The United Kingdom is one of the most frequently chosen destinations among the tourists from all over the world. You can either spend a very busy vacation in one of the attractions-packed British cities or enjoy the peace of quiet outdoors in the countryside or in the national park, away from civilization. There are a lot of historic places that make an incredible impression, even if you’re not a history geek, and modern, luxurious neighbourhoods.

What’s more, The UK, and especially London attracts people with a whole range of cultural and sporting events, e.g. world-famous actors in theatres, movie premieres, huge concerts, English Premier League or Wimbledon. It’s no wonder that so many people decide to spend their holidays on the British Isles.

Flying to Heathrow

When you choose to fly to the UK, it’s likely you’re going to land at Heathrow Airport. It’s the biggest British airport, but also one of the busiest in the world (seventh, to be precise, by total passengers traffic) with more than 200 possible destinations. It’s located in Longford, 23km west of Central London and it covers over 12 square kilometres. It offers both concierge and porter services, so you don’t have to be afraid of the size of the airport – Heathrow workers are there to assist you.

How to get to London?

There are many different buses and trains leaving every few minutes in all possible directions. The prices may vary depending on transport operators, the date you fly in or when book your bus or train tickets, so it’s best to check all possible options. If you take the Heathrow Express, you can be in Central London as fast as in 15 minutes.

Apart from that, there are cycle paths from Heathrow to the city centre, so if you feel like exercising and you don’t have a huge suitcase, you can rent a bike and enjoy some beautiful views on your way to the city.

But if you value your independence when you travel, you should consider hiring a car. It may save you money if you plan on moving around a lot; public transport in London is actually one of the most expensive in the world. Navigate to this page to know more about car hire.

Terminals

Before you land and, more importantly, before you catch your flight back, you’ll need to check which terminal you’ll be at. While you can freely walk from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 (it takes around 10 minutes), to reach Terminal 4 or 5 you’ll need to take a shuttle bus or a train. If you want to make plans but you can’t find any information about terminals in your reservation, you can check where each airline’s planes normally land. Just make sure to double-check it right before your flight, as changes are always possible.

What to do at Heathrow Airport?

If you know that you’ll be spending some time at the airport waiting for someone or for a connecting flight, or simply because you want to, it’s good to see what can keep you busy and away from annoying waiting areas.

Relax

There are several lounge rooms in different terminals. Some of them are open for passengers travelling first-class or business-class and only with selected airlines, but you can also find those open to all travellers for an hourly fee. Inside you can relax, eat and have a massage or take a shower. There’s even a secluded place for sleeping and spaces for business meetings.

Eat

It’s not only fast-food options anymore. Heathrow is an international, very cosmopolitan airport so its offer includes various cuisines and dietary choices. It doesn’t matter if you crave something French or Chinese, want to have a real English breakfast or you don’t eat gluten – you can always find something to your liking.

Shop

If you decide to go shopping at the airport, you won’t need to buy anything more in the city. In all of the terminals, you can choose from fancy boutiques of famous designers, jewellery purveyors, bookstores, grocery shops, and more. There, you can find entertainment for your journey, last-minute gifts, food, clothes, or electronics.

Heathrow definitely is an exceptional place that could meet all (or most) your needs, but that is just the beginning of your trip. When you leave this airport and go exploring the rest of the country, you only continue to be amazed. So make your plans and fly to the United Kingdom!