Can any UK diser help me out?

[Tinkerbelle32]

Hi UK Diser's! My family and I are taking our first trip to London in two weeks. We will be arriving at Heathrow and need to get to Holiday Inn Express in Earl's Court. What will be the easiest, quickest, and most affordable way to get there? We will be arriving at 6:00 am. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone needs anything brought over, feel free to let me know. Thanks so much! Jennifer in Wichita, KS

P.S. How is the weather mid March?

 

[Goofyish]

The Heathrow Express train runs from Heathrow to Paddington Station every 15 minutes. Cost is £16.50 for a single fare.

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/index.asp?SID={484807AA-2C2B-4605-81A1-5A6A3B9E04C0}

Another option is to book a taxi, which depending on how many of you there are may work out cheaper:

http://www.londoncitytaxis.co.uk/?gclid=CP3lms21gpkCFQFhQgoduzTAmA

From Paddington you can get the underground direct to Earls Court on the District line (10 min journey). Single fare in zone 1 is £4 although you can get travel cards or Oyster cards that make it more cost effective, especially if you will be using the underground a lot.

Or if you don't fancy the hassle of tacking your lugage on the underdround you should able to get a cab from Paddington to your hotel - not sure of the cost though.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Thanks for replying so quickly. I'm sure once we get there we can ask about our different options.

 

[Kath2003]

Just get straight on the Picadilly line from Heathrow - it's 13 stops direct from there to Earl's Court. It'll take about 30 minutes and cost £3.20 per person.

Weather should be fairly mild - about 50-55 degrees most days. There is likely to be some rain!

 

[Goofyish]

Just get straight on the Picadilly line from Heathrow - it's 13 stops direct from there to Earl's Court. It'll take about 30 minutes and cost £3.20 per person.

Sorry, didn't realise the Picadilly line went out as far as Heathrow
That would be cheapest option.

 

[suei]

Hi, The Piccadilly line on the Underground is really easy from Heathrow to Earls Court. It's about 12 stops and will take you around 1/2 hour. We usually use it when we fly from Heathrow, as we live at the northern end of the Piccadilly line. Take a look at the Transport For London website for info about travel planning and fares:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
Weather-wise, it'll probably be cool-ish in mid-March - currently it's around 7-10 degrees, and it'll probably rain (unless you're really lucky!) so don't forget to bring an umbrella with you!
Hope this helps, and hope you have a great trip. Where will you be visiting during your stay?

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Thanks again guys for your replies!

suei- I guess just the usual tourist museums,etc. Life has been so busy I've not had as much time to research places like I usually do. Any tips on what's not to be missed, affordable restaurants, etc. would be great. Is it easy to mangae the tube with luggage? Thanks, jenn

 

[Kath2003]

Thanks again guys for your replies!

suei- I guess just the usual tourist museums,etc. Life has been so busy I've not had as much time to research places like I usually do. Any tips on what's not to be missed, affordable restaurants, etc. would be great. Is it easy to mangae the tube with luggage? Thanks, jenn

The London Eye is awesome; all the museums are free so see as many as you can. The London Dungeons are also fun.

Managing the tube with luggage is usually fine - you won't be the only people with luggage! The key is to take your time and stay out of the way: people will only get annoyed with you if you try to sort your luggage out without consideration for those who need to get by to board or exit the tube. Thousands of people do it every day; I wouldn't worry about it. Try taking several small pieces rather than a few large ones to make it more manageable. I don't know how you travel but I travel light and have never found public transport to be an issue.

 

[dennis99ss]

Go to the heathrow express website. You can purchase tics on line. I have never taken the underground, as I prefer the taxis. When DW goes with me, she takes the underground at times.

Depending on the airline you are taking to LHR, once you go through customs, you may need to take the terminal train to get to heathrow express. The express is much easier after the long flight than a local. But, I think you may be on the other side of the city from paddington.

You are staying a decent way out, so plan on some time to get to your tourist destinations.

Be sure to see the war rooms of churchill, near the palace.

for mexican food, try the texas embassy in trafalgar; bbq at bodeans in soho; original hard rock cafe.

london is expensive. Assume that things will cost 1.5 or so more than at home, before the loss you get due to the exchange rate.

Go to Harrods, see the Diana memorial. If you have kids, pick up some harrods bears (they have a collection, and a special bear each year.

The palace has tours at times when the queen is not around. See the guards at St. James, and then the changing of the guards at the palace.

Recently, last month, the plane was not full, but give yourself an extra hour at heathrow on the return just in case, to get through security.

DW enjoyed tours to stonehange and bath and oford.

if you are getting out of town, Kent is a neat place with the cliffs of dover, and good golf.

catch a production in the west end.

London is non-smoking now, which is nice in the pups and restaurants.

pick up a cuban at J. Fox on St. james, where Churchill still has a couple in storage.

Visit Berry Bros. wine store on St. James, which is where the Texas Embassy was when Texas was the Rupublic of Texas, after Mexico and before the US.

enjoy the trip.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

dennis99ss-Thanks so much for the tips! I'm sure hubby will be partaking of some of those cubans while we are there. Wish us luck! Jennifer

 

[Dimplenose]

I'd also use the tube rather than the express unless you have a lot of luggage.

If you do use the tube make sure you stand on the right-hand side of the escalator as the left side is used by people that want to walk.

 

[suei]

Hi Jenn,
Have you looked at www.visitlondon.com ? There's loads of info on there about all sorts of things to do and see in London.
What not to miss?...Changing of the Guard, London Eye, Tower of London, St Pauls Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, a boat trip down to Greenwich and/or an open top bus tour (if the weather's nice), British Museum, Natural History Museum, National Gallery, Kew Gardens (daffodils should be out by mid-March), a theatre show (try www.lastminute.com for cheap tickets with or without a meal), afternoon tea at the Lanesborough or the Ritz.........................!!!
You shouldn't have a problem with luggage on the tube. We came home from Florida last summer with 3 large suitcases, a holdall and 4 pieces of hand luggage (between 4 of us), and managed fine! The tube is far cheaper than the Heathrow Express, and goes direct to Earls Court. If you did use the HE, you'd need to get a taxi or the tube back to Earls Court.
Have a great trip whatever you decide to do!

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Thanks for the website suei. I'll check it out this week-end.

 

[wishspirit]

Thanks again guys for your replies!

suei- I guess just the usual tourist museums,etc. Life has been so busy I've not had as much time to research places like I usually do. Any tips on what's not to be missed, affordable restaurants, etc. would be great. Is it easy to mangae the tube with luggage? Thanks, jenn

The tube with luggage can be a bit stressful, so just take your time (especially on esculators, if they have lifts you might want to ask if you can use them!).

The common way of dealing with luggage on the underground is to put it to the side of the entrance as soon as you get on the train, and stand with it out of the way. Don't take it down into the aisle, since you then block it for everyone else (its not a big gap!). It mean you could be standing for 30 mins, but if you do a rotating system of sitting down it shouldn't be too bad.

To doors open on both sides, so don't lean stuff up against the doors (I have seen it done!!)

If you have ANY questions at all, just post them here, we'll tell you all the best places

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Thanks for all of the great advice. Can't believe the trip is getting here so quickly.