My husband and I are planning a trip to England in September. We'll fly into Heathrow, get a rental car and travel to the Cotswolds, Wales, Cornwall, etc. and back to Heathrow. We don't plan on spending any time in London on this trip. We're not exactly practiced world travelers, so my question is: should we get rid of the rental car the day before our flight out of Heathrow and stay in a hotel close to the airport for our morning flight? If so, which hotel would be best and easiest for getting to terminal 3 at Heathrow? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Posted by
Sydney
275 posts
I would say get rid of the rental car the day before. It is one less thing to worry about on the day of your flight. I have had morning return times (in different circumstances) before, and I find that returning the day before is less hassle. I don't have any experience of the airport hotels though.
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
We typically turn in the rental car the day before when we have an early flight and have stayed at the Hilton Heathrow which is walking distance to Terminal 3. This year we will be keeping our car (we have an afternoon flight) and will be staying at a B&B which is about 15 minutes away from Heathrow.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2776 posts
I would suggest dropping off the car the day (morning) before you leave. Get a room in Windsor which is a 15 minute taxi ride from Heathrow. You could tour the castle, walk to Windsor Great Park (5 min walk), walk to Eton (8 minute walk), enjoy a good pub meal. The morning of departure take a taxi to terminal 3, you should be there 2 hr before you flight departs. Frances Lodge B&B is a nice place to stay.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
For a list of Heathrow hotels, with links to detailed information, including transportation options, go here. If you're flying home from Heathrow, it's wise to be at the airport three hours before your scheduled departure time.
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
It's a matter of how confident you are in making it work on the day of the flight. I returned a car to Heathrow last month on the morning of the flight, but already knew where there was a gas station to fill it up and the best route to the rental car return. If you have some doubts about what to do, then turn it in the day before.
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
2026 posts
We drop the car the night before and head for the hotel for our last evening before flying home. One less concern for travel day, which is hectic for us enough. We stayed at the Jurys Inn at Heathroww and it was fine...restuarant for late arrival dinner, breakfast buffet (I think I recall some confusion but they gave it to us) and best part...easy acces via shuttle to the airport from the front door. The roadways around airports can get confusing, and even with our GPS we could often see the place but getting there was tough. I would not wait until the morning of my flight to try to navigate the roads, lines, and God knows what may arise when it could all be arranged and put to bed, along with me, the night before. Have a great time. PS Have you looked into the British Heritage Pass? Great!