[Anonymous]

[MarkCymru]

Last Monday at 6.40am, I was feeling green and frugal so I decided to take the Hoppa from the Renaissance to T4 at Heathrow. It was late. When it arrived, the driver had no change, didn’t take cards and didn’t take any foreign currencies (and his attitude was very much that Johnny Foreigner should make it their business to have our money).

By the time a long queue had gone back to reception to get their £4.50, we were 15 minutes late. The over-crowded bus lurched off. It was scheduled to go to T4 and then T5. The driver decided to reverse the route but made no announcement. Cue more panic and misunderstanding. When we finally got to T4, I was one of the few not running desperately for my flight so I asked him if the schedule had changed, “no, I just thought that more people were going to T5 so I’d go there first”.

I went through the Fast Track that isn’t (there’s a sign but no control over who uses it — a favourite Heathrow trick) and watched the BAA staff mill around talking to one another rather than dealing with the security queues. Fortunately, I still had time for the calm, order, tranquility and efficient service of the Air India lounge. I relaxed because knew that I could look forward to the fast, friendly and extremely reliable service at the new Indira Gandhi International in Delhi. Do you think there’s any chance that we could persuade an Indian operator to take over our national humiliation at Heathrow? Ideally before the Olympics.

[MartynSinclair]

I sometimes use the Renaissance and have found a solution, when you don’t come up against a stroppy taxi / mini cab driver.

A “Private Hire” transfer cost £10 (or may be £15 – cant remember) each way. There are plenty of cabs either turning up on spec or previously ordered by hotel guests.

Try to share one with a fellow guest and split the cost. The problem is the drivers, in order to protect their racket, will refuse a second passenger, unless you either bung him a fiver or unless the concierge have notified the firm in advance.

The best way around this for the 2 people trying to share a “Private Hire” to the airport, to act as long lost brothers, cousins or friends.

[Bucksnet]

Are you telling us that it costs £4.50 just to travel from one side of Heathrow to another?

Why do the hotels not provide free shuttle buses like other hotels around the world?

[MartynSinclair]

The free shuttle buses went out a few years ago.

[Bucksnet]

Why?

This is just a total rip-off!

[MartynSinclair]

I wouldn’t say its a complete rip off, just a partial!

It works well out of the rush hour, but for a morning departure, you need to manage expectations and timings, especially on a wet and rainy day.

“Private Hire” transfers are certainly a good option, especially if you can share.

Years ago, I remember parking up at a hotel (FREE), jumping on a hotel transfer bus (FREE) and leaving my car for 2 weeks. Those days have long gone.

A friend of mine did tell me that until recently one of exit barriers at the Renaissance could be circumvented by a Fiat 500 or similar and there was no camera – however, I would not recommend anyone to skip the very fair and reasonable hotel parking charges!!!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“Are you telling us that it costs £4.50 just to travel from one side of Heathrow to another?”

It is worse than that, from one side of Heathrow to the centre.

Typical rip off Britain in action.

There are some free local bus services available….

http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/information/heathrow-airport/heathrow-london-bus.htm

Martyn, FYI, I recently stayed at Orly and took the free shuttle bus from the stop just outside the hotel to the terminal – on can still find such services outside the UK.

[NTarrant]

Free buses between hotels and LHR were replaced by the Hotel Hoppa back in about 2002/3 as part of “FreeFlow Heathrow” scheme aimed at reducing movements around the terminals. In those days almost every hotel had some kind of bus and those that didn’t relised on taxi’s. As BAA has the control in the airport they can call the tune.

Hotel Hoppa is a good idea, BUT it is operated by National Express with less than happy drivers. Mark do contact NatEx and complain, the points you make are very valid and clearly the right amount of control is not being exercised.

Under the FreeFlow Heathrow scheme you can travel free of charge within the LHR area. So if you are staying at the Renaissance or most others along the Bath Road, you can either take the 140 to Central and then the LHR Express to T4 or T5 as appropriate. Alternatively take the 555/556/557 from opp Renaissance directly to T4.

[MarkCymru]

Martyn – you’re right about taking a minicab. I did last time and they were fine. There’s also an excellent minicab company in Hayes (Roundabout) who I’ve often used to and from the station so I might book them and look for a fellow traveller in the lobby.

Nigel — yes, I could complain to NatEx but BAA make money from letting NatEx fleece their passengers (presumably). It’s another example of BAA’s inability to run a public facility. If they spent less time defending their monopoly in court and more learning how to run an airport, maybe they’d do some service checks themselves. Thank you, though, for the tip on the 555/556/557. I doubt I’ll be responsible enough to do it but I’ll know that I should!

[BeckyBoop]

Mark use this as a guide i got it off the LHR website, it has all the routes and map of all the free buses!!! xx

http://www.heathrowairport.com/assets/Internet/Heathrow/Heathrow%20downloads/Static%20files/travel_around_Heathrow.pdf

[continentalclub]

The only rationale for using the Hoppa service is if you have a lot of baggage and/or the weather is particularly poor.

Otherwise, using the public buses for free within the Heathrow Freeflow Area (see links above) is the most sensible option.

Stops are conveniently located along Bath Road outside hotels such as the Sheraton Skyline, the Marriott, Renaissance and Holiday Inn Ariel.

It’s usually preferable to head towards Heathrow Central Bus Station when seeking a service to Bath Road, and when returning to board a service from Bath Road to CBS, making use of the Heathrow Express (for T5) or Heathrow Connect (for T4) inter-terminal transfers.

There is, I think, one route service to T5 from Bath Road, so if you’re lucky on your way back to the airport, and you’re heading for that terminal, you may be able to board this service and travel direct rather via CBS.

[batraveller2]

Route 423 goes from Bath Road to T5 every 20 minutes and always seems very reliable and is a very quick journey.

[MarkCymru]

Thank you all. I’ve downloaded the pdf and put it in my Evernote (so I can find it whenever I need it). You’ve opened up a whole new world of avoiding giving money to BAA. Thanks again!

Of course, it’s no longer Heathrow Connect to T4 — I think that too many people were using it instead of the far more expensive Express. Now, the Connect only goes to 1,2 and 3 and they’ve arranged the timetable so you have a hefty wait for the new (Heathrow Express-branded) shuttle to T4

[NTarrant]

Mark I would urge you to complain to NatExp, BAA license the use of the airport facility and outside it is operated under a TfL license. I don’t think that BAA even get a departure charge out of the service which is usual practise at most airports and bus stations.

The service is funded mostly by fare paying passengers and the hotels as it is the hotel bus that it replaced. These services are highly unlikely to operate on a commercial basis at the frequency they do operate. By not complaining you are letting it happen again. I would also suggest you complain to the hotel as it is their guests that are also being delayed like you were. That of course is no good for them.

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