From Heathrow to Hastings: How a Business Trip Turned Into the Perfect Bleisure Experience

Lessons from my first business trip to London, attending Business Travel Show Europe, and why staying a few extra days was the best decision I made.

A classic London welcome — the red telephone box with Big Ben rising behind it.

Travel is often measured in miles, flights, hotel nights, and meetings.

But when I think back on my recent business trip to London, those aren’t the things I remember most.

I remember the people.

The conversations at Business Travel Show Europe.

The actor making everyone laugh before the curtain went up.

The families enjoying a summer evening in Hyde Park.

The bartender pouring a pint in a pub that’s been standing for more than 300 years.

The hotel staff who welcomed me after an overnight flight.

It reminded me of something we talk about a lot at Teplis.

Behind every itinerary is a person.

It’s easy to forget that in an industry built around flights, hotels, travel policies, technology, and reporting. But every reservation represents someone trying to get somewhere important. A conference. A client meeting. A long-awaited vacation after work is done. Behind every trip is a person, and that’s something we’ve believed for more than 50 years.

This was my third trip to London, but my first time traveling there for business. I was attending Business Travel Show Europe at ExCeL London, representing Teplis as we continue expanding our global capabilities through our partnership with Spotnana.

Like so many business travelers today, I decided to stay a couple of extra days after the conference before flying home.

Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I made.

Over the course of six days, I navigated Heathrow, stayed in two very different parts of London, spent two busy days on the conference floor, rode trains across the city and into the English countryside, adapted to a record-breaking heat wave, and reminded myself why I love to travel in the first place.

If you’re planning a business trip to London, whether it’s your first visit or your fifth, here are a few things I learned that I hope help you make the most of yours.

Business First… Then London

The Business Travel Show Europe is one of the premier events in our industry, bringing together travel managers, suppliers, technology companies, and buyers from around the world.

For Teplis, this year’s event was especially exciting.

While we’ve been supporting global travelers for years, our partnership with Spotnana has allowed us to bring that same high-touch service to a truly global platform. The Business Travel Show Europe gave us the opportunity to share that story with a new audience.

We spend a lot of time at conferences throughout the United States, but this was our first opportunity to connect with so many travel managers, buyers, and industry professionals from across Europe and beyond. I loved having conversations about who Teplis is, how we approach travel differently, and what it means to combine great technology with even better service.

The conference itself was impressive.

Actually… massive.

Business Travel Show Europe is co-located with the TravelTech Show and The Meetings Show, creating one huge event that brings together nearly every corner of the travel industry. Whether you’re responsible for a corporate travel program, looking for new technology, supporting travelers, or simply wanting to learn where the industry is headed, it’s an incredible place to spend a few days.

What surprised me most, though, wasn’t the size of the event.

It was how willing everyone was to simply… talk.

Sometimes conferences can feel a little transactional. People stay with their own groups, rush from meeting to meeting, and rarely venture outside their schedules.

Business Travel Show Europe felt different.

It felt like a community.

People were curious. They stopped to ask questions. Conversations happened naturally. It reminded me why I enjoy this industry so much in the first place.

It’s about relationships.

Our Teplis booth on the show floor — sharing our story and our partnership with Spotnana.

Choosing the Right London Airport For Business Travel

One of the most common questions people ask when planning a business trip to London is which airport should I fly into?

Before this trip, I’d seen the same question over and over again.

Heathrow or Gatwick?

That said…

If you want the short version, here’s how the two airports actually compare.

Heathrow (LHR)

Pros

• Best long-haul network — most U.S. nonstops land here
• Elizabeth line runs straight into Paddington, Bond Street, and Liverpool Street with no transfer
• Heathrow Express reaches Paddington in about 15 minutes
• The Piccadilly line is a cheap, no-booking backup at almost any hour
• Better lounges, food, and shopping
• More rebooking options when a flight goes sideways

Cons

• Busiest airport in Europe — expect crowds and queues
• Four terminals, and transfers between them can eat an hour
• Fares often run higher on the same route
• Wrong side of the city if your meetings are south or east

Gatwick (LGW)

Pros

• Usually cheaper, especially on intra-Europe routes
• Only two terminals — noticeably faster from door to gate
• Gatwick Express reaches Victoria in about 30 minutes
• Thameslink runs to London Bridge and St Pancras
• Convenient for Brighton and the south coast

Cons

• No Tube connection — rail only, and it isn’t cheap
• Thinner long-haul network
• Budget carriers mean bag and seat fees stack up
• It’s about 30 miles out, so early flights can beat the first trains

The bottom line

Heathrow if you’re flying in from the U.S. or staying central. Gatwick if you’re connecting within Europe or staying south of the river.

And whatever you save on a Gatwick fare, check what you’ll spend getting into town before you book it.

