"vmnvmcxbv" wrote in message
news:av48i.48$UD4.21@trndny07
I will be on vacation in London at the end of this month. I arrive to
Heathrow airport and stay in Bayswater inn hotel. Let's just say that
$100 price for the taxi trip seems to be somewhat excessive for this
New York resident . So I figured I can take a tube.
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk suggested this route (I selected
tube only with least transfers):
=======================
10:00

10:06Heathrow Terminal 2
Walk to Heathrow Terminals 1-2-3
Transfer time:6mins


10:06

10:39Heathrow Terminals 1-2-3 Underground Station
Take the Piccadilly Line towards Arnos Grove
or Piccadilly Line towards Cockfosters

10:45

Earl's Court Underground Station
Take the District Line towards Edgware Road (Circle Line)

Average journey time: 8 mins

10:53Bayswater Underground Station
=======================================

Is this route doable with one large bag on wheels and small backpack?
I've never been to London and don't know how crowded London Tube is.
Am I correct to understand that tube trains run on pre-determined
schedule (seems like a foreign concep to me )?

Tube trains do have a timetable, but for most routes it's not published.
The Journey Planner does know it and uses it, but trains don't stick to
it precisely, except (usually) at the beginning of the route. Most
routes are too frequent for you to have to care.

I would change your route to change twice, but more easily:
Take the Piccadilly Line as suggested, but get off at Hammersmith or
Baron's Court stations. Normally, all Piccadilly Line trains from
Heathrow T123 take this route, so you don't have to worry about looking
at where the train is going.

Walk across the platform and wait for the next District Line train
(it'll usually be there in a couple of minutes or so). Again, you don't
need to look at where it's going. You'll notice that this train is much
larger than the Piccadilly Line train, with much more headroom. It will
probably have green handrails.

When you get to Earl's Court (which will take about five minutes), get
off and take the next train to Edgware Road. It will probably be across
the platform, and you won't usually have to wait more than five minutes
(often, it's already waiting in the platform). To help you spot the
right train, this one will have yellow grab rails, though it's still
called a District Line train (not Circle Line). You will encounter your
first stairs at Bayswater station. I suggest you get in the second car
of the train from Earl's Court to be near the stairs at Bayswater.

I did a similar journey yesterday, and it was completely painless. I got
a seat on all three trains, and there was room for baggage, but the
trains from Heathrow are sometimes crowded and full of bags -- there's
extra space around the doors for the bags.

You will need a zone 1-6 ticket, which will be cheaper if you buy either
an Oyster card or a Travelcard.

On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 10:49:55 +0100, Recliner wrote:

When you get to Earl's Court (which will take about five minutes), get
off and take the next train to Edgware Road. It will probably be across
the platform, and you won't usually have to wait more than five minutes
(often, it's already waiting in the platform).

These trains are every 10 minutes, so you will have to wait more than
five minutes about half the time...

You will need a zone 1-6 ticket, which will be cheaper if you buy either
an Oyster card or a Travelcard.

A Travelcard isn't cheaper than a Z1-6 single (£6.70 vs £4.00).

"asdf" wrote in message

On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 10:49:55 +0100, Recliner wrote:

When you get to Earl's Court (which will take about five minutes),
get off and take the next train to Edgware Road. It will probably be
across the platform, and you won't usually have to wait more than
five minutes (often, it's already waiting in the platform).

These trains are every 10 minutes, so you will have to wait more than
five minutes about half the time...

Ah, but they often stand in the platform for a couple of minutes or so,
so while they may only depart every ten minutes, you'll usually see one
in the platform more often than that...


You will need a zone 1-6 ticket, which will be cheaper if you buy
either an Oyster card or a Travelcard.

A Travelcard isn't cheaper than a Z1-6 single (£6.70 vs £4.00).

True, unless he intends to make more journeys that day (quite likely,
I'd have thought, given the arrival time).

