Originally Posted by Blumie

An update on my layover:

I arrived at Terminal 5 just after 11am, cleared immigration (my US passport works perfectly in the e-gates; not sure why some report problems) and went to the BA Arrivals Lounge for a shower and a light breakfast and to figure out how to spend my day. Quickly reviewing this thread, I decided to see if there were any matinees available, and settled on King Lear at the Globe. It was around 12:30pm at this point, giving me plenty of time to get to the theater for a 2pm performance.

I had intended to take the Elizabeth Line to London, but when I took the lift down to the Tube, there were only the old signs for the Piccadilly Line. Where does only find the Elizabeth Line at Terminal 5??? In any event, a Piccadilly Line train was approaching, so I took that to the Circle Line to Mansion House and walked across the bridge to the theater, giving me plenty of time to buy a ticket and check my bag. (I chose not to check my bag on my first flight, operated by AA, out of fear that the transfer from AA to BA might not be so smooth, so ended up taking it with me to London, which, but for the stairs in the Tube stations, was not that big a deal.)

King Lear: I didn't understand a majority of the words. I don't know if this was due to many years of loud music harming my ears, the lack of audio broadcasting at the theater, or the lack of translation from English to American, but I'm familiar enough with the play that I enjoyed it reasonably enough.

After the play, I walked back across the bridge to St. Paul's and took the Central Line to Oxford Circus where I had a late lunch at The Wigmore before returning to Heathrow. Again I had plenty of time, so I walked to Piccadilly Circus where I hopped on the Piccadilly Line back to Terminal 5 (although again I wonder if I should have walked to Paddington to take the Elizabeth Line; I had plenty of time so there would have been no reason to take the HEX but for the relative comfort).

So all in all I had a nice layover. I'm back in London on Saturday for a full week, except I just book the Eurostar for two days in Paris because a band I'm very fond of from my home city of New Orleans is playing there. (Quintron and Miss Pussycat. They played in London last night at The Lexington!)

Originally Posted by :D!

To get to the Elizabeth line platforms you have to walk further south (left as you exit the terminal building) and take a different set of lifts.

I have heard that some Americans find the British accents / pronunciations of Shakespeare's language to be different from what they're expecting, so it's probably that.

I calculate that you saved £2.60 by not taking the Elizabeth line, and if you had only taken it in one direction you would have paid the same for the day's travel as taking it in both directions. Also, you could have taken Elizabeth line from Tottenham Court Road to Paddington on the return.