I asked myself what to do, and came up with this answer... Hmmm....7 hours at an airport. What to do? Naturally, I thought "A Pub!!!" and starting looking around. I found The Pheasant on Yelp.com: http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/the-pheasant-restaurant-and-public-house-hillingdon Also: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1159322-Reviews-The_Pheasant-London_England.html#REVIEWS OK, We've found a good pub. But we've just had an 11 hour flight. How about a shower? Nearby is The Radisson. They have a Spa which you can use for 10 british pounds. Gym, Jacuzzi, Steam Bath and shower. You can check your bags for free with the Concierge, and they have lockers for your stuff. The lockers need a 1 pound coin, but they will temporarily swap your local currency or euros for the coin, which you'll return at the end. You can also book a massage or facial (for the ladies) and they waive the 10 pound fee. Radisson Spa contact: [email protected] OK, we've found a Pub, we've found a shower/steam bath. Now, how do we get to the Radisson? Every place you look will point you towards the Hoppa Bus. Don't be a sucker. The local buses will take you from the Heathrow Bus terminal to the Radisson. Check this out: http://www.londontoolkit.com/lhr/hotel_hoppa_bus.htm Scroll down the page to where it says: Local Buses to Hotels (Many Free) You'll find all the information you need. Solution:
Free local bus to the Radisson. Steambath, Shower, possibly a massage. Afterwards, Walk 1000 feet down New Rd. to The Pheasant. After your meal and beer, walk back to the Radisson, pick up your bags, catch the bus out front, return to Heathrow. Genius. Sheer Genius.
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
Do you have 7 hours free, excluding the 2 hours needed prior to the Milan flight? If you only have 5 hours, it isn't enough time.
Posted by
OP
Caruthers, CA, USA
244 posts
Really? 20 min bus, 2 hours radisson, 2 hours @ pub, 20 minutes back to Heathrow? I have seven hours total. I can always leave the pub early. What happens if I get to Lufthansa 1.5 hours before my departure time? My bags are already checked. Are they going to refuse me?
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
" What happens if I get to Lufthansa 1.5 hours before my departure time? My bags are already checked. Are they going to refuse me?" You might make it, but it's iffy. Do you want to spend the majority of this little jaunt worring about it? IMHO, it's a plan fraught with sad possibilities and few positive memories. People watching will provide a decent pastime in the airport.
Posted by
OP
Caruthers, CA, USA
244 posts
It is one mile from The Radisson Hotel to Heathrow central bus terminal. The 285 bus runs every 10 minutes. The most frequent, but I can take that or six other buses running the same line back to Heathrow. The Radisson is, after all, the first or second stop of the busses and the last or second to last stop before they return to Heathrow, which is documented in the reference material I included. So, I called Lufthansa. They said I should "plan to be at the airport" two hours before the flight. The hard cutoff time is one hour before the flight; that means I would have to present myself at the check in counter at least 60 minutes before flight time. Since I'll already have my boarding pass, when I arrive at the terminal two hours before my flight I'll go through security and proceed to my gate. I'm at Terminal 1, which is next to the bus station. If I'm 30 minutes late, they are not going to deny me boarding. I'll already have a boarding pass.