Why are you coming to London?

If you’re flying from the U.S., Heathrow is probably going to be your answer. Between the nonstop options and the ease of getting into London, it’s hard to beat. I’ve flown into Heathrow several times now and, honestly, I’ve always had a good experience. Customs moved much faster than I expected, baggage claim was easy, and getting on my way was pretty straightforward.

That said…

My destination wasn’t Central London.

It was ExCeL London.

And those are two very different things.

I landed around 6:00 that morning with two very large suitcases full of booth materials. Taking the Tube wasn’t realistic, so I booked a car.

What looked fairly close on a map turned into almost a two-hour drive.

That wasn’t a bad thing.

I had planned for it.

But if I hadn’t, it could have easily thrown off my entire day.

One thing this trip reinforced for me is that London is much larger than people often realize.

If your meetings are in Westminster, that’s one plan.

If you’re attending a conference at ExCeL, that’s another.

If you’re flying in from elsewhere in Europe, London City Airport is absolutely worth considering. I could literally see planes landing from my hotel room, and several people I met flew in that way. On the other hand, most of the attendees coming from around the UK simply hopped on a train.

So…

What’s the best airport?

Honestly…

There isn’t one.

There’s simply the airport that makes the most sense for your trip.

Katie’s Tip

One important reminder for U.S. travelers: make sure you’ve completed your UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before you leave. It’s one of those things that’s incredibly easy to overlook until it becomes a problem.

 

Staying Near ExCeL… Then Moving Into the City

One of the best decisions I made on this trip had nothing to do with airports.

It was splitting my hotel stay.

For the conference, I stayed at the DoubleTree near ExCeL London.

The hotel was clean, comfortable, and only a short walk from both ExCeL London and Prince Regent station. That made conference mornings incredibly easy, especially after long days on the expo floor.

One thing that really stood out once I was there was how easy it was to get around East London. We found ourselves heading to Canary Wharf for dinner a couple of evenings, and it quickly became one of my favorite recommendations for anyone staying near ExCeL. It’s just one stop away on the Elizabeth Line, with no shortage of great restaurants, and a nice change of pace after spending all day at the conference.

Would I stay there again for another conference?

Without hesitation.

Would I stay there for an entire week if my goal was to experience London?

Probably not.

That’s why, once Business Travel Show Europe wrapped up, I packed up my bags and moved to the Strand Palace near Covent Garden.

Honestly, it felt like I had started a second trip.

Instead of commuting into the city, I could simply walk outside and immediately be surrounded by theaters, restaurants, historic streets, and some of my favorite neighborhoods in London.

It completely changed the pace of the trip and gave me the chance to experience a different side of London.

If I were planning the same trip again, I’d do exactly the same thing.

Covent Garden — steps from the Strand Palace and buzzing from morning to night.

Getting Around London: Skip the Car Whenever You Can

If there’s one piece of practical advice I’d give someone planning a business trip to London, it’s this:

Take the train.

Seriously.

Coming from Atlanta, where driving is just part of everyday life, it’s always refreshing to be reminded how well public transportation works in other parts of the world.

Between the Tube, the Elizabeth Line, the DLR, and the National Rail network, I found it incredibly easy to get almost everywhere I wanted to go. Even better, I never had to worry about figuring out fares or buying a transit card.

Everything was tap-and-go.

Before leaving home, I added the credit card I wanted to use to my Apple Wallet and turned on Express Transit Mode. That meant I could simply tap my phone at the station and keep walking. No Face ID. No passcodes. No stopping to buy tickets. Just tap in, tap out, and go.

It was one of those little things that made the trip feel effortless.

One thing to remember, though…

Don’t forget to tap out.

I know that sounds obvious, but it’s easy to get distracted when you’re trying to figure out which exit to take or you’re following a crowd through the station.

Katie’s Tip

If you’re using Apple Pay or Google Pay on London’s transit system, set up Express Transit before you leave for your trip. It’s one of those small things that makes a surprisingly big difference once you’re there.

 

Now… there are exceptions.

Landing at Heathrow at 6:00 in the morning with two oversized suitcases full of booth materials and heading all the way across London to ExCeL? That was absolutely a car moment.

When I didn’t have the oversized suitcases in tow, I was absolutely on the Tube.

One thing that really stood out to me throughout the week was just how much traffic could impact your day. At one point, some of my coworkers grabbed a cab to a meeting near St. James and spent close to an hour and a half getting there. I took the Tube to roughly the same area in just over twenty minutes.

If you’ve only got a few days in the city and you’re trying to make the most of your time, don’t automatically assume a cab is your quickest option.

Planning Made All the Difference

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good travel plan.

Not because every minute has to be scheduled, but because I like understanding how everything fits together before I get there.

