This isn't quite the nightmare experience I read about before my trip with piles of abandoned luggage and lines out the door. Upon arrival: customs with machines that scan passports was really quick, bags came quickly, and it was easy to get to the Underground to leave. I flew in and out of Terminal 5. Upon leaving: security was a bit of a line but not terrible (maybe 30 minutes). The checkin was almost too automated and had to get a British Airway employee to help check bag, but was still quicker than US waiting in a line to check a bag. Security took my tiny scissors though which I am sad about. They seem stricter than US security in that sense. Oh well! Within security there were a few eateries but they were all packed. There were so many people and we were early and it was still too risky to wait a half hour for a table. It was also hard to find outlets at any gates to charge. When we left we had to take a shuttle from the gate to the plane, which was odd but at the end of the day, we got on the plane at a reasonable pace. I hate to rate this high simply because it wasn't a nightmare, but obviously comparing it to Newark Airport that I flew out of, I appreciated the technological efficiency and at least some dining options. It was also very easy to leave the airport to central London (although on way TO the airport make sure you get on the right underground per your terminal!). read more

Good airport. Excellent food eateries and choices. Good seats. The only problem I found is that sometimes the British are, by personality, quite inflexible and unable to improvise to solve a sudden problem. The case in point: a passenger had several cosmetic bottles, and each one had to be individually tested and verified. It took 20 minutes. ONE customer. my bag was selected to be manually inspected, and had to wait 20 minutes while a sequence of THREE security operators took turns to inspect the contents of the cosmetic bottles. it was obvious to everyone that we were all waiting this ONE customer to be cleared, but none of the many security personnel volunteered or improvised to remove this bottleneck. read more

Note: this for Terminal 3. I dreaded flying into here on Sunday morning for our honeymoon a couple weeks ago with news of hours long immigration lines and Frank Gardner of the BBC waiting hours on the plane to receive wheelchair assistance when I am disabled and requested a wheelchair myself. I even looked at seeing if we could fly into a different airport like Gatwick, which is further away from London, or even Manchester and taking the train in. However, this was not an option. I even considered going somewhere else at the last minute but with my wife insisting and hotel rooms more expensive for my plan b (San Diego), we ended up flying here as planned after all. It didn't help that I was constantly checking Twitter and Facebook the weekend before and saw pictures of how bad the lines were, especially in Terminal 3. Despite Virgin Atlantic's economy line being slow at Washington-Dulles we had a great flight and they had an agent help us get off the plane who was wonderful. We are both on the autism spectrum and Virgin Atlantic and Heathrow have sunflower pins, printable handouts, and lanyards. They even pushed my wife in a wheelchair as well. Unfortunately, one of the wheelchair pushers took our carry on with the wheelchair but we let them know and got it back. It was quite a wait at the connecting flights special assistance line we were stuck at waiting for someone to push me to immigration. Also frustrating is in this dreary dull part of the airport where we waited, the toilets are a walk away. I had to use the toilet and while there someone arrived in the waiting area to get me to immigration. The wheelchair pusher through immigration was wonderful and even got us to the Uber pick up area. We were the last ones at the baggage carousel, but at least by surprise there was no immigration line at all. There is also a lack of elevator space to get to the garage/rideshare pick up area. For our return flight, the Virgin Atlantic staff let us cut the not too long bag drop line and even let us check our carry on for free as well as the checked baggage. They also got me into a wheelchair very fast and the security line was not too long. The security was also very noninvasive compared to what I have faced in other countries including the US, Holland, and Israel. More like Mexico which came as a surprise as I was expecting tight security and pat downs (vs just using the wand) given my joint replacements. Getting through bag drop and security as well as having someone right away to push me through security was a miracle given it was just two days after the end of the Queen's Jubilee and the tube was still on strike that morning. The reason I would give Heathrow and Terminal 3 a 2 vs a 3 is the fact you will not know your gate until boarding time begins. This is a big airport and it can take 20 minutes for a normal person to not get lost and get to some of the gates. My wife and I were very nervous in the special assistance area of the departure lounge that we would miss our flights. There was no wheelchair pusher until the gate and I was in one of the trolleys and there was no space for my wife. I was worried they would take us so fast we'd lose our wife and she may get lost and not make the flight. Fortunately the gate was right next to the special assistance area, so we got lucky. My wife said not knowing the gates until boarding time would not be acceptable in the United States. read more

