LATE arrival at Heathrow, transit to London

Have a car service pick her up and take her where she needs to go. It will be expensive, but worth it for a girl. She does not need to spend the night in the airport waiting for the train/tube/buses to run again in the morning. Been there, done that last summer. Some really sketchy persons come through the area around 2 to 5 AM. Do a google search for 'Heathrow shuttle service' and you will have several choices to pick from.

If she decides to wait til morning, the Costa Coffee stays open all night. We stayed there. Problem is your schedule is off and you realllllyyy want to sleep around 2 AM. Good news for us was that wife and I took turns sleeping and watching luggage.

Another option would be to check out the Yotel. She could stay there (they charge by the hour) Until the Tube or Connect start again. That way she is safe and can rest secure - plus she is not arriving at her London hotel (or is it an appartment???) at an ungodly late hour.

"She will have considerable baggage "

Whether she travels into London on arrival or the following morning, I would strongly advise that she uses a private transfer service, IMO money well spent.

Carrying a lot of luggage on public transport, especially on her own and after a long flight, will be no fun. If she travels in on a weekday morning she will run into the morning commute and, although she will likely get a seat at Heathrow, the carriages will be jam packed by the time she reaches the centre of town.

Search the London Forum on Tripadvisor for rec car services.

With considerable baggage, the only practical options are a car service or taxi. The car service will be less expensive than simply waiting in the taxi queue. I suggest that you follow Linda's advice and check the tripadvisor London forum and arrange for the car service.

If she is able to manage her own baggage, she may make it in time to take either the tube or the Heathrow Express. I typically take a flight to London that arrives at 10pm and I have always been able to take the tube into the city; there are not so many non EU flights arriving at that time of evening so immigration is usually reasonably quick. However, if you are unable to carry your luggage for a distance, neither the train nor the tube is practical. If she takes the tube, there will likely be steps at her exit. If she takes the Heathrow Express, there is a long walk down the platform at both Heathrow and Paddington. However, there are no steps. At Paddington, she could go to the taxi queue at Paddington and continue to hotel by taxi. By the time you do this, you have not saved much over a car service.

I agree with the others who have suggested using a private car or shuttle service. The public transport system is no place to be struggling with lots of luggage after a long flight. Too many stairs, escalators and crowds.

Thanks so much for the advice. I've done some research on car service. She does have a friend meeting her so if she happens to clear customs they have the option of public transport, but even then, the car service seems so much easier. Her concern is spending that much money on her first day in London. I should be releved she has that concern since it's really all my money anyway!

I've seen some mixed reviews on services. I'll have her friend schedule one (I've read email contact is difficult?)and this will be her first test of not having mom there to fix everything. Can't wait! Just wish it wasn't at midnight in a foreign country.

Happy new year!

For a private car service many people on the Fodor's board recommend Just Airports. There is a good discount for paying cash.

Thanks to all for the advice. We just made a reservation with Just Airports for 36GBP and had a confirmation response within 25 minutes. Impressive! My only concern is how they treat a carry-on v. a personal item. She will have a tote bag, which by her standards is a purse. Why would they charge more for that?