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Now that several long haul flights have moved to T3 (even though this may change again!), I’m looking for a reasonably priced hotel for the night before these departures. The HI on Bath Road looks to be the closest as the crow flies but seems to require public transport to actually get to T3. The HIE at T4, on the other hand looks to allow you to get to T3 on foot plus the airport terminal transfer system. Has anyone used either of these properties and found one or the other better for getting to T3?
We’ve stayed at the Staybridge Suites, right next door to the HI, on Bath Road as well as the HI at T4.
We chose the Staybridge instead of the HI because of the extra space for luggage and the useful fridge/microwave, and because at the time the Staybridge included breakfast (ironically served at the HI) while the HI didn’t. It would now of course for IHG Diamond members. You’ve probably seen Rob’s reviews.
Public transport is good from T5 to the HI on Bath Road. The 423 bus stops right outside. However it is a little tricky crossing the street to take the bus back to T5 as there is no crossing within sight of the hotel. I have no idea how you would get to T3 by public transport but I imagine there are buses to the central bus station.
We stayed at the HIE at T4 for an overnight connection, arriving at T5 and departing from T3, and liked it. Helpful staff and really good views over T4 for my OH. In this case it happened worked better than the CP, with which it shares the building, for one of IHG Accelerate offers. I asked here and was given lots of help by commenters about how to get from T5 to the HIE T4 to start with, and then to T3 the next morning. So I’m sure you’ll get some helpful replies. As you say, it is walkable to T4 (even with luggage) and then a transfer to T3. We found this more comfortable than starting from Bath Road that morning. Again Rob has reviews.
Sometimes it is better to stay at hotels slightly further away from Heathrow on the Bath Road, especially if they are closer to a bus stop. Last time we travelled from T3 we stayed at the Double Tree, as there is bus stop very close by for pick up and one outside the front door for drop off. Some of the closer hotels mean having to try and cross the central reservations of the A4. Yes, staying further away does mean a little more time on the bus, but in reality it is not much more.
There are plenty of buses that terminate at Heathrow bus station, which is fine as well, as long as you are not lugging around huge amounts of luggage!
Not that I’ve ever stayed, but the ideal for T2/T3 in my mind is the HGI, assuming rates/points are sensible. The HGI also benefits an easy transfer to T5 if the departure terminal does change again!
I really hate transfer buses. And I really hate waiting for taxis.
Assuming you’re driving, the best solution is to not worry too much about hotel location. Just make sure you can park your car there, leave your luggage in the car overnight, and drive yourself to the terminal in the morning using valet parking. The money you save by having a more distant hotel will cover the extra parking charges, and, as a bonus, your journey home will be much better.
We’re not driving – connecting from MAN the night before so arriving into T5, we’ll either be HBO or have luggage checked through from MAN.
The HGI is currently around £200/50k points pn which I feel is just ridiculous when I can get the HIE T4 for 15k points! We’re perfectly mobile so no issues with walking. I get extremely twitchy waiting for taxis and buses so would prefer to use the airport inter-terminal transport if it’s reasonably quick (less than 30 mins) when we have an early departure.Stayed at the CP T4 adjacent to the HIX T4. It’s very easy and quick to go to T3 from both hotels.
I should have realised that a Northern lass wouldn’t be wanting to drive the airport, so my advice was useless. I’m the wrong person to answer this question, sorry, but I’d be looking for a hotel near a Piccadilly Line tube station or near Paddington to avoid a dreaded bus trip.
The famous but apocryphal quote attributed to Margaret Thatcher comes to mind whenever I hear the word, ‘bus’.
Have you priced up the HGI on Eastern Perimeter Road? It’s 5 mins walk from Hatton Cross tube station on the Piccadilly line. You can get the tube from and to T2/3/4/5.
Once you walk to/from the underground station at LHR, it’s a decent option.
I stayed there 2 weeks ago after train from Doncaster for work trip and staying there this week when I will drive down with the family for holiday. I use it now for both transport options to LHR.
I can’t imagine it’s less than 15k points!
@jj, surely the bus between T4 and T3 is just the LHR transfer shuttle thingy, not a bus in the sense of public transport? Lol – I’m not sure about being a failure but up here if you’re on a bus you’re likely to be late. Trains even worse. Public transport in the north is for pensioners and other people who don’t need to be somewhere at a specific time!+1 for Hatton Cross Hilton. It’s a short walk and no bus in either direction.
surely the bus between T4 and T3 is just the LHR transfer shuttle thingy
What do you mean by the transfer shuttle thingy?
There is an airside transfer bus for flight connections, but that is not relevant here.
The only landside route between T3 and T4 or T5 involves public transport or driving. It’s not possible to walk to T3. Yes, you can walk from the HIX to T4. You can, if you like, walk from T5 to T4, it takes about 45 minutes. Otherwise London bus 482/490 (paid) or tube/train (free but involves changes – see below).
There is a local bus between T3 and T4, the 555. It runs hourly and is not part of London transport, you have to pay an unknown fare, probably £3 or so.
You can take London buses between T4 and T3 (482/490 + 285/X26), but you must change at Hatton Cross. This costs £1.65, card only, it’s one fare no matter how many buses you board within 62 minutes.
Otherwise you take the tube or train, which are free. You can use a card which will be authorised for 10p but not charged. The train also offers a free paper ticket. Train to T4 runs every 30 minutes, tube is every 8-12 minutes. Train is direct. Tube is direct from T4 to T3, but from T3 to T4 involves going to Hatton Cross then changing.
