than once, I've tried to book the deal that I see on Hotwire, and haven't been able to do so, because I am told "No availability". So I wouldn't make plans based on it without actually having made the booking.

You must pre-book car services. You cannot rely on them having a car available if you don't ring them until you arrive at LHR.

You know, before I drive everyone here (myself included) insane, I decided that this simply won't work.

It'll only work (the bus option) IF my flight is on time and if I can get thru immigration, transfer T3-T5 etc all within 1hr 15 mins.

I'll scratch this idea, which was rather dumb in the first place.

I'm just gonna book a hotel in London and head out there.

Friday I'll do some sightseeing in London.

I'll go to Windsor on Saturday if I feel up to it. It's not the end of the world if I don't get to visit Windsor Castle this time.

Thanks for all your help and thanks for bearing with me!

So I went ahead and booked the hotwire hotel for 5/23-26 for $82/n.
It is Holiday Inn Regents Park.

I still need a hotel for 5/22.

Since I'm no longer bound to go visit Windsor Castle on 5/23, I can either book a hotel in London for 5/22, or even just stay at Heathrow that night.