Long Connection at Heathrow ... what to do?
-
For an upcoming trip, it looks like I will have a long connection in London Heathrow Airport (LHR) that looks like this:
- arrive in LHR around 1 PM local time, then
- fly out the next day around 10 AM local time
... about 21 hours apart.
Any recommendation on what to do, especially on where to get a good night's sleep and/or where to store the luggage so I don't have to drag it around town (if I leave the airport)?
-
Hmm, thinking out loud here... it's a long stop but a bit too short.
Can you book your luggage through and just walk out with a rucksack containing spare shirt&socks?
You'd be out of Heathrow by 3pm and in Central London before 4pm.What do you want to do? London has everything, river cruise from Westminter bridge; walk Oxford Circus to Covent Garden via soho & chinatown and see the sights, maybe eat at 'C and R' restaurant; or shopping till 6 you could pop into Steinway/bluthner/yamaha-bosendorfer, all three showrooms are off Oxford street; or find a show?
Obviously here are hotels everywhere. From Heathrow Premier Inn (best location for a 10am flight?) to the Dorchester. Location might be key? I mean, stay at the Ritz on Picadilly and get an early Uber to Heathrow if you have the cash.
We stayed in a central london hotel that has small studio rooms but is only £200-300 a night, called Mason & Fifth. Book in advance, automated entry by their app. Their Primrose Hill place is conveniently 10 minutes walk from Camden Town Tube (loads of places to eat on nearby Inverness Street). In our case it was chosen as is 5 mins walk from London Zoo where a daughter got married last Sunday. But it might work if you're an early riser.
You'd probably have to miss the 8am breakfast to get back to Heathrow....
-
Obviously @AndyD has the best advice specific to London, but I will say this: if there’s a physically hotel attached to the airport, consider staying there. This solves the problem of what to do with your luggage, is especially great if you’re exhausted or have travel delays, and makes things easy for the next morning as well.
When we go to Japan, we always have a domestic flight after we get to Tokyo. We could arrange our air tickets so that we catch that flight the same day we arrive in Tokyo, but we also have an additional train ride before we can get to our actual final destination, and if we did it that way, we would get in super late, so the whole thing is just a little too exhausting after the international flight etc.
So we always stay at an airport hotel for our first night in Japan. We pick up our luggage, go through customs, can walk to the hotel, leave our luggage there (even if it’s before room check in) and then depending on the time, can either go into Tokyo or just spend time at the airport, which is fine because Haneda Airport has tons of fun things to do, and lots of good restaurants. Then we sleep at the hotel, have lots of options for breakfast either at the hotel or somewhere in the airport. It makes it just an easy morning, getting to our flight and getting that train etc.
The hotel we stay at is a bit on the expensive side, but it makes everything so much easier that it’s more than worth it.
-
I have been to London but my last trip there was maybe 15+ years ago. This 21 hour layover at Heathrow seems too short to really do much and yet too long to waste, and I very much suspected what @AndyD says about tourist places shut at 5 or 6 PM, hence asking for advice. Thanks, I appreciate the suggestions.
-
I have been to London but my last trip there was maybe 15+ years ago. This 21 hour layover at Heathrow seems too short to really do much and yet too long to waste, and I very much suspected what @AndyD says about tourist places shut at 5 or 6 PM, hence asking for advice. Thanks, I appreciate the suggestions.
-
https://www.londonxlondon.com/london-at-night/
After a few hours thought I'd definitely recommend an hotel in or very close to Heathrow, getting a late tube back from London. It's too much time to waste sat twiddling your thumbs.
If you chance to there on a Friday or Saturday evening, some museums and galleries stay open late.
Depending on the weather though, a walk from Oxford Circus or Tottenham Court Rd south to Covent Garden with meal somewhere gives you a taste of London. I love walking the streets, always something new, an unusual church or shop down the back streets, architecture, etc.
I've never done the river cruise... being a resident (ex), ain't been in most tourist attractions for years. -
If it were me and I had one night in London I would go out for Indian food (obviously you can sub in your cuisine of choice but the Indian restaurants in London are top notch) and see a show (unless it’s a Monday). However jet lag could be an issue for a show so you could always go into the city to eat, take a wander around one neighbourhood, depending on what you want to see, then head back to the airport for an early night and hopefully to get enough rest that you won’t be jet lagged the next day!
-
https://www.londonxlondon.com/london-at-night/
After a few hours thought I'd definitely recommend an hotel in or very close to Heathrow, getting a late tube back from London. It's too much time to waste sat twiddling your thumbs.
