Author Topic: Heathrow T5 to Earl's Court  (Read 1625 times)

Heathrow T5 to Earl's Court
« on: 26 March, 2009, 05:07:49 pm »
I will be arriving at Heathrow Airport in a few weeks, and have booked a bed at the Earl's Court youth hostel for that night. The plan is to cycle out of the airport and to the hostel, following the A4 (Bath Rd) into Cranford and the A312 (The Parkway) to where it crosses the Grand Union Canal, then using the Grand Union Canal towpath to where it crosses the A315, then following the A315 (High St/Chiswick High Rd/King St/Hammersmith Rd) into Kensington. The route looks like this. Any feedback from the London crowd would be appreciated. I used the GUC towpath a few years ago to get from LHR to Euston Station and I thought it was a great way to get into London.

Is there a cycle path that follows the Thames that would let me bypass any part of the A315, or would I be better off just using the A315?

Can anyone suggest a better route? Would using the Paddington Arm of the canal be a better choice?

Re: Heathrow T5 to Earl's Court
« Reply #1 on: 26 March, 2009, 10:11:26 pm »
As good a route as any. The biggest hazard is the Chiswick Roundabout (Junc with A406), but this can be avoided by turning right into Wellesley Road just after passing Kew Bridge, and it rejoins the A315 within a mile. Hammersmith is a major one way system but isn't too bad going east.

Using the Paddington arm is quite a long way round.

Re: Heathrow T5 to Earl's Court
« Reply #2 on: 26 March, 2009, 10:29:23 pm »
I have no personal experience, but you could look here
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

Julian

  • samoture
Re: Heathrow T5 to Earl's Court
« Reply #3 on: 26 March, 2009, 10:32:00 pm »
I do bits of this route quite a lot and if at all possible I would avoid the Bath Road.  It's one of the very few roads where I will use the pavement cycle path rather than ride on the road.  Insanely unpleasant.

If you can, go down to the Staines Road / London Road (A315) and keep going along that.  It's a main road but not too nasty.  Then keep going as you've planned and you have my entire route from Heathrow up to my old office.  The Chiswick Roundabout is fine, the traffic is generally stationary.  :)

Re: Heathrow T5 to Earl's Court
« Reply #4 on: 27 March, 2009, 02:14:03 am »

Thanks to all who replied. I actually used the Paddington Arm to get from LHR to Euston Station and used the A315/Grand Union Canal link up to get from Holland House YH back to LHR about 5 years ago. I must have used Bath Road and the Chiswick roundabout then, but I don't recall being too traumatized by either. It's nice to have an alternative, though, just in case I feel differently this time around.