Where should I stay in London with an early Heathrow departure?
I'll be in London for one night coming in from Cambridge the prior afternoon with a 10:15 AM flight out of Heathrow. I'm looking for a nice area with some good pubs to spend the evening. I'd like to have an easy time getting to Heathrow Terminal 3 in the morning, and I have to be there by 8 AM for an international flight.
I am considering Paddington so I can take the Heathrow Express in the morning, but I'm concerned about this 15 minute elevator transfer between the Heathrow Express 1-3 stop and Terminal 3. I want things to go as smoothly as possible.
I also don't know if there is somewhere along the Piccadilly line maybe Hammersmith or west of there that could get me to Heathrow quickly. I don't know what any of these London neighborhoods are, so I don't know if any of them are suitable to stay and visit for one night.
We won't be doing any shopping, and don't really have time for sightseeing, unless there's someplace neat we can visit in one evening.
Best Answer
To go as smoothly as possible, I would book into one of the hotels close to Heathrow that has a regular bus to/from the airport. Then after spending time in central London, I would travel to Heathrow on the tube after 8pm, so you get a seat. Then get the bus to the hotel and the bus back from the hotel the next day. (The last tube is late enough to allow you to spend most of the evening in London pub if you wish.)
(Depending on the airline you may even be able to check your cases in at Heathrow the night before the flight.)
Consider buying something you can eat for breakfast from a normal shop, so you can have it once you get to Heathrow, while you are doing all the waiting about.
Or spend the afternoon and early evening in Cambridge and get a direct coach to Heathrow then a bus to a close by hotel, Cambridge pubs are as good as London pubs!
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How do you get to Heathrow for early flight?
Travellers can choose to get to London Heathrow airport during the early hours of the day using The National Express coach services, The Tube, bus or the train. However, the easiest way to travel to the Heathrow airport during the early hours is by hiring a taxi or minicab.Can you leave Heathrow during layover?
Yes, you can leave the airport during a layover, provided your passport allows you visa-free entry to the country you're in and you have enough time between flights.Is Heathrow busy at 7AM?
During the week, traffic between 7am and 9am can be busy and this is repeated again in the afternoon and evening, with a rush hour traffic period taking place between 4pm and 7pm. If you can avoid travelling to, from or around Heathrow Airport at these times, do so as it will save you a lot of stress.Does Heathrow Airport have a place to sleep?
London Heathrow Airport offers designated rest zones, equipped with lounge chairs perfect for tired travellers needing to relax. Located throughout the terminals. A rest zone in Terminal 3, Gates 24-25 also has couches, snack machines, and more.London Heathrow Airport Ultimate Guide - DEPARTURES
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Answer 2
You picked the wrong half of Oxbridge to stay in!
Oxford has two buses an hour to Heathrow for virtually the whole day, and buses overnight too. The buses have wifi, powerpoints, nice seats etc. Journey time from the city centre to T5 is a little over an hour if traffic is fine, or about 90 minutes to the central bus station (for T1-T3). A couple of weeks ago, I managed to do Oxford Gloucester Green Bus Station to the BA Galleries South Lounge in T5 (including bag drop and security) in just under 80 minutes, so it can be pretty quick! Traffic today wasn't so great, so it took 1 hour 45 bus station to lounge. Still not too bad :)
If you get the bus / train / underground to T5, then you're virtually in the terminal. It's normally 2-5 minutes until you're at the departures level, just needs a little bit of walking and lifts/escalators up (departures is on the top floor). With T1, T2 and T3, all the public transport heads to a central point in the middle of the three terminals (either the central bus station, or something just under it). If you run, you can probably make the terminals in 5 minutes. At a slow walk, using the lifts and travelators, it's about 15. If you take a look at a map you'll see why! Don't worry about the transfer though, just allow time.
(T4 is somewhat of an ugly duckling these days, transport links wise. Allow yourself lots of extra time, as unless you're very lucky you'll need to change bus / tube / train to get there)
Assuming you can't be tempted to head west to "the other place", I'd suggest you look at south west London. You ought to be able to find somewhere with a direct bus link to Heathrow, that isn't too pricey, and hopefully with some nice pubs and parks around. Getting from Cambridge down that way will need a few changes across London, but at least you'll then be nearby for the early-ish start to the airport. Try looking on the TFL website for bus maps to get an idea of where to go for.
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