Heathrow to London hotel, Uber, Taxi, private car or whatever?

[insureman]

Doing the EBTA this September with a few days in London so we are looking for options from someone who has experience with this. We are already using DCL transportation from London to Dover the day of the cruise. Thanks for any info.

 

[princesscinderella]

We did Uber very easily all around London and from the airport to the hotel and it was cheaper than the cab we took to the airport that I let the hotel call for me when we were flying home.

 

[Marc D]

We have often visited London, including before cruising out of Dover or Southampton. What kind of options are you looking for ?

 

[DCSWO]

We plan to use the Heathrow Express train in Aug/Sep. 15 minute non-stop trip to Paddington Station. The train runs every 15 minutes.
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/#/

 

[auntlynne]

Ditto the express train.

But it might depend on where you are staying. It is definitely more relaxing to use one conveyance from Point A to B, especially after a long flight - and long customs line at Heathrow.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Real fellas take black cabs when they're in London.

 

[anricat]

From the airport, the train is easy. I couldn't get Uber to work for me overseas for me because I had two factor turned on and I had a different (local) SIM card installed in my phone and I couldn't get a text to my usual number and I couldn't change my number to an international number because I couldn't log in and....yeah, I'll need to sort that next time. So if you plan to use Uber overseas, make sure you have a plan to get around that. I couldn't set it up ahead of time because I had no way of knowing what my phone number would be over there until I bought the SIM. I'm not sure how to get around that situation in the future.

 

[insureman]

We plan to use the Heathrow Express train in Aug/Sep. 15 minute non-stop trip to Paddington Station. The train runs every 15 minutes.
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/#/

How does that work with luggage. Do you keep the bags or do they store them somewhere?

 

[insureman]

From the airport, the train is easy. I couldn't get Uber to work for me overseas for me because I had two factor turned on and I had a different (local) SIM card installed in my phone and I couldn't get a text to my usual number and I couldn't change my number to an international number because I couldn't log in and....yeah, I'll need to sort that next time. So if you plan to use Uber overseas, make sure you have a plan to get around that. I couldn't set it up ahead of time because I had no way of knowing what my phone number would be over there until I bought the SIM. I'm not sure how to get around that situation in the future.

I plan on using the Verizon $10 a day Travel Pass international plan. That's what I do in the Caribbean.

 

[anricat]

I plan on using the Verizon $10 a day Travel Pass international plan. That's what I do in the Caribbean.

My cheap-o cell plan doesn't have an international option but we bought a $20 pre-paid SIM card for each of our phones last time and it worked great for the entire two weeks we were there! Well, except the Uber situation.

 

[anricat]

How does that work with luggage. Do you keep the bags or do they store them somewhere?

They have luggage racks at the front and back of each car. We didn't have a problem.

 

[dcassetta]

Doing the EBTA this September with a few days in London so we are looking for options from someone who has experience with this. We are already using DCL transportation from London to Dover the day of the cruise. Thanks for any info.

Easiest and most expensive - car service
Also very easy and not quite as expensive - black cab

Tried Uber twice in London with poor results. I trust the Knowledge of a cabbie way more than I trust the Uber driver with Google maps.

These options are nice because you do not have to deal with finding the train/tube and managing luggage.

Pretty easy and not too expensive - Heathrow Express to Paddington and then a black cab to your hotel, or save some money by taking the Tube from Paddington.

Pretty easy and the cheapest option - Piccadilly Line Tube from Heathrow to central London. If your hotel in located near the Piccadilly line, you will not need to change. But, the route will stop at transfers points of Earl's Court, Victoria and King's Cross to access other lines. This option is very cheap, but will make many stops and hauling luggage on the Tube can be a pain. Not a great option if you are travelling during rush hour.

 

[DCSWO]

How does that work with luggage. Do you keep the bags or do they store them somewhere?

Luggage racks on the train.

 

[tkd lisa]

I agree the Heathrow express is best. It's very easy to access. I did take the tube and it's a pretty long walk especially hauling luggage.

 

[Rob1872]

I've done both the train to Paddington and the Tube. Hauling luggage through the Tube station stairs was a pain. The train was stress free. (And my hotel was just a few blocks from Paddington station.)

 

[Mrlogboy]

We plan to use the Heathrow Express train in Aug/Sep. 15 minute non-stop trip to Paddington Station. The train runs every 15 minutes.
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/#/

I’ve been there many times in the past several years and always use the express trains

 

[DCSWO]

We plan to use the Heathrow Express train in Aug/Sep. 15 minute non-stop trip to Paddington Station. The train runs every 15 minutes.
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/#/

For our return flight, I even went as far as booking the Paddington Hilton for our last night in town. It's connected to the station.

 

[Girl of the South]

The TFL train, departs from the same platform as the Heathrow Express, is much cheaper and goes the same route. It just stops along the way. So it takes 30 minutes instead of 15. Here i is the info:

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow_connect_train.html

Also wanted to mention that I took the EBTA in September a few years back and it was cold and windy. The weather wasn't bad, but it's the middle of the Atlantic so overcast. No one was in the pools or up on decks. There were blankets at the outdoor seating around the Cove Cafe. It's not like sailing around the Caribbean. I did not have a veranda but if I did the only times I would have sat on it were when we docked in a couple Canadian ports because then the wind had stopped. I know there was another thread about this but I can't find it now. I honestly can't imagine sitting on the veranda on the sea days - so bring a blanket or jacket if you plan on this!

 

[insureman]

The TFL train, departs from the same platform as the Heathrow Express, is much cheaper and goes the same route. It just stops along the way. So it takes 30 minutes instead of 15. Here i is the info:

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow_connect_train.html

Also wanted to mention that I took the EBTA in September a few years back and it was cold and windy. The weather wasn't bad, but it's the middle of the Atlantic so overcast. No one was in the pools or up on decks. There were blankets at the outdoor seating around the Cove Cafe. It's not like sailing around the Caribbean. I did not have a veranda but if I did the only times I would have sat on it were when we docked in a couple Canadian ports because then the wind had stopped. I know there was another thread about this but I can't find it now. I honestly can't imagine sitting on the veranda on the sea days - so bring a blanket or jacket if you plan on this!

Thanks. We also did the EBTA in 2015 it was foggy a couple of days I believe but we still used the balcony. I also made that route about 8 times onboard a big grey ship in the early 70s while in the Navy.

 

[Rob1872]

I also made that route about 8 times onboard a big grey ship in the early 70s while in the Navy.

The technical term for that 'big' grey ship is "target". The 'little' grey ships are "torpedo sponges" that go between the submarine and the target.
(Speaks the guy who just retired after 29 years of submarine service!)