Heading to London from Charlotte in a month. This video definitely helped my anxiety about getting from the airport to the hotel. Especially when I saw the nice marked floors in Paddington Station and the orderly way people were directed to cabs!
There really is no need to use a cab, the Tube gets you almost everywhere and if you pay contactless, it is capped at less than £7 per day: very efficient.
@@TomtheTaxiDriver perhaps, but the real advantage is getting to meet RUclips celebs like you, Tom! I enjoyed the Tube, being someone not familiar with London, and was somewhat anxious about the etiquette of hailing a cab, being anxious about appropriate levels of tips, etc.
Tom, we actually had a tour booked with you from Heathrow for this very trip but you had to cancel it. It probably was for the best , because with the funeral going on it would have been madness. Maybe next time.
Thank you for sharing you are a blessing to me, I'll journey to London soon and arrive at 7am also. Now I don't have any fear about the express or Black cab to my hotel, and since my hotel isn't so far from Paddington, I know about what I can expect to pay. Now I'm ready to go, thanks again 🤗
Hi thanks for sharing this,I live in the UK and I'm planning to use the Heathrow Express for the first time in Feb. I've already booked it (early)on the advice of friends. I have a return ticket for £11 so that would be my tip to anyone visiting here. I hope you enjoyed your stay despite the circumstances.Best wishes Gerard
Thanks for the comment Gerard, yes we had purchased returns as well, but because of the electrical failure on the train could not use them. But, it was not a huge problem, and we did enjoy our visit to the U.K. Wonderful people there.
Thanks so much; helping to relieve some of my stress about going from Nashville to London in September. Travel agent has someone meeting me, of course, but your video makes me breathe easier, seeing how it looks. You are articulate and gentle in your delivery. Great job. I will like and subscribe.
Thank you for your kind comments. We try not to be "in your face" or loud and obnoxious like so many others. I am sure you will enjoy your trip to London in September. It is a very easy place to get around. Just do a little research and use some common sense and enjoy. In fact we will be in London in September as well. It will be our third visit. Have a good time and be safe.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 How nice of you to write that. Maybe I will see you there. I will be the used-top-be-handsome, sixty-year-old man all alone! Ha! Actually, I'm looking so forward to this. Thrilled, really. I will be in London for a few minutes, then train to Bath for 4 days and on to Devon for 8 days for a watercolor retreat and then back to London for 3 days. Tired already! Thanks so much! Joey
Great video of my home town London. Quite a few people still wearing masks in September 2022. That surprised me. Thank you for this video. Please come back to London. You're always welcome. 🙂
Heathrow Express is 25 GBP per person I am Canadian so the price is 54 CAD or 39 USD for Americans Hardly cheap By comparison in Paris the RER will take you into central Paris for 10 Euros (15 CAD) and in Rome the Leonardo Express will take you into the city for 20 Euros (30 CAD)
Went back in September too (actually the week the queen died) and took the tube everywhere I went. Its pretty easy to navigate in my opinion. Avoid the more popular spots on the weekend though, the trains are usually filled up to the brim with people. Personally I am not a fan of the contact less payment stuff, credit cards or the general disuse of cash though.
If you are asking about London arrival the answer is no. On arrival it was all automated. Lines moved very quickly, but it was early in the morning.We did not even have to talk to a human being. On departure it is different. Heathrow Security can be pretty strict sometimes. But it is no worse than in the United States. In general Heathrow Airport is pretty easy to deal with.
You said you landed at 7:00am. I was curious as to how long it took you to get through customs and immigration. Also, about what time did you arrive at Paddington station? I'm going to London in June and trying to schedule trains but not sure how long getting out of Heathrow and to King's Cross will take. Thank you.
