Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

Has anyone had the misfortune to use this appalling service lately?
Yesterday morning, it took 25 minutes to get off the airport and to anywhere
vaguely resembling a hotel, having picked up at Terminal Two, then going to
3, then pulling into a bay somewhere odd, changing drivers, going through
vast swathes of airport roadworks, into uncharted bowels and tunnels,
stopping at dozens of traffic-lights...and eventually to the exit, through
the main tunnel and onto the A4 Bath Road!

And they (National Express) charge three quid for it, on a 20 year-old,
freezing cold bus with rock-hard seats! I remember the days when airport
hotels used to provide a free courtesy bus service.

Not sure if there's any alternative, though - would a black cab take you to
a local hotel? Perhaps utl's Mike Hughes could enlighten me?

Ian

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Ian F." wrote in message
...
Has anyone had the misfortune to use this appalling service lately?

Never had the need, but personally can't understand why people do.
The normal bus from the central bus terminal passes many of the hotels
and is free.

Yesterday morning, it took 25 minutes to get off the airport and to
anywhere
vaguely resembling a hotel, having picked up at Terminal Two, then going
to
3, then pulling into a bay somewhere odd, changing drivers, going through
vast swathes of airport roadworks, into uncharted bowels and tunnels,
stopping at dozens of traffic-lights...and eventually to the exit, through
the main tunnel and onto the A4 Bath Road!

This is not the fault of the bus. You'd have to do this whatever form
of transport you used.

And they (National Express) charge three quid for it, on a 20 year-old,
freezing cold bus with rock-hard seats! I remember the days when airport
hotels used to provide a free courtesy bus service.

so do I.

Not sure if there's any alternative, though - would a black cab take you
to
a local hotel?

They woud. They wouldn't be happy.

tim

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

Ian F. wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 5 Mar 2005:

Not sure if there's any alternative, though - would a black cab take you to
a local hotel? Perhaps utl's Mike Hughes could enlighten me?


I'm not Mike Hughes, but I was looking up the Hotel Hoppa on the
Internet the other day for reasons that now escape me and on
http://www.londontoolkit.com/lhr/hotel_hoppa_bus.htm
it suggests you use free local buses instead, and there is a link to a
page with details of these.

--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 20 February 2005

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message , Ian F.
writes

I remember the days when airport hotels used to provide a free courtesy
bus service.

Most of them still do.

--
Paul Terry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...

Most of them still do.

Not the Marriott.

Ian

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...

I'm not Mike Hughes,

I guessed that! ;-)

but I was looking up the Hotel Hoppa on the
Internet the other day for reasons that now escape me and on
http://www.londontoolkit.com/lhr/hotel_hoppa_bus.htm
it suggests you use free local buses instead, and there is a link to a
page with details of these.

Never knew about it - as it says on that site, it's not very well
publicised, for obvious reasons. I'll remember that for next time. I wasn't
actually flying, just going to a meeting at the Marriott, having got the
Heathrow Express from Paddington.

Thanks Annabel.

Ian

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message , Ian F.
writes

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...

Most of them still do.

Not the Marriott.

Not at Heathrow, no. What I meant is that hotel courtesy buses are still
the norm at most UK airports - even the Marriott chain offers them
outside of Heathrow.

--
Paul Terry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 13:21:16 +0100, "tim" wrote:


"Ian F." wrote in message
...
Has anyone had the misfortune to use this appalling service lately?

Never had the need, but personally can't understand why people do.
The normal bus from the central bus terminal passes many of the hotels
and is free.

Hey Tim... The normal bus to where? Which buses are free from the
central bus terminal?

Ta!

HVB.

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

HVB wrote:
"tim" wrote:
"Ian F." wrote

Has anyone had the misfortune to use this
appalling service lately?

Never had the need, but personally can't understand
why people do. The normal bus from the central bus
terminal passes many of the hotels and is free.

Hey Tim... The normal bus to where? Which buses are
free from the central bus terminal? Ta! HVB.

The following pdf file shows all the London Transport
buses from Heathrow:-
www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/pdf/heathrow.pdf
This is a big sheet, actually it looks like a copy
of the poster you see in the bus shelters. I have a
copy on my wall printed out on 9 sheets of paper as
my printer supports poster printing. I suggest
you print out just the middle of it, to show the
Central Bus Station and Bath Road. If you get on the
bus and say you are going to one of the Bath Road
hotels you are not charged.

The free buses do not serve all hotels. When I was booked into
the Holiday Inn at Junction 4 (Originally Post House, then
Crest, on Sipson Road) a late night Taxi cost GBP 11 and the
Hoppa was six pounds for two of us the next morning. What
is more - it does no harm to ask the taxi driver particularly
nicely - as by taking a local fare he loses the lucrative ride
into town, then has to rejoin the back of the queue of taxis
at the airport.

