hblanton

On June 2 I'll be flying from Berlin to LAX via LHR. Both flights use T5. I'll be flying World Club (long haul business) so I'll have access ot the lounge. I arrive at 8:30 and my continuation is at 4:00 so I think I have plenty of time. The idea would be debark, go to the lounge, check my bags, grab a bit of breakfast, then call a cab from Windsor, tour the castle and maybe Eaton, then grab a cab back to LHR, go back tot he lounge until the flihgt.

Here are my quesitons:
1: When I arrive at T5 will I have to collect my bags and recheck or will they route through to LAX (I'm guessing they will)
2: Will I have to go through customs/immigration if I just go to the BA Lounge (guessing not)
3: Will I have to go through Customs/Immigration if I exit the terminal (guessing I will)
4: If the answer to 3 is "Yes,' how does it work? I've flown through LHR many times, but so far avoided T5. In other pure international terminals you are "guided" from the plane to baggage, to immigration, to customs and then out. If I'm right that if I went just to the lounge I'd avoid this hassle, that means that I would have to be "vetted" somehow when I left the terminal, not when I left the plane. Trying to figure out how this works.
5: Coming back to the airport I know I'd go through security. Does BA have expedited security for World Club? Normally I don't mind the regular wait, but since I'll be packing things tight it would be nice if there was a quck way through.
6: Can I check my bags at the World Club lounge for several hours while I do this fools errand?

Any input, particularly from folks who have done this side-trip would be greatly appreciated. I just hope I'm not biting off too much to chew.

Many thanks.

HLB

cornishsimon

When you arrive from Berlin you could go landside and exit the terminal, then when you return you would have to clear security etc again.

I don't think you can do what your planning with the lounge as it's airside

cs

chalf

1 - It should be possible to check luggage through to LAX.
2 - If you just go to the BA Lounge and wait there for your flight, you will not need enter the UK and will thus not need to go through UK border control. As this is an intra-EU flight, there is no customs.
3 - Yes. Note that if you go to the BA Lounge it will not readily be possible to get back landside.
4 - Not sure I understand the question. You can either go through @Flight Connectons', which will keep you airside for your next flight, or exit into the UK, enabling you to visit Windsor.
5 - There is generally FastTrack security for business class passengers at T5, but it often has as long a line as regular, depending on the time of day. The advantage of FastTrack is that the average passenger tends to be more familiar with the security routine and more efficient.
6 - As you will only have access to the Galleries Club lounge if remaining airside, but not if going landside, it will not be possible to leave items there.

adrianjc32

Bags can be left at the Excess Baggage Company, adjacent to Giraffe Cafe in the arrivals hall at the north end.

Windsor is a good option to kill a few hours, if you google a taxi firm they will watch your flight number and meet you in arrivals at a suitable time to take you to Windsor.

The castle is good and Eton is a nice stroll too. There are lots of nice places to eat and a couple with open terraces on the Thames (weather permitting).

On return to 5 simply collect your bags, go up in the lift and clear security before heading to a lounge....

potfish

(sorry, read your itinerary the wrong way round)

Comfortqueen

It's easily do-able in that the time you have. As another respondent has said, it's best to get a taxi firm to meet you as otherwise you have the taxis from the rank which are terribly expensive. Get the taxi firm to meet you inside the airport, with a nameboard. It will cost about Ł5 more but it's easier. Going into the castle grounds might be an option but it's unlikely you would be able to get into the state rooms or to see the dolls house because the queues are horrendous. There's a nice walk along the river and also there are boat trips which take about an hour and are nice to do - you get great views of the castle from the river. Eton is pleasant, but personally I wouldn't bother. I would stick with a quick walk around the castle, down to the river, along the river and lunch on the terrace at Browns - weather permitting.

Gardyloo

Your bags should be checked through.

I'd just go out the main exit from customs, cross the road to the T5 bus station and take the No. 71 or 77 bus straight to the High Street in Windsor opposite the castle entrance, which takes around 40 min. and around Ł2 or Ł3 each way IIRC. If you don't want to bother with the castle, there's an excellent pedestrian precinct right at the bus stop, with plenty of shops, cafes, pubs etc. to help kill a few hours. Beats the hell out of staying airside IMO.

Lobengula

Deleted as my post had faulty information

MadnessOfCrowds

As a local, I agree with the recommendations of a gentle stroll around Windsor, near the castle and around the olde worlde shoppes. If you're lucky, there may be a bit of pageantry too with horses and guards and stuff. Sometimes, HM zooms up the through the park in her jag and sometimes Phil can be seen wandering around in his racing carriage.
And the bus makes sense from T5.