Here is our breakdown. We landed just before 0700. At Heathrow it can take a while for the airplane to have a gate assigned and to get there and disembark. On a previous London trip they actually had no available gate and we disembarked on the ramp and were bused to the terminal. Passport control at Heathrow is usually very fast as it is all done electronically. We arrived at Passport Control at 0743 and were out by 0811. We bought our Heathrow Express tickets at 0819 and boarded the train at 0830. We arrived at Paddington at 0848. We arrived at the Paddington Taxi Rank at 0905. A taxi from Paddington to Kings Cross under ideal circumstances takes about 15 minutes. Keep in mind that in June crowds at the airport and at the train stations will probably be larger than those we encountered, and "ideal conditions" in a city like London rarely can be counted on. Also if you don't have Global Entry, get it as it makes getting through stateside TSA checkpoints much easier. Hope this info helps, and have a good, safe trip. One more thing. We were traveling with carry on luggage and did not have to go and wait at a carousel for bags. If you are checking bags then you will have to factor that wait time in as well.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 Thank you. We are scheduled to arrive at 6:50am on a Monday. Your information was very helpful in scheduling the train to Paris.
As a Londoner of over 60years I would not advise getting a taxi from Paddington to Kings Cross, unless you have a lot of luggage or are mobility impaired. If you are getting into Heathrow in the morning ( say 0700am) by the time you get to Paddington your cross London journey will be on a very congested piece of road. There are two possible faster ways , Elizabeth line from Heathrow to Farringdon then change for Circle or Metropolitan tube one stop to Kings Cross. That would be my preferred route less changing at stations, more lifts if you have luggage. Alternatively you could use Heathrow Express to Paddington but then ( especially with luggage) difficult interchange to Circle or Metropolitan tube to,take you to Kings Cross, ( that part of the tube at that time of the morning will be very crowded).
@@peterjones6640 Thank you for the reply. I’ve gotten tickets for the Heathrow Express to Paddington and was going to take the Hammersmith and City line to Kings Cross.
Hi, I just found this video. You mention "contactless payment." Can you explain what this is? And do our American credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) work with such a payment form? Thank you.
Contactless payment is using something like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay or any other such system. We use Apple Pay. Simply register a credit card in your Apple Wallet on your IPhone and you can pay using the phone or an Apple Watch by holding it near the vendor’s payment machine. Your cards will work if they have a chip and the contactless symbol on them. Also make sure your card does not have a foreign transaction fee associated with it. Sounds complicated but it really is easy. Another advantage of Apple Pay is that each transaction creates a new and unique transaction number so no one gets your actual card number. Better for safety. I suggest you search for RUclips videos on how to use and set up contactless payment. I think their are some good one’s out there.
Contactless payment is using a credit card that has a "chip" in it that can be read by a merchants card reader at checkout, You can in many cases link such a card to Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay or other types of services. It is very convenient and widely used in London.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 Again thanks for the detailed info. Sound like I could use my Mastercard, but I had a feeling this was different. Perhaps I misunderstand. I was told not to rely on a Discover card in England. Thanks! Joey
There are a variety of options at much different costs for transport in that area, however, you are absolutely right about the relative aspects of cost in general. Unfortunately in your country as in mine costs are rising dramatically with no end in sight.
The London Eye is an attraction that is similar to a large Ferris Wheel, only more comfortable and modern. It is the world's largest cantilevered observation wheel. Picture being in an enclosed glass observation car that goes around this giant wheel giving unparalleled views of London at its peak. It is alongside a building called County Hall and is on the River Thames downtown. It takes 30 minutes to make the entire circle. Hope this helps.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 Wow! You are the best travel agent I have seen here. You describe it beautifully, had no idea. You do show a drawing on a wall you pass at ...the airport? I really have to see the Thames, so I may do this. Right now i have no idea what to do in those 3 days. Gotta have an English "tea'. Living in Nashville and having traveled a good bit in my life (I sang in Vienna for a summer in '86 as well as USA) you would think London wouldn't intimidate me. But, it does! Thanks! Joey
Heading to London from Charlotte in a month. This video definitely helped my anxiety about getting from the airport to the hotel. Especially when I saw the nice marked floors in Paddington Station and the orderly way people were directed to cabs!
Put your anxiety away. It is a very easy process. We will be going back in September. Have a good trip.
There really is no need to use a cab, the Tube gets you almost everywhere and if you pay contactless, it is capped at less than £7 per day: very efficient.
If you have a family and not new to the city it’s a much easier way to travel. Depends on how many journeys you take and how much you want to think
@@TomtheTaxiDriver perhaps, but the real advantage is getting to meet RUclips celebs like you, Tom! I enjoyed the Tube, being someone not familiar with London, and was somewhat anxious about the etiquette of hailing a cab, being anxious about appropriate levels of tips, etc.
