Landside transit London Heathrow - am I allowed to stay overnight at an airport hotel (COVID regulations)?
I will soon be transiting via London Heathrow with a 16 hour overnight layover. Since airside may be closed overnight (and my suitcase will not be checked through from my first flight), this will need to be a landside transit. I would ideally like to stay overnight at a hotel next to Heathrow (Premier Inn Terminal 4).
I have seen similar questions here about availability of accommodations and visa needs - this question is about staying compliant with current COVID travel regulations regarding self-isolation on arrival.
The UK government guidance on this (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-air-travel-guidance-for-passengers#transiting-through-england) states that passengers undergoing landside transit are exempt from the requirement to self-isolate on arrival.
However, the guidelines state that ‘You must remain within your port of entry until your departure from England’. The Premier Inn hotel is a 6 min walk from the airport terminal (https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-heathrow-airport-terminal-4.html). Would it count as leaving the port of entry (and therefore going beyond landside transit) if I stayed there overnight?
Best Answer
You will probably be fine as a Heathrow Terminal 4 hotel is at your point of entry, even if it is a distance away.
The guidance also says that you must:
- travel directly from your port of entry to another port of departure in England
This is indicates that travelling and using public transport is allowed.
Note though that Terminal 4 is currently closed as it is being used for Red List countries. Distances from the hotel to other terminals (you will most likely arrive at Terminal 2 or 3) are found on the hotels website:
Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 - 4 miles Heathrow Terminal 5 - 3.5 miles
Pictures about "Landside transit London Heathrow - am I allowed to stay overnight at an airport hotel (COVID regulations)?"
Can I stay in Heathrow Airport overnight?
If you have an early morning flight or a connecting flight with a long layover, the London Heathrow airport offers facilities that make it possible for you to stay overnight without having to book for a hotel outside the grounds. All terminals remain open 24 hours a day and are connected to each other by buses.Can I transit through Heathrow during Covid?
Arriving at Heathrow for a connecting flight If you are transiting through Heathrow ('airside' or 'landside'), you do not need to quarantine or take any pre-departure or post-arrival COVID-19 tests. We recommend wearing face-coverings inside our terminal buildings and bus stations and railway platforms.Are there sleeping pods at Heathrow?
British Airways has unveiled new sleep pods in its First Lounge at Heathrow for travellers in need of some shut-eye. Launched in partnership with sleep technology company Restworks, the airline's Forty Winks nap lounge features seven EnergyPods, which will be offered to Club World guests on a free, self-service basis.How to: Catch Your Connecting Flight at Heathrow
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