GREAT BRITAIN - Best of Europe 2014 - page 876

at the airport's Tube station ticket window. (For details on these passes, see here . ) If your
Travelcard covers only Zones 1-2, it does not include Heathrow (Zone 6); however, you can
pay a small supplement for the initial trip from Heathrow to downtown.
Ifyou'retakingtheTubefromdowntownLondon to theairport,notethatPiccadillyLine
trains don't stop at every terminal. Trains either stop at T-4, then T-1/T-2/T-3 (also called
Heathrow Central), in that order; or T-1/T-2/T-3, then T-5. When leaving central London on
the Tube, allow extra time if going to T-4 or T-5; to ensure you get on a train going to your
terminal, carefully check the destination before you board.
By Bus: Most buses depart from the outdoor common area in the heart of the Heathrow
complexcalledtheCentralBusStation.ItservesT-1/T-2/T-3,andisafive-minutewalkfrom
these terminals. To connect between T-4 or T-5 and the Central Bus Station, use Heathrow's
free shuttle buses; to reach T-5 only, you could instead ride the free Heathrow Express train.
National Express links Heathrow's Central Bus Station with London's Victoria Coach
Station, near several of my recommended hotels. While slow, the bus is cheap and handy
for those staying near Victoria Station (£5, 1-2/hour, less frequent from Victoria Station to
Heathrow, 45-60 minutes, tel. [phone], www.nationalexpress.com ) . A less-frequent
National Express bus goes from T-5 directly to Victoria Coach Station (3/day).
Heathrow Shuttle is an economical shuttle-bus service that goes to/from your hotel and
your terminal at Heathrow. You'll share a minivan with other travelers who are also being
picked up or dropped off (£15/person, progressive discounts for groups of two or more op-
erates daily 4:00-18:00, book at least 24 hours in advance, office open daily 6:00-22:00, tel.
0845-257-8068, www.heathrowshuttle.com , [e-mail] ) . The rival Hotel
by Bus service is pricey in comparison (£22.50/person).
By Train: Two different trains run between Heathrow Airport and London's Paddington
Station. At Paddington Station, you're in the thick of the Tube system, with easy access
to any of my recommended neighborhoods—my Paddington hotels are just outside the
front door, and Notting Hill Gate is just two Tube stops away. The Heathrow Connect
train is the slightly slower, much cheaper option, serving T-1/T-2/T-3 at one station called
Heathrow Central; use free transfers if you're coming from either T-4 or T-5 (£9.10 one-
way, £17.80 round-trip, 2/hour Mon-Sat, 1-2/hour Sun, 30 minutes, tel. [phone],
www.heathrowconnect.com ). The Heathrow Express train is fast and runs more frequently,
but it's pricey (£19 “express class” one-way, £34 round-trip, 4/hour; 15 minutes to down-
town from T-1/T-2/T-3, 21 minutes from T-5; transfer by shuttle bus required from T-4; ask
about discount promos at ticket desk, buy ticket before you board, covered by BritRail pass,
daily 5:10-23:25, tel. [phone], www.heathrowexpress.co.uk ). At the airport, you can
use the Heathrow Express as a free transfer between T-1/T-2/T-3 and T-5 (but not T-4).
ByTaxi: Taxisfromtheairportcostabout£45-70towestandcentralLondon(onehour).
For groups of four, this can be a deal. Hotels can often line up a cab back to the airport for