Transport Heathrow T2 & T4, & to Southampton at late or early off hours

My flight arrives about 9 PM into Heathrow T2.

 

1. To go to Terminal 4 at about 10-10:30 PM after all the immigration procedures, what kind of public transportation are still available?

What is the best choice besides a taxi?

 

I Read about a "Healthrow Express" Train , "Heathrow Connect" train, and a "Paccadilly Line Tube", that starts from Paddington Station, makes a stop at T2 and then to T4.

Are these trains used also as the "free connections" between T2 &T4 mentioned in some search results.

 

Does one still need to use an Oyster Card or some form of access pass, even if it is "free" to get into the gate/platform to board the train?

 

Visitor Oyster card is not sold within London for tourists after their arrival.

How can a tourist ride on the "free connections" on these trains or use the

"free zone" public city bus transports between the airport and the Bath Road hotels.

 

2. Besides the National Express Bus that goes from Heathrow to Southhampton Coach Station,(taking the train is not advised by previous posts) are there local buses, that do not require pre-reservation, and one can just hop on, purchasing a ticket from the driver or kiosk ?

This will solve the problem of uncertain flight arrival time and pre-booking the wrong specific scheduled National Express Bus.

 

There seems to be an Express Bus 203 from T5 to Southampton, any one has experience or knowledge about this bus?

Is it a local bus or still a National Express Bus that requires pre-booking a ticket?

 

Thank you in advance.

Anyone with advice on travelling from/to: T2 to T4, T2 to Bath Road Hotel

and Heathrow to Southampton at late night (after10 PM) on Sunday, and early morning (5-8 AM) Monday are greatly appreciated.

 

Vic

Route 203 is the National Express coach. There's no other bus service to Southampton.

Pre- booking is not essential but it is strongly advised - if there's no seats available on the bus, the bus stop is a very uncomfortable place to bed-down for the night ;)

 

On a random Sunday I see a bus at 10.30pm, and another at half past midnight.

You are unlikely to make the 10.30 but it's possible, there should be no problem making the next one. For journeys from airports (and ONLY from airports) your ticket can be switched to another bus - there's a £5 admin fee, though it's not always charged.

 

But either of those buses will put you in Southampton in the early hours of the morning, so you need to think about hotel check-in times and about where you will be able to eat - there'll be no eateries open in Southampton other than something like a kebab panel van or delivered pizza, but there'll probably be something to eat at Heathrow if you take the later bus.

Worse - if your aircraft is significantly delayed & you miss the half-past midnight then the next bus is at 6.15, so bedding down at the airport is a distinct possibility.

 

For two of you, a pre-booked private transfer will cost around £50 more than the Nat Express. So it's worth considering that, or a Heathrow area hotel.

 

 

JB :)

OK, I'll try to go on memory, as actually neither of my last 2 trips to London involved arriving at LHR (but I did go there last summer to rent a car):

 

The free connection train between terminals is indeed the Heathrow Express. No gates to go through, they check your ticket on board.

 

Just to be clear, the Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect go between LHR and Paddington; the Picadilly underground line does not go to Paddington, but travels through Central London.

 

Ditto with the free zone buses, you just get on without paying.

 

Any particular reason you're going to T4? Meeting someone on another flight?

 

Personally, even at that late hour, I'd probably be travelling into Central London - it'll still be hopping at that hour, if you're coming from North America you won't be ready for bed yet so you can walk around Picadilly Circus at the very least (which is really best seen at night anyways), and then the next day you can get yourself to Waterloo for the train to Southampton.

Personally, even at that late hour, I'd probably be travelling into Central London - it'll still be hopping at that hour, if you're coming from North America you won't be ready for bed yet so you can walk around Picadilly Circus at the very least (which is really best seen at night anyways)

 

Piccadilly Circus went "dark" yesterday, for most of the year - they are replacing the screens - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38610332

 

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Edited January 17, 2017 by Cotswold Eagle

OP, I too don't understand the T4 question, but that is a simple hop on the train as others have described. You could stay at the on-airport hotel there or at T5 (Hilton and Sofitel respectively) which tend to be expensive, or the Yotel at T4, which is a "cabin hotel", suitable for short stays. That might suit if you are determined to leave v early the next day for Southampton.

