One more travel question - London area

you dont want to stay near heathrow.

There are quite a few hotels at Heathrow. They all run shuttles to the terminals. That's what I've done in the past.

Don't forget the The Heathrow Express! It runs every fifteen minutes from London Paddington between 5.10am and 11.25pm, is direct and only takes between 15-20 minutes to get there depending on the terminal you're going to. It's great because it allows you to stay in central London but still make it to the airport without some horrendous 1.5 hour commute.

Not exactly what you're asking but it's really worth considering. Don't know much about Heathrow hotels but I've stayed at plenty of central London ones.

The Royal Imperial Windsor Arms.

i took the london express last year, i totally forgot how much it costs, but i wonder if it might be more expensive than a taxi for a family of four.

then again, taxis are crazy overpriced in london, so maybe anything's cheaper.

during my favorite trip to london, i stayed in knightsbridge.

the sherlock holmes museum was right around the corner. it was also the week that diana had died and her funeral procession passed hyde park early in the morning. we pulled an all-nighter and went to the park, which was - even at 4 am - a sea of ghostly mourners.

wrote a poem about it, doncha know:

Time stands still in the English heart.
It beats,
Then rests
In collective breath.

Dew springs from the Earth
Like mortal tears.

edited to add: stayed in chelsea on subsequent trips. also very nice.

Perks said:

No, that is exactly the type of information I was looking for. Thanks, Clockwork!

I've been to Europe before, but never the UK or Ireland, and never with a family in tow. So, this is really helpful.

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Cool. And you can of course still get to Heathrow using the Underground. It's on the Piccadilly (navy blue) line which runs from the airport into central London and beyond. It takes far longer but is useful if getting to Paddington is a bit of a slog.

Many hotels (bigger names) will run shuttle services and there's always services like Dot2Dot and Hotel Hoppa which run coaches and minibuses from Heathrow to wherever you're staying.

bravo said:

i took the london express last year, i totally forgot how much it costs, but i wonder if it might be more expensive than a taxi for a family of four.

then again, taxis are crazy overpriced in london, so maybe anything's cheaper.

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Yeah, should have said, Heathrow Express costs £16.50 for a single ($24) and £8.50 ($12.50) for a child (5-15) which isn't cheap at all but gets you there quickly. Price goes up if you buy on the train rather than online or at the station.

Taxis... you're looking at £35-50 ($50-73) from the airport into the city with a firm that regularly does such routes.

As a general rule, London taxis cost £4.40-£8 for 1 mile, £6.80-£10.60 for 2 miles, £11-£18 for 4 miles, £17-£27 for 6 miles. It's a damn good racket.

Beer seems to be the answer, but I forgot the question after all that.

Personally, I'd get the tube as the Heathrow Express is a rip-off, but you could also get a coach from Victoria Coach Station.

I grew up in Hayes, which is very near Heathrow. So trust me: don't stay near Heathrow on your last night in London. Stay in London and take the tube out to Heathrow the next morning.

West London is obviously the best (closest to Heathrow, nicer), but it's pricey; I'm not sure what the Chelsea Arts Club charges, or even if you can stay there if you're not a member, but for a once-in-a-lifetime experience it would be wonderful to stay there if they let non-members stay and you're pretty much guaranteed to meet great people (writers, artists, drunks...!) in the restaurant and bar, and there's a lovely garden there too.

(It's highly likely my information is way off course, though, as I moved away from London a decade ago. But still: I loved the Chelsea Arts Club, and spent many happy evenings there.)

Priene said:

Personally, I'd get the tube as the Heathrow Express is a rip-off, but you could also get a coach from Victoria Coach Station.

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It is pricey but it's so damn fast, I'd pay it. That's just me though, not a family which would seriously jack the price. The tube is great for getting around but it'd be my last choice for getting to Heathrow. Suitcases are absolutely no fun on the tube, especially with a family. There just isn't enough room.

But like you said, there's tonnes of shuttles and coaches that you can arrange even if your own hotel doesn't do one. It's probably the best option.

Skip the hotel and spend the money on a night out and a taxi to the airport in the morning, sleep on the plane--great stories all around--yeah you're tirde, but it's good tired.

I don't think they let kids into Ministry of Sound.

I thought you shed the travel companions?

I thought you meant the kids, sorry.

Too young to drink are they?

Do the same at an amusment park of some kind, it's like a keg party for kids. Sugar caffeine.... I should shut up.

whatever you do, don't stay in the soho area!

it's not like soho, new york.

that's all i'm going to say.

Perks said:

You're going to be an excellent parent someday, Wayne. Lol!.

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Next year I'm up for a "Thank God he didn't beconme a father" of the year award.