London's Ealing Broadway -- platform to street assistance for pullman carryon this week

With an 8 lb. lifting limit I cannot help but wonder how you plan to get it into and out of the airplane luggage bin, or if checked, lifting it off the luggage carousel. You may very well exceed 8 lb of effort just pulling it up a curb. Do you not have a traveling companion to assist?

Seems there are lots of problematic hurdles to overcome to make it to the train station, that if you have gotten there, the train station should be no new problem

good luck!

With an 8 lb. lifting limit I cannot help but wonder how you plan to
get it into and out of the airplane luggage bin, or if checked,
lifting it off the luggage carousel. You may very well exceed 8 lb of
effort just pulling it up a curb. Do you not have a traveling
companion to assist?

Fair question. I am traveling alone. I will ask someone to place my carryon in the overhead bin for me. I'll be blatantly honest and say that I've recently had a total hysterectomy and am asking for assistance. Hopefully somebody will say yes. I'll ask for someone to lift my bag for the conveyor belt at security too.

Seems there are lots of problematic hurdles to overcome to make it to
the train station, that if you have gotten there, the train station
should be no new problem

True. Worst comes to the worst, I could ask a fellow passenger to help me with my bag up the steps. I've helped people when asked for assistance with lifting their bags so I hope others would do the same.

I had planned this trip long before I learned I needed immediate surgery. These past few weeks have been life-changing. Both my ob/gyn & oncologist have given me the green light to travel.

We used Ealing Broadway every day for 3 weeks just 2 years ago. You need to go down and up stairs to enter and exit the station. There is no lift, ramp nor escalator. There is usually a station employee standing by the turnstile as you leave the platform to walk to the stairs. Perhaps they could get help for you. A problem would be entering the station via the stairs, there is no station employee at the top of the stairs.

EDIT: look at the website https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/. Towards the bottom they have all kinds of information about people needing assistance. Maybe something there can be of help. They have numbers to call for further information too.

I think it will be hard to find someone to help you with your luggage at the train station.

I think you will be better off using the bus with your case if you need step-free access. If you go to https://tfl.gov.uk you can plug in your journey, select ”edit preferences” and choose ”step free access”

Alternatively, perhaps you can scrimp somewhere else to save for a car service. Your health is worth it.

In my experience, anyone standing by stairs with a heavy looking case will receive offers of help from other passengers almost instantly... It's just something we do here. EB is a busy station so will be plenty of people around.

Depending on the kindness of strangers in such a situation is not a good idea. What if no one offers to help? There will be at least 4 times, not counting when on the airplane, when you will be in need of assistance. Why endanger yourself? Do take a taxi or check out Just Airports transfer prices. I trust your travel/medical insurance company is aware of your recent surgery. Please think hard about this.

You don't say if you are staying in one place for your vacation or moving around. This is one case where I would join the 'pack in a lunchbox' (who said this?) crowd. Have you thought about shipping a small amount of luggage to your destination and just bringing a purse, perhaps with a change of unders, just in case? You can always go shopping. I remember reading about a much older woman who only traveled with her purse. She would mail her clothes ahead to her destination. She was talking about US travel, but why wouldn't it work? You'd have no worries then. Costs, so keep it small, but what a joy it would be! There are also those luggage delivery services, but that is likely overkill. OR you could just bring your purse, have no luggage, and just do some minimal shopping at your destination. On the other hand, I recall Paul Theroux, who lived in London and Cape Cod, traveling back to the US with just a novel to read. He was held up at the airport for quite a while for interrogation because they didn't believe his summer clothes were on the Cape so he had no need for luggage.

Wray, I will be staying at the same hotel for all 5 nights and then I take a 10:30am flight home on Tues April 10.

I really appreciate everyone's input -- thank you. I'm arriving at 7am Thursday morning at Terminal 3 Heathrow. You have given quite a bit to think about. I think I'm too late to ship, at least economically. I really didn't want to spend money on car service. Assuming I get through immigration in under an hour, I would still be arriving at Ealing Broadway during rush hour I believe.