On Jun 2, 10:49 am, "Recliner" wrote:

Walk across the platform and wait for the next District Line train
(it'll usually be there in a couple of minutes or so). Again, you don't
need to look at where it's going. You'll notice that this train is much
larger than the Piccadilly Line train, with much more headroom. It will
probably have green handrails.

Yeah. Basically the Piccadilly and District stop on opposite sides of
the same platform at Hammersmith and Baron's Court, but by Earl's
Court, the Piccadilly Line is deep underground while the District is
still on the surface. Sadly no District Line trains run from the
Hammersmith branch to the Bayswater branch, so you still need to
change at Earl's Court, but this time there's no walking involved
since all trains call at the same platform.

Tube trains run every 3-10 minutes, no need to memorise schedules.

U

So to sum up, your options a

- underground to Bayswater, via Earls Court - 50 minutes - £4.00, or
£2.00 if you buy Oyster (which would be a wise thing to do, unless you
don't use public transport), which costs £3, but it can be refunded
when you leave UK.
- train to Paddington - then you can either walk, or take a bus or go
by underground.
- Heathrow Express - 15 minutes - £14.50
- Heathrow Connect to Paddington (runs every 30 minutes) - 25
minutes - £6.90.

"XmaX" wrote in message
oups.com
So to sum up, your options a

- underground to Bayswater, via Earls Court - 50 minutes - £4.00, or
£2.00 if you buy Oyster (which would be a wise thing to do, unless you
don't use public transport), which costs £3, but it can be refunded
when you leave UK.

The £2 Oyster fare is only available off-peak, otherwise £3.50.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/fa...res=Show+fares

On Jun 2, 12:05 pm, "Recliner" wrote:
"XmaX" wrote in message

oups.com

So to sum up, your options a

- underground to Bayswater, via Earls Court - 50 minutes - £4.00, or
£2.00 if you buy Oyster (which would be a wise thing to do, unless you
don't use public transport), which costs £3, but it can be refunded
when you leave UK.

The £2 Oyster fare is only available off-peak, otherwise £3.50.http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/fa...farefinder/def...


My mistake. For unknown reason I assumed that vmnvmcxbv is travelling
during the weekend

2 questions about your suggested route:

1) How to read the tube map? From your suggestion it is obvious I can
transfer at Hammersmith or Baron's Court stations. But on the map the routes
don't touch. If you didn't say I would think they run in parallel but there
is no transfer there.

2) How can I tell by looking at the train what line this is? District line
train is green on the map. It's not supposed to have yellow anything.

1) From looking at the map it seems there is no
"Recliner" wrote in message
...
"vmnvmcxbv" wrote in message
news:av48i.48$UD4.21@trndny07
I will be on vacation in London at the end of this month. I arrive to
Heathrow airport and stay in Bayswater inn hotel. Let's just say that
$100 price for the taxi trip seems to be somewhat excessive for this
New York resident . So I figured I can take a tube.
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk suggested this route (I selected
tube only with least transfers):
=======================
10:00

10:06Heathrow Terminal 2
Walk to Heathrow Terminals 1-2-3
Transfer time:6mins


10:06

10:39Heathrow Terminals 1-2-3 Underground Station
Take the Piccadilly Line towards Arnos Grove
or Piccadilly Line towards Cockfosters

10:45

Earl's Court Underground Station
Take the District Line towards Edgware Road (Circle Line)

Average journey time: 8 mins

10:53Bayswater Underground Station
=======================================

Is this route doable with one large bag on wheels and small backpack?
I've never been to London and don't know how crowded London Tube is.
Am I correct to understand that tube trains run on pre-determined
schedule (seems like a foreign concep to me )?

Tube trains do have a timetable, but for most routes it's not published.
The Journey Planner does know it and uses it, but trains don't stick to it
precisely, except (usually) at the beginning of the route. Most routes are
too frequent for you to have to care.

