London in 3 weeks

It really depends on your budget, the amount of luggage, and where in downtown London you want to end up.

For me, "best" means easiest, someone more cost-effective, and interesting. I will admit that I like riding public transport. In more recent years, with a roller bag and backpack, I have primarily taken the Tube. There are a couple of different lines, I have just put my destination in my phone and decided which line to take. One time, I took Heathrow Express. That costs a bit more but is a bit more efficient.

There is no such place as downtown London. The city has a large area which all could be called central London. Where are you staying?

Why does it need to be Rick’s favourite places? If you haven’t booked anywhere yet no one can give you the best route from Heathrow.

Are you going to London three weeks from now? Alone? The "best" way might be different for an individual vs a small group.
I suggest you search this site for London hotel recommendations, as there are many posts on this topic. At this point, you might not have a great selection. Rick Steves' recommendations are found in his guidebook, which you can either purchase or borrow from your local library.

The best way will depend on where in London you are headed- once you know that we can advise pros and cons of different methods.

Oh my....if you are looking to book for a stay in just 3 weeks the best place might be the one that is not booked out.

I agree with the others...where you wind up staying will determine the "best" transport. I usually take the National Express coach from the airport to Victoria Coach Station but I stay just a half a block away from the arrivals station so it's convenient. If I were staying in another area I'd go with a different mode of transit.

First book your hotel.

Then we can help you figure out transit in to town.

London is basically a group of villages that merged together over time.
From a tourist’s point of view the best places to look for hotels are inside the circle tube line ( the yellow one)and the area down the south bank of the river. But it does depend on what you are planning to do and your budget. In just 3 weeks your options might be a bit limited.

Judy, if you haven’t done so yet, immediately get a copy (digital or paper) of one of Rick’s guides to London. It’s an inexpensive investment in enjoying your trip. Considering the cost of your trip, buying a guidebook is an inconsequential expense. But not having one could be a disaster.

You are ALL right - book the hotel first!
At our local library, I received a copy of Rick's latest "Great Britain".

Thanks to everyone. *strong text****
Judy

Look at the Premiere Inn chain.

Agree there is no downtown London.

I stay in the Paddington neighborhood because I know it so well. Easy walk from from Paddington station to 63 Bayswater. I’ve also stayed in airbnbs in Camden and Chelsea as well at a friends rental in Richmond.

Been visiting since Nixon was in office. Each trip
a different neighborhood.

And Heathrow isn’t horrible but I fly Virgin Atlantic
which is worth the money. Been to O’hare or LAX?

I don't understand the "ugh" for Heathrow. I've flown in and out, sometimes connecting, 4 times in the past 2 years with no issues.

As others have said, there is no "downtown" London. I would guess no one on this forum has stayed everywhere in London, so you'll get all kinds of opinions on the "best" places to stay.

If I'm on a tight budget, Premier Inns are perfect, though boring. I have found them to be clean, comfortable and quiet.

My last trip I stayed solo at The Bailey's Hotel across from the Gloucester Road Underground Station. Super convenient for the tube to everywhere, walking distance to Kensington Gardens and The Victoria & Albert Museum. Right on the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow. Wonderful neighborhood surrounded by bakeries and pubs. I don't need or want Big Ben right outside my door.

If I were bringing my husband, I would probably choose something closer to St. James Park. But then again, I think he the would be happy with The Bailey's.

Good luck. I've no idea what Rick's favorites are. I learned over 25 years ago that Rick and I don't necessarily agree on hotels and restaurants.

All right, everyone. My next question:
In London with my husband for 7 days - which is better, Oyster Card or 7-day travelcard?
Leaving Minneapolis on Oct. 7

Keep on Traveling,
Judy

Travelcards are complex to calculate the value of unless you know exactly what your plans are and I’m guessing that you’re not there yet? A zone 1-2 travelcard might be good if you plan your stay very central all week apart from in and out of an airport. If you plan some trips outside the centre like to Windsor or Hampton Court or further afield day trips then you won’t get full value from a travelcard.

The easiest plan is not to do either and just use a contactless form of payment - a card or phone/smart watch per person. The Oyster card will charge the same as contactless but costs a non-refundable £10 each. This is only sensible if you’re one of those people who prefers to use an Oyster rather than getting your credit card or phone out every time. It doesn’t make sense to me but a number of people prefer to do that.

I agree, you don’t need an Oyster card as long as you have a contactless form of payment (card or Apple Pay on your phone). I haven’t used an Oyster card in over a decade. It will always calculate the best fare for you.

Just to go back a little. What you think of "downtown" is approximately 5 miles x 3, so a large area.
There are several ways of getting into Central London from Heathrow.
Cheapest would be the Piccadilly Line which is an old line the tube system, taking around an hour.
Next would be the Elizabeth Line. Think of it as a new independent tube line.
Another would be the Heathrow Express. Run by a private company. Expensive unless you get a deal and only goes as far as Paddington in the west of the area.
Of course you have taxis which are expensive and probably take longer than the above methods. Also coaches which I have never used.
Forget about Oyster cards, they cost £10 to initially purchase before you've loaded any money on them. Simplest is to just tap in and out of the tube using a contactless debit or credit card. Each person will need their own although they can be linked to the same account. The system calculates the fares depending on which zones you pass through and applies the daily cap. Basically, after 3 trips, you travel for free. The card readers are located at the entry and exit barriers.

Has anyone flown into Heathrow and taken public transport to the Fulham area?

Again, and again, Thanks from your travelin' Pal, Judy

Plenty will have. If you can tell us exactly where you might be going we can give better advice - the journey may well be different depending on where in Fulham you mean. It’s a nice area but not really central for general tourism.

Replying to the folks who responded from the UK:
We are staying at an Air B&B in Fulham because it was a very good price for 3 nights. As for "where" the owner says -
Walham Green...I'm 0.5 miles from Parsons Green.
What say you about that particular neighborhood?

Thanks to you all,
Judy

Waltham Green is a nice area. It is near the Fulham Broadway tube stop. But I have to scratch my head why the landlord would tell you its 0.5 miles to Parsons Green. Unless, he's calling the area Waltham Green but it's really not.

Do you have an address?

some parts of Waltham Green can be just about or just over half a mile - walking from Parsons Green tube station. More like 8 tenths of a mile on rubber tyres though. So in the southwest corner of Waltham Green it could be true.

It is about half a mile. Parsons Green (the actual Green not the Tube station) is the nicest part of Fulham with a villagey atmosphere so most people will want to know they can walk there for the pubs and so on. It’s not a main tourist location so most people who stay there probably already know the area.