Fastest way into London from the West

[768]

I live in Worcestershire and have a meeting in Westminster tomorrow. FML.

Usual choice is to drive via the M40 to Uxbridge (~1hr45 says Google so probably less) and get the tube in from there (~50 minutes says TfL so probably more). Usually involving catching a tube in the wrong direction if I have to change. And I can't log in to the website to top up my Oyster card because public transport.

Trains in from this direction seem to be considerably longer, more expensive and generally uncomfortable, than driving.

Can I do better, can you park somewhere convenient to get straight on the Heathrow Express, or is it a case of parking away from a terminal and waiting for then catching a bus in? I know it's expensive, but if I can knock half an hour each way off the journey it'd be worth it to me.

Wembley Park underground seems a shorter ride in than Uxbridge, but only has 80 parking spaces so I'm guessing I won't get one arriving after 11am.

[768]

tuffer said:

Park at Heathrow T5 and catch Heathrow Express but that takes you to Paddington. Drive to Reading and catch a Train to Waterloo then walk across the bridge. Drive to Swindon and 1 hour to Paddington.

Reading is a longer drive and then longer on a train than Uxbridge for me. Swindon looks close; 1hr10 drive, 1hr to Paddington and 12 min tube journey, if I timed arriving for a train at Swindon perfectly it would be a little better, if not then a little worse.

mandos_01 said:

Is train the entire way out of the question? I don't know the transport links in Worcester well, but if you can get to Birmingham New Street easily enough its only an 1h 24 into Euston

If you're very rural, ignore this!

I'm only 30 miles from there. About 1 hour drive or 2 hours by train.

[768]

seiben said:

If it helps you no longer need an oyster card. Just tap in and out of the tube using a contactless bank/credit card and you'll be charged automatically

Result. Thanks.

[768]

Black can man said:

Have you got a parachute ?

Why - I've got a double bed sheet and I've made my peace with not getting home tomorrow. If you can get me over central London I'm happy to chance it. How deep is the Thames?

I think I'll go with Hillingdon, if I can get a parking space I'll save a few minutes, if I can't I can fall back on Uxbridge.

[768]

Wikipedia said:

Trebuchets compete in one of the classifications of machines used to hurl pumpkins at the annual pumpkin chunking contest held in Sussex County, Delaware, U.S. The record-holder in that contest for trebuchets is the Yankee Siege II from New Hampshire, which at the 2013 WCPC Championship tossed a pumpkin 2835.8 ft (864.35 metres). The 51-foot-tall (16 m), 55,000-pound (25,000 kg) trebuchet flings the standard 8–10-pound (3.6–4.5 kg) pumpkins,[27] specified for all entries in the WCPC competition.

Lacks sufficient distance I fear.

[768]

The drive in was easy, took nearly 15 minutes off the ETA.

Hillingdon car park was full, with drivers just looping the car park glaring at new arrivals. No sign of a trebuchet either, must have just missed each other.

So back I went to Uxbridge. Where it didn't take my contactless credit card.

Hate this journey.