We have a fairly long layover at LHR in early September of this year. We land at 9:15AM and our onward flight to Toulouse is at 16:35 (4:35PM). Both flights arrive and depart from Terminal 3. Since we rarely sleep on long haul flights we would like to book someplace to hopefully be able to sleep and shower and essentially hang out before our afternoon flight. But due to Covid, things look like they are kind of difficult. Any insights would be helpful. Here are some of the things we are considering:

There is an Aerotel in terminal 3. It is quite pricey-around 198 pounds, so just under $250 and you can't book out this far ahead for day use. You can book them on other booking sites but only for a normal check in starting at 3PM overnight, so that won't work.

The best option outside of the terminal but nearby for day use seems to be the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow Hotel or Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport. They get the best reviews anyway.

So here are my questions:

I read that there is no "free bus zone" service currently in the immediate Heathrow area but it does look like the "Hotel Hoppa" buses are running to the nearby hotels. For two of us it looks like the fare is around 22 pounds. My best guess from websites quoting taxi fares is that they are going to be at least 30 pounds return. But if a cab is less hassle and not too much more money we would be okay with that. However, I have seen estimates as high as 50 pounds return. Does anyone have advice and recent experience about that?

Day use rates at the Hyatt and Radisson are running around 75 pounds, so with the bus just under 100 pounds. So it's a substantial savings, but is it worth the hassle?

Also, does anyone know if we land in the morning (on Virgin) can we check our bags at BA for the afternoon flight right when we land and just take a small carryon with us to whatever hotel we decide to go to, or will we have to wait until later in the day to check the bag?

Alternatively, there are the lounges like the Number 1 Lounge, but the showers, pod bedrooms and spa facilities seem to be closed. So we would have to probably just try to nap in a chair but could at least have access to food etc.

Any and all advice-welcome. It has been years since I have used LHR as our port of entry, so I am sure lots has changed!

The Premier Inn, which is accessible via a walkway from Terminal 4, has check in from 10 am for an additional 10 pounds. I stayed there once between flights and found it inexpensive and convenient (£57 in March 2020, not sure of current rates). That rate was for an overnight, but you could probably book overnight and then not stay overnight.

cabs in the area of the airport are stonkingly expensive as the drivers have to pay a localised access bill. Hoppa or walk is the way to go

The Hoppa may be highway robbery but it is really the best option to get to hotels along the Bath Road. Cab fare will be just as much or more and a lot of drivers would refuse a trip just off airport property because this is so short and they'd have to slog back through the traffic to get another LHR fare. Most of the hotels along the Bath Road do offer day rooms

BA will allow you to check your bags early.

. . . but really your best options would be the Hilton Garden Inn or Aerotel at T-2/3 or one of the hotels at T-4 since they'd either be walking distance or a free tube ride. The Sofitel T-5 would also work but it is very pricey

Thanks for the help! If we can get rid of our checked baggage early then I am more tempted to use the Hoppa bus and go to the Radisson. The Premier Inn says on their site that the 10 pound early check in is subject to availability and you need to call 24hrs in advance. With their pricing, I think I can do just as well with the day use booking sites for the Radisson which seems easier.

Has anyone used the Hoppa buses recently-are they fairly reliable? I have seen some folks mention a long wait which is why I am asking.

If it all makes me too crazy to think about I may just book the Aerotel even with the price premium. At least we won't have to leave the terminal that way!

"Has anyone used the Hoppa buses recently-are they fairly reliable? I have seen some folks mention a long wait which is why I am asking."

IME the Hoppa is very reliable. It runs to specific schedules which are different for every hotel, so yes there can be a long wait IF one goes downstairs and expects a bus to be waiting there. Occasionally it can get tied up in traffic but I've probably taken it a dozen+ times and maybe once it was maybe 10-ish minutes off schedule.

But do consider some of the hotels at T-4. T-4 is not close to T-3 but it is only about a 2 minute free tube ride away (T-4 station has been closed since covid hit but it is scheduled to re-open in the next 6 weeks or so).

Good to know that the Hoppa is basically reliable. We will leave enough time when we return to Terminal 3 so that we won't have to feel pressured. I will look at the T-4 hotels and watch for the T-4 station to open. But I see on the Heathrow site that in order to take the tube even though it is free, you have to have an Oyster card. I assume I can get one at the T-3 tube station?

The ticket is free and can be obtained from a ticket machine before getting on the train.

