Getting into London from Heathrow Airport

It's time to visit all the glory of centuries of history and all the modern trends and conveniences in London. You've just arrived in London Heathrow, the busiest international airport in the world. How do you get into downtown London?

Great news is, you've options. Bad news is if you're coming from the states everything costs twice as much right now. That's the first thing to keep in mind. If the price says 15.00 pounds that's 30.00 dollars. Of course with the global banking crisis and meltdown of the financial markets who knows what this ratio will look like by the time you travel. Be sure to check the exchange rates so you know what you are spending. A good site for a Currency converter.

So back to your transport options. You have expensive and flexible by taxi. Then there is mid-range cost and fast speed with Heathrow Express. Last but not least there's as cheap as you are going to get and a long ride on the metro system. The metro system in London includes the Tube (which is the name for the subway system) and bus lines.

The joy of taxis, of course, it door to door with no hassle figuring out which bus lines or tube lines you need. It's easy and no hassle. Of course this is your most expensive option. The time on a taxi ends up about the same as the time on the tube at about an hour. As always be sure to ask your driver costs before you get in the taxi. At Heathrow you can just follow the signs to the taxi line in the Arrivals Hall.

Heathrow Express goes direct from Heathrow to Paddington Station in central London. From Paddington, you can get a taxi to your hotel direct or jump on the tube or a bus line. Trains run every 15 minutes from Terminal 5 and its a quick 21 minute trip into town. There is no faster way to get into central London from Heathrow. Trains run seven days a week from 5:07am until 11:42pm.

Current rates (in pounds) are:
Express Class - Single 16.50 Round Trip 32.00
First Class - Single 26.00 Round Trip 50.00
Be sure to by your ticket before you get on board as there is a 3 pound surcharge for buying your ticket on the train. For updated rates and info about discounts stop by heathrowexpress.com

Last but not least is the Tube. It cheaper and more complicated unless your hotel happens to be off the Piccadilly tube line which is the line that runs from Heathrow. Heathrow has two tube stations one serving Terminal 1, 2 and 3, another serving Terminal 4. The tube departs every five to ten minutes and takes about an hour to get into town. It is crowded which is not a lot of fun with luggage. The good news is you can get a day pass for the London metro system that will get you into the city and give you all day access to the tube and the train lines. When I got into town it was later in the day so I got the half day discount. So for 7 pounds I got to run rampant on the tube and the bus lines for the rest of the day. The upside of public transport is a more thorough view of the city. I got to talk with London natives, see parts of the city I would never have seen otherwise and experience what to me is true London. If you're not up for all that its only 4 pounds for a one way from Heathrow into town on the tube. More info at tfl.gov.uk

The Central Bus Station is located near Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The main bus service is operated by National Express and also takes about an hour. Stop by nationalexpress.com or call 0870 575 7747 for more info.

I was traveling light on this trip with one bag. So although it was crowded on the tube, I enjoyed the experience. Next time, however, I will probably fork up the extra cash and go for speed and ease on the Heathrow Express. Whichever method you choose - Enjoy London!