Travel In London

Heathrow Airport to Central London

Rail

You can also use the Heathrow Express to travel between Heathrow and Paddington station in central London.

The Heathrow Express is the quickest way into central London. Trains leave Heathrow airport from approximately 0515 until 2323. Standard fares are £14 for a single ticket. Journey time is 15-20 minutes and the service is non-stop to Paddington station. The Heathrow Express calls the two stations serving the airport, one for Terminal 1-3 and the other for Terminal 4. Reduced fares are available if you book ahead. Travelcards are not valid on the Heathrow Express. For info and tickets phone +44 (0)845 600 1515.

Taxi

There are usually black cabs queuing for customers at Heathrow airport. The cost of the cab is metered and displayed inside the cab. Extra charges, such as evening and weekend journeys are also shown here. A journey into central London will cost in the region of £40. Tipping, about 10% of the fare is optional.

Drivers are not obliged to accept a hiring of over six miles or 20 miles for a journey from Heathrow airport, but if they do, and the journey is wholly within the London area, the fare payable is as shown on the meter. If a driver accepts a hiring to a destination outside the Greater London area, the fare becomes negotiable and should be agreed beforehand. Only use a reputable mini-cab and never use unauthorized drivers who offer their services at airports or stations.

Each of Heathrow's terminals has an approved taxi desk.

Terminal 1: + 44 (0)20 8745 7487
Terminal 2: + 44 (0)20 8745 5408
Terminal 3: + 44 (0)20 8745 4655
Terminal 4: + 44 (0)20 8745 7302.

Taxis are expensive [though knowledgeable] so the transport of choice for the masses is the 'Tube' or Underground [subway/ metro]. This is often a bit grubby but usually efficient and safe. The tube is not cheap, but most sights are in Zone 1, so if you stay in Zone 1 too and get a Zone 1 travelcard then value improves dramatically.
Tube Maps are clear and free and all lines are well colour-coded, so once you've got that worked out it's easy to use.
Buses are included in the travelcard so you can mix 'n' match according to your needs.
We wouldn't recommend car rental as parking is a nightmare, nor bike hire as motor vehicles are not tolerant of innocent two-wheelers.
Starting your London experience on the top deck of a guided bus tour is a good way to get your bearings.

Places to Stay

London is a big city, lots of places to visit and things to do when you are not supporting the team. There are lots of hotels in London and they are very mix in their rating. A 4 stars may not be what you are used too. A Continental breakfast usually means a few slices of toast, butter and jam in some hotel. Read the reviews before you book, unless it was recommended to you. Unless “Power Showers” is advertised, the water pressure can be weak. Depending on how far the hotel is from Paddington Station, you have to work out a way to get from the hotel to the Paddington. There are multiple journeys tickets that you can get. A standard daily return to Henley is £13.20. Watch out for discount tickets, they are not valid before 9.00a.m.

London to Henley-Upon-Thames

Being one of Oxfordshire's more central towns, Henley is reasonably easy to get to. There is no problem journeying to the town by train because it is well connected to the London Paddington station. Several motorways and major roads either pass by or through Henley. Bus services are not all that frequent but then it is unlikely you need to take one with such easily accessible road and rail routes.

Rail
Train services from Paddington to Henley run every hour. Most of the time you have to disembark at Twyford station and connect to Henley from there. Sometimes, you may get a train that requires a change in Slough. Click on the Rail link to check the time and route. There is the odd direct service from London to Henley though. There are also services from Reading although you have to change at Twyford on the way (10 or so week-days). The service is provided by First Great Western.

Road
From the east and west take the M4 motorway (Junctions 8/9) which passes by Henley.
Go into Henley from the west and the immediate north (Fairmile) on the A4130.
From Reading take the A4155.

Accommodation in Henley

Most Accommodations are full for the regatta week.

The Cherry Tree Inn

The White Hart Hotel

Flower Pot

Ferry Lane
Aston
Henley on Thames
Oxon
RG9 3DG

Licensee:

Tony Read & Pat Thatcher

Telephone:

01491 574721

Location Map:

Click here

Directions:

From the A4130, turn right just after the Little Angel. Follow the road straight for around 2 miles, taking the right hand fork at Remenham and following the sign for Aston. The pub will be on your left.

The Flower Pot in the heart of Aston, close to Henley, is a popular pub and hotel, with three letting rooms, near to the river. With its unique interior, it provides a large bar menu and enjoys beautiful views across Henley's surrounding countryside.

With refurbishment complete, there is now a much larger dining area to help cope with ever growing demand at this popular pub near to the River Thames.

Finalist of Beer & Cellar Pub of the Year, Brakspear Pub Awards 2004, sponsored by Stella Artois

Old White Horse

Northfield End
Henley on Thames
Oxon
RG9 2JN

Licensee:

Cedric & Elaine Booles

Telephone:

01491 575763

Location Map:

Click here

Directions:

The Old White Horse is situated on the outskirts of Henley on the Fairmile or A4130. Follow the signs for Marlow/Nettlebed out of Henley and carry straight over the Northfield End roundabout towards Nettlebed. The Old White Horse is on your right.

Located just outside Henley's town centre, The Old White Horse is a traditional family pub providing excellent beer and home made food. It has a large car park, beer garden and patio. B&B accommodation is also available.

