Tube, Taxi, or Uber for London family trip?

The Underground will be cheaper, if your hotel is near the South Kensington tube station, it is an easy ride in from Heathrow, taking the Piccadilly Line, a cross-platform change at Hammersmith to the District Line, and a couple stops to South Kensington, about 18 GBP for the three of you.

Many on here like to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington, a bit more pricy, not much, but then you would need a cab to the Hotel.

The other option is a cab from Heathrow, probably starting at 50 GBP.

For the HP Studios, maybe others can help, but it is some distance out of London, further than Heathrow is, so likely pricey by cab.

Regarding your trip from Heathrow.....

Currently, the Piccadilly line is not stopping at South Kensington during renovations. It says it will re-open sometime in the Summer but no date has been given. The District line is stopping so you could transfer from Piccadilly to District lines.

Tube fare for three will either be 16.50 GBP before 9:30 or 10.50 GBP after 9:30.

The Heathrow Express for a South Kensington hotel is a bad idea. A waste of time and money.

A cab will be the most expensive. Instead, look into a car service. They are prearranged and meet you as you come out of customs. Should run around 50 GBP for South Kensington. Car Service is door to door but won't take much less time than the tube due to London traffic. A hailed cab will be much more expensive.

South Kensington is a widely called area. if you tell us the name of your hotel, or the street you'll be on, we can give you better suggestions. You may actually be closer to another tube stop than South Kensington and the Piccadilly line might make sense.

Thank you for your thoughts. We’ll be staying at the London Marriott on Cromwell road, which I believe is on the Circle Line, between Gloucester Road and Earls Court stations.

That is my neighborhood in London. I stay two blocks away.

Earls Court is the closer tube station although Gloucester Road isn't much further. The Piccadilly line from Heathrow runs direct to either station. No changes needed. I suggest getting off at Earls Court from Heathrow but when going into London take the Gloucester Road tube.

The walking directions on Google Maps from Earls Court Road are not good. If you want better ones, let me know.

Earls Court Station is on the Piccadilly Line and the District Line. Gloucester Road is on Piccadilly line, the District Line and the Circle Line. Cromwell Road is not on the Circle line. That part of Cromwell Road is above the Circle Line but you can only access it from Gloucester Road station.

There is a full size Sainsburys supermarket with pharmacy across Cromwell Road from your hotel.

Regarding the Harry Potter tour, this is located in Hertfordshire, around 20miles north of London, so a cab\car maybe expensive. You can get a train from Euston to Watford Junction (20mins), and then a free bus (included in HP ticket) to the studios.(15mins)

If you are really cost conscious, for Watford Junction walk to West Brompton and take the Overground all the way from Watford Junction there, changing at Willesden Junction. It is actually around the same time, doesn't require a lot of changes although a bit more walking and only costs £3.20 adult off peak. Only 2 per hour though at the moment.

along the lines of Marco's plan, if you are West Brompton you could also board the Southern Railway train from Clapham Junction to Milton Keynes which stops without changes at Watford Junction for the bus.

It is true that when anything goes whoopsie at Southern the first thing to be knocked on the head is the Milton Keynes service...

Frank II said everything I was getting ready to say.

Do you have Potter tickets? If not it’s probably too late.

Nigel
I think the Southern service is only going to Watford Junction from May timetable change and not MK
Doesn't effect OP but just correcting information

thank you Roger... only going from past knowledge - haven't seen the alterations.

Appreciate all the info - thanks! We are in London June 10-15, too short, I know, but this grandma’s budget can only handle so much . . .

Tip on the HP Studios: if the day you’d like to visit is sold out on the studio’s website, try Golden Tours for their package of bus to/from near Victoria Station to the studios with tickets. That’s what my family will be doing next week on our trip to the UK.