anabolism

I had the hotel arrange for a taxi in the other direction (to T3) and bill it to the room. Maybe they can do the same for the reverse?

geilux

Just for info, as the Hotel Hoppa is leaving T1 for Hilton T5 only at 9:36 PM, 10:36 PM and 11:36 PM, I tried to take a normal cab:

They would charge 35Ł for the 15 minutes ride !!!

Land-of-Miles

Room sizes are tiny at The T4 Hilton in comparison the spacious well desired rooms at T5

stc

And getting to the T4 Hilton is trivial compared to the PITA getting to the T5 Hilton.

obs

Have to agree with this. I have used the T5 and T4 Hiltons on a regular basis and like both hotels. I tend to use T5 Hilton when staying overnight if the flight is not to early so I can take my time. If its a 0600 hour flight or something equally ridiculous then I stay at T4. If you are likely to be rushed then I would opt for T4 Hilton every time.

Regards

Obs

Land-of-Miles

Surely that depends how you get to the Hilton T5 rather than T4?

Arriving by car (self drive or driven) then it is a wash in fact the T5 wins for car parking facilities directly adjacent to the property.

Departing by car (my usual local Heathrow firm) is simple.

If you rely upon public transport then you will have to pay for the Heathrow Hoppa that is true but the payoff in terms of better design and better rooms makes that worthwhile I think if you are alone and if there are 2 or more of you then arranging your own car is the way to get between T5 and the hotel.

I hate the rooms at the T4 Hilton even though the rest of the property is rather good.

Land-of-Miles

You don't have to take a black cab though there are plenty of other choices.

Addison Lee, Uber and many many local firms (e.g. LHR Express). It rarely takes 10 minutes for me to pick up a car for circa Ł10.

geilux

I am not residing in the UK. Could you please give more information on how to pick up anything else than a black cab direction Hilton T5 (if Bus Hoppa number 10 is not running anymore) ?

Thanks

Land-of-Miles

You arrange a mini-cab.

Only Black cabs can pick up from LHR without pre-bookings BUT if you book via phone or web app you have vastly more choice.

I use LHR Express as my go to firm in that area but Google will bring up a wide range of alternative firms. It should only cost circa Ł10 each way for a much nicer experience than a Black Cab without the ludicrous out of M25 fees.

There are Apps that will allow you to book online with other firms (e.g. Addison Lee) but LHR Express recognise my mobile number when I call them and know who I am.

Another option would be to discuss arrangements directly with the hotel.

I generally only take Black Cabs in London when I need the convenience of picking up a cab straight away from the street or via the Hailo App. When I don't have an immediate need however I generally take a Chaffeuer service (e.g. Uber) which is both cheaper and more comfortable than a Black Cab and devoid of the aggressive chippiness you sometimes find amongst Black Cab drivers.

Like any other aspect of destination planning it is well worth understanding the car transport options at your destination and arranging these in advance.

anabolism

Just to clarify for those who aren't familiar, "minicab" doesn't refer to the size of the cab, but rather, a second category of cabs. True cabs require a hard-to-get license, demonstrating significant knowledge. These are the only cabs allowed to pick people up off the street without advance booking. Minicabs are less regulated and must be booked in advance (but even a few minutes in advance is OK).

geilux

As we are on the transportation topic for the Hilton T5 (probably the only negative aspect on this property), could anybody tell me why a so-called back cab would charge you 35Ł for this 10 minute ride ?

angatol

.....

Land-of-Miles

For additional albeit slightly OT clarity in London the process for getting a licence is something of an anachronism. Whilst all London Black Cab drivers are meant in principle to have a good understanding of a wide variety of routes, In practice you sometimes find shocking gaps in knowledge, because they only had to understand a broad selection of possible routes at a fixed point in time (which may have been MANY years ago). Those cabs which ply LHR tend to be

I would say that a competent mini-cab firm and a driver using sat nav with traffic updates will almost always get you to your destination faster and more reliably than an average black cab. YMMV.

iPhone and other instant Apps allow practically instantaneous booking and access to minicabs, which is why London Black Cabs aren't doing as well as they once were. Those embracing technology (like the Hailo App) seem to be doing rather better.

alfaman

thanks...was wondering how to book a cab

tkflyer

Also note that BAA has stopped minicabs from picking up at the normal drop-off areas. So for example at T1 you have to pay an extra 3 GBP for the minicab to pick you up from inside the Short Term car park.

Some minicab firms will pickup late at night from say the top level at T5 when the BAA inspectors are not around. Not sure about other terminals.

Personally I use local minicab firm Station Cars @ Langley +44 1753 545000