I know this has been covered in general, but would like more opinions.
(unless we get sick again) LHR Sunday 12/8 at 10 AM
That means we have to arrive at the airport by 7:30
Need we stay at an airport hotel or will Sunday traffic be light enough to come from Central London?
About how long a cab/Uber ride is that at that time?
Thanks,
Dennis and Elinore
Long haul or short haul? The advice is 3 hours for long haul and 2 hours for short haul.
Don't assume Heathrow will be quiet on a Sunday morning, it won't be. I'm risk averse so I like to stay overnight at the airport for a morning flight and settle down in the lounge to wait out the few hours.
The airport will be busy as it always is, but by Heathrow Express you can go from Paddington to LHR in 25 minutes. Or you can take the Elizabeth line from Paddington in about 30 minutes. You have to get to Paddington, of course, so factor that in if you are not staying nearby.
A taxi at that hour on Sunday should take no more than 40 minutes.
I would stay in Central London given the options unless, God forbid, there is a transit strike. Not sure that would happen on a Sunday.
At about 10.30 to 11.00 pm on a weekday evening (when I normally do that run) it is 35, sometimes 40 minutes, from Victoria on the National Express bus.
The westbound traffic until reaching the Westway can be surprisingly heavy at that time of night.
The traffic should be a lot lighter early on a Sunday so 45 minutes would be a very generous allowance for the 17 mile journey (17 miles from Trafalgar Square). Should be closer to 30 minutes.
But what if an RTA or some other incident blocks the road? I would stay at the airport personally.
You do know there is the alternative of the all night Tube on the Piccadilly on a Saturday night to Sunday morning?- which is not scheduled for engineering work that weekend.
Believe the OP is asking about a morning flight not evening.
I’ve taken similar morning flights and over decades prefer to stay within walking distance of Paddington. I’m not a dawdler so I pay for HEX tickets months out as it’s a quick 15 minute ride from Paddington to Heathrow.
I always arrive 2-3 hours in advance at LHR. I fly Virgin Atlantic and it is a bit of a trek to get to the terminal.
And yes, I’ve used the Elizabeth Line. In fact on my November trip I’ll use it to and from Heathrow and compare the supposed advantage.
I’ll share intel in a trip report upon my return to the States.
First of all the OP is asking about a morning flight not evening.
I was using evenings for comparison. For information on that Sunday morning the first Heathrow Express leaves Paddington at 0740 and the first Elizabeth line at 0757, both too late for the OP.
That is assuming the overnight track work at Old Oak Common finishes on time.
As I write on a Friday evening the Heathrow Express is totally suspended and has been for almost 2 hours due to a track fault. Hence the cautious approach and the suggestion of the night tube as an alternative.
OP go ahead and follow isn31c instructions. He lives in the UK. I don’t.
Although after 40 years of traveling to and staying in various London neighborhoods feel secure in sharing intel garnered over the decades.
I'm not a morning person nor do I want to have to detour due to problems.
So, if I have a flight before noon--at least long haul--I stay at the airport the night before.
This way, I get a little extra sleep and don't have to worry about transport issues.
Where are you staying in town Dennis? You don’t have to get the Elizabeth line from Paddington, as it goes right through central London and is therefore more flexible than the HEX as well as cheaper.
But even then there are plenty of places that are more convenient by tube and again even cheaper if a little slower. On a Saturday night/Sunday morning the Piccadilly line runs all night so n9 issues with an early train either.
We will be staying at the Radison Blu in South Kensington
At our age, we would be taking a cab/Uber rather than public transportation
We would prefer not to go through the hassle unpacking and packing that a night at the airport would require
But neither do we want to miss our fl
Regards
Dennis
We're pretty risk-averse too, and I personally wouldn't add to the drama on getaway day by factoring in the (probably minimal) risk of the trip to the airport.
We always stay at one of the airport hotels before our own flights back to the US - at the Sofitel at Terminal 5 if we're up for a bit of luxury, or at one of the Premier Inn's if I'm feeling particularly thrifty. Both are nice.
Our Uber ride from the PI at T5 a couple of weeks ago cost about 20 pounds for the door-to-door service, FYI.
I hear what you say about not using public transport Dennis and of course it’s your choice. But Gloucester Road tube station is right across the road from your hotel and a tube train will get you to Heathrow at any time, either Saturday night or early Sunday morning for £5.60pp in about 40 minutes. Any form of road transport won’t be much different in time but will be an order of magnitude more costly.
As for age I’ve no idea of yours or your physical fitness. I’m 71 and will be travelling on the train from Gatwick to east London tomorrow afternoon - I wouldn’t even think of travelling by road.