More generally there are similar large pdf bus map files
for most places in London, very useful if you want to see
London on the surface and not just get around quickly by tube.
The list is at:
www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/borough.shtml
My tip is to go straight to the bottom of the page where you
can find the areas listed alphabetically.
HTH

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"tim" wrote in message
...

"Ian F." wrote in message
...
Has anyone had the misfortune to use this appalling service lately?

Never had the need, but personally can't understand why people do.
The normal bus from the central bus terminal passes many of the hotels
and is free.

Yesterday morning, it took 25 minutes to get off the airport and to
anywhere
vaguely resembling a hotel, having picked up at Terminal Two, then going
to
3, then pulling into a bay somewhere odd, changing drivers, going through
vast swathes of airport roadworks, into uncharted bowels and tunnels,
stopping at dozens of traffic-lights...and eventually to the exit,
through
the main tunnel and onto the A4 Bath Road!

This is not the fault of the bus. You'd have to do this whatever form
of transport you used.

And they (National Express) charge three quid for it, on a 20 year-old,
freezing cold bus with rock-hard seats! I remember the days when airport
hotels used to provide a free courtesy bus service.

so do I.

Not sure if there's any alternative, though - would a black cab take you
to
a local hotel?

They woud. They wouldn't be happy.

tim

PMFJI ~

FWIW, after the policy switched mandating the Hoppa service, I learned early
on to take a black cab to the Crowne Plaza at LHR. Only once did a driver
give me a hard time (at Terminal 3) so I told the starter I refused to ride
in that man's cab and requested another. The first cabbie was told to get
out of line and lost his spot. That said, the other drivers I have had over
the years have done a good job for me, which in turn I do a "good job" for
them. The extra money is, to me, worth it rather than spend the increased
time and frustration on the Hoppa.

Rich

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 17:48:12 GMT, mookie89 wrote:

The extra money is, to me, worth it rather than spend the increased
time and frustration on the Hoppa.

Out of interest, roughly how much extra are we talking about?
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9767288.html
(Gatwick Express, Mark 1: 4VEG unit 7910 at London Victoria in 1980)

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message .com,
writes

What is more - it does no harm to ask the taxi driver particularly
nicely - as by taking a local fare he loses the lucrative ride into
town, then has to rejoin the back of the queue of taxis at the airport.

No. Taxis on local runs do not have to return to the back of the queue,
providing they return to Heathrow within a specified time.

--
Paul Terry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Chris Tolley" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 17:48:12 GMT, mookie89 wrote:

The extra money is, to me, worth it rather than spend the increased
time and frustration on the Hoppa.

Out of interest, roughly how much extra are we talking about?
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9767288.html
(Gatwick Express, Mark 1: 4VEG unit 7910 at London Victoria in 1980)

The meter usually reads from £6 to £7 for two of us. If the driver has a
good attitude and drives appropriately (not like a race car driver), I will
tip the driver £3. Once I did £5 for a particularly excellent driver. This
for a 8 minute ride. So, while it may cost me an extra £4, I go directly to
the hotel in a third less time. Same goes for reverse as there always seems
to be a black cab dropping off when we leave to go home.

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

mookie89 wrote:
"Chris Tolley" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 17:48:12 GMT, mookie89 wrote:

The extra money is, to me, worth it rather than spend the
increased time and frustration on the Hoppa.

Out of interest, roughly how much extra are we talking about?

The meter usually reads from £6 to £7 for two of us. If the
driver has a good attitude and drives appropriately (not like
a race car driver), I will tip the driver £3. Once I did £5
for a particularly excellent driver. This for a 8 minute ride.

40 to 80% tip! All the sites for visitors to London recommend 10-15% or
round up to the nearest pound, and that seems reasonable to me. Why do
you tip so much?
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

Richard J. ) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

The meter usually reads from £6 to £7 for two of us. If the
driver has a good attitude and drives appropriately (not like
a race car driver), I will tip the driver £3. Once I did £5
for a particularly excellent driver. This for a 8 minute ride.

40 to 80% tip! All the sites for visitors to London recommend 10-15% or
round up to the nearest pound, and that seems reasonable to me. Why do
you tip so much?

You ever tried giving a cabbie a 60p tip?

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Paul Terry" wrote in message

In message .com,
writes

What is more - it does no harm to ask the taxi driver particularly
nicely - as by taking a local fare he loses the lucrative ride into
town, then has to rejoin the back of the queue of taxis at the
airport.

No. Taxis on local runs do not have to return to the back of the
queue, providing they return to Heathrow within a specified time.