Before this trip, I spent weeks researching neighborhoods, train routes, walking times, restaurants, and day trips. I’d pull up Google Earth to get a feel for an area, map out walking routes, check train schedules, and read everything from official websites to Instagram posts, Reddit threads, and yes… Rick Steves still makes the list.

This trip was also the first time I really used AI as part of my planning process. Not to plan the trip for me, but to help organize everything I’d already researched. It was especially helpful narrowing down day trip options, comparing ideas, and honestly just helping me organize the million thoughts already floating around in my head.

I also found a trip planning app that let me organize everything by day and see it visually on a map. It fit the way I travel perfectly. I could group activities together, add notes, and quickly rearrange my plans if I needed to.

By the time I boarded my flight, I had every day pretty well mapped out.

…

Then London had other ideas.

As They Say… The Best Laid Plans

When I planned this trip, I was expecting typical London weather.

Instead, I walked into one of the hottest weeks the UK had seen in years.

Record-breaking temperatures.

Real-feel temperatures over 100 degrees.

As someone from Atlanta, I thought, “I’ve got this.”

I did not, in fact, have this.

I had spent weeks planning this trip.

Every neighborhood.

Every train route.

Every walking path.

Everything… except for this weather.

My first afternoon was supposed to be a fairly ambitious reintroduction to one of my favorite cities. I had planned to wander through St. Dunstan in the East, walk across Tower Bridge, grab lunch at Borough Market, catch Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe, and eventually make my way back to ExCeL to help build our booth.

Then I stepped outside…

The thought of sitting through an afternoon performance in an open-air theater, even for one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, suddenly didn’t sound nearly as appealing.

So…

I pivoted.

And honestly, that became the theme of the trip.

Instead of sticking to my original itinerary, I headed straight to Borough Market. It wasn’t my first visit, but it was the first time I’d arrived with a plan. I’d heard enough about The Black Pig that I knew exactly what I was ordering before I even got there.

Cheers from a historic pub — sometimes the best plan is no plan at all.

The sandwich absolutely lived up to the hype.

The crème brûlée doughnut from Bread Ahead? 100% worth the calories.

From there, I looked at my original itinerary, smiled, and completely ignored it.

Instead of heading to Shakespeare’s Globe, I hopped on the Tube toward Burlington Arcade. I’d been planning to stop by Strathberry later in the week, but suddenly I had the time.

Sometimes when plans change…

You just go buy the handbag. (I have no regrets.)

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I don’t mind changing my plans.

What I don’t like is standing on a street corner staring at my phone looking completely lost.

If something isn’t working, I move on.

There’s always another street to wander down, another neighborhood to explore, another café to duck into, or another reason to come back.

Looking back, all of that planning hadn’t been wasted.

It had actually given me the confidence to change my plans.

Because I’d already spent so much time understanding the city, I wasn’t stressed when things shifted. I already knew what else was nearby. I already had ideas. I could adapt without feeling like I’d missed the trip.

Ironically, some of my favorite memories from London happened because my original itinerary didn’t.

The Conference Ends… The Adventure Begins

Before I knew it, two busy days at the Business Travel Show Europe had flown by. We packed up the booth, said our goodbyes, and suddenly my trip started to feel a little different.

I grabbed my bags, headed across the city to Covent Garden, and it felt like I’d arrived in London all over again.

The pace changed.

Instead of planning my day around booth schedules and meetings, I was planning it around whatever sounded interesting. A neighborhood I’d been wanting to explore. A museum. A theater. A train ride into the English countryside.

West End evenings — dinner and a show just steps from the hotel.

I’ll admit… I almost didn’t stay.

Flights home on Friday were significantly more expensive than flying home Sunday, so extending the trip actually made more sense. The harder part was giving myself permission to stay.

There’s always that little voice reminding you about everything waiting for you back home. Thankfully, I have a supportive family who reminded me that it was okay to take a little time for myself.

I’m really glad I listened.

Those extra two days completely changed the trip.

London Day Trips: Looking Beyond Bath, Windsor, and Oxford

Why I ended up choosing Rye and Hastings instead.

I knew I wanted to get out of the city. Not because I was tired of London, quite the opposite, but because I’d been to London twice before and had already checked many of the “must-see” sights off my list.

This trip felt like the perfect opportunity to experience a different side of England.

Choosing where to go, though…

That was another story.

If you search “best London day trips,” you’ll quickly see the same places over and over again.

Bath.

Windsor.

Oxford.

Stonehenge.

The Cotswolds.

And for good reason. They’re all fantastic options and I’ve actually been to several of them already.

York came very close to making the cut this time, and I spent more time than I’d like to admit debating Canterbury, the White Cliffs of Dover, Cornwall, and more stately homes than I can count.

I probably changed my mind a dozen times before finally booking my train.

