Night before Heathrow Flight Hotel?

The other option you have from Carlisle, if the trains are totally up the creek is National Express. There are 3 buses daily - at 1120, 1330 and 2335.
The night bus is direct to Heathrow arriving at 0545 and is non stop except for a service station stop at Knutsford in the middle of the night.

There is also Flixbus who now run a day service from Carlisle.

Also from Carlisle, if the WCML is having issues then there will be on the day ticket inter availability on the Settle-Carlisle line to Leeds then Kings Cross, or to Newcastle then to Kings Cross. That always happens.

The problem would be if you were at a place like Penrith, which has no other rail service (BUT if that happened I would say to use the alternative Nat Ex day bus at 1150 from outside the Railway Station).

You simply don't need the extra one day buffer. If a massive situation arose (like this Monday) then PM me and I will get you to London by some means- 99.9% of the time a train route will exist, If you are flexible then the bus will also work.

The 1120 day bus also calls at Manchester and Birmingham for trains forward, and there is also a 1320 day bus to Birmingham for trains forward. From either Manchester or Birmingham there are also lots of buses to LON and LHR.

From MAN other train routes exist via Doncaster or Sheffield, from Birmingham from Moor Street to Marylebone.

You may have to use the bus if ultimately a rail strike is announced- for all anyone knows one could be called 14 days before for either Dec 3 or 4, or both. If that happens there will also be the option of the hourly city bus Carlisle to Newcastle, then LNER train to London. If a strike arises you will need to move fast to book a bus- the forum will notify you immediately when/if a strike is called.

For now, as a local resident, I say sit tight with a 4 December departure.

PS- If a serious situation arose I would come up to Carlisle for you to give personal assistance if needs be- it is only 40 miles up the road for me.

One of the other possible rail routes, if the WCML was blocked, is the Cumbrian Coastal rail line (through my home town) to Barrow and thence to Preston.
It takes a while, but does the job, and is very scenic, sat on the right hand side of the train heading south.

From Preston you have a myriad of possibilities to get you to London. When there is service disruption Avanti start the London trains at Preston.

You could stay near one of the Elizabeth line stops or one near the Piccadilly line.

You will probably find more hotels around Piccadilly line stops than Elizabeth line.

Piccadilly line is also less expensive than the Elizabeth line getting to Heathrow.

You could also stay in the Victoria Station area. From there take the District Line to either Barons Court or Hammersmith, cross the platform (less than 20 feet), and get a Piccadilly line train to Heathrow.

Much easier than it sounds.

One other plus with the Victoria Station area is the Victoria coach station a few blocks away. National Express coaches leave from here to Heathrow giving you an alternative to the trains.

Please note, if a train strike is called, they must give 14 days notice so it won't be a surprise. If that should happen, you will have time to make alternate arrangements

what time is your flight?

There are advantages and disadvantages to both Piccadilly and Elizabeth Lines.

Elizabeth Line - faster once you are on it, less frequent, more train-like, more expensive, many more stops.

Piccadilly Line - more familiar, cheaper, much more frequent, slower actual travel time, many more stops, much more tube-like seating, goes through a lot of tourist hotel areas...

Pick where you want to stay and use the most convenient transport - that's what I would do.

Thank you all very much! Now that I understand there are many alterative ways to get to London (thank you isn31c) I will refrain my question. Any hotel recommendations in a safe area reasonably priced for one night before a 12:25 pm flight? I don't plan to do any sightseeing. Looking for an easy to walk to transport for easy access to get to airport. Kindly, Kathleen

I don't know what reasonably priced means to you.

But three of the PI's at Heathrow are on for £55 that night. That would give you a nice leisurely start for your 0925 check in. Also the one at Hayes is priced at £63.50- 1 stop on the Elizabeth Line or a bus ride into Heathrow.

Hammersmith (Ravenscourt Park) is on for £63.50. That is on the District line 1 stop west of Hammersmith (Picc Line)- the Picc trains zoom through Ravenscourt Park. So you're half way to Heathrow.
I would take District Line to Acton Town, then cross platform change to the Picc.

If you are not sightseeing, it's just a bed these will do. I am surprised by how reasonable they are on a mid week day. Personally I like the look of Ravenscourt Park. That is, if I didn't just head for Heathrow. At £55 I'd be sorely tempted to do that, have a lie in and a good breakfast next morning.

I just put in London, then filter by price, then looked down the list. You are then in easy range of shops and entertainment at Hammersmith

I should have been more specific. Reasonable to me is 100 pounds roughly. I can see there are multiple options. Thank you!

What about the Ibis Styles London Ealing- £91 that night, close to both Ealing Broadway and West Ealing Elizabeth Line. Looks a nice hotel with it's movie theming. Generally good TA reviews. You're about 20 minutes from the airport there.

Certainly a step up from PI.

Ealing is a nice place for your evening, and super easy access back into Central London if you want it.

I would recommend that you avoid the stress and stay at a hotel next to Heathrow. There are a number of hotels that should meet your budget requirement.

Since you do not plan to do any sightseeing, and all you'll need is an evening meal and a bed, my suggestion is to stay at the airport. No need to undergo the stress of staying in the city proper and then getting to the airport in the a.m.

We stayed at The Hilton Garden Inn Terminal 3&4. It has a covered walking tunnel connecting to terminal 3 and 4. It was a 15 minute walk with moving walking paths. Easy walk. It may cost a little more, but for the convenience knowing you are right at the airport for the next day flight is the best. The restaurant was good and the room comfy.

kdh....I think you mean terminals 2 & 3.

the Hilton Garden Inn at Terminals 2 & 3 is our new fave. Until Summer 2022 with all the various strikes, we would stay a short (free) bus ride away from Heathrow. Or even in Holborn (& take the Piccadilly line) when our flight was later in the day. Now we've gotten addicted to the convenience of just walking across the parking lot to check in!

on another note, has anyone done the London metro memory game? I purposefully avoided these forums while playing it, as I knew a lot of Tube stations would be mentioned, as in this thread ;-)
I got ≈20% on my own; when my husband and I combined forces, we got 27%. Not too bad, as we mainly stick to central London on our trips, although we are fairly familiar with the western stretches of the Piccadilly and Elizabeth lines. But frustrating when we just could NOT think of some central London stations!! :-)

Kathleen - what terminal are you flying from? Generally the Premier in at T4 is keenly priced and very convenient if you're flying from T4. It's still fine for other terminals but there are other options by each terminal which you may prefer, although they may be more money.
Bear in mind that many hotels described as at Heathrow are actually on Bath Road - admittedly very close to the airport but which require a bus or taxi to get to and from. That's both extra cost and faff, probably more than staying near a tube station a bit further out.

There is lots of choice at Heathrow. The Premier Inn at T4 is one of the cheapest. Don't forget there is a free "shuttle" (actually the Elizabeth Line) between T 4 and the other terminals. Just click the free ticket next to the machine for getting a paid ticket.

Thank you all for this wealth of information. I am flying from T3. I arrive at Euston Station at 13:12 the day before my flight. I decided to take advantage of an afternoon/evening in London. I am staying across from Paddington Station at an RS recommended hotel St David's Hotels (basic and convenient). I will hop on the Elizabeth line in the morning. This way I can enjoy a walk in the park or picking up some food items at Harrods. I do appreciate the all the information if I ever am in need of staying directly at Heathrow.