What would you do with a 9 hour layover?
Sep 21, 2014, 9:21 pm
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austin, TX
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What would you do with a 9 hour layover?
I have a 9 hour layover in November at LHR. I am flying into T5 via BA from Austin scheduled to arrive at 9:15a. My departing flight is at 6:15p to Budapest leaving T3. I hold a U.S. passport and have been to the UK several times with a 3 night stay 2 months ago (I was there during the England World Cup match which was exciting.).
This is my longest layover by a factor of two. I am afraid I will go crazy in T3 for that long. (t5 appeals to me more).
What would you do?
I know I will probably want to have a decent lunch and dinner since I am arriving in BUD so late.
This is my longest layover by a factor of two. I am afraid I will go crazy in T3 for that long. (t5 appeals to me more).
What would you do?
I know I will probably want to have a decent lunch and dinner since I am arriving in BUD so late.
Sep 21, 2014, 10:00 pm
#2
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I am going to assume that you have a visa or passport that allows you entry to the UK so I would suggest going out for some time. Go see some sites nearish LHR and eat have lunch.
Sep 21, 2014, 10:22 pm
#3
Original Poster
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Location: Austin, TX
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Yes I have a US passport so no problems entering the UK. Any suggestions on what is near to LHR? Also recommendations on lunch places?
Sep 21, 2014, 10:44 pm
#4
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With nine hours, if you're the adventuresome kind, you could even drive out to Stonehenge and back no problem. You've been to London before so you know how diverse it is. What kind of meal and sites do you desire?
Sep 22, 2014, 12:08 am
#6
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Windsor and Eton is a good suggestion. see the castle, great park, school and quaint town... Plenty of time.
Don't take an airport cab, you will have a very angry driver!
Not sure about the train nowadays but there's a station at Windsor, connect through Slough. You can get a tax back to LHR from Windsor no problem.
(Typing stuck in MEX with IRROPS to Sao Paolo
)
Don't take an airport cab, you will have a very angry driver!
Not sure about the train nowadays but there's a station at Windsor, connect through Slough. You can get a tax back to LHR from Windsor no problem.
(Typing stuck in MEX with IRROPS to Sao Paolo
)
Sep 22, 2014, 1:01 am
#7
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Windsor and Eton is a good suggestion. see the castle, great park, school and quaint town... Plenty of time.
Don't take an airport cab, you will have a very angry driver!
Not sure about the train nowadays but there's a station at Windsor, connect through Slough. You can get a tax back to LHR from Windsor no problem.
(Typing stuck in MEX with IRROPS to Sao Paolo )
Don't take an airport cab, you will have a very angry driver!
Not sure about the train nowadays but there's a station at Windsor, connect through Slough. You can get a tax back to LHR from Windsor no problem.
(Typing stuck in MEX with IRROPS to Sao Paolo
)
Sep 22, 2014, 1:14 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Ah, good to know. I have not had the chance to take the train from LHR since the tube went into there. It sounds like a prebooked taxi might be a good idea, or a bus??
Sep 22, 2014, 3:17 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
Bus route 77 from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Windsor - timetable and map (the 77 is the yellow route).
On the way back, the bus only takes you as far as T5 - so take the Heathrow Express to transfer to T3 (free for transfers), or if you have an Oyster card or contactless payment card you can transfer on the Tube from T5 to T123 for free (n.b. some foreign contactless payment cards don't work for 'contactless travel' on public transport in London - see this guidance from TfL).
On the way back, the bus only takes you as far as T5 - so take the Heathrow Express to transfer to T3 (free for transfers), or if you have an Oyster card or contactless payment card you can transfer on the Tube from T5 to T123 for free (n.b. some foreign contactless payment cards don't work for 'contactless travel' on public transport in London - see this guidance from TfL).
Sep 22, 2014, 8:02 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 86
Originally Posted by Yoshi212
You've been to London before so you know how diverse it is. What kind of meal and sites do you desire?
Bus route 77 from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Windsor - timetable and map (the 77 is the yellow route).
On the way back, the bus only takes you as far as T5 - so take the Heathrow Express to transfer to T3 (free for transfers), or if you have an Oyster card or contactless payment card you can transfer on the Tube from T5 to T123 for free (n.b. some foreign contactless payment cards don't work for 'contactless travel' on public transport in London - see this guidance from TfL).
On the way back, the bus only takes you as far as T5 - so take the Heathrow Express to transfer to T3 (free for transfers), or if you have an Oyster card or contactless payment card you can transfer on the Tube from T5 to T123 for free (n.b. some foreign contactless payment cards don't work for 'contactless travel' on public transport in London - see this guidance from TfL).
What about timing? It looks like the bus would take 50 minutes each way and only runs once/hour. I will be there on a Saturday so I think it has a reduced schedule? If I hit it wrong based on immigration etc... it could an up to an hour to wait for the next bus. I am not sure if I want to pay for a cab or not I am guessing around GBP 20 each way for a cab to Windsor?
In June it took me over 100 minutes to get off the plane and back through security just in T5 alone. Is that abnormal? There were several people from my flight sweating it a bit because they had less than 2 hours to make their connection.
Is there any other villages I could take a quicker public transport to from T5 and look around for a few hours and have lunch that isn't quite as far as Windsor? Or at least something that has more regular transport like on the Tube where I could buy an off hours day pass to get around?
Sep 22, 2014, 11:31 am
#11
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Aside from everything else, a cab would be quite put out if you got in and announced you were going to Windsor.
The tube only goes towards London and does not serve any "villages".
The tube only goes towards London and does not serve any "villages".
Sep 22, 2014, 12:01 pm
#12
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Location: Austin, TX
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Thanks if I go to Windsor I would call a Windsor cab to come get me. Thanks for the feedback.
Sep 22, 2014, 1:02 pm
#13
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My suggestion is to take the tube to South Kensington and visit the V&A; the Natural History Museum and Science Museum are just across the road - but if it happens to be raining heavily you can get into the V&A without going outside!
Sep 22, 2014, 2:20 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Is there any other villages I could take a quicker public transport to from T5 and look around for a few hours and have lunch that isn't quite as far as Windsor? Or at least something that has more regular transport like on the Tube where I could buy an off hours day pass to get around?
Sep 22, 2014, 3:50 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
Osterley Park sounds like a great idea - here's a brief bit of information regarding the park itself (as opposed to the mansion therein).