Heathrow to Hotel

You will actually be taking the Tube to Lancaster Gate from Heathrow, there are a couple of changes to another train though. Going back to Heathrow you will need to cab it probably due to needing to be at the airport at 0530, its about a 30-45 min. drive to Heathrow and about 70-100 bucks. Might be easier to stay next to Heathrow that last night.

JoAnn, when you say National Rail Card, are you talking about the travelcard issued by the London Underground (subway - aka "The Tube")) or the one issued by the Railway (train) system? If you want the Underground travelcard, then yes you can purchase it at the Heathrow Underground station when you arrive and then take the tube into London. If you go to www.tfl.gov.uk/tube you can get all the information you need, and use the Journey Planner to see the best way to get to Lancaster Gate depending on when you'll be traveling. Now if you want to take advantage of the 2 for 1 deals offered by the Railway system, you will have to pay £5.30 each for a single cash fare to take the tube into the city to one of the railway stations such as Paddington, purchase your paper travelcards there, and then continue on to your hotel. The website where the deals are listed is www.daysoutguide.co.uk, and you can print out the vouchers before you leave for your trip. For your return trip to Heathrow for a 7:30 AM flight, I would suggest either staying the night before at a hotel near the airport, or using a pre-booked car service such as justairports (www.justairports.com) which will run you about £30 cash plus tip. If you use the search feature under tips & tricks, I think you'll find further suggestions regarding early morning treks to Heathrow. Hope this helps - Mary

Mary, Thanks so much. You gave me the specifics of what I need. This is our first time in London and we have no clue. Very confusing. So glad that I thought ahead of time about the early departure. I really appreciate your help.

JoAnn, check out the Heathrow Express, the train that runs nonstop between each Heathrow Terminal and London's Paddington Station. Very convenient and tickets are 18 pounds. It has bins for luggage; the Tube does not. The trip takes 15-20 minutes. The first morning train to Heathrow is now at 5:10 am; trains run about every 15 minutes until around 11pm. However, allowing for time to get out of the train and into the airport to check in would probably add another 15-20 minutes. If you cab, allow an hour. Stuff like road construction happens. FYI, Heathrow is huge and complex,,so you do need to know which terminal of the 5 you are flying into and out of. Also, London has several rail stations (Paddington is one) and each also is a Tube station. There are dozens of Tube stations in London, plus Docklands Rail.The primary site for London's transport system is www.tfl.gov.uk. It's good.

Where are you staying in the Lancaster Gate area? I stayed in that area. I took the Heathrow Express, which comes in at Paddington Station and then just walked to my hotel, which was only a few blocks away. From then on, my tube stop was Lancaster Gate. Usually there is an attendant standing in the hallway outside baggage claim that will sell you tix on Heathrow Express. A round trip would be cheaper, but I'm not sure you'll have enough time to do that on your return.

We're staying at the Hotel Elizabeth.