On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 7:59 AM, Ted Lemon <ted.lemon@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Feb 5, 2014, at 8:51 AM, Elwyn Davies <elwynd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:The tube ride from Heathrow to central London is interminable. It's fun if you want to people-watch, and it _is_ cheaper, but Heathrow Express is really a treat if you just got off a transatlantic flight, and the Metropole is literally five blocks from the station. I took a cab from Paddington last time because I hadn't had time to do the research, and it was actually kind of fun, since the driver was very polite about it, but it was a little embarrassing when the ride ended in less than two minutes. :)
> If you don't mind taking a bit longer to get from Heathrow into central
> London, the underground is a *lot* cheaper than the Heathrow Express
> (about a factor of five! - HE is 21-26GBP single - Taxi to "central"
> London is 45-85GBP depending on time of day and how central) and isn't
> that much slower unless your hotel is real close to Paddington Station.
[MB] Another option is to take Heathrow Connect. It's much less expensive than the Heathrow Express (19.80 GBP versus 34.00 GBP RT) and departs from the same location (the signage for Heathrow Connect isn't nearly as prevalent as that for the Heathrow Express, so just follow the signs for the latter). The train takes about 15 minutes longer because there are 4 or 5 stops. A handy option for folks that have US credit cards without chips, and thus can't use machines, is to buy your round trip ticket (either Heathrow Connect or Express) online ahead of time. You then just enter the code on your receipt in one of the machines to retrieve your tickets upon arrival.
[/MB]
There is absolutely no reason to take a cab from Heathrow—it will take forever, and you'll get motion sickness. If you really want to be coddled, take Heathrow Express, and take a cab from Paddington. It'll cost a bit less, and be much more pleasant. Only take the tube if you are short on cash or want a somewhat boring adventure.
BTW, doesn't this belong on 89-attendees?
[MB] Yes. [/MB]