fall06

Hi,

I thought I'd start a new thread to ask these transportation questions.

I've gotten the impression reading Tripadvisor that bus transportation around Heathrow is actually not all that reliable but at the same time neither are taxis and they cost a lot!

How long should one alot for getting to the terminals from the Premier Travel Inn on Bath road at 8am in the morning? Which mode of transport is the most reliable? (We're not averse to spending extra ponds to avoid aggravation.) There will be two of us, and we will be traveling very light.

Thanks much!

fall06

"extra pounds" is what I meant to type.

Kate_W

Into which terminal do you fly? If you fly into terminals 1/2/3, then you'll be close to the central bus station, from where you can take the free city bus along the Bath Road to your hotel. We did this last spring to get to the Sheraton Skyline. However, it took us about 25 minutes to get to the central bus terminal, because we had to walk to the Heathrow Express (about 10 minutes), wait for a train (about 5-10 minutes), ride the train (5 minutes) and then walk to the bus terminal (about 10 minutes). Then we waited (in the pouring rain) for about 10 minutes and caught the bus. I had an idea of which bus to take (there are several) but the station was a bit confusing. However, there are lots of employees going to and from work and we asked one who kindly gave us directions. We asked the bus driver to let us know when to get off the bus (it was dark and pouring rain, so we couldn't see anything).

Going back to the airport the next morning, we splurged on a cab, which cost close to 10 pounds (but I thought it was worth it because I like to get to the airport quickly and easily).

The Hoppa Bus is fairly expensive (around 4 euros I think) and, if you're one of the last hotels on its round, it can take you 45 minutes to get to your hotel - after pick-up. If there are two of you, I think there are better value options (e.g. what we did - free bus to hotel, taxi back to airport the next morning).

I don't know if your hotel booking is firm, but I would strongly recommend an alternative if you're flying into or out of T4. We stayed at the Jurys Inn, which opened very recently. It is about a one-block walk from the Hatton Cross subway station. Although you've got to pay the tube fare, it is a very quick and easy trip to and from T4 to this hotel. The price was great, too. The hotel is just a 3* but it is in terrific condition, and it was very comfortable.

fall06

Thanks Katew for that detailed response!

I'm assuming you meant the Hoppa bus is 4 pounds, not 4 euros -- correct? Is that for a return ticket or just a one-way fare? At those prices, the two of us will take a taxi.

We'll be arriving at Terminal 3 and I don't really want to change my hotel. But I do want to get there within a half hour.

Dukey

I think you've made the right decision with the taxi.

Last month when I arrived at Term 4 around 8:15 PM I purposely decided to rent my car that night rather than the next morning so I would have decent transportation to the Sheraton Skyline and could avoid that bus service.

It was well worth the money, believe me, and so will your taxi be.

Kate_W

Oops, I should have mentioned that although it was pouring rain during our wait for the bus at the Central Station, there are adequate bus shelters - so we hardly got wet (scurrying from the bus stop to the hotel was a soggier story).

And you're right, I meant 4 pounds (ouch), not 4 euros, and that's per person, one-way. You might find this link helpful because it lists the hotels on the Hoppa route with their alternative free bus routes, if applicable:

http://www.londontoolkit.com/lhr/hotel_hoppa_bus.htm

fall06

Thanks, KateW. That link is extremely useful. Premiere Travel Inn is not explicitly on the list, but even guessing that "Travel Inn" is the Premiere Travel Inn, it is not served by public bus, and the Hoppa buses to there apparently run less frequently than 20 minutes apart. And the warning that early morning buses are "extremely crowded" makes me certain we'll be taking a taxi, probably both ways.