Hello,
Can someone help me out - we are family of 2 adults and 3 kids enroute to final destination Thailand. Planning to spend sometime in London, but we have 5large pieces of luggage and 3 smaller carryons plus 3 kids. What is a reasonable cab fare from LHR to a hotel in London city (say near Paddington)?
Is it better to stay near the airport and travel back and forth each day to the city(probably saves on cab fares)?
Thanks!
About between 40-50 Pounds, but they may charge more for luggage. You can take the Heathrow Connect for 7 pujds for each adult, maybe less for each kid and nothing more for luggage, and that goes directly from Heathrow into Paddington station in about 25 minutes.
That would cost about the same as a cab, and may be quicker as well. No need to buy advance tickets, just get them at the underground station in Heathrow.
I took it once and it had alot of empty room in it, unlike the regular tube.
You're going to have a tough time getting your entire family and all that luggage into one cab.
My question is simple...do you need all 5 piececs of luggage and all the carry-ons while you're in London? Why not pack so that all you need are 2-3 pieces of luggage in London....and leave the rest at the luggage storage facilities at Heathrow.
With less bags, you'll then have the choice of taking either a taxi for about 50 GBP, give or take a few quid, or either the Heathrow Connect or Express.
It will be easier to stay in London that to commute back and forth to the airport.
Here's info on left luggage facilities at Heathrow:
Left Baggage at LHR
Frank's suggestion of leaving some of your luggage at LHR is a very good one.
However, if you need all your luggage, with the size of your family and the number of bags your best option is a private car service. It will be cheaper than even a single taxi--and you probably would need two taxis. Many people on the Fodor's board recommend Just Airports. You will need either a MPV or a MPV Transporter. There is a discount for paying cash.
Stay in London! Don't waste time and money going back and forth to LHR. There are good child discounts for the Tube and bus in London. What are the ages of your kids? How many days will you be in London?
Is there a minivan in London like in US, for hiring? It could hold all the passengers and the luggage in 1 trip?
Thanks!
Yes, the MPV and the MPV Transporter I mentioned in my reference to Just Airports are minivans. If you leave some of your luggage at LHR, a MPV will work for you. If you take it all with you, you'll probably need a MPV Transporter. The details are on the Web site.
Thanks a lot for all of your input!
I'm planning to stay closer to airport.(see my other post on travel cards) Rooms are cheaper and taxi fares are cheaper compared to staying in central London. The only downside being an hour long commute everyday. Thanks everyone for your input.
If you pack cleverly, you might be able to leave most of your luggage at Left Luggage at Heathrow, saving the expense and hassle of hauling it to your hotel. I know it's tough with kids, but, in theory, you will only be in London a few days.
Almost certainly, it will be a pretty long walk from your arrival gate in Heathrow to Baggage Claim and Passport Control. If you kids are really young, you might want to arrange for a cart to take you in.
Also, the lines at Passport Control can be really long. Once you are in the queue, the kids, and you, can't run off to the bathroom. Stop on your way from the gate.
We are enroute to our final destination Thailand. Along the way, we are visiting London, so that's the reason we have as much luggage as we do. I checked the left luggage facility and they charge GBP 8/24hrs/piece, which is a significant amount!
Thanks for your other tips. Will keep that in mind while getting off at Heathrow airport.