 

 

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I would book a car to take me to a hotel in Southampton. If you book a hotel on Bath Road, you will have to take a taxi to get there, and by the time you check in, you could be halfway to Southampton.

 

Holiday Inn has 24 hour check in and if you are hungry, they have all night room service. No doubt other hotels do too, but they are far and away the most popular with cruisers. With any luck, you will see your ship through your room window in the morning.

Edited January 17, 2017 by Bob++

I Read about a "Healthrow Express" Train , "Heathrow Connect" train, and a "Paccadilly Line Tube", that starts from Paddington Station, makes a stop at T2 and then to T4.

Are these trains used also as the "free connections" between T2 &T4 mentioned in some search results.

 

Does one still need to use an Oyster Card or some form of access pass, even if it is "free" to get into the gate/platform to board the train?

 

Visitor Oyster card is not sold within London for tourists after their arrival.

How can a tourist ride on the "free connections" on these trains or use the

"free zone" public city bus transports between the airport and the Bath Road hotels.

The Heathrow Express and the Heathrow Connect basically run on the same railway lines between Heathrow and Paddington. You can use these trains to transfer between Heathrow T123 and Heathrow T4. The transfer is free, there are no ticket barriers at these stations and you do not need a payment card to use these trains. The same applies to transfers between T123 and T5.

 

The Piccadilly Line is the Underground or Tube line that also serves Heathrow. As others have said, this does not go to Paddington. Transfers between T123 and T4, and between T123 and T5, are also free using the Tube provided that you have either an Oyster card or a contactless credit/debit card to "pay" the zero "fare" with. This is enforced by ticket barriers. If you don't have either of these, then you have pay for a cash ticket. In addition, to get from T123 to T4, you actually need to go to Hatton Cross and then change across the same platform to get a train to T4. In the other direction, the train goes directly from T4 to T123. (T4 is on a loop.)

 

For all these reasons, you would find the Heathrow Express/Connect better for transferring from T2 to T4.

 

If you have luggage, I would not recommend trying to use the buses in the Heathrow free travel zone. It's not exactly the most intuitive thing to do even if you have no luggage.

The Heathrow Express and the Heathrow Connect basically run on the same railway lines between Heathrow and Paddington. You can use these trains to transfer between Heathrow T123 and Heathrow T4. The transfer is free, there are no ticket barriers at these stations and you do not need a payment card to use these trains. The same applies to transfers between T123 and T5.

 

The Piccadilly Line is the Underground or Tube line that also serves Heathrow. As others have said, this does not go to Paddington. Transfers between T123 and T4, and between T123 and T5, are also free using the Tube provided that you have either an Oyster card or a contactless credit/debit card to "pay" the zero "fare" with. This is enforced by ticket barriers. If you don't have either of these, then you have pay for a cash ticket. In addition, to get from T123 to T4, you actually need to go to Hatton Cross and then change across the same platform to get a train to T4. In the other direction, the train goes directly from T4 to T123. (T4 is on a loop.)

 

For all these reasons, you would find the Heathrow Express/Connect better for transferring from T2 to T4.

 

If you have luggage, I would not recommend trying to use the buses in the Heathrow free travel zone. It's not exactly the most intuitive thing to do even if you have no luggage.

 

 

 

Thank you , Globaliser, John Bull, Bob++, Cotswold Eagle, for your local expertise.

You are all excellent ambassadors for your country by offering your kindness and advice to bewildered international visitors.

London and UK has really a lot to offer besides her kind residents.

 

Thank you also to Twickenham for your past experience suggestion.

 

It looks like I can stay at a T4 hotel, such as the Yotel as suggested ,or the Hilton when I arrive at 9 PM at T2, because the free connection to T4 will still be running.

As Globaliser suggested the the HEX or the Heathrow Connect is the best solution.

 

On my departure flight on a Tuesday at 6 AM from T2, I may have problem if staying at a T4 hotel, because I will have to arrive at T2 to check in for flight at 4 AM, since the trains are not running.