Oh great-that would make it much easier! Thanks again-I'll let you know what we decide on doing once we get closer

Either a free ticket at the machines . . . or use touchless which will open the gate at T-4 but won't charge you when you touch out at T-3.

There is no need to take the Heathrow Hoppa. There are many local buses from Heathrow central bus station that go along the Bath Road and beyond which stop almost outside the Radisson Blu Edwardian and also down the airport perimeter roads down towards Hatton Cross and indeed you can take the tube to Hatton Cross where there is at least one airport hotel, Hilton Garden Inn. The cost of the local bus is around £1.65 single per person.

I'm not sure but I think you might not be able to drop the bags off for the BA flight until about 3 hours or so before departure time. Watch out for terminal changes by your travel date in case they change with reopening of terminals.

If you land at 09:15, by the time you park at the pier, get off, get through immigration and collect your bags it could be 10:30. Add on the time taken to check your bags back in, to get to a hotel, check in, get to your room etc. It would be at the earliest 11:15. This is all dependent on your flight being on time. Then to be back in the airport for a 16:35 flight will mean that you have to be there for 14:35. Allow for time for a shower, check out, a return journey to the terminal, check in chaos at security, could all mean that you need to be at the terminal for 13:30 at the latest.

So you may actually only have somewhere in the region of 2-3 hours in the room, and the cost sounds very expensive for such a short time.

There is a website called "dayuse" that specialises just in day use hotel rooms in the UK. They offer the Leonardo Hotel at LHR from £54 from 9am to 5pm which is right on the bath road at Heathrow. You can get an Uber which takes 3 mins from T3 to hotel approx £25 one way if time is of the essence and all in for £100 you get to the hotel, stay and back easily.

You absolutely do not need to pay an Uber £25 to get to the Leonardo Hotel on the Bath Road. There are so many local buses going up and down the Bath Road from Heathrow Central Bus station which cost £1.65 for a single journey.

Being picked up or dropped off at a terminal incurs a minimum fee of £5 every time due to the recent new fee introduced by Heathrow. Alot of taxi companies now park in short term car park instead of waiting outside the terminal.

We used the Hilton Garden Inn for day use in 2019. We had a 9 am arrival and weren't flying out to VCE until 9 pm. I think we paid around 75 pounds for the day. It was easy, but I did have to call as I couldn't figure out how to book for day use on their website. It was fantastic to have a place to drop our stuff, shower and freshen up and to have a place to hang out in after a busy day in London before heading to our terminal for our flight out. The hotel was nice and the room was roomy and comfortable. I can't speak for the Hoppa bus as we just used the trains.

You don't need to use a bus for the Hilton Garden Inn that is located on the A30 close to Hatton Cross. The Atrium Hotel is right opposite Hatton Cross tube which could be another option if it is open. It was built just before the pandemic.

Thanks for all the additional feedback. For the moment, I am just going to wait and watch a bit since our dates are so far out. I do agree that since the arrival could take some time, we may just decide not to leave the terminal and either suck it up and use the Aerotel. I am also hoping that the Number 1 Lounge may re-open their sleeping room and shower services, because that would also be an easy way to grab a few hours without leaving Terminal 3. It wouldn't be as nice as a private room like the Aerotel, but a whole lot less money But who know what will happen with their services given Covid. Hopefully, we won't have another big surge in the fall, but that is anybody's guess at this point.

I will definitely keep an eye on terminal changes and be prepared for not being able to check a bag more than a few hours before. When we get closer, I may even contact BA customer service and ask them if they have any rules about that.

The local buses are fine and I've taken them nearly as often as the Hoppa . . . But for first timers likely with jet lag one often doesn't know when to get off until already past one's stop. But for the Radisson Blu Edwardian you'd want stop D which is in front of the Marriott and stop BK across the Bath Road for the return.

Balthy: The reason I didn't mention the Hilton Garden Inn at Hatton Cross is because it is close to a 10 minute walk from the station if pulling a rollaboard or in inclement weather.

I just found a link on BA for Terminal 3 that says that they regulate their baggage drop times by customer tier:

Cabin or Executive Club tier Opening times:
From 05:00 on the day of departure

• First
• Club World
• Club Europe
• Executive Club Gold, Silver and Bronze Members

From 3 hours before the flight departure time, but not before the earliest opening time at 05:00

• World Traveller Plus
• World Traveller
• Euro Traveller

https://www.britishairways.com/en-us...rt/heathrow-t3

So that makes me even more likely not to leave T3. We don't travel with a heavy suitcase but I don't think I can get away with just a carry on.