Tom, we actually had a tour booked with you from Heathrow for this very trip but you had to cancel it. It probably was for the best , because with the funeral going on it would have been madness. Maybe next time.
Thank you for sharing you are a blessing to me, I'll journey to London soon and arrive at 7am also. Now I don't have any fear about the express or Black cab to my hotel, and since my hotel isn't so far from Paddington, I know about what I can expect to pay. Now I'm ready to go, thanks again 🤗
Glad you found our post helpful. Have a wonderful trip.
Hi thanks for sharing this,I live in the UK and I'm planning to use the Heathrow Express for the first time in Feb. I've already booked it (early)on the advice of friends. I have a return ticket for £11 so that would be my tip to anyone visiting here. I hope you enjoyed your stay despite the circumstances.Best wishes Gerard
Thanks for the comment Gerard, yes we had purchased returns as well, but because of the electrical failure on the train could not use them. But, it was not a huge problem, and we did enjoy our visit to the U.K. Wonderful people there.
Thanks so much; helping to relieve some of my stress about going from Nashville to London in September. Travel agent has someone meeting me, of course, but your video makes me breathe easier, seeing how it looks. You are articulate and gentle in your delivery. Great job. I will like and subscribe.
Thank you for your kind comments. We try not to be "in your face" or loud and obnoxious like so many others. I am sure you will enjoy your trip to London in September. It is a very easy place to get around. Just do a little research and use some common sense and enjoy. In fact we will be in London in September as well. It will be our third visit. Have a good time and be safe.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 How nice of you to write that. Maybe I will see you there. I will be the used-top-be-handsome, sixty-year-old man all alone! Ha! Actually, I'm looking so forward to this. Thrilled, really. I will be in London for a few minutes, then train to Bath for 4 days and on to Devon for 8 days for a watercolor retreat and then back to London for 3 days. Tired already! Thanks so much! Joey
Great video of my home town London. Quite a few people still wearing masks in September 2022. That surprised me. Thank you for this video. Please come back to London. You're always welcome. 🙂
Thank you so much. We have another London visit planned for next year. It has become one of our favorite places.
Thanks for the information!!!
Any time!
Thanks for sharing this lucid vlog. Allays fears for prospective travellers. Enjoyed it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very helpful. Thank you!
You're welcome!
thanks for sharing this
You bet!
Heathrow Express is 25 GBP per person I am Canadian so the price is 54 CAD or 39 USD for Americans Hardly cheap By comparison in Paris the RER will take you into central Paris for 10 Euros (15 CAD) and in Rome the Leonardo Express will take you into the city for 20 Euros (30 CAD)
No doubt, a trip to London can be very pricey.
Tnx for this vid! Enjoyed watching it!
Thank you too!
Went back in September too (actually the week the queen died) and took the tube everywhere I went. Its pretty easy to navigate in my opinion. Avoid the more popular spots on the weekend though, the trains are usually filled up to the brim with people.
Personally I am not a fan of the contact less payment stuff, credit cards or the general disuse of cash though.
Thanks for you comment.
What about Immigration? Were the lines long there? Were you asked questions?
If you are asking about London arrival the answer is no. On arrival it was all automated. Lines moved very quickly, but it was early in the morning.We did not even have to talk to a human being. On departure it is different. Heathrow Security can be pretty strict sometimes. But it is no worse than in the United States. In general Heathrow Airport is pretty easy to deal with.
You said you landed at 7:00am. I was curious as to how long it took you to get through customs and immigration. Also, about what time did you arrive at Paddington station? I'm going to London in June and trying to schedule trains but not sure how long getting out of Heathrow and to King's Cross will take. Thank you.
Here is our breakdown. We landed just before 0700. At Heathrow it can take a while for the airplane to have a gate assigned and to get there and disembark. On a previous London trip they actually had no available gate and we disembarked on the ramp and were bused to the terminal. Passport control at Heathrow is usually very fast as it is all done electronically. We arrived at Passport Control at 0743 and were out by 0811. We bought our Heathrow Express tickets at 0819 and boarded the train at 0830. We arrived at Paddington at 0848. We arrived at the Paddington Taxi Rank at 0905. A taxi from Paddington to Kings Cross under ideal circumstances takes about 15 minutes. Keep in mind that in June crowds at the airport and at the train stations will probably be larger than those we encountered, and "ideal conditions" in a city like London rarely can be counted on. Also if you don't have Global Entry, get it as it makes getting through stateside TSA checkpoints much easier. Hope this info helps, and have a good, safe trip. One more thing. We were traveling with carry on luggage and did not have to go and wait at a carousel for bags. If you are checking bags then you will have to factor that wait time in as well.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 Thank you. We are scheduled to arrive at 6:50am on a Monday. Your information was very helpful in scheduling the train to Paris.
