Where to drop off rental car for London

We drove back to Heathrow to drop our car and had Just Airports pick us up and take us to our London hotel. When we left our hotel for the airport we had Just Airports take us again. We have used them a few times and they are great! I think they will go to Gatwick, look them up. They were on time, made contact via cell phone, kind people and easy transportation and not that expensive. Worth the convenience.

Your trip sounds great.

Thanks much - I will definitely look into that. Stay dry over there - I live in Reno!

Moreton-in-the Marsh is the nearest town to Stow-on-the-Wold that has direct trains to London (Paddington). Not sure if any car rental people will let you drop off the car in such a small place. The nearest big place would be Oxford. If doing that, I would visit Blenheim Palace - about 7 miles NW of Oxford, prior to dropping off the car. http://www.blenheimpalace.com

BTW, it's The CotswOlds.

Staying near the Thames puts a lot of your attractions in close proximity.

There are direct trains to Gatwick from the following train stations so you can use these to narrow down possible places to stay, but note that the usual tourist lodging places are elsewhere so people will try to steer you away (for no good reason):

Victoria, St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, and London Bridge.

If you buy your tickets both into and out of London beforehand, you can use them together (one used, one not) for the 2 4 1 offers.

If you drop your car off at Luton airport you can use Thameslink rail to get to your hotel and then get to Gatwick so staying within a block or two of one of the above stations (except Victoria) could really simplify your visit: no taxi, tube, or car service req when entering or leaving London.

Note that you will be advised to get Oyster cards but that may not make sense for a short visit. For example if you stay in Bankside near Blackfriars, it will be about as cheap to just take a black cab to Parliament for a walk around than to pay for 2 or more tube fares.

I can't see why somebody coming to London from Stow on the Wold would want to make such a big detour to Luton Airport.

Stow on the Wold is just off the A44 which leads straight into the A40 (or Fosse Way to A40), straight into Oxford, then an easy run in on the M40, with a short jog on the M25 to the M4 and the rental return places.

I have had to make the run dozens of times between Oxford and the M1 via the A43, and also going south on the M1 towards Luton and onwards to London. The A43 has loads of of roundabouts around Brackley, there are lots of heavy trucks on that road, the roundabouts where you are going straight but have to take a turn on the roundabout can be confusing then there is all the traffic - sometimes a delay of more than a half hour - where the roundabouts (just rebuilt a year ago) are being rebuilt again around Towcester and then all the traffic on the M1 and delays where the new exit, bridge and roundabout are being built - with associated speed limits and accidents daily - south of Flitwick. Not what I'd recommend.

Heathrow or Oxford Station are both easy for return and for onward transport.

As for the trip to Gatwick, both the Thameslink from The City or St Pancras and the Gatwick Express or Southern from Victoria work. Thameslink slowest, cheapest and least frequent, Gatwick Express fastest (just) and most expensive but least crowded and most comfortable, Southern nearly as fast as Gatwick Express when it runs, beset by continuous strikes even after the drivers sold out.

Since you picked up your car at Heathrow why not drop it there. That way the rental car outfit cannot tack on a drop off charge for a different drop off location. You should be able to take the rental car shuttle to one of the terminals where surface and underground trains are available.

You can then go into London by surface train to Paddington or the Tube on the Piccadily Line. Paddington is relatively close to Bayswater (which you had mentioned) and the Piccadily Line will take you to Victoria Station, Piccadily Circus and Leicester Square among numerous other places.

The Luna Simone is a little less than half a mile from Victoria Station. I have not stayed there so I cannot comment on it. I have stayed in the Bayswater area and thought it was a safe area. It is very close to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.

If you're comfortable returning the car to Heathrow, that seems reasonable. Then you can take your pick of the options to get into London.

For the train option, I'd look at Oxford. Frequent trains from there into Paddington, and that provides some schedule leeway.

Parliament/Big Ben are at the Westminster station served by the Circle, Jubilee and District. So is Westminster Abbey, across the street. While you're there, walk across Westminster Bridge for a walk along the South Bank.

The Tower is a few miles east along the Thames from Westminster. One of the river tour boats that leave from the bridge might be a fun way to get there and back.

Rush hour Tube traffic is pretty awful and taxis can be difficult to flag down. It's not a bad time for a long, slow meal.