Row Barge

West Street
Henley on Thames
Oxon
RG9 2ED

Licensee:

David Cheney

Telephone:

01491 572649

Location Map:

Click here

Directions:

On crossing the bridge, carry straight up the main high street (Hart Street). Carry straight on through the crossroads and past the Town Hall on your right. Car parking is available in Greys Road Car Park on your left. By foot, turn right along the back of the Town Hall and then immediately left up West Street. The Row Barge is half way up.

"Not just another back street pub!" The Row Barge is a friendly local pub, which offers a good bar menu and traditional Sunday roast. 3 Bed & Breakfast rooms available.

Cuisine Guide

Forget traditional British food which is truly terrible, and go for the modern variety of eateries with which London is stuffed, or excellent foreign food along the lines of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Italian.
Excellent healthy/tasty fast food places are all around. Pret-a-Manger is especially efficient, tasty and commonplace.

Places to Visit

London Sightseeing Tour

The London Eye

Tower of London

Windsor Castle

Walking Tours of London

The Power Walk could start at Buckingham Palace [where limited interior tours are available] for the Changing of the Guard at 11.30am on alternate days [day depends on the month, so check the link]. The guards, sometimes with music, march down the [Bird Cage Walk] avenue to the Palace and the ceremony takes about 45 minutes, but is cancelled if it's raining hard.
There is another, longer Guards marching ceremony from Hyde Park at 10.30am, via Hyde Park corner and The Mall, arriving at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall at 11am every day except Sunday, when it's one hour earlier.
Nearby, and beside the River Thames, are the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, which you cannot enter [unless you run really fast], and Westminster Abbey, which you can. This last is a dramatic Gothic Abbey where most British royals have been and still are crowned, married and then buried.
You could hop on many kinds of tour boat here at Westminster Bridge, just looking or jumping off at places such as the Tower of London or even way upstream at Hampton Court.
Alternatively immediately north of the Houses of Parliament is Whitehall, a grand Broadway and the centre of British government, including 10 Downing Street [the Prime Minister's tiny terraced house] and Horse Guards Parade.
At the north end of Whitehall is Trafalgar Square, arguably the fairly dull centre of London, sporting Nelson's Column and the fine and free National Portrait Gallery.
See London Pictures Power Walk

Another two or three hundred metres north of that are Piccadilly Circus [no big deal] with the superb Royal Academy gallery on one side, Trafalgar Square pedestrian area for cinemas, mediocre eating and dumb street theatre, Soho for sensational Asian cuisine, and Shaftsbury Avenue for last minute theatre ticket buying.

The City Walk requires a turn to the east, a short walk across to Covent Garden for good eating, professional street theatre, some excellent, unusual shops, and major theatres all around, including the Royal Opera House.
Ten minutes north gets you to the obvious - and mostly free - British Museum, or south to the river, and 18^th century Somerset House, offering OK museums and an interesting central court - skating rink in winter and fountain display the rest of the year.
See London Pictures Party Walk

The third option is to continue east into the City of London [see below for explanation], past some very pretty buildings, old and new, including St Paul's Cathedral, the Royal Courts of Justice, the Erotic Gherkin and finishing at the Tower of London - where excellent tours are led by a 'Beefeater' guide with fascinating historical stories and sights, including the stunning Crown Jewels. The Tower is busy so arriving early is a good idea.
Adjacent to the Tower is spectacular Tower Bridge, with some excellent Bankside restaurants and cafés on the other side.
This walk will be spookily quiet at night and at the weekend, with nothing open.
See London Pictures City Walk

The South Bank Walk runs from County Hall and the Millennium Wheel [aka London Eye] downstream to Tower Bridge, and is particularly enjoyable on a sunny, summer day but also works well at night for romantic strolls.
The main items of interest after a ride on the big wheel are the National Theatre, an unattractive series of concrete blocks but offering good theatre, some of it free, the stunning Tate Modern - again partly free and tourists must see the Turbine Hall, down to Shakespeare's recreated Globe Theatre which is not at all free and will need advance booking, past the Mayor of London's Glass Testicle to Tower Bridge and a well earned drink on the south bank.
There are plenty of pubs, cafés and restaurants all along this route.
See London Pictures South Bank Walk

Walks on the [River] Thames Path:
Opened in 1996 the Thames Path National Trail is an easy, view-packed and full of character walking route that runs most of the 180 mile length of England's prime river from source to London.
The path is reasonably well marked and has transport links near many sections. For full information get The Thames National Trail Guide by David Sharpe.
Here's a selection of pleasant walks near or in London, with traditional pubs en route for refreshments:
1] Westminster Bridge - the Thames Barrier.
The most historically interesting walk of 11 miles starts near Big Ben, crosses the river to the south and passes many magical sights, old and new. Among them are: The London Eye, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, Globe Theatre, back across London Bridge, Docklands, and the Dome. Return via Charlton Station.
2] Richmond - Putney. A more open and countrified walk than the above, this 8 mile wander starts at Richmond Bridge, heads to the south bank and gets many grand green views - including passing by Kew Gardens - interspersed with historic buildings such as Syon House. It ends at Putney Bridge, with Putney station or Putney Bridge station for onward transport.
3] Hampton Court - Richmond. More wide open spaces and posh housing views on this 8 mile stroll. Starting at Hampton Court station with the Palace dominating the scenery at first, it passes boat marinas, canal locks, wetlands, and ends at Richmond Hill. Transport at Richmond station.

Outside London

Cambridge

Oxfords