Paddington mainline train station mixes grand architecture with a hectic, crowded space, Honesty I…read morereally only detoured here for the Paddington Bear statue,( I expected bigger but then I watched a movie.when I got back to the states, so actually he's life size, I guess) also I wanted to see the crowds. So with thousands of solid Yelp reviews before me just read those, but for me it earns its reputation as a London rail icon and something to see for yourself.

Crazy and what I was hoping it would be. A little bit of everything mixed with hectic hustle and…read morebustle. The bathrooms were not easy to find in my area and of course the pain of paying is something that should be free in a transportation facility. Still a one time adventure that I experienced and people were helpful for this tourist.

On our recent visit to London we thought a public transit option might be a good idea using…read moreLondon's underground tube to get to Heathrow international airport. What finalized our decision was the close proximity from the London Marriott Kensington hotel to Earl's Court tube station. From the hotel shortcut to the tube station was 5-7 minutes as we pulled our 24 inch luggage. Pros: * 45 minutes from Earl's Court to Heathrow terminals 2 & 3 * easy payment system by tapping your contactless credit card at the turnstile * 2.10 English pounds meant $2.72 USD. That's a huge incentive to take the tube. Cons: * there should be more emphasis on the need to take the lift to the Piccadilly line located down on platform 6. There is a sign around the corner that says it's 83 steps assuming you want to take the stairs. Not with a 24 inch luggage you don't.

for a tube station this one is really good. Easy to navigate, clean and has character. The staff…read moreare fabulous and super helpful. Helped us get our Oyster Pass and they had the human touch with a shot of humour. More public employees should act this way!

Well, okay, you can jump off the District Line here and catch the Picadilly, but I suspect the time…read moreyou will save by transferring trains will be taken up by, well, transferring trains. Anyway, it's another reasonably cool station, though it isn't the same as the one at Chiswick Park. Also, like a lot of these stations, it is close to shops, which is always pretty cool.

Action Town is a major interchange on the District and Piccadilly lines in West London, and is used…read moreby over 5.5 million passengers a year. Opened in 1879 as Mill Hill Park on the extension of the Metropolitan District Railway from Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway, services were gradually augmented with the opening of the line to Hounslow Town in 1883, to Hounslow Barracks (now Hounslow West) in 1884 and South Acton in 1905. The station was rebuilt in 1910 and renamed 'Acton Town'. It was rebuilt again in 1931, in preparation for the Piccadilly line taking over services (from the District Line) to Uxbridge, and with the extension of Piccadilly line services to Hounslow West (now on the Heathrow branch) in 1933. This is one of Frank Holden's famous modernist style stations, with a tall, square ticket hall featuring extensive glazing, above a single storey podium containing shops and other facilities. The platforms also retain the concrete canopies from this period. Alas, these are looking a little tatty now, and the whole station could benefit from a lick of paint. The line to South Acton closed in 1959, and since 1964 the Hounslow West branch has been operated by Piccadilly line trains only (but was extended to Heathrow in 1977). It retains an important function as an interchange, as Piccadilly line trains do not stop at most of the intermediate stations between here and Hammersmith, and it is the junction for the lines north to Ealing Broadway (District) and Rayners Lane/Uxbridge (Piccadilly) and west to Heathrow (Piccadilly). The station is served by the E3 bus, and by buses 70, 207, 427, 440 and night buses N7, N11 and N207 in nearby Harrow Road

Paddington Station is huge. You can get almost anywhere in London from here. Lots of shops and…read moreplaces to eat are in the station. Two groceries are in the station, which makes it very convenient to pick some things up. A hotel is in the renovated older part of the station. It has a direct entrance rate into Paddington Station. This is a good location to stay. Lots of hotels in different price range ranges are within a 5 to 10 minute walk shopping and restaurants are all set within a 5 to 10 minute walk.

Is it an overpriced tourist trap? A little bit. But was this Paddington Bear store at Paddington…read morestation one of my first stops after arriving in London a week or so ago? Yep. It's a pretty large store. It sells anything Paddington-related you can think of: books, stuffed Paddingtons, t-shirts, sweatshirts, toys, ... everything Paddington! With the musical a hit in the West End, they have lots of Paddington: The Musical souvenirs, too. I went home with a book and a large Paddington stuffed animal. It's a fun stop if you're at Paddington Station anyway!

