Heathrow: Hotel, and Transfer to Bath

We're going to land at Heathrow Terminal 1 and need to travel to Bath.
We should get through customs around 4:30 - 5 pm on a Saturday. Should
we get non-refundable inexpensive train tickets? If our flight is
late and we miss our train, how do we deal with it?

For the cost of two full price tickets, we could take a taxi instead.
Will traffic be a problem at that time?

Coming back, we're flying out of Terminal 3 and want to spend the
night near Heathrow. My travel agent suggests the Hilton adjacent to
Terminal 4, but I see that the tube station there is closed for
construction into September and wonder if getting to Terminal 3 might
be just as easy, if not easier, from one of the hotels outside the
airport.

If we spend a day driving and touring from Bath to Heathrow, what
sights or towns should we see?

Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks.

"Walt Bilofsky" wrote in message
...
We're going to land at Heathrow Terminal 1 and need to travel to Bath.
We should get through customs around 4:30 - 5 pm on a Saturday. Should
we get non-refundable inexpensive train tickets? If our flight is
late and we miss our train, how do we deal with it?

For the cost of two full price tickets, we could take a taxi instead.
Will traffic be a problem at that time?

Coming back, we're flying out of Terminal 3 and want to spend the
night near Heathrow. My travel agent suggests the Hilton adjacent to
Terminal 4, but I see that the tube station there is closed for
construction into September and wonder if getting to Terminal 3 might
be just as easy, if not easier, from one of the hotels outside the
airport.

If we spend a day driving and touring from Bath to Heathrow, what
sights or towns should we see?

Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks.

I'd actually suggest you get a coach, on a Saturday evening the traffic
outbound from London shouldn't be too bad, and you're on the M4 motorway
after leaving Heathrow. They go direct from Heathrow. See
www.nationalexpress.com for details. It seems that the faster services take
around 2 hours 45 minutes for the journey, with no changes enroute.

If you wanted to get the train, there is a Railair coach connection from
Heathrow to Reading, where you pick up the train for your westbound journey.

If you're staying at Terminal 4, you can easily get the Heathrow Express
from Terminal 4 to Terminals 1,2 and 3 at no charge for the transfer
journey. It remains open, unlike the tube which is presently closed.

As for towns roughly betwen Bath and Heathrow, Salisbury, Oxford and Windsor
are classic sights.

Regards

David Bennetts
Australia

As for towns roughly betwen Bath and Heathrow, Salisbury, Oxford and
Windsor
are classic sights.


And some think Stonehenge a must.
(The rest have been there).

Winchester is also an option.

"David Bennetts" wrote:

I'd actually suggest you get a coach, on a Saturday evening the traffic
outbound from London shouldn't be too bad, and you're on the M4 motorway
after leaving Heathrow. They go direct from Heathrow. See
www.nationalexpress.com for details. It seems that the faster services take
around 2 hours 45 minutes for the journey, with no changes enroute.

Thanks for the pointer. The 2:45 coaches make some stops; the few
non-stops take 2:05. So a taxi might cut 40 minutes off the normal
coach ride, and be the same as the train.

wrote:

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

For the cost of two full price tickets, we could take a taxi instead.

Are you sure about that? It's some 160km, so a cab ride isn't going to
be cheap.

It's comparable, but only if all the complications are considered. Two
refundable tickets on the train via Paddington start at 66 pounds. Via
the rail link to the train at Reading it would be 64 pounds for two.
Then add a taxi from Bath station to the hotel.

A Bath visitor's web site
http://www.bath.co.uk/?redir=gor&pag...=1& x=27&y=22
claims a pre-booked cab can start at 85 - 90 pounds (plus tip). They
say a hailed cab could be twice that.

Then there is convenience. We will be at the end of a long vacation,
so if taking public transport we would leave one or two pieces of
luggage at Heathrow. With a cab we would probably take it all along.
This saves time, hassle, and 16 to 32 pounds in left luggage charges.

Then with a cab there would be no hassle about luggage transfer when
changing trains, getting on coaches, etc., and no worry about missing
a train.

Of course there's no guarantee I can find one of those 85 pound cabs,
but I think I have talked myself into trying.

The train would be a lot cheaper if non-refundable tickets were
purchased and we made our train. If we buy late, when the cheaper
train tickets are gone, it could be a lot more than a pre-booked taxi.

"Walt Bilofsky" wrote in message
...
"David Bennetts" wrote:

I'd actually suggest you get a coach, on a Saturday evening the traffic
outbound from London shouldn't be too bad, and you're on the M4 motorway
after leaving Heathrow. They go direct from Heathrow. See
www.nationalexpress.com for details. It seems that the faster services
take
around 2 hours 45 minutes for the journey, with no changes enroute.

Thanks for the pointer. The 2:45 coaches make some stops; the few
non-stops take 2:05. So a taxi might cut 40 minutes off the normal
coach ride, and be the same as the train.

wrote:

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

For the cost of two full price tickets, we could take a taxi instead.

Are you sure about that? It's some 160km, so a cab ride isn't going to
be cheap.

It's comparable, but only if all the complications are considered. Two
refundable tickets on the train via Paddington start at 66 pounds. Via
the rail link to the train at Reading it would be 64 pounds for two.
Then add a taxi from Bath station to the hotel.

A Bath visitor's web site

http://www.bath.co.uk/?redir=gor&pag...=1& x=27&y=22
claims a pre-booked cab can start at 85 - 90 pounds (plus tip). They
say a hailed cab could be twice that.

Then there is convenience. We will be at the end of a long vacation,
so if taking public transport we would leave one or two pieces of
luggage at Heathrow. With a cab we would probably take it all along.
This saves time, hassle, and 16 to 32 pounds in left luggage charges.

Then with a cab there would be no hassle about luggage transfer when
changing trains, getting on coaches, etc., and no worry about missing
a train.

Of course there's no guarantee I can find one of those 85 pound cabs,
but I think I have talked myself into trying.

You wont find them at Heathrow (at least not legal licensed ones) but your
hotel ought to be able to organise one for you.

If you do get stuck with a black cab from Heathrow, it is a little know fact
that you can negotiate a fixed price with them - although it is likely to be
more than 85.

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

For the cost of two full price tickets, we could take a taxi instead.

Are you sure about that? It's some 160km, so a cab ride isn't going to
be cheap.

In article ,
(Walt Bilofsky) wrote:

*From:* Walt Bilofsky
*Date:* Mon, 24 Jul 2006 17:51:21 -0700

We're going to land at Heathrow Terminal 1 and need to travel to Bath.
We should get through customs around 4:30 - 5 pm on a Saturday. Should
we get non-refundable inexpensive train tickets? If our flight is
late and we miss our train, how do we deal with it?

Buy new tickets and get on the next train - you don't /have/ to get
tickets in advance. It's up to you, of course, to decide whether the cost
differential between the inexpensive, non-refundable ones and the
full-price, last-minute ones is sufficient to justify the gamble.

For the cost of two full price tickets, we could take a taxi instead.
Will traffic be a problem at that time?

Coming back, we're flying out of Terminal 3 and want to spend the
night near Heathrow. My travel agent suggests the Hilton adjacent to
Terminal 4, but I see that the tube station there is closed for
construction into September and wonder if getting to Terminal 3 might
be just as easy, if not easier, from one of the hotels outside the
airport.

There is a Jurys Inn right next to Hatton Cross Tube station, which is a
five-minute ride (if that) to the airport.