These comments are extremely helpful. Thank you, RS travelers! Does anyone know how long it takes to travel by tube or bus to Londob center?

Does anyone know how long it takes to travel by tube or bus to Londob center?

from where?

to where, exactly? London for the tourist is very spread out, please say what you are trying to get to.

For a rule-of-thumb, on central London underground journeys you can take the number of stops (check a tube map) plus the number of line changes and multiply by 3 to get an approximate point to point time. If not familiar with the tube count each line change twice.

If you mean from Heathrow then look at https://www.heathrowexpress.com/. If you buy your tickets in advance it is not too expensive and very fast. 15 minutes to Paddington.

We are now planning to return our car to Heathrow and take the tube or a bus into London. On Saturday morning, we plan to go to the Tower of London and we found a hotel in that area so that we can get there early. Is that a safe place to stay? Our other option is to stay somewhere near the West End, because we plan to attend a play on Saturday night and are wondering whether it would be better to stay near the theater rather than near the Tower. Ah, me!!

The Tube makes most travel times short, particularly to see the sights you mentioned. May I suggest South Kensington area for several reasons ( and I have stayed there for many years)
1. It's on the Picadilly line, 45 minutes from Heathrow. 2. It's an actual residential area, so feels very safe. But there are plenty of restaurants, pubs, markets, bakeries, etc.3. The Circle/district Tube lines leaving from South Kensington serve most of the sights you mentioned.. 4. To reach Kew Gardens, take the District line from South Ken. 5. The Rail line to Gatwick leaves from Victoria Station, which is 2 tube stops away, or a short taxi ride.
P.s. The Cotswolds are beautiful!

"we plan to go to the Tower of London and we found a hotel in that area so that we can get there early.
Is that a safe place to stay?"--Yes.
This is a quiet area of London. Mostly business travelers here in the hotels.
You will find the opposite end of London--Westminster, etc.--to be mobbed with tourists, but not here, except for the tourists going to the Tower of London.

"Our other option is to stay somewhere near the West End, because we plan to attend a play on Saturday night and are wondering whether it would be better to stay near the theater rather than near the Tower. Ah, me!!"
That's also a good plan.
There are some great hotel options near the theatre district, many of them in the Hilton chain.
Take a look at the Waldorf Hilton London near Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. $209. per night.
This is several blocks to the east of the heart of the theatre district, and just east of Covent Garden, where you will find dozens of very good restaurants.

Near Leicester Square tube station, and just north of Leicester Square Garden Park, check out the Premier Inn London Leicester Square Hotel.
Nice but budget priced at $123. per night.

Just below the park, and near The Harold Pinter Theatre, check out the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire, at $198. per night.

However the tube station for these hotels in the theatre district is the Leicester Square Station, served by the Piccadilly tube line and the Northern tube line. Not a direct line (either of them) to Victoria Station, for Gatwick Express on the day you leave town.

(However, easy to get on the Piccadilly Line at Heathrow Airport after you turn in you car, and get to these hotels at the start of your visit.)

You would have to change tube lines with all your bags in hand on the day of departure. Not a problem for most of us who have been to London several times. But can be a bit confusing if you are not accustomed to it.

To discuss tube lines which go directly from your hotel to Victoria Station in my next post......

"We will need to travel to Gatwick to fly out early Monday morning."

You may want to choose your hotel with a thought toward your departure day and how you will travel to the airport.

For Gatwick Express train, you will need to get to Victoria Station Monday morning.
Victoria Station is served by three tube lines: Circle, District, and Victoria.

Hotels on Tower Hill, near the Tower of London, are right beside (or near) Tower Hill Tube Station, which is served by the Circle and District lines.

To make your life easier on departure day, I would choose to stay at a hotel near the Tower Hill Tube Station.
Hop on the Circle or District line to Victoria Station.

On the day of departure, make sure you are boarding a westward traveling tube for Victoria Station.
Do not get on an east-bound train. Do not get on a north-bound train.
Tower Hill tube station is well staffed with tube employees who will be glad to point you in the right direction.
Look for the kiosk on the left wall after walking into the tube station entrance.
There should be one or two employees at the kiosk who can answer questions.

If you'd like to know how we did a great tour of the Cotswolds without renting a car last May, let me know. For us it was much less stressful than renting a car. I know you said you already have a car rental in mind, so I won't bore you with the details unless you ask for them.

