Somewhere to camp/stay after arriving at Heathrow?

Michael Falk

I'll be arriving at Heathrow in mid-June before 9am. I'm intending to head west or southwest, maybe in the Devon direction.

Is there a campsite, hostel (preferably where you can camp) or cheap accomodation not too far a ride from Heathrow. Preferably with reasonable access to shops. I might be pretty stuffed post flight. Maybe upto 60km (35miles) from the airport.

thanks,
Michael

It\'s not a steed

The nearest campsites that I know of are :

Laleham Camping Club (OS grid reference TQ 052 679)
Chertsey Camping Club Site (OS grid reference TQ 052 667)
These are both about 10k South of Heathrow and are fairly large commercial sites.

An alternative would be camping on the island at Cookham Lock (SU 905 855) This is roughly about 20k West of Heathrow, so a bit further but heading in the right direction at least. It's a much smaller area, about a dozen pitches and is only open to people arriving by foot, bike or boat.

If you went to any of these you'd pass shops enroute.
Full details of these three are here:
http://www.visitthames.co.uk/uploads/go_camping_on_the_river_thames.pdf

Hope this helps, and enjoy your trip.

jellybellywmb

Just stick your tent up in terminal 5 whilst you wait for your bags.

Or you could have a look at the city while you recover from your flight try places like YHA HOSTELS

http://www.hostelworld.com/availability ... ndon-20976

Michael Falk

Thanks for the replies.

I'l look on the web to find the campsite locations.

I'm not keen to ride into & then out of London. Maybe I could take a train with my loaded bike but then there are also the high prices of hostels & there's a likely chance that I'd pick one full of the stereotypical Australian backpacker.

I'm thinking of the hostel at Wantage not too far from Oxford.

Michael

jellybellywmb

Where are you heading after your rest?? or do you not have a plan
If you are going to Devon I would recommend Dorset on the way.

Michael Falk

My English geography is nothing special, isn't Dorset on the way to Devon? It is probably where I shall head initially.

Two hostels not too far from Heathrow that allow camping are at Jordans (north of Heathrow) & Holsbury St. Mary (or something like that!; south of Heathrow). Both are YHA & allow camping. Jordans sounds a better location (closer to reasonably sized towns with shops & not too far from a tube station if I want a day in London). Not on the way too Dorset but appears to be a good location for my initial days.

Anyone know anything about Jordans YHA hostel? They didn't reply to my enquiry.

Michael

stinger67

Hi, try a search for - treetops hedgerley

or have a look at this

http://www.caravancampingsites.co.uk/be ... eetops.htm

not far from Heathrow

Take care on the roads around the Heathrow area, used to live there and very busy fast traffic, once your outside of the M25 things seem to calm down a bit.

Good luck.

Michael Falk

Thanks Stinger, I looked up the campsite on the map & it looks very convenient. I will though probably stay & camp at Jordans Hostel since, I think, it is the same price as the campground as well as having the facilities of the hostel.

Also it's good to know the website (http://www.caravancampingsites.co.uk) that you used, it may be very useful.

Michael

stinger67

Hi Michael

There's loads of similar websites for the UK, just do a google search for 'campsites uk', also www.yell.com is good for putting in 'campsite' and then an area, for instance Dorset, and it'll list about 24 sites in Dorset...

Gav

anagallis_arvensis

If you were a normal person and not an internet freak like you must be to be reading this I'd suggest staying at my house. Actaully getting the Heathrow express bus out to Reading would help you miss a lot of crap traffic. Its hourly and failry quick. You could then have a pleasant 8-10 mile ride to Henley and stay heree

http://www.swissfarmcamping.co.uk/location.htm

Michael Falk

Anagallis,

your reply sounds a bit like a promotion, but, all the same, I'm interested!

I've now arranged my first night or nights' location elsewhere but Henley is a nice place & just a dawdle of a ride to get there to start my touring. The price mentioned on the webpage for a tent is a deterrent but the webpage mentions "pup tents" prices by arrangement. I've no idea what a pup tent is but maybe I have one.

I've got your email address & I may email/ring you very soon for more info.

Michael

dvlrnr

Hi Michael,

Hm, why not be a full on Internet freak :P and give WarmShowers.org and CouchSurfing a try? Worked out nicely for me in Germany last year. I found that meeting new people through these sites was one of the absolute highlights of my tour.

Thomas

wallabyhunter

Hy Michael, what's with the

the stereotypical Australian backpacker.

I thought you (us) Australians were all quite retiring types?

Where are you heading? I too will be leaving Aus (Perth) late June then a bit of time in the UK then of to Loire valley.

gb

www.letourgb.com
24 days & 5 hours, but who's counting?

Michael Falk

Thomas, an excellent idea. I've had more of enough of my own company riding around. Certainly meeting people (well, the nice ones!) has been the highlight.

W.Hunter, sorry about making the stereotype based on the odd (or more!) occasion. I'll probably go SW England then unsure. Maybe across to the SE to catch a ferry to Holland & visit nth.Germany (I'm meant to be able to chat OK in German but after 2 years in Argentina every 2nd attempted German word is Spanish). I'll be in Europe at least until October.

Michael