Returning to Heathrow after a show

[ayates]

What would be the recommended way to return to Heathrow (the Holiday Inn on Bath/Sipson actually) after a show. Given a show would finish at ~10:30pm, the Heathrow Express/Connect trains appear to be about finished by then (allowing time to get from Victoria to Paddington). What would be the next best alternative?

Maybe it the Heathrow Express would work after all. The strike has reduced the operating hours, but on Sat Jun 21, it appears to be running the normal schedule with the final departure from Paddington at 23:25. So that should work.


Thanks,

Allan.

[Borrobil]

If all else fails (and i'm sure it won't) there is the N9 Night bus as a last resort (walk to Hyde park corner). I'd never suggest planning to use a night bus though!
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/N009.htm
The nationalexpress.com coach will book up early. I'd be tempted to book well in advance. Its quite civilised and very cheep. (NOTE emphasis on Coach station. Not to be confused with the red buses, in front of Victoria station). The coach station is about Half a mile behind the railway station, ask for directions, it's easy to miss. http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow_bus.htm for video etc.

if you do want to risk it, I'd check the underground option at Victoria Underground before the show, as there may be some service, even if you have to change.

[James.R]

The last train west out to Heathrow leaves South Kensington at 0040 - more than enough time after a show to connect from Victoria to there (or Green Park).
The challenge will be connecting to the hotel at the other end as you will need to catch a "Hoppa Bus" which normally stops at midnight.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/Assets/u ... lHoppa.pdf

It's a taxi job otherwise....and a mighty miffed driver.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/timetable/pi ... tedTime=24

If you really want a low stress option...try a minicab directly to the hotel. About £33...

http://www.minicabsinlondon.com/

[ayates]

Maybe the minicab would be the best. Since we will have just arrived from Canada in the morning, we will be beat by that time. I user a minicab the last time we were in London and it worked like a charm.

It's a taxi job otherwise....and a mighty miffed driver.

Curious, why would the driver by miffed? Due to the very short run and then having to go back to the end of the cab line?

On arrival we are on a tight schedule (10:30am arrival, 2:30pm Billy). So rather than having to wait for the Hoppa bus, I was thinking of using a cab to get to the hotel, drop our luggage, and then jump back in the waiting cab to take us back to the terminal for the Heathrow Express.


Allan.

[James.R]

Yes...you hit it.
Taxi drivers at Heathrow will have been in line for 30 minutes or more hoping for a nice big £60 job back into central London.
Asking him to wait to take you the next 2 miles to the tube terminal will add insult to injury.
As you are mentioning "we" bear in mind that Heathrow Express costs £21 each way per person plus £2.80 per person (even if you have an Oyster card £5 otherwise) to take the tube at the other end to the theatre.
Two people and it's a toss up to take a taxi to the theare . Three and its a slam dunk....

[kport]

Does anyone know whether or not the VPT will hold limited baggage in its hat/coat/bag check facility in the foyer? I mean a small carry-on, not a whopping rolling suitcase. I have often considered catching a matinee before the last evening flight from Heathrow but the bag has been an issue.

Victoria Station used to offer this (until security concerns); has it resumed there?

[ERinVA]

Victoria Station has a Left Luggage office where you can check your luggage of any size for a number of hours. Go past the Costa Coffee to find it.

[ayates]

For the record, we had a minicab pick us up at Heathrow, take us to the Holiday Inn Heathrow, wait for us while we checked in, and then had them take us to the VPT. On the return, we had a minicab pick us up in front of the theatre (Queens, as our evening performance was Les Miserables). That all worked fairly smoothly.

And we got Elliot!


Allan.