Our family of 2 adults and 3 children (ages 11, 12, & 13) will have an overnight layover at Charles de Galle airport in mid June. We arrive in the late afternoon, and our flight doesn't leave until mid afternoon the next day. We have secured lodging for the night near Covent Gardens so that we can do some very limited sightseeing before heading back to the airport the next day. My question concerns transportation from and back to the airport. Since this is the only transportation we will be using, does anyone have a suggestion as to what kind of card I should purchase when I get to the airport? Last time I was in London, the Oyster cards were the best. Is this still the case? Also, what is the suggested time that we should arrive back at the airport? Our flight leaves for the US at 3:40PM, and I know that covid related issues have made things more difficult at airports all over the world. Thank you for any information that you all can give me with these issues. Linda
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2600 posts
If you're only taking the Underground from Heathrow (?) to Covent Garden (and back) you can check fares here.
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder?intcmp=54716
It’s cheaper to use a contactless card – either a contactless debit/credit card, an Oyster card or Apple/Google Pay. Each person must have their own method of payment.
Or you might decide to pay cash and forego the rigmarole of buying and topping up Oyster cards for such limited journeys.
Three hours is the recommended time to be at an airport for long haul departures.
Posted by
OP
new orleans
237 posts
Thank you so much
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3898 posts
With so many people (plus luggage) traveling together, it may be wise to use a car service from Heathrow to London.
Blackberry Cars is one such service.
https://www.blackberrycars.com/
You can be delivered right to the door of your hotel.
The day of departure from London, your hotel is going to want you to check out by 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning, so you may as well have the car service pick you up then and take you to the airport. That way, you have adequate time to check in before your flight.
(You will have your luggage with you once you check out of the hotel, so it will be difficult to do much walking around in London. Better to just go on to Heathrow.)
If you're worried about spending time at the airport before your flight, there's plenty to do at Heathrow. Lots of restaurants, shops; even a small Harrod's shop. There are lots of bookstores and magazine shops, so you could find something to read to pass the time.
About walking around in Covent Garden. There are lots of good restaurants in this area. You may wish to check out the London Transport Museum (old buses and trams). You can easily walk to the British Museum.
If you want to ride the London red double-decker buses, they take the Oyster card. Tap in when you get on, but do not tap out when you get off the bus. Oyster cards can be bought from a vending machine inside any tube station. They can also be purchased at some small food mini-markets.
If you walk from Covent Garden to St Paul's Cathedral (walk east on Strand/Fleet St.), across the street from St. Paul's is the London Tourist Information kiosk. A small modern building, mostly glass walls. You can buy the Oyster card there, as well as picking up brochures and info about tours, attractions and more. You can ask questions of the staff there.
You can pick up maps of the tube and bus systems there, maps of London there for free.
Tube and bus systems maps are also available inside the tube stations. (Free) Look for the rack on the wall.
To ride the tube, tap in with the Oyster when entering the station turnstiles, tap out when you get off.