Optionally, also take a taxi from Windsor to Bray (15-20mins) and have a 1230-1415 lunch at The Wateride Inn (3 michelin stars, lovely view of the river, excellent food and service) or the Fat Duck (also 3 stars but not so excellent imho and not on the river). Be sure to make a reservation.
15 mins back to T5 from Bray in time to "fast-track" slowly before boarding.

stueys

Lots of good advice here, I think you'll be fine at Windsor castle, you'll out of tourist season so should miss the queues and the chapel is well worth seeing. I would then walk through the park to the statue (will take about 40 mins return) and have lunch by the river. There is a nice pub/restaurant just across the bridge on the Eton side of the river. Not much else to see at Eton though you can walk down to the school, will take you about five minutes.

Fat Duck and Waterside in Bray are both excellent, though check the pricing and book before you set off. I use these guys http://www.geminicars.co.uk/ for heathrow pickups when not using my local firm.

BAGoldBoy

As a local to Gemini I cannot recommend them. They have a very poor reputation amongst us in the village and I would avoid them at all costs. We always use these guys for trips to LHR - http://www.roniaminicabs.com/

hblanton

Some very useful advice here. If I understand correctly, when arriving at T5 I'll have a choice to make (Door #1 or Door #2 as it were.) Door 1 will take me into the public areas of the terminal, and thus avoid immigration, customs, etc. Door 2 will route me out of the terminal and airside and through customs into England proper. This, if i get it correctly, is why I wouldn't be able to drop my bags at the Galleries lounge (it being airside.) But since my bags will be checked through to LAX, all I'd have with me are my carryon items.

I have to admit, however, that now I am torn about doing this little side trip (I have a choice of layover times and the 7 hour window would be by choice - I could also have a 2 or 4 hour layover.) While I've been to England maybe 20 times over the years, and traveled reasonably widely (most recently hiked the Lake District for about 10 days,) Windsor, Eaton and environs has never made it onto my radar. What makes me hesitate is the proximity to 2 of the 4 3* restaurants in the country. I've previously eaten at both the Dorchester and Gordon Ramsey (one of the top 5 meals of my life, btw) and now think I should reserve Windsor for a couple of day side trifp built around 2 really, really good meals.

Again, thanks for everyone’s help. I'm going to have to decide (and buy my tix) in the next couple of days and I have a lot to chew over

David-A

Your flight from Berlin originates from inside the European Customs area, as a result IF you were checking bags to the UK they would be tagged with green edges allowing them to be taken through the blue customs channel (rather than the green, just as long as you don't have anything to declare in which case you must use red.)

However you are arriving from outside the UK imigration area (or rather UK & Ireland free travel area), so will be subject to passport check, etc.

When you disembark the aircraft and proceed through the terminal you will have a choice of two routes: 'flight connections' (purple signs) which will keep you airside and out of the UK, or 'arrivals'/'baggage reclaim' (normal yellow/black signs) which will take you into the UK.

If you want to enter the UK, you follow signs for arrivals you will proceed through imigration (passport check, or if you need visa etc), then continue and walk through a customs channel. You can walk through the blue channel as you originated within the European customs and vat area. There is very little difference between walking through a blue and a green channel in practice. We don't routinely stop people in the green channel without reason, and with reason people will still be stopped regardless of what route they take!

Arrivals and departures are totally separate (unless and until you have gone through the flight connections route, in which case you transform yourself from an arriving to a departing passenger), so you simply can not get to a lounge (other than longhaul arrivials lounge for eligbile pax).

I know that is almost what you said, but wanted to clarify it, 'public areas' is a bit of a confusing name for airside departures.

[Oh and attempting to leave luggage in an airport lounge while you leave the airport would be a VERY bad idea generally.]

JumboJim

Slightly off topic I know, but by the looks of things I live in the same place as you and I've never had a problem with them - I've always found them reliable with really pleasant drivers on the whole.

And, no, I dont work for them!!

Boraxo

I am considering a similar plan on arrival in T-5 from the USA but only have 5.5 hours so wondering what happens if I use the "flight connections" route, check my bags in the CW lounge, and then decide to exit the airport. I assume that there is a way to go through immigration and customs, no?

So the plan would be:

(1) Upon arrival, check bags at CW lounge in T-5
(2) Clear immigration, exit terminal
(3) Taxi to Windsor
(4) Taxi return to airport
(5) Clear security
(6) Retrieve bags from lounge

Wondering how long taxi to Windsor will take (weekday, midday) and also what time we should return to airport for 18:30 EU departure.