Without one flight being to/from T4, I wouldn’t stay there unless trying to save money, or necessary for achieving some hotel-related goal.
For a T5-T3 overnight, most convenient in order would be T5 Sofitel/Thistle, T3 Aerotel, T2 HGI, HGI Hatton Cross (tube to T3/5 is free), then hotels on Bath Road which are near a London bus stop (Doubletree is not too bad, but not great either).
Off topic, but genuinely curious about this, @NorthernLass. Why do Manchester people take a connecting flight rather than drive or take the train?
I live near Cardiff airport, but, even when we had direct flights to LCY, I used to use the train to get to the City or Canary Wharf as it was faster once security, car parking, etc were accounted for, and the train service was more frequent. Others agreed, which is why the flights soon stopped.
Manchester isn’t much further from London than Cardiff. Doesn’t the same apply to you.
JJ,
If you’re flying long haul the connecting flight is almost free, that’s why why us northerners choose this option.@jj – we travel with a lot of luggage, including OH’s scuba equipment. It’s just not practical to be lugging it all on and off the various trains/taxi’s we’d need to get to LHR. Also there’s no guarantee that there would even be space on a particular service for luggage, or even that that service would be running. At least with a connecting flight on the same PNR BA has to get us to our destination if the connecting flight is delayed or cancelled (as indeed has happened to us previously).
Driving would take a minimum of 4 hours and the prospect of doing the return journey after a long overnight flight would take most of the joy out of a holiday. It also adds a lot of extra time to a trip which people can’t necessarily spare annual leave to cover.
And with train fares between north and south running to £100s at the moment, it’s a no brainer to add on a domestic connection to an avios booking or cash flight.
To put it another way, we can drive to MAN, check in our luggage all the way and sit in the lounge until our domestic flight leaves. Or, we can get a taxi to the station with all our luggage. Try and get it all on a train to central London. Transfer it all to whatever service goes to LHR, possibly from a different station. Then transfer everything into the terminal on arrival and do bag drop. Then do it all in reverse while exhausted and jet lagged. At one time this would also have involved having small children in tow. You might be able to see where I’m coming from now!I hate waiting for buses, so normally to save money I stay in Premier Inn T4 and walk to Hatton Cross station, which takes about 20 minutes. You just need to ignore Google telling you to use the Southern Perimeter road, which doesn’t have a pavement.
Always the premier inn connected to T4!!
Forget points…cash is king and it’s always way cheaper than the HIX/CP along the corridor.
Tube to whichever the following a.m. for free.
What’s not to like?
The bus from the HI/Staybridge on Bath Road is literally 2 minutes from T2/T3 and virtually every bus goes there. I hate buses with a passion but I’ve done this a couple of times and can’t complain.
Tube from T4 also a decent option of course but if the hotels are a lot more than the Bath Road ones I wouldn’t be too concerned about swapping.
Only issue may be getting across Bath Road to the bus if its raining.
There’s quite a few hotels nearby Elizabeth Line stations too.
Premier Inn at Hayes is just a 5 minute walk from the station, then 10 minutes on Elizabeth to Heathrow.
I agree with @John – another vote for the T5 Sofitel here Anna. You are arriving into T5 and departing T3 so there aren’t many options that avoid shifting your gear twice. The Sofitel is a minimum hassle walk into the hotel attached to T5, so that’s a good start when you arrive in the evening. The only downside is the price but at least you are getting an OK standard of hotel for your c.£200. You may even get welcome drinks and an upgrade with status! Accor points come in handy for some of their Live Limitless events as well 🙂
The next morning you can either use the T5-T3 tube link as @John details (it is free but does involve a bit of a schlep in the terminals with your luggage at each end) OR get a taxi from the Sofitel. The Accor in-app car booking function gives me £20 for such a trip and it is the option we’ll be choosing to drive up to the Virgin UC wing entrance for our SFO-LAX trip next month !A date way out in September I was looking at had the T5 Sofitel on lastminute as a top secret hotel for (from memory) £107. Always worth checking. You can see it is Sofitel from the number of Tripadvisor reviews it has received.
We already use the Sofitel as our go-to atm, but I was thinking it would be better to be nearer T3 when we have an early departure. Previously we made all our arrangements on the basis that everything was happening in T5. But having read all the comments it looks like T5 is actually the better option! How can one airport be so difficult to get around?!
So if we stick with the Sofitel, the next morning do we go through security at T5 then transfer to T3 from there? I’m starting to hope that the Qantas and CX lounges are as good as I remember and will make up for all this extra hassle 😂
So if we stick with the Sofitel, the next morning do we go through security at T5 then transfer to T3 from there? I’m starting to hope that the Qantas and CX lounges are as good as I remember and will make up for all this extra hassle 😂
You don’t have to clear security to get to the trains – you’ll do security once at T3 instead. Just look for the signs for the station as soon as you come out of the Sofitel and you can’t miss it !
PS The lounges and in particular free food and drink will definitely provide some consolation 🙂You wouldn’t actually be able to clear security at T5 for a flight from T3 anyway. As Guernsey Globetrotter says, it should be worth it!
I can’t remember how it works, I haven’t flown from T3 since 2019. I do remember really enjoying the lounges though! Probably why I can’t recall the security arrangement …
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