I think they have quite a bit of time to get back (45 mins?). I live 11
miles away and once got a cab home and the driver thought she might just
be able to get back in time to avoid getting in the long queue.

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Richard J." wrote in message
.uk...
mookie89 wrote:
"Chris Tolley" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 17:48:12 GMT, mookie89 wrote:

The extra money is, to me, worth it rather than spend the
increased time and frustration on the Hoppa.

Out of interest, roughly how much extra are we talking about?

The meter usually reads from £6 to £7 for two of us. If the
driver has a good attitude and drives appropriately (not like
a race car driver), I will tip the driver £3. Once I did £5
for a particularly excellent driver. This for a 8 minute ride.

40 to 80% tip! All the sites for visitors to London recommend 10-15% or
round up to the nearest pound, and that seems reasonable to me. Why do
you tip so much?
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

I try to treat the individual as they deserve. If the driver, or the
server, or the porter or the whatever really stinks, then there is no tip.
One of the main reasons wife and I travel to the UK as often as we can is
because the people we encounter treat us so well. I have had cabbies,
London or otherwise, go way out of their way for me whether the meter is
running or not. Have I encountered some stinkers? Yes. However most have
been excellent. I do have a bias as I have been in public school
transportation (USA) for over 30 years and get to see both sides of "public
transport". If a public transport bus driver deserves comment either one
way or the other, I send an e-mail to their management. As a manager
(retired), I sincerely appreciated public input. It was usually 5% for and
95% against, but the "for's" really made everyone's day!

mookie

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Adrian" wrote in message
. 1.4...
Richard J. ) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

The meter usually reads from £6 to £7 for two of us. If the
driver has a good attitude and drives appropriately (not like
a race car driver), I will tip the driver £3. Once I did £5
for a particularly excellent driver. This for a 8 minute ride.

40 to 80% tip! All the sites for visitors to London recommend 10-15% or
round up to the nearest pound, and that seems reasonable to me. Why do
you tip so much?

You ever tried giving a cabbie a 60p tip?

Yes, I do it regularly for a £4 fare and the driver always seems pleased
with it. OK, it isn't in London, but why should that make any difference?

JohnT

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message , at 17:48:12
on Sat, 5 Mar 2005, mookie89 remarked:

FWIW, after the policy switched mandating the Hoppa service

When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when
I did.
--
Roland Perry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

Ian F. wrote:

Has anyone had the misfortune to use this appalling service lately?
Yesterday morning, it took 25 minutes to get off the airport and to anywhere
vaguely resembling a hotel, having picked up at Terminal Two, then going to
3, then pulling into a bay somewhere odd, changing drivers, going through
vast swathes of airport roadworks, into uncharted bowels and tunnels,
stopping at dozens of traffic-lights...and eventually to the exit, through
the main tunnel and onto the A4 Bath Road!

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part of an airport
is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Aidan Stanger" wrote in message
...

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part of an airport
is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

They were strange parts - very strange. Lots of pipes and ducting...people
in unusual uniforms, resembling protective clothing...winding, narrow
roads...dark passageways...odd sounds, including clanking and steam
emissions...very bowel-esque.

The tunnel seemed to go on for ever...at one stage, I could have sworn I was
in some kind of nightmare. The others on the bus were an odd assortment,
too...it would not have been beyond the realms of possibility for one of
them to have been Nicely-Nicely Johnson, about to burst into "Sit Down,
You're Rocking The Boat".

It was, in essence, not an experience I would every want to repeat. Although
somewhere deep within, almost spookily, I feel a pressing desire to do so...

Ian

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110097705.9a3e0a9f81ced7ab6b2f654222027e88@t eranews...
In message , at 17:48:12 on
Sat, 5 Mar 2005, mookie89 remarked:

FWIW, after the policy switched mandating the Hoppa service

When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,
IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

tim

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message , at 10:04:28 on Sun, 6
Mar 2005, tim remarked:
When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,

No, when did the hotels stop running their own free buses?

IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

There was perhaps an interim stage when BAA was charging the hotel buses
for each trip onto the site. Or am I mis-remembering?
--
Roland Perry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message , at 19:01:23 on
Sun, 6 Mar 2005, Aidan Stanger remarked:
having picked up at Terminal Two, then going to
3, then pulling into a bay somewhere odd, changing drivers, going through
vast swathes of airport roadworks, into uncharted bowels and tunnels,
stopping at dozens of traffic-lights...and eventually to the exit, through
the main tunnel and onto the A4 Bath Road!