I would change your route to change twice, but more easily:
Take the Piccadilly Line as suggested, but get off at Hammersmith or
Baron's Court stations. Normally, all Piccadilly Line trains from Heathrow
T123 take this route, so you don't have to worry about looking at where
the train is going.

Walk across the platform and wait for the next District Line train (it'll
usually be there in a couple of minutes or so). Again, you don't need to
look at where it's going. You'll notice that this train is much larger
than the Piccadilly Line train, with much more headroom. It will probably
have green handrails.

When you get to Earl's Court (which will take about five minutes), get off
and take the next train to Edgware Road. It will probably be across the
platform, and you won't usually have to wait more than five minutes
(often, it's already waiting in the platform). To help you spot the right
train, this one will have yellow grab rails, though it's still called a
District Line train (not Circle Line). You will encounter your first
stairs at Bayswater station. I suggest you get in the second car of the
train from Earl's Court to be near the stairs at Bayswater.

I did a similar journey yesterday, and it was completely painless. I got a
seat on all three trains, and there was room for baggage, but the trains
from Heathrow are sometimes crowded and full of bags -- there's extra
space around the doors for the bags.

You will need a zone 1-6 ticket, which will be cheaper if you buy either
an Oyster card or a Travelcard.

Please don't top-post. Especially when others have already been
responding to your message by bottom-posting. It makes it very confusing.

vmnvmcxbv wrote:

1) How to read the tube map? From your suggestion it is obvious I can
transfer at Hammersmith or Baron's Court stations. But on the map the routes
don't touch. If you didn't say I would think they run in parallel but there
is no transfer there.

You can transfer at Hammersmith, because they are connected--the little
circles for a interchange station should be connected.

Barons Court is less obvious. I can't think of a consistent rule that
would allow you to know that transfers are possible there. For some
reason LU seems to prefer transfers at Hammersmith since it is marked as
an "interchange station."

2) How can I tell by looking at the train what line this is? District line
train is green on the map. It's not supposed to have yellow anything.

The District line trains will be on a different platform from Piccadilly
line trains.

There will usually be advance notice in the station of what kind of
train is coming next, such as its final destination. It will also be
marked on the front and rear of the train, and sometimes on the sides.
--
Michael Hoffman

Michael Hoffman wrote:
Please don't top-post. Especially when others have already been
responding to your message by bottom-posting. It makes it very
confusing.
vmnvmcxbv wrote:

1) How to read the tube map? From your suggestion it is obvious I
can transfer at Hammersmith or Baron's Court stations. But on the
map the routes don't touch. If you didn't say I would think they
run in parallel but there is no transfer there.

You can transfer at Hammersmith, because they are connected--the
little circles for a interchange station should be connected.

Barons Court is less obvious. I can't think of a consistent rule
that would allow you to know that transfers are possible there. For
some reason LU seems to prefer transfers at Hammersmith since it is
marked as an "interchange station."

LU aren't consistent about this. On the LU site at
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1108.aspx the Standard Tube Map
shows no intercgange at Barons Court, and similarly at Gloucester Road
and Turnham Green, but the clumsily-named "Tube, DLR, Trams and Train
Travelcard zones Map" (what used to be the London Connections map) shows
BC and GR as interchanges but not TG, and the large-print Tube map shows
all three stations as interchanges.

2) How can I tell by looking at the train what line this is?
District line train is green on the map. It's not supposed to have
yellow anything.

The District line trains will be on a different platform from
Piccadilly line trains.

There will usually be advance notice in the station of what kind of
train is coming next, such as its final destination. It will also be
marked on the front and rear of the train, and sometimes on the
sides.

The line colours on the map are also repeated as coloured bars at the
top of some station signs, but generally not on trains. The exception
is that *some* of the trains have *some* grab poles in the line colour.
This was mentioned in this thread because it happens to be a way of
distinguishing the stock (District/Circle) that serves Bayswater station
from other District Line stock.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)