So You Decided To Stay At Heathrow…

Trust me when I say you have made the right choice.  A few hours rushing around London after a sleepless trans-Atlantic flight can be brutal.  You will run into a few problems of your own though, such as “where do I eat and what am I going to do for the next 10 hours?”

If you want to leave the airport but stay somewhere close, you could check out Windsor.  It is a very nice suburb outside London which is famous for Windsor Castle.  You can check out the castle or just grab a bite to eat and visit some of the shops.

If you decide to just stay at the airport the entire time, then you might want to get to Terminal 5 if you don’t land there.  T5 is the newest, biggest and nicest of the terminals.  It looks almost like a mall and makes the layover almost bearable.

If you have any problems sleeping on planes, then the first thing on your mind is “where am I going to sleep?”  There are three options for sleeping around or at Heathrow.  The cheapest option is to find a couch.  There is only one group of couches at T5 and they are a precious commodity.  I recommend you stake out the couch section until you can lay claim on one.  After that, don’t get up until you are ready to lose your spot.  If you are going to try and sleep here, remember to secure all your baggage and maybe sleep on your backpack.  You will be surrounded by people, but just in case.

The second option is to head to Terminal 4, where you can check into the Yotel. The Yotel rents out cabins by the hour with 4 hours being the minimum.  You can get yourself a cabin for 4 hours for a little over $40 at the cheapest. The rooms are small, but the beds are comfortable and the shower is incredible. Check out their website at www.yotel.com.

The last option is to get a room at the Sofitel.  This is the same hotel you will be staying at if you have an overnight return stay in London.  You will get a very nice quiet hotel room and plenty of room to rest. The best part of the Sofitel is it is located just walking distance from Terminal 5 and you can easily follow the signs to get there.

Another tip is to check out the Giraffe Restaurant on the second story of T5.  I think it is one of the better restaurants there, and it is somewhat affordable.  If you are a Starbucks-addict, then you may want to grab your last one as it does not exist in Zambia.

So whether you stayed around the airport or ventured out into foggy London-town, enjoy your short stay in London and hurry up and join us in Zambia.  Your kids are waiting for you!