easiest journey to Heathrow in morning peak?

[Bluelagoon]

I hardly dare post this for fear of the usual lampoons and ridicule BUT here goes.

usually my flights seem to be the monstrously early cheap ones or mid afternoon, but I have one that will involve a check in time of around 9.30.

Was planning to drive and park as they currently have an excellent offer but I'm assuming if i leave at about 8am, traffic will be crazy and that I should probably just take the tube (which with suitcases at rush hour isn't particularly tempting either)

Anyone done this recently and care to share any thoughts?

[speedbird]

Leave an hour earlier and drive, you'll be so glad you did on the return sector. If you are in business you can use lounge so no concerns about the hour earlier. If not, travel in peak, suitcase, hand luggage, not nice. So much at Heathrow now. Enjoy, whatever you do.

[ljohnson]

I have driven at 8am a couple of weeks and it take sbout 1.5 hours. You need to take some of the back streets as it gets really congested when you hit chelsea. Good luck.

[Lowlander]

I would leave at 0630 at the latest and expect it to take 2 hours (it should actually take 1.5 at that time).

If you leave later the traffic will just be murder, personally I prefer to sacrifice a little sleep and arrive in plenty of time...but

[david_carnell]

At that time of the morning I'd be tempted to head south for 45mins to get to the M25 at junc 7 or 8 and then go clockwise for another 45mins to get to Heathrow. You'd be going the opposite direction to rush hour traffic for the first part so it might not be too awful.

[woodland]

I did this at Christmas (well 19th dec) - I left at 5:45 was there by 7:15 - I agree it is worth sacrificing the sleep as public transport at that time is not fun at all and you will be very happy you did when you get back.

[Earl Aelfheah]

If you leave after 7, traffic will be a nightmare. There is a window of about 10 minutes which can make the difference between hitting the traffic and not. Unfortunatly, judging exactly when that window closes is not an exact science. I woudl say that it wavers around + or - 10 minutes, either side of 7. Leaving any later than 6:40 and it's risky. If you want to be really safe, leave at 6:30. You'll probably get there early, but 20 minutes later and you could end up parked on the Chelsea Embankment forever.

[wulfhound]

Drive to West Dulwich or Sydenham Hill, then train to Victoria & the Circle round to Paddington, and Heathrow Express. The line in to Victoria gets pretty jammed further in to town, but getting on with suitcases at SH or WD should be fine. The Circle VIC-PAD isn't bad either, as rush hour tubes go.

That said, if there's more than one of you going, and you've got a good deal on parking, it's cheaper to drive. HEX is a rip off for groups and families. Roll on Crossrail!

[davidq100]

The LHR travel debate continues! I unfortunately have to make the trip to and from T5 several times a month. In my experience I'd also recommend the following, although all require a taxi at some stage in the journey for maximum speed:

1) Via Hex / Paddington

- Option A: Taxi to Brixton, tube to Paddington (easy change at Oxford Circus from Victoria to Bakerloo). I've managed to do this in under 1 hour, although usually more like 75 mins. Cost for 1: ?32 HEX (return), ?30 taxi (return)

- Option B: Taxi to Elephant and Castle, tube to Paddington. Taxi is more expensive and traffic to E&C can be bad

2) Taxi there and back. Depending on how long you are going for, it's cheaper than parking+petrol. Mason & Green will take you there for ?38 and collect you for around ?40. The benefits of stepping out of the terminal into a car and being whisked back to ED are not to be underestimated. Particularly after a long-haul flight.

3) Taxi to Baron's Court, tube to Heathrow. Pretty quick if traffic to Barons Court is ok. Similar total price as Brixton > Tube > HEX (?50 taxi return, ?10 tube). A bit slower.

As previously mentioned, if there's more than one of you then HEX becomes more expensive than a cab / driving.

Can't wait for CrossRail!

[Jeremy]

I'd be tempted to take a taxi the whole way - 7am should be fine. Driving can sound tempting, but airport car parks often involve a bus transfer which realistically adds 30 mins onto the journey.

[Nigello]

Get the 12 to Piccadilly Circus, then get the Piccadilly Line. It'll take probably two hours door-to-door and about ?7 or so. Yes, you'll have a bit of huff and puff with a suitcase, but it will encourage you to pack light (or do away with hold baggage altogether). The first Heathrow Tube is about 0540 from Piccadilly Circus so you can get there by 0700 if you needed to. (I've done it several times for 0900 flights for which I have had only hand luggage and already printed out my pass; it works.)

[cle]

I allow about 65-75 mins to drive to T5. Usually 45 of that is getting to the A4 left turn at Tesco Olympia, and then you're away...

The M4/M25 junction can be a bitch too.

Public transport easiest is train to Victoria, then District to Hammersmith and Piccadilly. The same as the driving route ostensibly. Don't bother with getting up to Paddington.

Driving another option is via Nine Elms and Chelsea Bridge then along - much of a muchness.

[Bluelagoon]

Thanks all for your contributions. A taxi is tempting as we are going long haul and the silly buses are a particular source of frustration. It sounds like if we leave at 7am it should be okay. We've used a local airport taxi firm before (whose name escapes me) and they were great.

[JMK]

1. 25 mins Taxi to Paddington (via Red Post Hill, Loughborough Junction, back route parallel to Brixton Road up to Oval junction, Westminster Bridge, thru Parliament Square, go behind the Trasury up to the Mall, Hyde Park Corner, Park Lane...), least amount of traffic, 15mins to get across the river leaving at 645am

2. Heathrow Express, roughly 20 mins depending on your terminal

I do it frequently, 60mins door to plane door on the best days

[SteveUK1978]

If you are going long haul, just don't do it to yourself by taking suitcases on any form of public transport.

The early taxi right to the terminal door is worth the cost. You can have a snooze in the cab and enjoy some breakfast at Heathrow. Have a great trip.

[oilworker]

Use the minicab drivers route, up over west norwood cross leigham court road, cross Streatham High Road, get onto tooting bec road, cross Balham high road on to trinity road over Wandsworth bridge, left on carnwath road past hurlingham club onto munster road, fulham palace road and on to the A4 at Hammersmith. From then on its a doddle. Should be an hour or so if you leave before 7am.

[nikthegreek]

I used to make this journey regularly - the best route I found was going via Red Post Hill, Myatts Fields South and Fentiman Road to Vauxhall Bridge, past Victoria Station and then picking up the A4 at Knightsbridge

8am is pretty much the worst time to leave as you're going to pick up all the school traffic - leave at 7am and you should be fine

[damzel]

Slightly off topic, just curious why some people are getting excited about Crossrail? Perhaps I've missed something but how will it help EDers get to Heathrow?

[TheCat]

agree....I dont get how Crossrail is really going to help at all....

so taxi to liverpool street and then train to heathrow still sounds like at least at least an hour and at least ?40 to me....

[Jeremy]

Crossrail might be beneficial if you're near an overground station, as you'll be able to pick it up at Whitechapel. Quicker than the Picadilly Line, and much cheaper than Heathrow Express. But frankly, I'd still take a taxi.

[wulfhound]

From 2018, in theory at least, you'll be able to get a Thameslink from Herne Hill & change at Farringdon. Under an hour the whole way & hopefully only ?10 ish.