Hotel near Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport, London
      Nearest Tube: Heathrow Airport Piccadilly Line

When arriving at Heathrow Airport, either coming into Britain or going out, you could be forgiven for thinking that London was 3 cities and not 2. Heathrow airport is the busiest airport in the world, and it needs to be on the ball to facilitate all those travellers. The good news is that this may be the biggest and busiest, but it is also the most efficiently run airport on the planet; and that's 24/7. So, what do you want when you arrive at Heathrow? Your question won't be a shock or a problem, what may be a shock to you is that your needs will be met by a department or service provider who will be very familiar with that request. Heathrow is one of those huge complexes that you could gladly spend the day in just wondering around, however the security is very tight, and so many of the areas are restricted to travellers only. That doesn't mean to say your family, friends or business contacts aren't welcome to greet you or give you a send off, that facility is also taken care of in this wonderful Aladdin's cave.

For passengers who have an early morning flight it is sometimes wise to stay at an airport hotel, the night before your flight. For passengers arriving at Heathrow from a long haul flight, whether it is later or earlier in the day, it can often be handy to go straight to a nearby hotel, and have a bit of shut eye, then freshen up and eat before carrying on your journey. Heathrow hotels should be booked in advance to eliminate disappointment and limit the time spent booking in; most of the hotels provide a shuttle service and there is also a hoppa bus service that serves the hotels for a small fare. You can stay in a hotel very near to the airport itself, and there are some that are a few miles away from the main airport terminals. All the nearby hotels are completely soundproof, so there is no need to worry about noise. Eating out is not such a great option as the nearest hotels tend to be a bit away from any residential areas, where you would expect to find plenty of eateries. The hotels themselves have taken care of this problem though and most have a 2 tiered restaurant service to suit most clients. Room service and leisure facilities are available in a many of them also, these hotels are very popular with coaching holiday companies. Being just a short trip from central London many companies put their clients up in the Hilton hotel, and run them into town twice a day. Business clients are also facilitated at most of the Heathrow hotels.

Arriving at Heathrow within the U.K.

Whether you are driving to Heathrow or coming by public transport, when you arrive it couldn't be easier to find your terminal or a parking space. The airport is served by both private coach companies and the London underground system (tube map). A taxi from central London will cost you around £30 depending on the traffic.

The tube line to Heathrow is the blue Piccadilly line which serves all the terminals. Coaches arrive and leave from the coach terminal which serves all the companies, and is easily accessible from all terminals. You will find a coach to almost any part of the U.K. here and also connections to other airports such as Gatwick and Stansted. Tickets can be bought online from local coach companies, National-Express serve all the airports and most of the U.K.

Central London is around 45 minutes away by tube. Travellers who don`t live within the London area will find the road to Heathrow is quite busy, but if you plan your route and timing well, then it can often be a hassle free journey.

The airport is served by the M4 which in turn is easily accessible from the M25, which in turn connects to the M1 north/south, M40 south/north, M4 east/west and many `A` category roads, including the A1 which will take you to Scotland.

Service stations are frequent on all these roads. Once at the airport you will also find that check in is now so easy, most of the airlines have self check-in machines.

If you are having problems with these machines fear not, for there is always plenty of helpful staff to assist you, just stand there and look lost! someone will see you and come to your assistance. Even if you have luggage to check in, you can still use these machines, or still check in the old fashion way at a desk. Transfers between the terminals are provided by buses within the airport boundary.

Arriving at Heathrow from Abroad

After your journey you will find that Heathrow is well geared up for the many planes that land and take off every few minutes. There are plenty of baggage carousels, and passport control is extremely efficient and often quick. Trolleys are available for passengers with multi luggage, get one before you go to the carousel.

The signage is good and you will find it easy to navigate yourself and your luggage, to whatever form of transport you wish to use for your onward journey. Car parking is near to every terminal, so being met by someone is really easy. Public transport is accessible from within the airport, so even if it is blowing a gale outside you will be warm and dry. If you need to get to another terminal, there is a coach service that that revolves between each one.

The tube stations and coach terminals are within an easy walk. Car hire is found in the main part of each terminal and the staff will only be too happy to give you information on your route, don`t forget to tune into the local radio stations for up to date information on any traffic problems.

Taxis at Heathrow ranks are mostly black cabs, with minicab and minibus services also available online. The signage to the taxi rank is included on the main boards. Coaches leave from Heathrow to many parts of the U.K. so once you are on the coach you can relax again; some even have free wi-fi. The coach terminals have food shops and cafes, so you can relax with a sandwich/snack and a coffee/tea while you wait for the coach, tickets can be purchased in the coach terminal.

Coaches also go to other London airports such as Gatwick and Stansted, so if you are arriving on an intercontinental flight and then going onto another European destination, you can do this with the minimum of ease.