I had the displeasure of trying to navigate this airport twice in one week. It is huge, very confusing, and designed to make travel frustrating. There are some strong points--lots of seating and stores--but a passenger goes to travel and not shop or eat. This airport is not travel friendly, especially if you have to change planes. There is free wi-fi. I hope not to travel through this airport ever again. read more

I've been touching down at this airport ever since I was a weeeee little gal. Majority of my experiences with Heathrow are based on international inbound and outbound flights, USA to U.K. or vice versa. Most commonly, (though not always) I fly British Airways! This airport has improved over the years! Looks like my years of collecting stamps in the passport are no more here! In 2020: This process was very efficient! You walk through the machine, scan your passport (might need to scan it once or twice). Once the arrow turns green and the door opens, you're good to go! If you begin to beep (?) and the arrow remains red, you'll likely be asked to head to the counter that's operated by humans (not technology) for a quick verification of your visit like back in the day. If you handle your immigration stuff online, prior to arrival. You may eliminate the hefty lines. The lessened wait time and overall improvement can be attributed to HOW the system is set up AND the airport staff who was alert and productive; maximizing time, technology and human ability! read more

I have to say that I do like Heathrow as a connection for my next flight. So this review is just for my connecting flight experience. I like the Security process, upon arriving from the US, you are checked one more time. And when departing this last time - they checked the multiple steel cylinders in my back pack (full of shortbread cookies from Edinburgh), at the gate. I like that and I don't mind the extra scrutiny and profiling. I'm all for safety and getting home safe. The food choices are many and some are unexpectedly great - for dining at an airport. Efficient and respectful service, that's my expectation and that'll make me tip higher and come back sooner. A few things that I found inconvenient - you have to leave the gate to use the restroom and as a result, you have to check back in (similar to Ninoy Aquino airport). The restroom seemed to be 100 yards away, wow, this airport is spread out!! I'm not a fan of taking shuttle buses (similar to Narita) to get to another terminal but what can you do?? Getting on the tarmac, walking up steps and into the plane, carrying your carry-on luggage - there will be some challenges for older passengers, little kids and differently abled folks. read more

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Coming in on a trans Atlantic flight, Heathrow is a pretty good airport to go through. It's a bit of a hike from the gates to immigration, but the slidewalks help. Immigration itself is fairly easy to go through, with facial recognition and passport scanner for certain countries. Of course, if the scanner is dirty, more people than not will be kicked back to go to another queue for assistance. Unfortunately, they still insist on last minute duty free shops that the tired, unsuspecting passenger is forced to slog through one final assault to their olfactory senses. Some people are sensitive to all the noxious chemicals that pass for perfume and cologne, so that is a real problem. Still, it's not a bad airport to fly in to. read more

