DFW_CK

Folks - looking for some expert advice. I will have a layover at LHR on Aug 30th and looking for some advice:

- Land at T3 (Business Class) at 11 AM
- Departure from T5 (First) at 9:30 PM

I would like to head to the city and do a bit of shopping and have lunch at a great restaurant that locals rave about. Would appreciate any recommendations please.

The two different terminals create some issue for storing luggage for the day so looking for advice t here too. Should I hop on over to T5 after clearing immigration, store my luggage and taking the Heathrow Express? Thoughts on this and things to do in London and places to eat. Also any recommendation on the latest I should leave London to head back?

Thank you.

rembrandtuk

Do you need your checked bags in London? Could you check them all the way to your final destination?

LondonElite

Is it an AA/BA itinerary?

Geoggy

What type of food? How much you want to spend?

paul4040

Goodness. London is such a vast and varied city, especially where food is concerned.

If you give people on here some markers, like budget and what sort of stuff you'd like to do, I'm sure the collective wisdom will see you through.

cazoz

Get your bags checked through.

You have quite a long time so could probably get a few decent things done.

One suggestion is to skip the Heathrow Express and get the Piccadilly up to South Kensington/Knightsbridge. You've got shopping (Harrods/HN and Sloane St), museums at South Ken, Hyde Park and some decent eating: Dinner and Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental for one. Around Brompton Cross feels a bit more London-y than global luxury brands I'd say, drinks at Michelin House and a browse around Conran is quite fun.

For more food choice, head into the West End - West London is flashy but not the best we have.

corporate-wage-slave

A few more specifics would be helpful, but here are a few pointers.

If you can't get rid of your baggage all the way through at check-in, there is a left luggage facility at Paddington. It's the same company as Heathrow and it costs the same (but it's a bit easier in Paddington since they are less security conscious there). So you can leave it there and collect on the way back. The last time you need to be at Paddington for a comfortable ride back to T5 is around 20 hrs, though you may want longer in the CCR. You could in theory be in Paddington around 12 hrs from T3.

Random suggestions, knowing nothing about you!:

- Tube round to High Street Kensington - range of shops in a compact and easy to access area. If you had particular things in mind there may be better areas to go in London, but High Street Ken. has a bit of everything. Also a good range of places to eat.
- Nearby are several parks if the weather is nice and you fancy eating either in a café there, people watching and what not. Notably Kensington Gardens.
- Nearby is the Victoria and Albert Museum, walking distance.
- Back on tube around to Embankment, over the River Thames to London Eye.
- Nearby is the newly revamped Imperial War Museum, which is getting plaudits in all corners.
- If it's school term time, consider Choral Evensong at St Paul's or Westminster Abbey. If the choristers are on school holiday then there may be an overseas guest choir in place.
- Buckingham Palace followed by afternoon tea at The Fountain at Fortnums and Mason or a high end meal at somewhere like the Wolseley (must reserve that).

Enjoy London!

UKtravelbear

plenty of ideas here

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-ireland-484/

moonbeam

Maybe, head to Selfridges, and then stroll down to Mount St lunch at
Scott's or Roka Mayfair great jap food, or if you like Chinese Kai Mayfair is Amazing One Michelin star, Or try out Chiltern firehouse for laid back meal and star spotting! @:-)

DFW_CK

Thank you all for responding; some of my points:

- Really don't want to check in luggage so I like the idea of storing at Paddington
- Budget for food is a non-issue; however, I'd like to go somewhere this relatively laidback

Thank you

moonbeam

Chiltern Firehouse is very laid back, also Balthazar and Petite Maison are also both good laid back choices! CF is the hot ticket in London dining at the moment! i like the terrace there lovely on a sunny day!

AbuAK

This isn't exactly lunch - but it is still AMAAAAZING. William Curley - Dessert Bar. Its located in Belgravia. Ł25 for 5 courses of dessert and petit fours. It is absolute perfection. Its only done on weekend afternoon, the menu changes every month. And it fills you up as well. And its well balanced as well from one course to another so it wouldn't feel like an overload of sugar. Its pretty casual place, but being Belgravia you will see some more not so casual people...It's a short walk from Knightsbridge and Sloane Square with some really good shopping and parks. Obv there is the obligatory Harrods but thats not really shopping IMO. If you do go there, make sure to sit at the bar, you can actually see your courses being prepared.

h15t0r1an

You don't say what your flights are but like Rembrandtuk I'm wondering if you can just check your luggage through to your final destination. If the airline or alliance you are flying with allows through checking, the luggage will be moved between the terminals without you having to do anything. Occasionally luggage can be checked through if you ask nicely when you first check it if it's a borderline case even if not strictly covered by the inter-airline rules for your particular flights. It's always worth enquiring.

If you are forced to pick up your luggage at LHR then perhaps the airline you are departing on would allow you to check your luggage in before you leave Heathrow to go to London. On BA with Gold status, for example, it's possible to check luggage in at 5am if you have a flight leaving at 10pm same day.

DFW_CK

I am coming in on AA metal and leaving on BA. I could check my bag through all the way but hate the idea of waiting in Mumbai to retrieve my stuff.

clubman

So it's just hand luggage you're traveling with? If so (and this was not at all clear from your earlier posts) would it not be easier to just carry it around with you?