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part of an airport
is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

I had this when landing at LHR T3 by Virgin, and they couldn't get a
gate, so we all had to get onto a bus. Anyway, having braved the
weather, we then had an interesting trip in and out of various parts of
the terminal building, travelling for about 10 minutes, during which we
drove past the several places twice! Eventually we stopped at a set of
doors with steps up into the building, a few hundred yards from where
the plane was.
--
Roland Perry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110106708.b2cf67a024d600cfb0b7e0714be56fc7@t eranews...
In message , at 10:04:28 on Sun, 6 Mar
2005, tim remarked:
When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when
I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,

No, when did the hotels stop running their own free buses?

The hoppa started in 1997 (from NE's annual statement for that year).

IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

There was perhaps an interim stage when BAA was charging the hotel buses
for each trip onto the site. Or am I mis-remembering?

I though that BAA have charged for bus access for almost forever.
I think that the incentive was to coordinate the service to make better
use of infrastructure rather than to increase reveue.

tim

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Ian F." wrote in message
...
"Aidan Stanger" wrote in message
...

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part
of an airport is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

They were strange parts - very strange. Lots of pipes and
ducting...people in unusual uniforms, resembling protective
clothing...winding, narrow roads...dark passageways...odd
sounds, including clanking and steam
emissions...very bowel-esque.

The tunnel seemed to go on for ever...

It sounds brilliant! I'm jealous...

at one stage, I could have sworn I was
in some kind of nightmare.

I think that's the most likely explanation. Were you tired? Have you
recently watched Solaris by Tarkovsky? Or eaten some cheese?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

Adrian typed


Richard J. ) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

The meter usually reads from £6 to £7 for two of us. If the
driver has a good attitude and drives appropriately (not like
a race car driver), I will tip the driver £3. Once I did £5
for a particularly excellent driver. This for a 8 minute ride.

40 to 80% tip! All the sites for visitors to London recommend 10-15% or
round up to the nearest pound, and that seems reasonable to me. Why do
you tip so much?

You ever tried giving a cabbie a 60p tip?

I did today - for a £3.20 fare...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110097705.9a3e0a9f81ced7ab6b2f654222027e88@t eranews...
In message , at 17:48:12 on
Sat, 5 Mar 2005, mookie89 remarked:

FWIW, after the policy switched mandating the Hoppa service

When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when I
did.
--
Roland Perry

I don't remember exactly, but as another poster said it was at least five
years ago. I remember how annoyed I was that I had to start paying for a
ride that wasn't direct. The Crowne Plaza is route H1 that stops at two
other hotels first.

mookie

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message , Adrian
writes

You ever tried giving a cabbie a 60p tip?

Yes. If the service is OK I always try to tip close to 10%.

--
Paul Terry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

Paul Terry wrote:
semiretired wrote

What is more - it does no harm to ask the taxi driver
particularly nicely - as by taking a local fare he
loses the lucrative ride into town, then has to rejoin
the back of the queue of taxis at the airport.

No. Taxis on local runs do not have to return to the back
of the queue, providing they return to Heathrow within a
specified time. Paul Terry

Where, in these circumstances, do they rejoin the queue?

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

In message .com,
writes

Paul Terry wrote:

No. Taxis on local runs do not have to return to the back
of the queue, providing they return to Heathrow within a
specified time.

Where, in these circumstances, do they rejoin the queue?

They don't. They go straight to the ranks. See:

http://www.google.co.uk/groups?selm=....demon.co .uk

--
Paul Terry

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

tim wrote:

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110106708.b2cf67a024d600cfb0b7e0714be56fc7@t eranews...

In message , at 10:04:28 on Sun, 6 Mar
2005, tim remarked:

When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when
I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,

No, when did the hotels stop running their own free buses?


The hoppa started in 1997 (from NE's annual statement for that year).


IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

There was perhaps an interim stage when BAA was charging the hotel buses
for each trip onto the site. Or am I mis-remembering?


I though that BAA have charged for bus access for almost forever.
I think that the incentive was to coordinate the service to make better
use of infrastructure rather than to increase reveue.

tim







The problem is that their perceived "better use of infrastructure" comes
at the cost of travelers. It is particularly inconvenient for folks
staying at the airport for an early transatlantic flight. The service
is far to erratic for folks concerned with excessive security delays.

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"mookie89" wrote in message
. ..

If the driver has a good attitude and drives appropriately
(not like a race car driver), I will tip the driver £3.
Once I did £5 for a particularly excellent driver.

What constitutes "a particularly excellent driver"?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow
 

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
"mookie89" wrote in message
. ..

If the driver has a good attitude and drives appropriately
(not like a race car driver), I will tip the driver £3.
Once I did £5 for a particularly excellent driver.

What constitutes "a particularly excellent driver"?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

Attentive without being overly so, drives decently and not like a race car
driver, helps with luggage at both ends of the trip, polite, respectful,
takes an interest in his/her profession and passenger, etc., etc.