Rebecca, you are a wealth of info! We are now planning to stay at the Premier Inn London City - Tower Hill (could the name be longer??). On Saturday morning, we want to go to the Tower, then meander from Westminster to the West End, as our show is at the Dominion. Sunday, we want to attend a service at Westminster Abbey, then the Churchill War Rooms, then the backstage tour at the Globe Theater. Monday morning, we will take the tube to Victoria Station to head to Gatwick. Sound reasonable?

I am interested in your non-car tour of the Cotswolds. However, I am a photographer and I pretty much have to have a car to be able stop and shoot when I see an opportunity. That's really the point of being there this trip. London is the "side trip"!

lynn.libby, yes, some of the hotel names are pretty long!

You will have an easy walk from your hotel to the Tower of London. Make sure you have a good map with you.

Be sure and take the Beefeater tour. Some people rave about the Crown Jewels Exhibit and see it first. I was more interested in the White Tower, with the suits of armour and the chapel.
After you've toured the Tower of London awhile, you may want to take a break without leaving the Tower. The Tower has a very good lunch room, serving salads, sandwiches, baked chicken, pasta, pizza, desserts, coffee, tea and soft drinks.

After the Tower of London, walk out to the waterfront. You will see Tower Pier. Here you can board the small ship Thames Clipper, which is a shuttle up and down the waterway. Take this boat (west-bound) to Westminster Pier. Thames Clipper Boats take the Oyster Card, which I am sure you will have by this time.

Westminster Pier is a convenient jumping off point to get to all things in Westminster.
This is the way I would travel on Saturday and Sunday to Westminster, unless it is raining. Then I would say take the tube.
On Sunday after you finish in Westminster, you can walk over the river on Westminster Bridge, then walk east along the South Bank to reach the Globe. When you finish at the Globe, you can continue walking east along the South Bank to Tower Bridge and walk north back to your hotel.

If you do not turn onto Tower Bridge and continue walking, you will be on a small street called Shad Thames. It goes through some old warehouses that have been beautifully restored and renovated. Turn through one of the archways to walk a half block to the waterfront. This is an embankment of lovely restaurants with great views of the river and boats. My favorite place to eat here is Butler's Wharf Chophouse. It would make a great supper destination for you. Sit outside on the terrace with a view of Tower Bridge.

Yes, your plan sounds reasonable to me.

About the Cotswolds....Ah, yes! Since you are a photographer, a car will be best since you will need to stop and shoot. You will also want to spend all the time you need in each village. Some tours do rush you.
We did our latest trip to the Cotswolds by taking the train to Stratford-Upon-Avon, which is actually in the northern Cotswolds.
We spent a couple of days enjoying the town. From there we took a day tour by "Go Cotswolds" company. (They are based in Stratford-Upon-Avon.) We went by minivan to several Cotswold villages, including Chipping Campden, Stow-On-The-Wold and Bourton-On-The-Water. We were given all the time we wanted to explore.
https://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/
https://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/tour-details/

Here is a thread I wrote about it after we returned from England last spring:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/day-tours/go-cotswolds-tour-with-tom-the-most-fun-we-had-while-in-england

I recommend Rebecca's Coffee Shop (also called Campden Coffee Company), through an archway on Sheep Street, for coffee and cake, in Chipping Campden. Extra good.
I recommend The Queen's Head Pub in Stow-On-The-Wold for lunch.
We loved all these villages. We had arranged beforehand to be dropped off in Bourton-On-The-Water, the last stop, where we spent the night. We spent 2 nights there, then took a taxi to Moreton-In-Marsh, where we caught the train back to London.

lynn.libby, I am going back to England this spring and the Cotswolds were not in my plan this time. We have been there so many times before. But you have me thinking about all my favorite Cotswold places and now I will be adding it to our schedule!!
I guess we will just add a week to stay in about 3 different places in the Cotswolds!

Rebecca, your suggestions will be invaluable and I will follow them, for sure. We are spending our first night in the Cotswolds in Wells, in order to attend Evensong at the cathedral. Can't wait! The next two nights will be spent in Stow-on-the-Wold. I love driving on the left hand side of the road, so no worries there. BTW, we spent a 4th of July in Nashville once (and Leiper's Fork) and loved that, too!! Thank you again for your time replying - so appreciated! Lynn