In the end, Rye and Hastings won.

Partly because of the weather.

Partly because I wanted somewhere I felt comfortable exploring on my own.

But mostly because they offered exactly what I was looking for.

Rye: Stepping Into a Storybook

One thing I always try to remember when I travel is that I’m not just visiting a destination.

I’m visiting someone’s home.

It’s easy to rush from landmark to landmark trying to check everything off a list, but some of my favorite memories have come from slowing down, wandering a little, and experiencing a place the way the people who live there do.

Rye was the perfect place to do exactly that.

Getting there, however, turned into a bit more of an adventure than I’d planned. The high-speed train from London to Ashford was exactly what I’d expected. Comfortable, quick, and an easy ride out of the city.

My connection… not so much.

The local train from Ashford to Rye was canceled because of the extreme heat.

For about thirty seconds I debated my options before realizing this was just another one of those moments where you roll with it. Embrace the adventure.

So, I did something I had just spent an entire section telling you not to do.

I grabbed a taxi.

Sometimes there really is a place for a car.

It wasn’t what I’d planned, and it certainly wasn’t the cheapest option, but looking back, I wouldn’t change it. Instead of stressing over a canceled train, I had a great conversation with my taxi driver, got to see a little more of the English countryside, and arrived while Rye was still wonderfully quiet.

The best way I can describe it is this…

It felt like stepping into a storybook.

Mermaid Street was every bit as charming as I’d hoped, lined with crooked cottages, flower boxes, and centuries of history around every corner. I wandered without much of a plan, popping into little shops, taking far too many pictures, and simply enjoying being there.

One of the highlights of the morning was climbing the tower at St. Mary’s Church.

I knew there would be stairs.

I wasn’t quite prepared for those stairs.

Narrow stone staircases. Low wooden beams. Tiny passageways. And eventually the bell tower itself.

Burlington Arcade — chandeliers, marble floors, and one very well-timed handbag.

Standing above the rooftops, looking out across Rye and the rolling English countryside beyond, I remember stopping for a minute and simply taking it all in.

Eventually, I wandered back down into town and found a small café for an iced latte and what may have been the best sausage roll I’ve ever had.

Looking back… I wish I’d got two!

Hastings: More Than I Expected, But Exactly What I Needed

After days of record-breaking heat in London, arriving in Hastings felt like a breath of fresh air.

Literally.

It was nearly twenty degrees cooler, and the sea breeze and salt air were exactly what I needed.

I stepped out of the train station, pointed myself toward the water, and started walking.

Before long, there it was.

The English Channel.

As someone who loves history, there’s something pretty incredible about standing on a coastline you’ve read about for years.

Walking through Hastings Old Town felt completely different from Rye. It was a little more eclectic. A little more artistic. Full of independent shops where it was easy to wander in and lose track of time.

One thing I love about traveling is finding the places you never would’ve discovered if you’d stuck to a tour.

For me, that place was Ye Olde Pump House.

Founded in 1698, it was exactly the kind of historic pub I had hoped to find.

The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben along the Thames — some mornings, this was enough.

The wooden beams.

The uneven floors.

The tiny hand-blown windows looking out over the street.

If those walls could talk…

I grabbed a pint, found a seat by the window upstairs, and just sat for a while simply people-watching… and sometimes… that’s enough.

“You have arrived” — Borough Market, exactly where I pivoted to when the heat rewrote my plans.

No itinerary. No rushing to the next attraction. Just enjoying where I was.

What I’d Do Again

Looking back, there isn’t much I’d change.

I’d absolutely split my hotel stay between ExCeL and Central London.

I’d still fly into Heathrow from the U.S.

I’d still take the Tube almost everywhere.

I’d still choose Rye and Hastings for a day trip.

And I’d still leave myself one full day in London before flying home.

Not to check off more landmarks. Just to enjoy the city.

Candlelit tables tucked beneath centuries-old stone arches.

Some of my favorite moments happened because I wasn’t racing from one attraction to the next.

Watching Big Ben ring out first thing in the morning before the crowds arrived.

Finding a little café because it looked interesting.

Taking myself to dinner before a show in the West End.

Popping into a shop simply because it looked interesting.

Those weren’t necessarily the moments I spent the most time planning, they’re just the ones I remember most.

Whether you’re heading to London for a convention at the ExCeL, extending your stay for a few extra days, or simply planning your first business trip across the pond, I hope this gave you a few ideas, a few practical tips, and maybe even the confidence to leave a little room for the unexpected.

Because sometimes…

The best parts of the trip aren’t the ones you planned.

They’re the ones you never expected.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katie Spain

Director of Sales, Teplis Travel

Email:  katie.spain@teplis.com

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/katie-spain-032214123

Phone:  678-420-2557