sierranevada

I booked round trip private transfer from Heathrow to hotel for 3 people for $160 total - including VAT. Is that a good price or are we better off with a black cab? Is VAT also charged if you take a black cab? BTW, is all VAT refundable to US citizens?

Globaliser

The price that you've been quoted seems broadly comparable with the cost of a black cab from Heathrow to central London and back again, if you don't get stuck in traffic.

Whether the price you've been given is good value will depend on factors like how far you're actually going - where is your hotel actually located? - and what sort of car and driver you're actually going to get. Are the car and driver going to be fully licensed, insured and trained? Will the car be in good condition? How much do you actually know about the company that you've booked with? You may have a great deal, or you may not.

Off the top of my head, I don't think that black cabs charge VAT because they're treated in the same way as public transport (but I'd be happy to be corrected if wrong). But in any event, none of this matters because most consumer prices in the UK must be shown inclusive of VAT so whatever VAT you may have to pay is already included in the metered fare.

VAT is not generally refundable to visitors, as it's a tax on consumption within the UK. The main exception is that if you buy things in shops that take part in a visitors VAT refund scheme, and you export those things from the UK, you can reclaim the VAT on your purchases (often subject to minimum purchase limits and fees). I think that this also applies to other EU countries. Qualification is, IIRC, by residence and not citizenship.

thunderbirdfan

How cost effective is it to use a cab from Paddington Station (HEx) to Gloucester Place near the Marylebone underground station (Easybus)?

We would have several pieces of luggage is why I'm not willing to use the Tube or walk.

Globaliser

That's a perfectly unembarrassing distance to take a cab, particularly if you have luggage.

Colin

£8

stut

Updated LHR and LGW sections - much needed after 18 months! Others will follow. Particularly MSE, which is currently dead as a dodo...

Globaliser

Thanks for the updates, stut.

One bit of personal experience to pass on, from the last few weeks. If you're changing from the Piccadilly Line to the District Line to come in from LHR (or vice versa in the other direction), Hammersmith and Barons Court both offer very easy cross-platform changes, as already noted in this thread (and elsewhere).

Normally, I'd say that Barons Court is a slightly easier change because it's a smaller distance to drag your stuff across a narrower platform, and also because it's a less busy station.

However, if the weather is inclement - particularly if it's freezing cold - Hammersmith is a more sheltered station and a little more pleasant. I've done this several times during our recent extended cold spell, and was very glad of the cover at Hammersmith at 5.45 am this morning.

drbond

I am thinking of staying at the Hilton Hyde Park. I am landing via Aer Lingus at LHR and leaving via DL at LGW. I would appreciate any recommendations and help in this matter. I am considering a travel pass but I am not sure even with 1-6 that I could get to LGW on it. The only plans at this point are to land, go to the hotel, deposit the baggage, go to The London Dungeon (son's choice), go to the London Eye, back to hotel, grabbing dinner somewhere inexpensively, sleep, get up and depending on time, walk around the area or head straight to LGW. I have a good rate at the Hilton Hyde Park and have stayed at the Comfort Inn Notting Hill before. I am aware that a bus comes close by, not sure about the tube. All advise welcome. PS. Traveling with my 11 year old son.

stut

You can't use a 1-6 travelcard all the way to LGW. However, what you can do is use it for the 1-6 section of the journey (on Thameslink/First Capital Connect or Southern only, NOT on the Gatwick Express). Just ask for an 'extension to Gatwick' and show the travelcard at the ticket office.

I would recommend using buses to get round central London, personally, as they're more fun (I always prefer them if I'm not on the bike). In which case this may help you. The 15 runs from Paddington to Marble Arch then on to the Monument, from where you can walk over London Bridge to the Dungeon.

From there to the London Eye, I'd recommend walking along the river path, it's one of my favourite walks in London. If you're tired, however, there's a riverside bus (RV1) that links the two directly.

There's some decent cheap eats around the London Eye, too. Tas and Livebait are on The Cut (the Anchor & Hope and Baltic are round there too, but a bit more expensive!), and Tas Ev (which has a particularly nice outdoor bit if it's nice). On the river, by Waterloo Bridge, there's a Strada Pizzeria (decent chain), the Gourmet Pizza Company, and further along (by Blackfriars Bridge) you have Pizza Express and the Real Greek.

From County Hall (by the London Eye) back to the Bayswater Road, there is a direct bus, too: the 148.

You can quite easily get a cab or the 148 down to Victoria for the Southern service (or Gatwick Express if you like) to Gatwick.

Hope this helps!

rove312

I'll be taking AA's ORD-LHR day flight arriving 10.40 p.m. I'll be staying at the Hilton Paddington and planning to take the Heathrow Express, but I have to consider the possibility that the flight will be late and I'll miss the last train shortly before midnight (I'm typing this from memory, I may have times and numbers wrong). I don't like the thought of taking a taxi of this price; the Journeyplanner site shows some night bus connections taking three buses; I think I'd rather take the N9 to maybe Kensington High St., then a taxi. But can I buy a ticket for the bus when I just have ATM cash? Would I need to resign myself to taking a cab? I have an inquiry out to relatives of a co-worker, who will be coming back from England before this and might see if I can buy pound coins at a fair rate for this contingency.

hannibal151

What is the best way to get from LGW to LHR to make a flight connection? I have 3 hrs to get between the two on a Monday morning.

stut

National Express run direct coach (bus) services between the major airports. Short of a taxi, this is usually the best way to go.

(The exceptions to are LTN-LGW &vv as there is a direct rail link, and LCY, which is not on the coach network.)

Globaliser

Is 3 hours the time between the scheduled arrival time of your inbound flight at LGW and the scheduled departure time of your outbound flight from LHR? If so, you need to be aware that this could be very tight, especially on a Monday morning.

Taking a taxi will be substantially more expensive than the bus service and is unlikely to be significantly faster, so that is not going to gain you much margin.

Can you re-schedule for something a little less tight?

nologic

What is the best deal on a private car/taxi from LGW-LHR?

nologic

National Express won;t seem to price one way fares from LGW-LHR. Judging from the roundrtip fare, it seems the one way fare is about GBP 35 compared with a private car for GBP 55?