LHR Hotel Set Up

I am completely unfamiliar with hotels at LHR. I saw something about different bus companies, and free shuttle services. I’m staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, holiday inn express T5, and at ibis. Can one just take a taxi, or is figuring out these shuttles fairly easy? Can you walk to the hotels?

Basically, apart from a couple of hotels that are connected to terminals (the Sofitel at T5, the Hilton and Yotel at T4), all hotels are within the perimeter of the airport. Generally they're not walkable (there's a handful of exceptions).

Several years ago, to ease congestion, the airport authority banned the hotel-specific shuttle buses in favour of the 'Hoppa' bus routes that took in multiple hotels on a schedule. This started off well, but then got contracted out to a private company who charge rather a hefty fare for passengers.

At the same time, Heathrow made it so that public buses passing through Heathrow were free within the airport area. So you can just hop on a bus at T5, take it to the Bath Road, and it costs you nothing. These buses go on towards other parts of London or surrounding towns, don't stop in the hotel forecourts, don't go directly from T2 or T3, and so aren't quite as easy to navigate. But they are free and generally more frequent. Here's a guide:

http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/...d_Heathrow.pdf

To use them, you just walk on, state your destination, and get nodded on.

Taxi is possible, although some may make it difficult for you due to the short fare. Taxis off the rank get a pass if they are back after a short fare, so may be OK. YMMV.

I'll have a look at your specific hotels. Which terminal(s) are you using?

Thank you for your help and thorough response. I am staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, ibis, and Holiday Inn Express T5.

I don’t know which terminal I’m coming into but I suspect 5 because isn’t that the international terminal? I will be arriving and departing from Miami on BA206 and BA207

OK, the Hilton Garden Inn is next to Hatton Cross, meaning it is walkable from Hatton Cross Tube station and Hatton Cross bus station. You have to pay to use the Tube and it's very fast, the buses are free, and there are *loads* of them (and you get a free scenic tour of the airport into the bargain ) Big advantage is that it's then very easy to get into central London using the Tube.

HIX T5 is outside the airport perimeter, and so not accessible by free bus. It's on Hoppa route H55 from T5 only. It's also round the corner from public bus route 7 to/from T5 and T2/3, which you have to pay for.

The Ibis is on the Bath Road or the A4, the main 'hotel row' for the original part of the airport. As well as the Hoppas, there's about 5 different free bus routes linking it to T2/3 and T5.

Just to be sure I’m reading this correctly, the only hotel I cannot take a free bus to is the HIE T5, correct?

All terminals have international capabilities (we're just a small island!) - but MIA goes from T3, IIRC, which is not BA's main terminal.

So, if you want to use the public buses, you need to get the the Central Bus Station. This means following signs down a ramp, through a tunnel, along some moving sidewalks (travelators) and up next to the Tube station.

If you want to get the Hoppa bus to the HIX T5, you need to get to T5 first. To do this, you'll need to catch the Heathrow Express train for free - follow the same tunnel and branch off.

Taxis are from a rank outside the terminal. Uber is also possible (current negotiations notwithstanding) although my experience of trying to use them for short hops near airports is far from stellar, but again, YMMV.

Correct. You can get a public bus, which is the number 7:

https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/n...lough%207s.pdf

That's the only bus from T2/3. You need to get off at Sutton Place - you'll turn off just by the hotel and look like you're going away past it. Not sure of the fare - a couple of pounds?

The Hoppa route H56 also goes there, from T5 only. That's £4.50, but you'll go to a few hotels en route.

How much are these buses? I read somewhere about 6GBP

That rather depends on the bus company. Those operated by TfL (Transport for London) are a flat £1.50, Oyster (travel) card or credit debit card only, which you place against the fare reader when you get on. Transfers within an hour are now free.

The exception where TfL buses are free is where your destination is within the Heathrow Free Ride Zone, essentially along the perimeter fence. Most of the hotels along the Bath Road fall into this, and so does Hatton Cross Station (from where the Hilton GI is a short walk). The Ibis is right at the end of the free ride zone, a one minute walk from Harlington Corner (which many buses travel through from Heathrow).

Buses operated by private companies, which also arrive at/depart from Heathrow Central Bus Station, can be more expensive - even approaching the cost of a Hoppa, but they probably still take cash. For the HIX T5, for example, you could catch the (iirc) 75 and get off at the stop over the road.

Buses will almost always be cheaper and quicker than the Hoppa, but if you don't know the system they could be daunting. It's rare that I'd advise this, but in your position and not knowing Heathrow at all well by the sounds of it, you might want to reduce stress and pay a little more for a taxi, certainly from the HIX - the hotel will call you a minicab which probably won't be much more than £10.

The Hoppa buses are £4.50 plus £1 booking fee - so yes, about £6.

The public buses are less. Because Colnbrook is outside London, it doesn't benefit from subsidised fares. I can't remember if it's £2.50 or £3.50 - something like that.

The hotel may also have an arrangement with a local minicab (car service) company to do airport pick-ups and drop-offs, as it's slightly awkwardly located - worth asking.

premier inn is connected to the terminal isnt it ?

Oh yes, the Premier Inn T4, I forgot that one. Beware, though, there's a PI T5 and a PI Bath Road as well!

Note that it is a 10 minute walk.

What other hotels are connnected? Maybe I’ll just switch for the sake of convenience.

Hilton T4, Yotel T5, Sofitel T5. All of those would require a train connection from T3. There are none directly connected to landside T2 or T3.

Thanks for the helpful responses. Too bad the hotels sound so disorganized. I’m not sure how foreign tourists are able to navigate this. But I figure if they can do it I can do it.

Just a quick question at what price do people think it’s justified to use points? Maybe I’ll just change hotels for the sake of convienence, though I assume the ones connected are very expensive. The bulk of my staying is at ibis. Are any of the hotels I mentioned sub-par?