Heathrow Airport Layorver - What to do?

I have a ridiculous long layover of 12 hours at Heathrow. I don't really expect to leave the airport property. Is there anything or activities to keep me busy, besides my reading and internet connection?

Depending on the terminal

Shopping

eating

lounges

showers or the spa

http://www.heathrowairport.com/heathrow-airport-guide/services-and-facilities

This lounge has rooms to have a nap in for a fee

http://www.plaza-network.com/aboutus

Heathrow is as boring & bland as other airports world-wide. Also depends which 12 hours, where your next flight is bound (domestic, Europe or inter-continental), whether luggage is booked through, whether there's a change of terminal, whether you've been/want to visit central London, or more locally Windsor or Hampton Court or other places, & the make-up of your party.

More info in = more info out. ;)

JB :)

Travelling solo. Big bag will be checked through to final European destination, but will have hand luggage. Even though the 12 hours will be daytime, I'm concerned with the lengthy (?) process to check into England through customs and them re-enter the airport continuing to my final flight destination in the evening.

With 12 hours, there's no way I'd be staying at LHR. Even at its longest, the process either end shouldn't be more than an hour. Plenty of time to go into town and do something.

There should be left luggage at LHR for your hand luggage.

Usually in the arrivals hall about an hour after landing, sometime more like 90 minutes.

For European flights last check-in is normally 45 mins before flight time, but best not chance that with potential for lines at check-in & security.

So you're still going to have at least 8 to 9 hours. How long d'you want to spend in Sock Shop & the like???? Or sit on an uncomfortable stool drinking overpriced beers in a terminal pub trying to watch giant TV with no sound & possibly no sub-titles? There are of course executive lounges.

But in any case you really need to go airside for such shops & facilities.

Or a convenient hotel room at day-rate, though few hotels are convenient.

But I'd hightail it out of the airport & head for Windsor. Tour the castle, mosey around the town, a pub lunch or people-watching from behind a cool beer etc.

Even a pre-booked car eg http://www.windsorcars.com/ is quite expensive for one, but there's a direct bus service from T5 & that would be the most convenient terminal for storing your hand-luggage. Journey time is toward an hour each way (compared to 20-25 mins by cab) but you have time to kill.

JB :)

Another vote for Windsor.

Allow an hour to get through to Arrivals; back at the airport 2-3 hours before your flight departure; 20 - 30 minutes by taxi each way and you've got more than enough time to visit the castle, look around the town and have some lunch. Book your castle ticket online to save queuing on the day.

I usually recommend 5starwindsor.com or windsortaxis.co.uk as they will also look after luggage for an extra fee. Costs about £25 each way; slightly more for arrivals if you want them to meet you in the arrivals hall.

Hampton Court is further away - I'd allow 40 minutes to get there, and an hour to get back, especially if it's nearing 5pm. Again, book your ticket online - cheaper too.

Another vote for Windsor.

 

I usually recommend 5starwindsor.com or windsortaxis.co.uk as they will also look after luggage for an extra fee. Costs about £25 each way; slightly more for arrivals if you want them to meet you in the arrivals hall.

 

I've frequently seen Windsor taxi operators recommended on the 'net.

About half the cost of airport operators, so well worth the recommendation..

But I'd take the bus, cos I'm a cheapskate. :o

JB :)

We had a similar layover. We checked our handluggage at the storage desk inside the airport, and then took the tube to the Victoria and Albert. On the outbound, we had overnight, so we got a hotel near the British Museum and had a great time there. I would pick the British over the V&A, not sure the tube/taxi best to get there and back, though.

we got a hotel near the British Museum and had a great time there.

If you want some structure to a visit to the British Museum, rather than just wandering around, take a look at (or listen) to the 100 Objects material that was produced for a BBC series a few years ago -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/about/british-museum-objects/

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/a_history_of_the_world.aspx

and a map of where the 100 objects are in the museum

http://www.jandur.cz/London1/bm.htm

I have a ridiculous long layover of 12 hours at Heathrow.

Coming in at 7 a.m. on American. Departing on British Airways to Barcelona at 7 p.m.

Then I don't think there's anything special to make you aware of. I can't recommend spending 12 hours in T3!

Unless you are flying in on a full flat bed, and even then, departing East Coast at around dinner time, and not therefore getting to sleep straight away, you should not ignore the time shift as when you land it will be 2am in New York.

An alternative idea would therefore be to book a day room at one of the airport hotels which would allow you to freshen up and catch up on your rest before flying on to your final destination.

Certainly that is what I would do.

Unless you are flying in on a full flat bed, and even then, departing East Coast at around dinner time, and not therefore getting to sleep straight away, you should not ignore the time shift as when you land it will be 2am in New York.

