How to get from central London to Heathrow, cheaply?

Question

I'm flying to Italy on July 4, and my flight leaves Heathrow at 6:50 a.m. I'm staying at a hotel in Bayswater, north of Hyde Park.

Does anyone from London have any tips on how to get to the airport? The tube is out, since I'd like to be there 2 hours ahead of time, and it doesn't start running until 5 a.m. Taxis are expensive. In the states there are cheap van shuttles that will pick you up and take you to the airport -- anything like that in the U.K.?

Answer 1

hotelhoppa and hotelink don't start early enough for you. Neither does the Heathrow Express.
You can do it by 2 buses
N52 to Notting Hill Gate
N9 to Heathrow

Should take about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Answer 2

You can try the following:

Walk to Notting Hill Gate.
03:40 Notting Hill Gate Station Stop: K.
Take the Route Bus N52 towards Victoria Bus Station.
Kensington Palace Stop: N
Take the Route Bus N9 towards Heathrow Airport Central.
04:51 Heathrow Central Bus Station.
Maximum journey time: 01:29.
Interchanges: 1.

Although I can say from experience that this kind of traveling is very cheap, it is very stressful and you have to concentrate. If you don't have experience with the busses, I will suggest you don't do it.

Answer 3

I think you would be better staying near the airport.
I have a similar situation at Gatiwck so chose to stay at the airport-I will check my luggage in the night before and have checked with BA will get my boarding pass etc the day before then only need to be there 30 mins before flight MUCH better and hotel is less than in London.

Answer 4

Tricky, as the tube is out.
One way is to take the last tube to heathrow airport and spent the night.

Answer 5

i have never heard of shuttles to the airport, some bus routes operate 24 hours a day and these would be definitely be cheaper but the only sure way is to use a taxi

Answer 6

Get a night bus £2 per journey. www.tfl.gov.uk should give you the journey time and more details