If you chance to there on a Friday or Saturday evening, some museums and galleries stay open late.
Depending on the weather though, a walk from Oxford Circus or Tottenham Court Rd south to Covent Garden with meal somewhere gives you a taste of London. I love walking the streets, always something new, an unusual church or shop down the back streets, architecture, etc.
I've never done the river cruise... being a resident (ex), ain't been in most tourist attractions for years.@AndyD said in Long Connection at Heathrow ... what to do?:
If you chance to there on a Friday or Saturday evening, some museums and galleries stay open late.
Indeed it will be a Friday when I arrive at LHR. The idea to just walk around sounds good too! Yeah, I am also leaning towards booking a hotel in or close to LHR.
@dolmansaxlil wrote:
If it were me and I had one night in London I would go out for Indian food
Oh, yes, I have had Indian food in London before and continue to hear good things about it since; though this time I may skip the Indian food in London for the simple reason that I will be traveling to London from India.
-
Ax,
https://secretldn.com/london-museums-late-opening/And tucked down a small alley near Picadilly Circus is this restaurant which you'd barely notice; authentic food, good portions, very reasonable prices
https://www.cnrcaferestaurant.com/ -
@AndyD said in Long Connection at Heathrow ... what to do?:
If you chance to there on a Friday or Saturday evening, some museums and galleries stay open late.
Indeed it will be a Friday when I arrive at LHR. The idea to just walk around sounds good too! Yeah, I am also leaning towards booking a hotel in or close to LHR.
@dolmansaxlil wrote:
If it were me and I had one night in London I would go out for Indian food
Oh, yes, I have had Indian food in London before and continue to hear good things about it since; though this time I may skip the Indian food in London for the simple reason that I will be traveling to London from India.
@Axtremus said in Long Connection at Heathrow ... what to do?:
@AndyD said in Long Connection at Heathrow ... what to do?:
If you chance to there on a Friday or Saturday evening, some museums and galleries stay open late.
Indeed it will be a Friday when I arrive at LHR. The idea to just walk around sounds good too! Yeah, I am also leaning towards booking a hotel in or close to LHR.
@dolmansaxlil wrote:
If it were me and I had one night in London I would go out for Indian food
Oh, yes, I have had Indian food in London before and continue to hear good things about it since; though this time I may skip the Indian food in London for the simple reason that I will traveling to London from India.
Bwahahahaha! Did I miss that in the original post? Also I completely reversed your trip, thinking this was on the way to your destination rather than coming home. Ignore all of my thoughts!
-
OK now I am curious. Is India just another layover? Or will you be spending significant time in India? Where in India? I haven't been there since the 70s and I'm very curious to know about your experience.
If India is just a layover, what is your actual destination?
I spent my long layover at Heathrow in the airport, so I'm no help.
-
Hmm, thinking out loud here... it's a long stop but a bit too short.
Can you book your luggage through and just walk out with a rucksack containing spare shirt&socks?
You'd be out of Heathrow by 3pm and in Central London before 4pm.What do you want to do? London has everything, river cruise from Westminter bridge; walk Oxford Circus to Covent Garden via soho & chinatown and see the sights, maybe eat at 'C and R' restaurant; or shopping till 6 you could pop into Steinway/bluthner/yamaha-bosendorfer, all three showrooms are off Oxford street; or find a show?
Obviously here are hotels everywhere. From Heathrow Premier Inn (best location for a 10am flight?) to the Dorchester. Location might be key? I mean, stay at the Ritz on Picadilly and get an early Uber to Heathrow if you have the cash.
We stayed in a central london hotel that has small studio rooms but is only £200-300 a night, called Mason & Fifth. Book in advance, automated entry by their app. Their Primrose Hill place is conveniently 10 minutes walk from Camden Town Tube (loads of places to eat on nearby Inverness Street). In our case it was chosen as is 5 mins walk from London Zoo where a daughter got married last Sunday. But it might work if you're an early riser.
You'd probably have to miss the 8am breakfast to get back to Heathrow....
-
Ok, a few of the day as it went, first though prep, MrsD made the garland and table centres
Waiting for guests
Tea ceremony
Free time to explore the zoo for a few hours
My favourite photo next, taken through glass as younger checks her sister is perfect to walk out to waiting guests and adjacent emus
Walked to penguin beach for ceremony...
Back to banquet Hall and adjacent emus
Daughter firmly "There'll be no speches, its going to be informal, relaxed"
...one poem and four speeches impromptu was my count