Heathrow is also served by the Heathrow Express train into Paddington station London; from here you can travel onto other U.K. destinations or take the tube. Transfers between the terminals are provided by buses within the airport boundaries.

Leisure Time at Heathrow Airport:

Shopping Malls
There are shops in the main terminals of the arrival and departure buildings. Anyone can use these shops to purchase goods.

Once you go through check in, you will need to have your boarding pass handy for every purchase.

Heathrow is a shopping complex that is a rival to most malls in the U.K. with just about every type of shop, many of which are high street names, for you to buy that last minute item that you forgot to pack.

Clothes shops are plentiful and many offer discounts off high street prices, shoes, leather goods, fashion accessories, travel goods, magazines and newspapers, sweets and books are available all over the shopping malls.

Electrical goods are a speciality at Heathrow and often offered at big discounts, don`t forget your film and cable connections if you failed to pack them, often you won't be able to buy these abroad. Remember to keep all your hand luggage with you at all times when shopping, even if you are looking at items a few feet from where they are.

If you are flying within the European Union, you can take advantage of the shop and collect service offered at London Heathrow Airport, which allows you to buy before you fly and collect your purchases on your return.

You can buy from the shops at the airport without having to carry your purchases with you, which is particularly handy for bulky or delicate items. Simply tell the person at the till that you would like to collect the goods when you return, and they will give you a receipt to hand in at the shopping collection desk in arrivals when you return.

The service is free and available to any passenger flying within the E.U. If you would like more information phone +44 (0)7920 806 888.

If you want to have any purchases delivered to a U.K address, some stores offer a home delivery service. You pay a one-off delivery charge of around £5 in the first shop you buy from; this allows you to buy any number of items up to a total weight of 30kg, which will be delivered in one consignment.

Food for Thought; with Drinks:

Food and Drink
Heathrow is a culinary delight to any palate, the food halls and restaurants cater for all budgets, tastes and diets. No matter if you want a full breakfast, a simple healthy one, a fast food meal, a culinary delight from a 4 star menu or even a fish speciality, Heathrow has them all, and plenty of them as well with lots of seating. For a simple snack and a hot or cold drink there are many cafes and bistros, there are also lots of fast food outlets such as McDonalds and KFC. In some of the food halls they also have a fast food for Chinese, Indian and Malaysian style food. The more elaborate restaurants are always well staffed, and the food is to die for in all of them. They have menus from all day breakfasts to fish and meat, vegetarian and healthy meals, so you'll be spoilt for choice.

Drinking at Heathrow is available 24/7, although drinking alcohol before a flight is not recommended as it tends to dehydrate the body and the brain. Non alcoholic drinks are available from all food outlets, shops and machines, remember that you can get free drinks and/or buy drinks on the airplane for much cheaper prices than at a bar. For passengers who are travelling on budget airlines, you will find outlets at Heathrow where you can buy wrapped/sealed ready made foods for the journey.

Important Information about Duty Free Rules:

Duty Free Shopping within the E.U.
Duty free shopping for passengers travelling within the E.U. was abolished years ago. There are a few European countries that are still not in the E.U. and if you are travelling to these destinations then you can still buy duty free items at duty free prices. You will find that many goods have 2 prices below the shelf; one is for duty free passengers, and one for those who do not qualify. You will also find that certain other goods are only available for those passengers who qualify for duty free purchases, so check before you put anything in your basket. World duty free shops are represented at 7 main airports in the U.K. including Heathrow, where all passengers can purchase most goods with a boarding pass.

Duty Free Goods within the E.U.

These goods are free from the duty imposed by the country that you purchase them from. If you are an intercontinental traveller when you arrive in the U.K. you will automatically come under the E.U. rules on duty free goods, even though your journey started outside the E.U. When you are on the return part of your intercontinental journey, you will re-inherit your duty free status. World Duty Free shops can be found in 7 of the U.K.s most popular airports, and at Heathrow they are well represented. The range of goods is huge, with legendary names in perfume, alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, glassware and many other products that you will recognise.

Ancillary Airport Facilities:

Toilet, shower and baby changing facilities

All the terminals have multiple ladies and gentlemen's toilets. Some terminals have shower facilities as well. For those passengers travelling with young children all the terminals have baby changing facilities.

Business facilities at Heathrow

Business travellers are well catered for at Heathrow, with executive lounges at T1, T2 and T4. Serviceair have lounges in these terminals available for all international passengers, domestic flight passengers cannot use the lounges, and you can book online. These lounges have a relaxed atmosphere and they cater for children as well, which is very handy for passenger with babies or younger children as they have designated areas for occupying children. The internet is accessible, with fax and phone facilities. Complimentary soft and alcoholic drinks, snacks, Sky television, computer video games, children's play tables, newspapers and magazines are all included. Check with your airline first though as some airlines like Virgin, Swissair and Air France, to name a few, also provide executive lounges for business and upper class passengers, some will allow you to upgrade.