My wife and I have a 7 hour layover at Heathrow Airport on our return trip this May 11. I am thinking that gives us enough time to take the Heathrow Express Train from the airport to Paddington Station area and have lunch and return in time for our flight. I think there are some interesting places to eat lunch in that area. Any recommendations would be helpful.
Also, if anyone has done such a thing as go into London on a layover, please let me know how it went for you. Thanks.
More details, please. But, I probably wouldn’t risk it especially if you’re clearing immigration in the UK which can take an hour or so. Yeah, it sucks, but Heathrow is a long way from London and there’s nothing at Paddington except the same restaurants you’d find at Heathrow.
Heathrow prices are about about the same as they are in the city so at least you won’t feel the airport rip off as you do in other cities.
You’ve got the worst possible layover. Not really long enough to do anything but long enough to get bored at an airport.
Where’s the onward flight to? I assume it’s a lengthy international flight so you’d have to especially risk averse.
Sorry to be Debbie Downer in so many threads these days, I’d have a leisurely meal at the airport and then have your beverage of choice or else read or stream a film.
I'm with Dale on this one. The places to eat at Paddington are really no different to what is available at Heathrow, primarily chains churning out fastish food, I can't see any benefit in the cost and hassle of leaving Heathrow just to have lunch at Paddington.
Have you considered paying for lounge access? Probably cheaper than return Heathrow Express tickets, complimentary food and drink (although you may want to have a more substantial lunch elsewhere in the airport) and decent, reliable wi-fi should you wish to do some streaming and more comfortable than sitting on the standard airport benches.
Is the 7 hours calculated as all free time - after arrival formalities and before checking in - or is that wheels down to push-back?
Is it domestic European to Transatlantic, or the reverse? Or domestic to domestic?
Remember that the Brexit date (if any) is still well up in the air. It isn't tomorrow as originally scheduled.
Thanks for the advice from all. Our flight from Berlin gets to London at about 8 a.m and our flight on BA to Dallas leaves about 3 pm. We have spent many hours at Heathrow and run out of things to do there. I have considered renting a hotel room near the airport and rest between flights.
About an 8 minute walk from Paddington is The Swan on Baywater Road overlooking Hyde Park. I used to go here all of the time when I stayed at the hotel around the corner called Corus Hyde Park.
If you do decide to get a hotel room at the airport, the least expensive option may be the perfectly fine Premier Inn at T4. However, if you are neither arriving at nor departing from T4, you'd have to factor in the time to get to that terminal, then there's about a 15-minute walk to the hotel.
There's a Yotel somewhere at Heathow. For overnight stays it's usually quite a bit more expensive than the premier Inn, but it might be more convenient for you, and it might have a good deal on very short-term day rates.
"Don't under estimate how long it can take to move around Heathrow, it's massive and distances can be further than you would think."
My sister's comment on this: "Heathrow isn't an airport, it's a city!"
Not really enough time to even bother with a hotel room either. I love the quote about Heathrow is a city. I definitely wouldn’t leave the airport with so little time. One little thing going wrong puts your return flight in jeopardy. Take the extra money and buy yourself a nice lunch. I agree, it’s a lousy layover, but don’t let some random strike or security scare threaten your return ticket home.
You could just go through immigration and see how long it takes. If you are through by 9:30 or so, walk outside and grab a cab to Windsor. Walk around, along the river if it is nice, and find a place that serves early lunch. Then take a Windsor cab back to your Heathrow departure terminal.
If it takes a long time to get through immigration, you haven't lost anything but passed some time. Just step outside for some fresh air and then make your way landslide to your departure terminal.
I agree with others that your layover is too long to be easy and too short to make a trip into London worthwhile. I spent a week at a hotel near Paddington and found no memorable meals (but had no good advice like on this forum).
Heathrow's Airport Guide shows several lounges in the terminals where you can relax in a quieter atmosphere, with snacks and drinks, for considerably less than a hotel would cost (or free if you have an elite status with the right airline). I had a 12-hour layover in Terminal 5 last year and spent about half of it very pleasantly in the Plaza Premium lounge with comfortable seating, food and drink, wifi, nice restrooms, and comparative tranquillity.