My typical commute is to take the tube to Ealing Common. There is an elevator at Acton Town so I know I can easily change trains. But Ealing Common has a long stairwell and I've arrived midmorning and have been the only one to depart the train so I know there is a risk that there will be no one to assist. That is why I considered Ealing Broadway. I do know those sets of steps from the platform to the turnstiles and then up to the street. I also read that they started doing some pedestrian diversions I believe around platform 4 last week which will continue long past my visit. I have no idea if the Heathrow Connect even arrives at Platform 4.

I can lift my bag to the platform from the Heathrow Connect train. I'm already packed and tried lifting it. No problem. It's the prolonged lifting up sets of stairs which make me wonder.

Emma, that's good to know! Thank you. Do you have a basic idea of what the cab fare might be?

After rereading this thread, I realize that I am being penny-wise and pound-foolish (pun intended as it is beyond accurate). I really never thought that I might be endangering myself to potential injury. You are right.

I'm following Emma's advice; I'll take the tube to Acton Town and take at taxi to my hotel. Thank you for letting me know that taxi service is easily accessible from Acton Town. I appreciate that.

Do you wear any kind of shapewear? I was shopping in lingerie one time and a woman was there seeking shapewear to help support her mid-section -- on doctor's orders. You might ask your doctor if this would be helpful for you, especially for the trip.

I understand where you are coming from. I've had 2 gut surgeries. My instructions were to lift nothing heavier than a newspaper. I wish shapewear had been available back then. I might not have had to hug those pillows so hard when I coughed or laughed.

I haven't worn Spanx in ages. I could throw the spanx in my bag. It's certainly light.

Thanks for the cab info, Emma.

I've been ok walking so far. I've even gone to the gym to start building up my workout regimen from where I left off. I had a laparoscopic total hysterectomy. On a routine annual visit to my ob/gyn, I made a passing comment that I was annoyed that my periods were lasting 7-8 days. She recommended a polypectomy (that seemed extreme given I was more annoyed by the duration; I wasn't in pain).

The polypectomy revealed uterine cancer. My ob/gyn had already made me an appointment with oncologist for the next day BEFORE she called me with the news.

9 days after I was told, I had the total hysterectomy. The doctors wanted to move quickly. A week later, the pathology reports came in that the surgery was 100% curative. I am BEYOND relieved that the cancer is GONE. I had already planned this trip and both doctors said I could go. :-)

Oh, I am SO relieved your surgery provided a cure! You can go to London and celebrate! Start the celebration by taking a taxi, hahaha!

Lo...laughing...are we somehow related? I thought of the Spanx or compression shorts idea as well. Worked great back in the old days with open abdominal procedures. Except then we called it a panty girdle, haha.

Yes, in addition to vanity sizing, we now have vanity naming of foundation garments. A bit of a digression here: when I graduated from high school in 1963, I wore a size 14. Fast forward to the late 90's, same weight, but then my size was an 8. My boss wore a 6. She always said she didn't pay enough for her clothes to wear a 4.

Good Lord, I'm so glad you made that passing comment to your doctor and that she moved ahead with further checking. I too think a taxi is in order along with some champagne when you arrive. Although I'm sure your recovery is not easy I am elated for you that you are cancer free! You have every reason to celebrate! Take good care of yourself and enjoy your trip.

I just returned home today.

It was easy as 1,2,3 to get a taxi to my hotel from Acton Town. Thank you, Emma. It was also just £7. I did take a train from Ealing Broadway in the middle of my trip and I definitely would have had a problem with luggage. The station is in the midst of an upgrade as the Crossrail is completed and with that upgrade I am told will be lifts.

My brain wants to move more than my body and I felt some physical issues starting Sunday. So this morning, I took a taxi from the hotel to Heathrow. I didn't even want to deal with the walk between Terminal 2 & 3 Piccadilly line stop and departures. That was a first for me. I used a cab company the hotel uses and the cost was £25 -- well worth it!

