Put your anxiety away. It is a very easy process. We will be going back in September. Have a good trip.

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 KZfaq 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.

Glad you found our post helpful. Have a wonderful trip.

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.

No doubt, a trip to London can be very pricey.

Glad you enjoyed it!

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

Thank you so much. We have another London visit planned for next year. It has become one of our favorite places.

Whatever works.

You're welcome!

Any time!

Thank you too!

You bet!

Thanks for you comment.

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.

I agree with you my friend.

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.

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 KZfaq videos on how to use and set up contactless payment. I think their are some good one’s out there.

Many thanks. @@cruiseviewsandotherstuff1905

Yes you can.

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.

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

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

It should have been about 23 pounds but due to the road closures for the Queen's funeral it was twice that.

Yes, the TFL Black Cabs in London take cards and contactless payment.

Glad it was helpful!