maitaitom

Just got an incredible fare to London on Air Zealand from L.A (Black Monday special).

We arrive in London at 11:30 a.m. and depart the next morning for Milan at 7:35

I had thought about staying in London, but was thinking it might just be easier to get a hotel near the airport, freshen up and take the tube into London for the afternoon and evening and not have to rush so much the following morning. It's not like we're going to spend time at the hotel except to shower and sleep. Is there a hotel near Heathrow that is also near the tube? Thanks.

Nelson

Congrats on the great fare!

I had a similar situation on a business trip once. We arrived in London from Portsmouth about noon and departed early next morning. I think we were staying in a Marriott those days, so may have stayed at the Heathrow Marriott.

Memory is hazy but I think we took the hotel shuttle to Heathrow and boarded the train there. Or we may may have taxied to the nearest tube station.

The London experts will no doubt have a real answer for you, but I wanted to mention that we pub crawled near the British Museum and on to Piccadilly and bit longer than planned, and almost missed the last train back for the evening which was around midnight as I reacll. We were part of a big crowd heading down to get on that train.

Have fun!

janisj

>>Is there a hotel near Heathrow that is also near the tube?<<

There is a Hilton Garden Inn which is less than half a mile from the Hatton Cross station ( the last station before arriving at LHR -- or first station after LHR ). Otherwise AFAIK there are just three hotels ON the airport grounds, 2 in T-4 and 1 at T-5. None of the other 'airport hotels' are on a tube line but all are accessible to the terminals/Tube via the Hotel Hoppa or short cab rides.

http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/e...nericx6LHREPGI

historytraveler

I've done this a couple of times very easy, but I was staying at the Sofitel which is in T5.Expensive but sometimes you can get a deal. I'm sure you can manage it from one of the other terminal hotels.

maitaitom

"pub crawled near the British Museum and on to Piccadilly and bit longer than planned, and almost missed the last train back for the evening which was around midnight as I recall."

I might be too old for that, especially since the last time I stayed up until midnight in London, I sort of forgot what happened.

BTW, Air New Zealand has $498 RTs out of L.A. today. By the time we get a hotel and food in London, the whole thing will probably be a wash...but we get an afternoon and evening in London. Of course ,if BA screws us with a strike again on our London-Milan portion...

Thanks Nelson and Janis...

maitaitom

Thanks ht!

doug_stallings

If the times work for you, it might be just as easy to take the Heathrow Express (21 minutes to Central London from Terminal 5, 15 to Terminals 2/3) and stay at the Hilton Paddington, which sits on top of the train station. The first Heathrow Express Mon.--Sat. is at 5:10 am, so you'd hit the terminal by 6.

PalenQ

Get special deals on Heathrow Express tickets from official site, like 2 for 1 often.

StCirq

Hi, Tom.

Are you set on your accommodations and stuff for Milan? We just got back from a week there a couple of weeks ago and had a marvelous and very affordable apartment in a lovely area in the city center. Loved the city and can maybe give you and Tracy a couple of tips.

maitaitom

"Hi, Tom. Are you set on your accommodations and stuff for Milan? We just got back from a week there a couple of weeks ago and had a marvelous and very affordable apartment in a lovely area in the city center. Loved the city and can maybe give you and Tracy a couple of tips.

we do have a place...but could change. Any tips appreciated as I've only been in Milan for a few hours in my life. Thanks. Tom

StCirq

We stayed here: http://cool-lux-central-apartment.ho...an.info/#photo

Booked through Booking.com it was just over 100 euros a night including taxes. A very spacious and well-equipped place on a quiet street, with balcony, a lovely courtyard, and a great concierge. Bar B, across the street, was delightful. Lots of interesting shops and restaurants around, easy walk to the duomo area, good transportation options (though we didn't use them). Also, perhaps unfortunately for our wallets and waistlines, easy walking distance to:

https://www.peck.it/en/great-deli-shop

surfmom

another thought is to go the other way... drop your stuff at an airport hotel, and book an afternoon tour of Oxford ... or Windsor Castle ... or Cambridge.

There are tours that offer pickup and dropoff at LHR for exactly that reason -

massimop

I think your plan for staying at the airport is the right one. But I would look for a list of things to do other than go into London proper since I think you might be overestimating how much time you have to enjoy the excursion.

Unfortunately, for heathrow, you really do need to be at airport security a good 90 minutes before your flight departure. So need to get up really early the next morning, despite jet lag. So when do you want to be heading back from London to get some sleep?

Consider too that landing at heathrow the day before, by the time you make it to your hotel and fully check in, it is likely to be 1pm.

So how much time do you have to spend between leaving the airport hotel and returning from London to get sufficient sleep?

For me, I'd do some googling along the lines of "fun things to do near heathrow airport" and have a plan B that accounts for variations in weather and mood and possible flight delays.

PalenQ

Hampton Court Palace and Windsor are two awesome alternatives to going into London if you have been to London before.

janisj

Getting to HCP from the airport is more complicated than getting in to central London.

Windsor is an option though. Taxi or (much longer ride) bus.

historytraveler

Agree, but for a 11:30 arrival, you can be in central London by 1:00/1: 30 which still gives you 4/5 hours plus plenty of time for dinner, arriving back at your LHR hotel 9:00/10:00. As I have already stated, I've done this with no problem. Windsor is a good alternative, HCP is not. From LHR it's about 90 minutes to Oxford by bus making it a longer journey than to London. Getting to Cambridge from LHR is likely to be a hassle.

historytraveler

Sorry I got LHR/ Oxford times confused with London/Oxford. It's actually about a 50 minute trip, but buses depart every 30 minutes, so of you just miss one, you'll have another 30 minutes to kill.

maitaitom

Here's my crazy plan...

Stay at airport...probably the Sofitel at terminal 5 (drop luggage...quick shower)

Get into London by about 2:30 - 3

Banqueting House (always wanted to see that)
Walk by the Cenotaph
Hit St. Margaret's Church
Walk by the Jewel Tower
Maybe duck into Tate (Tracy can see her Sergent again)
Take a taxi to Covent Garden
Hit a pub for a beer
Dinner at some French place I saw that I can't remember
Get back by 10
Up by 5
Airport by a little before 6
7:35 Flight
Milan by 10:40
Nothing but net!
Sleep when you're dead, baby! Mary said I'm trying to kill her.

Either that or we'll just go to a pub and have Sticky Toffee Pudding and Guinness

historytraveler

It looks pretty good to me. If flight is on time, you take the tube and if you don't waste a lot of time in the shower, you'll likely get into London before 3:00. I think you'll like the Sofitel, and it makes everything that much easier. The Jewel Tower doesn't take long to visit so might consider going inside.

You do know there'll be no Sticky Toffee Pudding at a French place, but you might get an Île Flottante, my second favorite dessert.

massimop

In my most recent experience landing in heathrow and then spending the night to catch a flight the next day (which was in May 2016) I spent 45 minutes getting through immigration control. Later the same year, passing through heathrow to change planes, I spent 30 minutes inside the plane after landing on the tarmac waiting for a gate to be freed so the plane could pull to the terminal and let us get off. (we missed our connecting flight because of long lines in security.)

You plan might work, but you might want to think up a plan b (and one that is weather proof as well as delay-proof.