I feel like I'm jumbling back and forth but when I flew into at Heathrow Terminal 3 last week, the line at immigration was the most massive I had ever endured. I took a pain pill (600 mg Ibuprofen) before deboarding my Delta flight and was relieved I did. My flight arrived early -- about 6:35am. The line at immigration took 1 hour & 20 minutes. Yes, I timed it. When it was finally my turn, I asked the gentleman at the desk about the long queue and he just said "Easter". Everyday last week the lines were enormous according to him. Lesson learned, I will NEVER travel to London the week of Easter! Next year, Easter is late but I will still travel in late March!! :-) Customs as per usual was NOTHING as I had nothing to declare; it was a walk through.

I arrived at Heathrow 3 hours early for my 10:30am flight as was recommended by Delta. Checking my bag (I bought my favorite preserves which are of course over 100 ml), passport control and security took me just 15 minutes total! Go figure!

"The line at immigration took 1 hour & 20 minutes. Yes, I timed it."

Wow! I'm glad you had the forethought to take your pain pill AND that you just went for the taxi on your way back to the airport. Duly noted to check on the date of Easter before travels.

There is a current thread on the France forum about how to get out of problems during the train/plane/etc strikes and most involve throwing money at it. I thought about you when it was first posted and I'm happy to know it did not involve huge sums!

I'm so glad you updated us on your experience and glad you are back home safe and sound.

Your report on your entry /exit times is a wonderful example of how it can be such a widely variable thing, and trying to answer someone's question of 'how long does it take?', will produce a flurry of varied responses. Everyone's experience was different and there is little predictability.

Good Lord, I'm so glad you made that passing comment to your doctor
and that she moved ahead with further checking. I too think a taxi is
in order along with some champagne when you arrive. Although I'm sure
your recovery is not easy I am elated for you that you are cancer
free! You have every reason to celebrate! Take good care of yourself
and enjoy your trip.

Thank you, Nance. I cannot stress enough to everybody here to communicate with your doctor even about what you might think is the most minute complaint. You never know. Ladies in particular, don't skip your annual ob/gyn appointments. I am forever grateful for mine.

I had mentioned to the hotel manager about my surgery and he to my surprise had a fruit basket and a bottle of wine WAITING FOR ME in my room. So yes, I enjoyed the wine that evening of my arrival. He was on vacation that week too.

Wow! I'm glad you had the forethought to take your pain pill AND that
you just went for the taxi on your way back to the airport. Duly noted
to check on the date of Easter before travels.

There is a current thread on the France forum about how to get out of
problems during the train/plane/etc strikes and most involve throwing
money at it. I thought about you when it was first posted and I'm
happy to know it did not involve huge sums!

I'm so glad you updated us on your experience and glad you are back
home safe and sound.

Thanks Pam. I'm too cheap to throw money around like you described in the France forum. Some of the people here got me to change my mind reminding me the importance is my health and not to be cheap about that! The money I spent on taxis was well worth it and I believe very fair.

Your report on your entry /exit times is a wonderful example of how it
can be such a widely variable thing, and trying to answer someone's
question of 'how long does it take?', will produce a flurry of varied
responses. Everyone's experience was different and there is little
predictability.

Joe, this is so true. Typically, I get through immigration at Terminal 3 Heathrow in under 20 minutes. In many cases, it's been under 10 minutes. Last Thursday however was UNBELIEVABLE. I had contacted a car service company about picking me up at Heathrow before Emma gave me the advice about taking a taxi from Acton Town tube station. They said they allow a 45 minute cushion after the flight arrival time before they start to charge the passengers extra for time and parking. If within 45 minutes, no extra charges including parking is added. I was thinking about those extra charges as I moved through the immigration line at a snail's pace. So glad I didn't go with them. Immigration lines as you said are "a widely variable thing". One thing you CAN predict? Customs! If you have nothing to declare, you just walk right through.

I'm so glad everything worked out so well. Nice to get a little gift at your room too!!

Everything did go well, thank you, and I am so grateful. I couldn't thank the front desk enough for the fruit and wine. Such wonderful people!

Would you mind sharing the name of the car service?
Thanks

Manor Cars in West Ealing. Their online reviews are mixed but my specific experience was a very good one.