Suggestions for spending 12 hours in Heathrow area

thanks all!  Staying here sounds like the best possible plan. 

When I go to the National Express site and enter "Bristol" in to the From box, I only get to choose from Bristol (bus station), Bristol University or Bristol Airport.

Probably why my choices have been so limited.  The coach from Bristol Uni takes 4 plus hours 

What am I doing wrong?  How do I get to the Temple Meads schedule?

  Holly

thanks all!  Staying here sounds like the best possible plan. 

When I go to the National Express site and enter "Bristol" in to the From box, I only get to choose from Bristol (bus station), Bristol University or Bristol Airport.

Probably why my choices have been so limited.  The coach from Bristol Uni takes 4 plus hours 

What am I doing wrong?  How do I get to the Temple Meads schedule?

  Holly

Sometimes...as with all things..its just easier to ring them  I always get confused on their website sometimes.  Also I believe there is a similar bus that runs from London called the Easybus.  Another spin off from Stalios's Easyjet that is supposed to be quite cheap.  Can you get straight into London easier and then the bus thingy to Heathrow??

What am I doing wrong?  How do I get to the Temple Meads schedule?

You'll want the train station - http://www.thetrainline.com

Yes, as springhaze said, you take the train (National Rail) from Temple Meads to Paddington.  Then a coach (National Express) from Paddington to Heathrow.

Yes, as springhaze said, you take the train (National Rail) from Temple Meads to Paddington.  Then a coach (National Express) from Paddington to Heathrow.

Beware, though... some trains are called National Express as well!

Just for clarification - nationalexpress.com is for booking coach tickets; nationalexpresseastcoast.com is for booking train tickets.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/bp/b2.cfm?id=142213868

It's Marlborough St Station for coaches.

Vicky

You could get the mega bus (http://www.megabus.com/uk/)

19:30 Depart Bristol City Centre, Colston Hall
Arrive London, Victoria Coach Station 22:00

Then switch for the tube to Heathrow (about 45 mins)
Bonus of this is the megabus is about £8

So you'd be getting into LHR about 11pm

I've actually slept in Heathrow about three times over the last decade. Twice on Christmas Night/Boxing Day when the Tube wasn't running and once when I had an extraordinarily early flight back to Newark. It's not awful and (not to sound particularly happy-clappy) you get to meet different people from all over the world. The guards won't bother you and I didn't see a lot of homeless people wandering about.

So, yeah, not wonderful but heck, it's free. Anyway, for more tips, you can check out the Heathrow page on the online guide to sleeping in airports:

http://www.sleepinginairports.com/europe/londonheathrow.htm