abs004

Hello all.

We have one night in London this fall before our flight out of Heathrow (we will arrive in the afternoon and fly out early next day). We want to stay near the airport (no car) or perhaps a few stop up the Piccadilly Line. We have been to London before so probably won’t bother heading into the city.

Is there anything interesting to do/see around Heathrow or in the nearby towns (Hounslow, Action, etc)? Were would you stay and enjoy an evening out? Would appreciate advice from travelers who have stayed in this area under these circumstances.Thank you fellow globe trotters.

bilboburgler

Windsor, but you would need to take a bus

thursdaysd

How early is the flight? Windsor is the obvious answer, but if the flight is early enough I would go somewhere for the evening but stay at an airport hotel.

Odin

Hounslow is not a nice area at all, none of the areas close to LHR on the Piccadilly line are worth a night's stay IMO. Either stay at the airport but go out somewhere the previous evening, or stay in Windsor, or stay in Richmond which is very nice esp by the river (train and/or bus to LHR).
If you stay at LHR, you could go out locally, eg the Pheasant Inn at LHR, the Ostrich Inn in Colnbrook or get the bus to Southall and experience some Indian cuisine.

janisj

The early the next day part is the issue -- since none of the first several stops along the Piccadilly line are any better than just staying at a LHR hotel along the Bath road.
So if it was me - I'd visit Windsor but stay at the airport.

suec1

Several years ago we stayed at a charming property, The Swan, in Staines - about a 10 minute cab ride from Heathrow. We loved the hotel and Staines - even tho it was so close to LHR and you could see the planes, it was like being far away in a charming village. It is on the banks of the Thames - there is a footpath to walk along with lovely English homes and flowers and then the "show" on the river - ducks, swans, skullers that you could watch from the hotel terrace and dining room. The hotel has a pub with decent food. Much nicer than a soul-less airport hotel, perfect for your last evening in England.

abs004

The flight is at 0930 so we'll need to get there around 0630 or so. Sounds like staying by the airport is best and then venturing out via bus/metro/cab is the way to go. Thank you all for the suggestions. And I will look into The Swan as well. Cheers.

PalenQ

From the Swan it is a short train ride to Windsor I believe and short walk to Runnymede - I walked once from Windsor to Runnymede and Staines. Nice walks along Thames but Windsor would yes be great.

abs004

Windsor Castle looks pretty cool. Do you know if there is an easy train or bus from there to Heathrow, if we got a hotel in that area? Approximate cost of a cab? Or is Windsor not a good place to stay the night?
Thank you.

janisj

>>Windsor Castle looks pretty cool. Do you know if there is an easy train or bus from there to Heathrow, if we got a hotel in that area? Approximate cost of a cab? Or is Windsor not a good place to stay the night?<<

It is a lovely (fabulous) place to stay -- it is 7 miles/approx 15-20 mins by cab to fro LHR. There are local buses but they are slow. You say you arrive in the afternoon - with arrival formalities at the airport and the Castle hours you would do better to take a taxi. WHEN is this trip - hopefully not 18-19 May - otherwise yes, Windsor is a great place to stay.

There is a very centrally located travelodge for a budget option.

You'd definitely want to use a cab back to the airport in the morning.

abs004

We will be there in early Oct. We arrive into LGW airport early afternoon so we'll train to Heathrow. Not much time but if we are staying the night, it would be fun to see a new site. Perhaps we can get from LGW to Windsor area directly but I assume we'll need to go through Heathrow.

Thank you for the input and travelodge idea. Sounds like using cabs would be the best way to get between Heathrow/Windsor. Any idea how much a 15-20 min cab fare goes for in those parts?

janisj

>>We arrive into LGW airport early afternoon so we'll train to Heathrow.<<

OMG -- I assumed you arrived at LHR. That little detail is 'semi-important' (!) There is NO train from LGW to LHR. You need to take the Express coach between airports. What time do you land? You say 'early afternoon' so just for discussion I'll use 1PM With a 1300 arrival at LGW you won't get to LHR until after 4 PM (immigration, luggage, wait for next coach, drive to LHR, - THEN taxi to your Windsor hotel. No way you'd get to the Castle in time.

(if you land later in the afternoon, you'll get to Windsor in time for dinner)

abs004

I see the express train from LGW to Heathrow takes 30 min...but maybe that is a bus, not a train? We land around 1300 so I was hoping we'd get to Heathrow area by 1500 but yeah, it would be a time crunch. Maybe the best idea would be to get a hotel at the airport and if we feel up for it, take a cab to Windsor to see the castle and grab dinner.

thursdaysd

Maybe you are thinking of the express train from LGW to Victoria? After that you would need to cross London to Paddington to get the train to Heathrow.

You want the National Express coach, which will take around 1 hr 20 min at that time of day. See: https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

janisj

>>I see the express train from LGW to Heathrow takes 30 min...<<

Where are you seeing a train???? There is NO train - express or otherwise - between LGW and LHR. You must take a coach (bus). The two airports are 40 miles apart and one of the most congested motorways in Europe connects the two. There is no way you will arrive at LHR by 3PM. Heck, you could still be in Immigration/Customs at 2PM. Then walk to the bus station and wait for the next coach. Then a minimum of 1 hr 20 mins on the bus (could be longer if there is traffic).

So best case is you'll be at LHR bus terminal by maybe 4 PM. Then another 30-ish mins to get to either a Windsor OR LHR hotel. The last admission to the Castle is at 4PM . . .

janisj

didn't see thursdaysd's post (silly site lost my post when I went to look at the coach schedule so I had to start all over again)

I sure hope we've convinced you there is no train . . .

bilboburgler

I say again, Heathrow to WIndsor take the bus, https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Heathro...enhead-England
Using a Cab will cost a fortune
"travelodge" there are two bits of advice I'd offer in the UK, never stay in a Britannia Hotel or a Travelodge. Cheap for a reason.

Odin

Take the train from Gatwick to Clapham Junction then change to a train to Windsor & Eton Riverside. Takes about 1hr 20 mins.
Taxi from Windsor to LHR is about £20-25 which should be prebooked.

janisj

bilbo: I usually agree with you. But . . . re travelodges -- there are many that are modern, centrally located and decent accommodations. And there are those that aren't. I've stayed in £500+ rooms and £36-£40 Travelodges. Including a couple in Edinburgh, one in London, and the one in Windsor. Any of the 4 are perfectly acceptable if budget is an issue.

Odin'i idea of train via Clapham Junction is a realistic option. The good - you'd arrive in central Windsor. The bad - you'd have to schlepp through Clapham Junction with luggage.

bilboburgler

Certainly, I've been warned off one at Heathrow. I'd go for an Ibis anyday if I couldn't afford a PremierTravel.
Clapham Junction is not place for this sort of trip