When heading off on your annual summer holiday, a hectic, stressful airport is probably the last thing you’d ask for. With long queues, large crowds and little time to spare, a crowded airport is, sadly, part of most Brits’ summer holiday journeys. This unique guide gives you the best advice, tips and tricks to conquer the journey, and make it that little bit easier to handle.
Photo Credit: “Heathrow Airport” by eGuide Travel on Flickr
Getting to the Airport
Heathrow Airport is a fairly easy place to access, due to the vast majority of transport links directly to the airport from all over the country. In terms of public transport, visitors can choose from rail, bus, taxi (if you live fairly close to the airport), and the Heathrow Express. This is the fastest option if you are travelling from the centre of London to the airport. Non-stop trains run every 15 minutes, and the journey from London Paddington to Heathrow takes just 15 minutes, but a few minutes more for Terminals 4 & 5. If you’re travelling on a budget, however, this may not be the option for you. A standard single ticket costs £20, and a return ticket is £34 per person.
Airport Parking
If you have a car, it may be a good idea to drive to Heathrow and use the airport parking. A good site to use is www.parkbcp.co.uk, they are parking specialists so their site has plenty of useful instructions on getting to Heathrow and its different terminals by car, plus if you book in advance you can save up to a massive 60%. With Heathrow Parking you can choose from Long Stay, Short Stay, Business Parking and more. If you’re going away for longer than 2 days, the Long Stay Parking is the right option for you. The airport takes its security measures very seriously and the long stay car parks include frequent patrols, security fencing and CCTV coverage, guaranteeing you that added peace of mind for your holiday.
Photo Credit: “Heathrow Airport” by Hugh Llewelyn on Flickr
Things to do at the Airport
Heathrow Airport is one of the biggest and busiest airports in the world, meaning that there are tons of facilities available in its 5 spacious terminals. For travellers looking to take advantage of the duty free or for those who simply love to shop, Heathrow provides shops such as Alexander McQueen, Barbour, Bulgari, Buckley Jewellery, Cath Kidston, Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, French Connection, Gucci, Hamleys and many more. Choose from the nations’ favourite eateries like Caffe Nero, Costa, EAT, Caviar House Oyster Bar, Lola’s Cupcakes, Krispy Kreme and even one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, where food is served in record time. Even better, the airport now provides bedroom services, where the minimum stay is three hours. Perfect for those with lots of waiting time!
You’ll probably be a little bit more clued up on Heathrow Airport now, and hopefully more excited than stressed about your upcoming summer holiday. With the widest variety of shops and restaurants of any UK airport, plus a range of airport parking options, Heathrow is guaranteed to see you off well.