It is simple enough to get to Heathrow Terminal 5 via public transit…read more Make sure you are on the right train line AND that it goes all the way to the end station you are needing. Not all Picadilly lines in this direction go all the way to Heathrow, let alone every terminal. I found it frustrating to then find departures from the underground. I HAD to take an elevator, or at least that is what an airport worker advised. I would have preferred stairs or escalator, but it seemed impossible and a lift was required. Still, I would make this choice in the future to get to central London or back to the airport from central London. It is affordable and fairly easy, especially if you had a small amount of luggage.

Beautiful Terminal with so many high end shops. If you didn't get to Harrods you can stop in the…read morestore here. Security was very picky. Make sure you have ALL your liquids in a plastic bag or they will go through your bags. The terminal has a few nice Priority Lounges and clear visible signage. You can also catch the Elizabeth line to take you right into London here.

This station is in the midst of one of the most touristy sections of London. It's another station…read moreI've used frequently depending on where I am heading while visiting. Easy to navigate, bustling, clean, friendly and helpful employees.

This was our 3rd visit to London and we just loved this station and it's dual, very convenient…read morelines. First, the Piccadilly is direct from LHR. So that is already a plus, no need for the Heathrow Express or the Elizabeth Line. You have access to Cromwell Road for a short stroll to the Natural History Museum & the V&A. Stores in Kensington, north to Kensington High Street, Notting Hill is walkable, you can head west to Richmond etc. The station is also completely accessible, where you do not have any steps from platform to street, which not every station can say. Right outside of the station are a few fast food stores and pubs. That side of Cromwell is not particularly lovely, but when you cross you can feel that it is more residential and less commercial. With the Piccadilly & District Lines together, you can navigate to many areas of the city. I liked staying near Earl's Court and preferred it to the more Eastern parts of the city near Tower Bridge or Shoreditch.

Okay, this is probably the station you get off at to get to centre-court because, well, it is a…read moremajor interchange station, and there does seem to be a major shopping precinct here as well. Even a few pubs, but then again there are lots of pubs in England. Oh, you can like catch the tram here as well, which I think is also pretty good. Yeah, as a station it's pretty good, and certainly places you into the centre of the action - well, as long as it isn't the Tennis you're looking for.

Wimbledon station is one of the busiest stations on the South West Trains network, on the main line…read morefrom Waterloo to Southampton. It is also the terminus of the Wimbledon branch of the District Line of TfL, and of the Tramlink to Croydon, and provides an interchange with the Sutton loop of the Thameslink service via Blackfriars. It is used by 19 million passengers a year on the main line, a similar number on the District Line, and over 2 million on Tramlink. The station opened on the Waterloo to Woking Line in 1838, with the other branches owning over the subsequent 40 years, although the line towards Sutton opened as late as 1929. In 1997 the line to West Croydon was closed for conversion into the Tramlink, reopening in 2000. In 1881 the station was relocated from its original site on the opposite side of the bridge. The station was rebuilt in the Art Deco style in the 1920s. The station has 11 platforms: 1-4 for the District Line terminus, which has its own concourse on the north side of the station (where the toilets are located); 5-8 on the South West main line; 9 for Thameslink services and 10a and 10b for Tramlink. Platforms 6 and 7 are on the fast lines and only used occasionally. All stopping suburban services from Waterloo stop here. Lifts provide step free access to all platforms. The ticket office and concourse are located on the north side of the station adjacent to the staircase to the District Line. There are shop units along the bridge above the platforms selling food, and future shop units on the District Line concourse. There is an exit on the south side of the station next to the entrance to the Centre Court shopping centre.

Given my choice of airline, I don't often fly out of Terminal 4, but it still has a lot going for…read moreit when I have. Fast security times due to multiple entry points allows you a little pre-flight buffer if you arrive closer to departure. Use some of that saved time to hit up the quick or slow dining options before you depart: The Commission, Star Light, Caviar House for you high-rollers, Prince of Wales for the rest of us, and of course (of course) Pret! Pro tip 1: since they never put flight gates up until 1 hour before, walk down toward gate 14 to hang out in a less-crowded space instead of right beyond security. Also kids will love the play area there, and head up the stairs to the birds eye runway view (everybody loves that--even an elevator). Pro tip 2: T4 by TfL means train transfer (Piccadilly and Elizabeth) unless you get the every-30-min T4 direct. You know I'll return, because if my ticket says T4 what else am I gonna do?

The other cities in Europe have something to learn from London. When you land in a new city, it can…read morebe daunting to try to figure out how to utilize the public transportation. But in London, things are made much easier because you can use your apple pay to tap in and tap out. Easy peasy lemon squeezie! The airport is far from the city center- about an hour ride. So get ready to get comfy!