BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi everyone! I'm looking to pick a flight to London and would appreciate getting some advice as to which arrival time to pick. I'm planning to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and use the shared taxi service to the Bayswater area which ends at 10am according to their website. My concern is how long will it take for me to pick up my bags and clear security? My landing time options are either at 6:30am or 8:30am at Heathrow, I'd really prefer the 8:30 but am scared I won't make it to Paddington by 10am.

It's variable and depends what terminal you are flying into. The walk from Terminal 2 to Heathrow Express can be 15-20 minutes once you clear customs. Traveling on a non-EU passport? You could easily spend 45 minutes at immigration, but 20 is more likely, and 60+ would not be unheard of. All of that assumes an on time arrival. Also not that the Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes and runs every 15 minutes.

So, it would be super tight and you'd be setting yourself up for failure.

But, I've got to say, if you can afford the relatively expensive Heathrow Express then you can surly spring for a taxi to Bayswater, no? You'd already be paying a ~£8 premium, so what is an extra £5 (my guess) minus the shared taxi cost to Bayswater?

You do realise that Paddington is practically in Bayswater, right? Because you probably won't even need a taxi

oh really? lol I did not even realize Paddington and Bayswater were very near each other. Could someone tell me how close Paddington Station is to Leinster Square then? If it's not too far, then I'll just drag all my luggage for a a walk The reason I was planning to take the Heathrow Express and not the Tube is that I'm afraid it'll be too crowded with all my luggage on the ride as well, what are your experiences with riding the tube with two full suitcases?

Thanks!

ChrisH is right. £5 is probably high for a taxi trip. It really is close.

The Tube from Heathrow is served by the Piccadilly Line, which is a straight shot to Leicester Square Tube Station.

Much easier, cheaper, and probably faster than other options like the above.

Don't worry about your luggage. The carriage will be manageable at Heathrow, although it will be packed by the time you get into London. (I assume you are arriving on a week day.) Just leave it by the door and sit immediately beside it. Your latter flight option will actually make it more pleasant.

What you need is some directions.

If the line at immigratin is long, it should take no more than 30-50 minutes.

picking up luggage IF it arrives, could take 30 minutes.

so figure 80 minutes for a conservative estimat, and its a tight squeeze to get in at 8:30 and be out by 10, regardlss of transport. Now, if its not a tight 10:00 time, but a desired result, you could probably do it and not pay a penalty, since at most it soulds like you could be there by 10:30 at the worst.

If it's arrival times you're looking for suggestions on, here's one not posted yet: catch a day-flight over to London the day before, arriving late evening to the UK. In fact, I just landed at Heathrow last Saturday night around 10:30 and there was NO ONE in the customs nor immigration lines. The airport was practically a ghost town. From walking out the door of the plane and into the door of the tube at heathrow was, maybe, 15 minutes tops. I've done similar arrival times at Heathrow before and found it the same...nowhere near the zoo it is in the mornings...and it is indeed a zoo in the mornings. During those times you list are when a LOT of large-aircraft overnight flights from North America are all heading into Heathrow. Morning flights often stack up in air traffic patterns and you might find yourself circling London for a while. On the ground, a lot of big planes all landing at once = hundreds of people all going thru there around the same time.

Also, day flights aren't always as full as the night ones, and you may have yourself some room to spread around a little. By staying up during the flight during the day, and then being ready to sleep at night when you land, you save yourself a LOT of jet lag.

As for your tube question, it's well known the Picadilly Line comes from Heathrow, and luggage on it is just not that unusual. I'd have it next to you, and sit a ways from the doors, but you should be fine.

The Heathrow Express is pretty expensive...if you have to use it, Google around for Heathrow Express (or "HEX") discount codes. Another option is the Heathrow Connect, about 30 minutes from LHR to Paddington and half the price of the HEX. The Tube, 'tho, is THE cheapest way to go.

If you have to take an overnight flight, I'd shoot for your 6:30 option.