We are traveling in England in Oct-Nov and have a flight out of LHR on Nov 9 at 9:55 am. We will be in Bath or Salisbury on 8 November and booked a hotel on Bath Road (near the airport) so we are virtually there on the morning of our flight. Is the best way (least time and cost) to get to the hotel to take train to Paddington and then the Airport Express to LHR? Is there a better way to get from Bath or Salisbury to LHR?
Thanks,
Mary
A couple of years ago when I visited Bath I took the bus from the bus station that is directly next door to the train station in Bath. It stopped at LHR and was very easy and economical. If your hotel is very close to the airport you could just take a taxi from airport to your hotel. Or, you could check and see if your hotel has a shuttle service to and from the hotel.
We went in the other direction (Heathrow to Bath) two years ago. We opted for a bus from Heathrow to Reading, then the train from Reading to Bath. It was very easy and avoided the backtracking to and from Paddington.
I would take the National Express coach from Bath to LHR. From the airport there are frequent shuttles to the hotel strip on Bath Road. A single ticket costs £5 (you can pay with a card) you simply wait at the stop that services your hotel, you will find a list at each stop.
As others have said your options from Bath to LHR are as follows:
From Salisbury it is more complicated. Rail services go into Waterloo, so you'd then need to get to Paddington to pick up the Heathrow Express train to the airport. You can do this by tube, by taking the Bakerloo line. Or you can get to Heathrow by tube, by taking the Jubilee line from Waterloo to Green Park and then changing to the Piccadilly line to Heathrow. Alternatively you could take the National Express coach service (033) directly to the airport.
I am not sure on cost - you'd need to check by looking up the exact dates and times you want to travel. Time is likely to be similar, but the National Express services are direct and would mean less hauling of bags.
You don't need to go all the way to Waterloo if starting by train from Salisbury; instead change at Woking for a bus. Through tickets are available.
From Heathrow Central for all of these options you can probably take a local bus free near to your hotel on the Bath Road, although a few are outside of the free travel zone. Just let the driver know where you are going.
The Bath road is the road that goes along the north side of the airport. It is actually the old road to Bath, the A4, which is now replaced by the M4 motorway. It is not near any of the terminals. Any transport to Heathrow will then require a shuttle bus or taxi to your hotel.
Thank you all for taking time to provide your replies. I now have all I need to plan our return to LHR.
Keep on traveling!
Mary
