Hi everyone, I will be arriving at Heathrow in April and this is my first time abroad, so I'm trying to get as much information as possible before I leave. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express Victoria, and am trying to figure out how to get there from Heathrow. My flight lands around 11am and from what I've read, it should take around 2 hours to get from the gate through immigration and baggage, correct? From there, I hear that usually the Tube is the easiest way to get into London. My hotel is also a 9 minute walk from Victoria Station, while a 4 minute walk from Pimlico, but would it be easier to just take the tube to Victoria station? And how long would this all take? Thanks all for any advice!
Posted by
Maryland, USA
533 posts
Two hours to get through immigration and baggage is on the long side, in my experience, but others have found that it can take that long. Plan for the worst and hope for the best.
According to the journey planners at tfl.gov.uk, it takes around 50 minutes to get from Heathrow to Victoria (changing from the Piccadilly line to the District line at one of the many stations where they run together) and around 55 minutes to get from Heathrow to Pimlico (changing from the Piccadilly line to the Victoria line at Green Park).
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5333 posts
Do be aware that Pimlico station requires a moderate staircase to be negotiated. Victoria will also require stairs but fewer to the surface than Pimlico. Just in case this is an issue for you.
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1265 posts
You may want to check is www.tfl.gov.uk to plan your journey. You can take the Piccadilly Line to Green Park. Change at Green Park to the Victoria Line to Pimlico. Or take the Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith and change to the District Line to Victoria Station.
Posted by
S.F. Bay Area, CA, United States
1878 posts
The tube is very easy and takes about an hour door to door. The hotel is also right by the Victoria Coach Station and I have never taken it but I think there is an express bus. By the time you travel you will have a guide book, I am sure, which will show you it's really easy and provide other options. I stayed at that hotel with my wife for five nights at the end of our 2013 trip, and it was great.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC
88 posts
We stayed at a hotel in the Pimlico area on Belgrave Rd (The Belgrave hotel) last September. It sounds like our hotel was close to wherever you are staying. We took the tube from Heathrow to Westminster station (I think we had to switch tube lines once, can't remember which station we used) and then took the #24 bus (picks you up right outside the station) that dropped us off on Belgrave Rd. just a block from our hotel. You might want to look into that if that bus has a stop close to your hotel. It was very easy.
I recommend the cittymaper app. We found it to be invaluable for checking routes.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
One of the tricks to the Underground is knowing where to change between the lines. Sometimes it is easy, just walk across the platform, sometimes it is a lot of stairs and long corridors, which is not good with luggage.
Looking at the infamous tube map here: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf
there are a number of ways you can do this:
A) Heathrow (Piccadilly line) Green park (Victoria Line) Pimlico. But Green park has lots of stairs and long corridors - BAD
B) Heathrow (Piccadilly line) Hammersmith (District Line) Victoria (Victoria Line) Pimlico. Hammersmith is an across-the-platform interchange - GOOD. Victoria involves stairs, as does Pimlico - BAD
C) Heathrow (Piccadilly line) Hammersmith (District Line) Victoria (walk). You get one load of stairs at Victoria, but save the second load at Pimlico.
As you say "My hotel is also a 9 minute walk from Victoria Station, while a 4 minute walk from Pimlico", I would choose plan (C), change Hammersmith, exit Victoria, walk.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5333 posts
There will eventually be step free access from the platforms at Victoria to the street. This is going to be possible at the new northern ticket hall within the next month or two, but this is no good anyway for the OP as it is in the wrong direction. The old, now southern ticket hall won't have step free access until next year.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA
7 posts
Ok thank you all so much for the advice. The step-by-steps are very helpful, since I've never used any sort of public transportation before and all of the different lines, etc are pretty confusing. I hadn't thought about the stairs with a suitcase - I'm going to have a suitcase that will probably be around 40 pounds, but I should be able to carry it up some stairs. So Victoria station is easier to get out of than Pimlico? I hadn't thought about changing at Hammersmith, so thank you for that idea.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Using the Heathrow Express you can be delivered all the way to downtown London in about 15 minutes. Terminus of HEX is Paddington Station where you can either hop on the tube (not advisable with luggage) or jump in a taxi or use your Uber App and get to Victoria.
If you were arriving into Gatwick you could jump on the Gatwick Express all the way to Victoria.