Looks like I will have to use a Bath Road hotel because there are still local night bus, such as the N9 that will go to T2 at that early hour.

I have only carry on luggage, so hopefully if there are no other better options, the night bus is do able.

 

As pointed out, I may most likely not make the 10:30 PM or the later midnight National Express Bus to Southampton, and may end up sleeping on the airport floor. It is best then that I pre-book a hotel in T4 for overnight.

 

I am not confident enough to drive on the "wrong side" of the road , on unfamiliar roads in a foreign country, so best for me to leave the roads and the driving to you locals.

 

Hope the Monday morning National Express Bus to Southampton will be smooth with no labor strike/ road closure/ unforeseen traffic problems.

 

This thread has 200+ reads since first posted a few hours ago. Must be a lot of interest in this subject.

Your replies undoubtedly are helping a lot of potentially lost tourists.

 

Much appreciations,

Vic

Your Bath Road hotel should be able to sort out a cab to T2 for you, which is the best option at that unearthly hour!

Your Bath Road hotel should be able to sort out a cab to T2 for you, which is the best option at that unearthly hour!

 

Would staying in a T4 hotel overnight have a shorter/ better/easier transfer to T2, even though the HEX and Heathrow Connect are not running at 4 AM yet?

 

Will it be easier to get a taxi(from the taxi waiting rank, if any) from T4 than from Bath Road?

 

Thanks.

On my departure flight on a Tuesday at 6 AM from T2, I may have problem if staying at a T4 hotel, because I will have to arrive at T2 to check in for flight at 4 AM, since the trains are not running.

Is your flight at exactly 6.00 am? On a random Tuesday in the late spring, I can see that there's an Austrian to Vienna, a SWISS to Zurich and a TAP to Lisbon from T2 at 6.00 am exactly - are you on one of those?

 

However, even if you are I wouldn't count on check-in being open as early as 4.00 am. (An example that I do know about: the first flight from T5 is at 6.15 am, and check-in desks don't open until 5.00 am.) So you should check with your airline what time check-in actually opens. The last thing you want to do is to rush to the airport for 4.00 am and then find that you have to sit around waiting for 30 minutes or more before check-in opens.

 

If you're going to get a cab from a hotel to T2, then personally I would pick one of the Bath Road hotels. It's quite a long drive from T4 to T2, even if you know all the short routes around Heathrow.

Landing in the evening for a cruise the next day, I would still book a car (from a Southampton/Portsmouth operator) to take me to a Southampton hotel; this take about an hour at that time and I could have a nice lie in in the morning with a leisurely breakfast before joining my ship.

 

After the cruise, with an early morning flight, I would stay at one of the many hotels around Heathrow and book a taxi to take me to the terminal in the morning.

Is your flight at exactly 6.00 am? On a random Tuesday in the late spring, I can see that there's an Austrian to Vienna, a SWISS to Zurich and a TAP to Lisbon from T2 at 6.00 am exactly - are you on one of those?

 

However, even if you are I wouldn't count on check-in being open as early as 4.00 am. (An example that I do know about: the first flight from T5 is at 6.15 am, and check-in desks don't open until 5.00 am.) So you should check with your airline what time check-in actually opens. The last thing you want to do is to rush to the airport for 4.00 am and then find that you have to sit around waiting for 30 minutes or more before check-in opens.

 

If you're going to get a cab from a hotel to T2, then personally I would pick one of the Bath Road hotels. It's quite a long drive from T4 to T2, even if you know all the short routes around Heathrow.

 

 

Globaliser,

 

Your guess is exactly right. I unfortunately booked that flight.

I didn't do enough prior research , fooled by the small size of the country in comparison to the hugeness and logistic complexity of her airport-LHR.

Thanks for reminding me that the check in may not be open so early.

I assumed that passengers need to follow the protocol to arrive at least 2 hours before flight time, having read about how long the check in security line can be in LHR.

 

After contemplating the patient, helpful analysis by you, Bob++ and Cotswold Eagle, I will follow your mutual advice , to pre book a car service, and arrive at the port and do the return journey in a more relaxed manner.

 

Appreciate you all for helping make my planning easier.

Vic