Travel from Heathrow Help

[Asvan]

Hi everyone,

Need some help and advice please.

I've booked some flights from London Heathrow for April. The flights are at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. I live 4 hours away from London so will be travelling into London Kings Cross the day before, via train.

Now this is where I need some advice please:

I'm on a really tight budget and never travelled from Heathrow before.

Am I better off staying in central London the night before and then travelling to Heathrow on the day of the flight or shall i just stay at one of the Heatrow hotels?

Are there direct trains from central London to Heathrow and how often do they run?

I booked from Heathrow because there are 5 of us and we are saving over £2k.

On a Sunday I would travel down same day.
You'll be fine in a central London hotel the night before if you'd rather... actually this can be recommended becuz hotels near Heathrow are grim & not nice to hang out in.

The Elizabeth line runs from central to Heathrow. In your situation though I'd stay in an airport hotel and have a leisurely morning.

Tube or Heathrow Express. Which terminal?

Hello!

I'd stay near Heathrow to be honest, unless you want to do any sightseeing etc in central. There are trains from central London, I'd recommend getting the tube - Piccadilly line works out much cheaper than Elizabeth Line or the Heathrow Express though takes a bit longer.

Where are you coming into Central London?

You need to check in at 1pm and it takes about an hour from KX to LHR on tube. What’s the earliest train you could get on Sunday morning? Any chance you could avoid the expense of a hotel stay? If you think that’s too tight I’d go straight from KX (on tube NOT HEATHROW EXPRESS) and crash in a budget airport hotel. I’m sure that will be easier and cheaper than c London.

Sorry just seen Kings cross! Id just get the Piccadilly Line direct from there - it's about an hour but the cheapest and least faffy option.

Would it be easier to National Express coach from wherever you are, Most cities have routes via Heathrow.

You need to check in earlier than that- 3 hours for international flights. I'd get down the night before and book into an airport hotel so you can begin your holiday calmly.

Get the tube not the Heathrow Express. I'd just stay at the airport.

Which terminal?

The Elizabeth Line also runs to Heathrow. Be warned, the Heathrow Express is expensive.

Central London hotels are expensive, too, especially on a Saturday night. Compare the cost of one in the centre versus one near Heathrow.

I would check the TfL (transport for London) website re the Piccadilly line before you set off. Use either this line or the Elizabeth line to arrive at Heathrow as these cost the same.

Do not use the Heathrow Express service from Paddington as it’s a rip off.

If you do decide to use a hotel near Heathrow to stay in the night before the Premier Inn on the Barth Road is ok. There is also a shuttle bus that takes you to either t2 and 3 with a separate shuttle to T5. If your flight is at 13:00 you will need to check in three hours beforehand at Heathrow.

It's not worth staying centrally if all you're going to do is travel to the airport - which is what will happen, because you need to be there hours before. I'd stay in one of the cheap airport hotels - just check it's close to the terminal you're flying from otherwise you'll have a a £25 taxi fare. Get as close as you can afford - there's fuck all to do round there anyway so you might as well be convenient.

It's actually less that half the price to take the Piccadilly Line instead of Elizabeth Line, thanks to TFLs chaotic fun pricing calculations 😂 Definitely worth using contactless cards/oysters at a pinch as with 5 people that's a saving of over £25 each way if you go for the Piccadilly Line.

There is a Premier Inn Hub if you decide to overnight at Kings X. You might get a reasonable deal if you book now.

And given they're coming from KX Elizabeth line would involve a change and only save about 5-10 minutes - def one for the Piccadilly Line. Check for engineering works.

I actually don't mind quite a few of the Heathrow hotels, if I'm doing long-haul before 11am I prefer a less stressed start to the holiday. We have often stayed at the Novotel and it's exactly what you'd expect of a Novotel, nicer than some, passable restaurant, nice bar, etc.

I think either option is fine - either mooch around a hotel for the morning and check out around noon, or have a few hours wandering round Granary Square etc before jumping on the Tube on the Sunday.

If you book now you should be able to get a deal on a hotel at Heathrow. Work out the cost of the shuttle buses compared to an Uber from hotel to terminal. You might have to do 2 rooms though.

If I was you I'd chheck in at Heathrow hotel then get train back into London for a meal or go to Richmond or Windsor to get something to eat.

Depends on the carrier but the “must check-in three hours before” is certainly not universal, in fact it’s often the very earliest you can check-in and bag drop with some airlines…the latest you can often leave check-in is an hour before departure, sometimes less but that’s an it depends (airline, destination) and info should be available on the airlines website.

“It's not worth staying centrally if all you're going to do is travel to the airport”

Agree very much with that.

If budget is important there are for example. three Prem Inns dotted around (one pretty much attached to T4), that usually do good deals.

There used to be free bus service on/within the perimeter roads at Heathrow, but I can't tell if this is still available or only in a more limited way.

I have an 1145am flight from Heathrow in Feb so really do need to stay somewhere localish. Last time I did a journey like that, we stayed in a tiny hotel room about 400 yards outside the free bus area & walked down to get the bus... I can't figure out if this would still work now. I'll look at airbnb too.

Don't know where you are but I always get a National Express coach straight to the terminal and book into a Premier Inn. Cheaper, zero hassle.

@lljkk

Ref TfL and …I can't tell if this is still available or only in a more limited way.

AFAIK the free service went during Covid (shame), I think the only freebie these days is the H30 which I think the general public can use but is really set up to get staff to places like Cargo, Compass Centre and Waterside.

https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/transport/Heathrow-free-travel-map.pdf

lljkk

The free bus service no longer operates post pandemic. Many of the hotels have shuttle buses that go around the hotels on a set route before taking them to the airport. From my experience of these the buses going to t2/3/4 were far busier than the one to t5.

use a hotel also rather than Airbnb.

Free bus travel was withdrawn in 2022, I think.

The airport website gives details of buses here
https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/by-coach-or-bus/local-buses

It looks as though the only free bus is the H30 between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.

Although Heathrow Express is expensive, kids do travel free. That can make a big difference. Personally, I would stay round KX then travel on Piccadilly late morning, or close to Paddington and then jump on Heathrow Express. If you stay at Heathrow, you will have to leave room at 11 and then have nothing to do until check in 2 hours later.

Cheapest hotels are usually on Bath road outside the perimeter fence, I paid £69 last year. With a 1pm check in on a Sunday I would definitely book a hotel. The ibis is not posh but very comfortable. Use the normal public bus from the hotel to the airport not the expensive shuttle you'll have plenty of time on the Sunday

Depending on where you're travelling from, can you get an easy train to Reading? That would be close to LHR, easy to get there on the Sunday, and cheaper than central London. Might well be cheaper train tickets too (if you haven't booked yet).

If your mainline train comes in to King's X then you're not coming from the west, but if your train isn't direct then you may be able to get to Reading just as easily as London.