Customs and immigration can take a while, was quite a long queue at heathrow when I went there.
As a Londoner of over 60years I would not advise getting a taxi from Paddington to Kings Cross, unless you have a lot of luggage or are mobility impaired. If you are getting into Heathrow in the morning ( say 0700am) by the time you get to Paddington your cross London journey will be on a very congested piece of road. There are two possible faster ways , Elizabeth line from Heathrow to Farringdon then change for Circle or Metropolitan tube one stop to Kings Cross. That would be my preferred route less changing at stations, more lifts if you have luggage. Alternatively you could use Heathrow Express to Paddington but then ( especially with luggage) difficult interchange to Circle or Metropolitan tube to,take you to Kings Cross, ( that part of the tube at that time of the morning will be very crowded).
@@peterjones6640 Thank you for the reply. I’ve gotten tickets for the Heathrow Express to Paddington and was going to take the Hammersmith and City line to Kings Cross.
Hi, I just found this video. You mention "contactless payment." Can you explain what this is? And do our American credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) work with such a payment form? Thank you.
Contactless payment is using something like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay or any other such system. We use Apple Pay. Simply register a credit card in your Apple Wallet on your IPhone and you can pay using the phone or an Apple Watch by holding it near the vendor’s payment machine. Your cards will work if they have a chip and the contactless symbol on them. Also make sure your card does not have a foreign transaction fee associated with it. Sounds complicated but it really is easy. Another advantage of Apple Pay is that each transaction creates a new and unique transaction number so no one gets your actual card number. Better for safety. I suggest you search for RUclips videos on how to use and set up contactless payment. I think their are some good one’s out there.
Many thanks.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905
London cabs are clean and very spacious an very expensive
I agree with you my friend.
What is contactless payment? Thanks!
Contactless payment is using a credit card that has a "chip" in it that can be read by a merchants card reader at checkout, You can in many cases link such a card to Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay or other types of services. It is very convenient and widely used in London.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 Again thanks for the detailed info. Sound like I could use my Mastercard, but I had a feeling this was different. Perhaps I misunderstand. I was told not to rely on a Discover card in England. Thanks! Joey
At 3:04 you have tickets, but can you just use tapless payment for the yellow globe you see at 3:15?
Yes you can.
Inexpensive is relative. If paying in CAD it’s about $45 CAD one way
There are a variety of options at much different costs for transport in that area, however, you are absolutely right about the relative aspects of cost in general. Unfortunately in your country as in mine costs are rising dramatically with no end in sight.
how much it cost if we took cab from airport to the your hotel
It should have been about 23 pounds but due to the road closures for the Queen's funeral it was twice that.
What is London Eye?
The London Eye is an attraction that is similar to a large Ferris Wheel, only more comfortable and modern. It is the world's largest cantilevered observation wheel. Picture being in an enclosed glass observation car that goes around this giant wheel giving unparalleled views of London at its peak. It is alongside a building called County Hall and is on the River Thames downtown. It takes 30 minutes to make the entire circle. Hope this helps.
@@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905 Wow! You are the best travel agent I have seen here. You describe it beautifully, had no idea. You do show a drawing on a wall you pass at ...the airport? I really have to see the Thames, so I may do this. Right now i have no idea what to do in those 3 days. Gotta have an English "tea'. Living in Nashville and having traveled a good bit in my life (I sang in Vienna for a summer in '86 as well as USA) you would think London wouldn't intimidate me. But, it does! Thanks! Joey
Do most London cabs take credit cards?
Yes, the TFL Black Cabs in London take cards and contactless payment.
Funny, when I get off plains, trains, ect I usually follow everyone else to the way out🙂
Whatever works.
Very helpful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!