 

An alternative idea would therefore be to book a day room at one of the airport hotels which would allow you to freshen up and catch up on your rest before flying on to your final destination.

 

Certainly that is what I would do.

Agree, especially if you are not flying business clas or first....you will be tired.

If you do go for a hotel, make sure that you choose one with a shuttle, which I think excludes both the Premier Inn and the Ibis.

Check out this website to make your choice then try contacting the hotel direct to see if you can get a better deal.

https://www.between9and5.com/en/c1591772/day_rooms_Heathrow/

Personally I would go for the Radisson Edwardian, but whichever you choose, given you are flying into T3, you will maximise your rest time if you choose one on the Bath Road.

Also by choosing one which has a shuttle, if you are not actually visiting the UK and don't have a need for Uk currency, you can do everything by credit card.

Also when deciding what to do, remember that you lose another hour going from London to Barcelona and won't actually land until around 10pm local time and are unlikely to be in bed before midnight local time, when it is 6pm in New York / Boston and some 24 hours after you left the US.

If you do go for a hotel, make sure that you choose one with a shuttle, which I think excludes both the Premier Inn and the Ibis.

I don't really understand this comment, I'm afraid. Aiport hotels cannot run shuttles to LHR, they are served by the Hotel Hoppa routes, a scheduled bus service run by National Express.

All the Premier Inns and the Ibis are served by one of the Hoppas.

I don't really understand this comment, I'm afraid. Aiport hotels cannot run shuttles to LHR, they are served by the Hotel Hoppa routes, a scheduled bus service run by National Express.

 

All the Premier Inns and the Ibis are served by one of the Hoppas.

Thank you for correcting me. My information is obviously of date and I did say 'I think it excludes these hotels'. I was trying to avoid the OP having to get Sterling by focussing on hotels which advertise an airport shuttle (the Radisson on the between 9 and 5 website advertises a shuttle and elsewhere I came across a reference to the service running to 1, 2, 3 and 5 but not T4 for £4 per person each way) the cost of which I was assuming they could charge to their hotel account.

Apologies if I have misled the OP on this aspect. My excuse, in so far as I have one, is that I normally use Purple Parking who do have a shuttle to the airport which takes me to T5 where I stay at the Sofitel and I was simply following up on my suggestion to take a day let.

You could try the Yotel in Terminal 4. The rooms are basically 'capsules' so very small, but are clean and quiet. You can book for a few hours [minimum 4 hours I think] and this might work out cheaper than a day room in a hotel.

A little OT, but did you choose the 12 layover ,as there are several flights a day from LHR to MAD using BA and Iberia (both owned by IAG, so code shares on both airlines).

Depending on which airline you use, Iberia fly from Terminal 4, BA to Madrid Terminal 5,but at LHR, because if all the building work, airlines do change terminals.....always check nearer the date!

A little OT, but did you choose the 12 layover ,as there are several flights a day from LHR to MAD using BA and Iberia (both owned by IAG, so code shares on both airlines).

 

Depending on which airline you use, Iberia fly from Terminal 4, BA to Madrid Terminal 5,but at LHR, because if all the building work, airlines do change terminals.....always check nearer the date!

Actually OP is flying BA to BCN from T3, but the point about flight times is still valid as there are eight flights a day to Barcelona six of which the OP could make from a 7.00 arrival and he/she is booked on the last flight of the day.

That's another good reason for not staying at the airport. I would be very annoyed to be sitting at the airport and watching five BA flights to BCN tick through the departures board before mine came up!!

Ooops sorry about the Madrid bit....I knew that it was somewhere Spanish:eek:

I was trying to avoid the OP having to get Sterling by focussing on hotels which advertise an airport shuttle (the Radisson on the between 9 and 5 website advertises a shuttle and elsewhere I came across a reference to the service running to 1, 2, 3 and 5 but not T4 for £4 per person each way) the cost of which I was assuming they could charge to their hotel account.

Any marketing material that suggests a hotel shuttle will be referring to the Hotel Hoppa, which is probably the world's most hated hotel transfer service (as you probably know).

No, there simply are no conventional hotel shuttles at Heathrow.

 

Any marketing material that suggests a hotel shuttle will be referring to the Hotel Hoppa, which is probably the world's most hated hotel transfer service (as you probably know).

Actually I must admit that whilst I am reasonably familiar with most aspects of Heathrow, though by no means as familiar as your good self, I have to admit that I did not know that there are no longer hotel shuttles as we haven't used off airport hotels since long before T5 opened (we always stay at the Sofitel and before that used to stay at the hotel across the road from T4) after dropping off our car at a long term car park.

Embarrassed at my error / lack of up to date knowledge on this matter :o

(... we always stay at the Sofitel ...)