Heathrow to Fleet Street

[IanUAE]

My knowledge of the London area could be written on the back of a postage stamp and still have room for the address. So I thought I would ask the almanac that is pistonheads for advice.

I land early doors on a Thursday at Heathrow T4 in early Jan and then have meeting on Fleet Street around midday. After the meeting I will be driving upto Derby.

So having booked a hire car from Heathrow, what is going to be the best way to get to Fleet Street? Current thinking is parking the car somewhere and getting the train/tube.

Over to the experts and thanks in advance.

[mybrainhurts]

Will you be wearing a burka?

[Collectingbrass]

Depends how familiar you are with driving into London, and driving on the right (aka wrong for you) side of the road. I would leave the car at Heathrow till you need to drive to Derby, London is not somewhere you want to get acclimatised to UK driving.

[tuffer]

Heathrow Express into London (or Tube) and then back out to Heathrow to collect the car.

[Blib]

tuffer said:

Heathrow Express into London (or Tube) and then back out to Heathrow to collect the car.

This.

[Johnnytheboy]

Blib said:

tuffer said:

Heathrow Express into London (or Tube) and then back out to Heathrow to collect the car.

This.

Yep.

[Blib]

Picadilly line direct from Heathrow to Holborn. Fleet Street's a few minutes from there.

[Johnnytheboy]

Blib said:

Picadilly line direct from Heathrow to Holborn. Fleet Street's a few minutes from there.

Actually yeah, tube is better than HE.

[williamp]

another idea: dont get a car at heathrow. Try somewhere like liverpool street, and drive from there, dropping back off at Heathrow on your return. Avis have a place at waterloo, for example.

Or get the train from st pancras direct to Derby and go from there.

And I'm in derby if you fancy a pint

[spikeyhead]

williamp said:

Or get the train from st pancras direct to Derby and go from there.

And I'm in derby if you fancy a pint

Far less grief than taking a red eye flight, spending a day in meetings and then having a three hour drive afterwards. You'll get to Derby a lot quicker than driving too.

[don4l]

Collectingbrass said:

Depends how familiar you are with driving into London, and driving on the right (aka wrong for you) side of the road. I would leave the car at Heathrow till you need to drive to Derby, London is not somewhere you want to get acclimatised to UK driving.

I agree.

I only live 40 miles from London. The last time that I drove there, I was terrified by the agressive nature of the driving. I hope that I don't have to drive there again.

[Sparkyhd]

williamp said:

another idea: dont get a car at heathrow. Try somewhere like liverpool street, and drive from there, dropping back off at Heathrow on your return. Avis have a place at waterloo, for example.

Or get the train from st pancras direct to Derby and go from there.

And I'm in derby if you fancy a pint

Agree with this.

[parabolica]

Agree with everyone saying train/tube into the City. But if you absolutely have to drive, I'd get over to the A40 and take the Westway/A501 all the way to Kings Cross Road, which will take you straight down to Fleet Street. There is a NCP on Ludgate Hill - the street Fleet Street turns into after Old Bailey (EC4M 7DE).

But seriously, get the tube/LHR Express; don't expect driving to be an easy option; even in the early morning you'll hit traffic. I don't mind driving in London (live in the centre) but the poster who said it was aggressive driving is right - you need to drive with your elbows out to get anyway at any meaning pace.

[85Carrera]

Heathrow Express far much better than tube or driving.

I would get train to Derby as others have said but are a few hire car places kings cross/Islington way where you could pick up a car and at least be north of the city and avoid some of the traffic

[numtumfutunch]

The answer to this is probably along the same lines as who is your favourite member of the Nazi party

If you really must have a car from Heathrow, and if 'early doors' really does involve getting behind the wheel at 6AM then I suggest hoofing it round the M25 to the M1 and dropping the car somewhere connected to the Thameslink which would have been Luton Airport if it wasnt currently swamped by roadworks hell

City Thameslink is handy for Fleet Street and then after your meeting you can train it back up to Luton avoiding a lot of the congestion on the M1 and all other connecting roads

The smart money has previously suggested binning off the car completely and letting the train take the strain
St Pancras to Derby is a very comfortable 2h absolute stress free maximum

Its not very PH but just forget the car completely

Seriously

[IanUAE]

Thank you one and all (I will let the one "humorous" response slide.... ). I should pointed out that I need to pick my son up from Manchester Airport the next day and then drop him off to the National Film & Television School on the Saturday, so a car is essential.

So as suggested I plan to collect the hire car keys, leave the suitcase in the boot, take the tube into London and then reverse the journey back to the car hire company and drive up to my parents.

[Vee]

I'd get the train the whole way.
If that isn't feasible then I'd change the car collection to somewhere like Wembley Park.
You've no idea what state Heathrow arrivals will be in and an hour delay means the traffic ends up being much worse. Also leaving Fleet St in the afternoon will take a while to get out to the M1.
Train into London for your meeting, then a train from Farringdon to Wembley Park or Even better, Finchley Rd to collect the car. You're then only 10-15 mins from the M1.
Honestly, this will be least hassle and least stress.

Edited by Vee on Saturday 17th December 06:39

[spikeyhead]

IanUAE said:

Thank you one and all (I will let the one "humorous" response slide.... ). I should pointed out that I need to pick my son up from Manchester Airport the next day and then drop him off to the National Film & Television School on the Saturday, so a car is essential.

So as suggested I plan to collect the hire car keys, leave the suitcase in the boot, take the tube into London and then reverse the journey back to the car hire company and drive up to my parents.

Then collect a car in Derby.

Fleet St
walk for 5 minutes to Blackfriars, then two hours on a train to Derby

half an hour to Heathrow if the Express is running well
then half an hour to collect the car
then if the M25, M40, M42 are all playing nicely then it's a two and a half hour drive

[hutchst]

Drive to St. Albans. Thameslink to Farringdon (half hour journey). Black cab to Fleet Street. Reverse on return and head for the M1 at Hemel Hempstead

[TwigtheWonderkid]

As said, do not drive into C. London. It's a mad idea.

Find out what end of Fleet Street, as it's quite long. Runs from Aldwych in the West to Ludgate Circus in the East. That will help you pick what tube station to use.