London Forum: Heathrow Express and National Rail 2 for 1 admission offer

Are you particularly wanting to get to Paddington, or are you taking the Express with a view of changing in Paddington to get somewhere else?

We're going to Paddington, then somehow getting to Victoria station. I'm not sure how that is done. I really want to get the 2 for 1 offers, as we are planning to visit several of the places, including the Lindon Eye. If it makes any difference regarding how we buy tickets, we were planning on also taking a day trip to Stratford on Avon.

I'd really appreciate any information that you could give me, because right now I'm really confused.

If your destination is Victoria, then travelling on the HEX will take you out of the way and cost considerably more than taking the Underground from Heathrow to Victoria.

That latter journey can be made with one easy change en route; travel time may be a bit shorter (about 45 minutes) than taking the HEX (which runs just four times an hour) then taxi from Paddington.

Depending on when you plan to travel* you'll find the journey from LHR to Victoria easy: Piccadilly line from the airport towards Cockfosters. Alight at Hammersmith and walk across the platform for an eastbound District line train towards Upminster. Alight at Victoria station for your destination ....

*If at a time when there are planned works on the District line there are two other alternate ways to get to Victoria on the Underground. Let us know where you've booked to stay and when you plan to travel and we can help sort out transport from airport to city centre.

Since Victoria has a rail station you may buy paper Travelcards for the two for one offers there.

The good news is that there are no planned engineering works on the District line in March that would affect the route to Victoria that TP has described above - tfl.gov.uk/assets/…track-closures.pdf

On what dates/times are you arriving and leaving London, and how are you leaving (from Heathrow, or by train, or other)?

Thanks for the great information! We're arriving on Thursday morning, March 8th at around 8:00 am, and leaving on Wednesday, March 14th on an evening flight back to the U.S.

If we can use the tube to get back to Heathrow, that would be great. I'd just need instructions(just backward of what was mentioned above?).

To clarify, if I buy any paper tickets (I'm not sure what the other options are) at Victoria station, I can get the 2 for 1 offers? Do they offer week long tickets for the rail/tube system? We're also planning on visiting friends and need to get to the Dix train station on Saturday morning.

Also, would you recommend Stratford on Avon for a day trip and, if so, would we take a train and how long is the ride?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make the most out of our trip.

nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/VIC/plan.html The National Rail ticket office is on the main concourse, just opposite platforms 14 and 15.

Seven day Travelcards for zones 1 and 2 cost £29.20 for adults and allow unlimited use on the Underground, DLR, Overground and National Rail services in the paid for zones plus bus use in all zones. Ask at the ticket window for paper tickets for the two for one offers and you'll be set to go.

Trains from Marylebone and Euston stations travel to Stratford-upon-Avon; from Liverpool Street to Diss (guessing that's what you mean by Dix). Check train times and fares at www.nationalrail.co.uk but book at www.chilternrailways.co.uk for the journey to Stratford-u-A and at www.greateranglia.co.uk for the journey to Diss.

You'll need to pay cash fares for the journeys from and to Heathrow on the Underground but the savings from the two for one offers should remove a bit of the sting of those fares.

Can Travelcards from National Rail (as opposed to purchasing from the underground) be purchased at Heathrow so we can take advantage of the 2 for 1?

<< Can Travelcards from National Rail (as opposed to purchasing from the underground) be purchased at Heathrow >>

No, because Heathrow has a London Transport ticket office. You need to travel into London, then buy travelcards from a railway station ticket office operated by one of the train operating companies.