You can do all the planning in the world on how to get to England. By that, I mean all of your plane arrangements, but the one thing people don't even consider is how to get into London once they arrive at Heathrow Airport. After all Heathrow is 15 miles outside of central London. That is where it can get expensive fast. If you look at the official Heathrow Airport website, they have a special section all about getting into London from the airport. I will now discuss the different options that they describe: 1. National Express - This is the option I shall be going for when I go to London. It is a motor coach service that takes you from Heathrow to the Victoria Coach Station in London. It is just a 1/4 of a mile south of Buckingham Palace. The reason I shall be going for this is because the hotel I will be going to is just a short five minute walk from the coach station. The ride is anywhere from 40-80 minutes, and the tickets are mostly under £10. They stop at different locations at each of Heathrow's five terminals. For more info check out the website via the link at the bottom. 2. Heathrow Express - This is the fastest option to get from Heathrow to London. It is a high speed train that runs every 15 minutes, that takes you to Paddington Station in the north west part of central London. Tickets are available online, at the station or on the train. The standard-class single fare is £26 on board or £21 in advance. Returns are £39 on board or £34 in advance. It is the perfect option if you want to get there fast and don't mind spending a little extra money to do it. 3. London Underground - London Underground's Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow Airport and the capital. Journey time by Tube is under an hour and you shouldn't have to wait longer than ten minutes for a train, even off-peak. Heathrow has three London Underground stations – one for Terminals 1, 2 and 3, one each at Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Underground tickets are available at all stations. The single fare to central London (Zone 1) is £5.70. A one-day Travelcard, giving unlimited travel in Zones 1 - 6, costs £17 (Anytime) or £8.90 (off-peak). For the time tables, check out the website at the bottom. 4. Taxi - This is by far the most expensive method of transport into London. It is also the most private. London taxis are available outside each terminal. The cost to central London is £45 – £70 and the journey time is approximately one hour. If you want more privacy on your journey and can afford it, the taxi is you method. All of these methods are great ideas. But some may seem better than others. The bottom line is worry less about how long it takes you to get into London, and more about how much money it takes you. For example if you hotel is in Westminster, if you take the Heathrow Express, which drops you off at Paddington station. You are going to have to spend more money to take a taxi or the tube to your hotel. That is why, for me, I shall take the National Express coach, because my hotel is only a short two minute walk from the Victoria Coach station where it drops you off. Save time, save money, do your research about where you specifically have to go once your in London. A good well thought out method of getting to you London destination will pay off in the end. Cheers!
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