Return AA One World partner airline and airport pairing (2 of 2: LHR - London Heathrow Airport) If using British Airways to or from Europe, this is where you'll most likely change planes. London Heathrow is the biggest and busiest of London's 5 airports. Some can easily name Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) airports, but there are 3 more: London City, Luton, and Stansted! The latter ones are most likely to be used by the low cost carriers. Heathrow does the job, but it's not a pleasant place to be for extended periods of time if you have to hang out in the terminals and aren't one of those folks who spends connecting time in airline lounges. The airport is massive and is far less cohesive than either Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Frankfurt (FRA), both of which have had new terminal areas cobbled onto them. The most recent flight through LHR used Terminal 5. It's the one that looks like an exponentially large glass barn with a curved roof. It seems even bigger once inside. This is largely the one British Airways operates out of. There are also a few parallel satellites of Terminal 5, also used by British, and one of these satellites seems to be where they have the gates for international heavies. The trek from Terminal 5 to its own parallel satellites is long, with tram rides and tall elevators and escalators. It's slightly foreboding. It would take even longer to get to other terminals. Closer to the main cluster at LHR are Terminals 2 and 3, making Terminal 5 quite far. Years ago, I came in through 2/3 and this all makes sense because this is where one picks up "the tube," London's subway system, to Piccadilly and the most noticeable thing about the trains is that the top edges of them are chamfered, making the trains look and feel smaller. If I recall, the scale of these two terminals was more agreeable than that of Terminal 5. Terminal 2 is for United-led Star Alliance and Terminal 3 is for other One World partners of British Airways. I don't know if Terminal 1 even exists or it's for future expansion. I didn't see it on the map. However, there is Terminal 4, and it is south of and far from the Terminal 2/3 cluster. Terminal 4 is for Delta-led SkyTeam. In reality, roadways take into either T2/3, T4 from the south, and T5 from the west. It's sort of how Atlanta has the main entrance it has always had, but then created a new access road to the international terminal from the other side. Since I've already addressed its unwieldy layout, all of which is interconnected but takes a long time to traverse, I can discuss some of its other features. Along Terminal 5's main artery, the shopping is at high end stores. They seemed a little empty. I guess all it takes is those few shoppers with a lot of coin to pay for the wages, rent, and overhead. Since I had a wait in between flights, I was able to locate a Starbucks. Smaller and more affordable merchants tend to be more crowded and the service lackluster. Because the UK has (Br)exited, there will be another security check, even if traveling to or from "the Continent." I've found them to be a little more uptight than their counterparts at EU airports. The uptightness I experienced was about toiletries. First, if you have ointments that are prescribed, they should be excluded from the count. Then, what if you bring on an extra travel size deodorant roll-on? If you've watched the Susan Boyle video, which is very funny because David slung at Goliath and won again, because of how cheeky she was, and because her backstage small talk with her Scottish compatriots required subtitles, then you may remember some of the women's faces in the audience they panned who looked incredulous when she said what she aspired to. I got one of these types going through security and she was fairly rude. Come on, given that they never got on board with the Euro and never chose to drive on the right (correct) side of the street, would you expect them to handle most things like they do on "the Continent?" Hence, this would include a security check for their own jurisdiction, so plan accordingly for extra time if connecting. As for driving conventions, Gibraltar, steeped in UK conventions, had to convert to driving on the right because, for how small it is and being attached to the Iberian Peninsula, it was causing havoc for Spanish and Portuguese folks driving into it. (If only the British Isles, Malta, and Cyprus could do the same.) I prefer London Gatwick - LGW - to Heathrow. While they don't have "the tube," they have a railway line to and from Victoria Station. It's smaller, a little easier to navigate, and there's an interesting enclosed glazed passenger bridge between two terminals where wide bodied aircraft can pass right beneath you as you are walking across it! In short, while LHR works, it is big, its employees seem to be a little world weary, and more time is required for just about everything (connections, security, etc.). read more

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My wife and I recently took a second Honeymoon and needed to make a layover at London's Heathrow Airport. This Airport is the busiest one in Europe very crowded and I feel that they have really changed when we went to London years ago. It very modern filled with pricey brand name stores and very little affordable eateries. Another negative about this place is that you need to go through security again when you make a connecting flight. Very time consuming. read more

Heathrow Airport - Heathrow Airport!! - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

Passed through LHR 3x this summer. Crowds impact the ability of an airport to give you its best experience. Once you're past security, this one offers plenty of opportunities to shop and eat. Good luck finding a comfortable place to sit. One leg, we were fortunate to get a spot in Club Aspire, Terminal 3, not long before it was at capacity. read more

Heathrow was our layover on the way to India. The airport is HUGE and very well organized. There was plenty of places to eat and the British Airways lounge here was literally amazing! The trolleys were small but got us to where we needed to go in good time. Definitely a great airport. read more

Heathrow Airport - Our BA plane - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

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Massive airport. Very clean and nice. I took off one star because it wasn't the easiest to navigate. Especially if you don't come here often. To add, some staff in information I spoke to had to "Recall" where things were. I can figure it out. Easy. But if you're in a rush, don't count on anyone to help. Getting between terminals is nuts. Get a tube ticket. Ride it but not too far that it takes you out of the airport. Walk a mile or so and you are in another terminal. Again, great airport. Clean. Abundance of places to shop and walk around. However, I was happy to leave the airport and look for the Uber area....which that's another story. Signage for that wasn't the best. read more

Nothing overly bad this airport, nothing overly good either. It was easy to get through and nothing really complicated about the signs and directions It seemed clean and well maintained. Recommended this airport an Gatwick read more

Convenient airport in and out of London. Easy to get to from the tube. Allow plenty of time to get through security. Check requirements ahead of time - Covid testing, masks, allowable items in carry ons and how to pack them. Delays in security due to restrictions from outdated system. Employees fairly friendly. Quite busy. read more

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This airport is huge and you may fumble the bag if you don't pay close attention to the signs. If ypu want to work off some of that vacation weight, fly United. You will wlk a miles before you get there. However once you reach the terminal ypu will be greeted by a huge magazine rack. I thought this was. Nice touch! read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

Amazing design the airport. Service was good No harassment Taxi available Neat & clean read more

Horrible. The security requirements are insane. Get ready to show your boarding pass and passport 482 times and seperate every liquid into a palm sized plastic bag for no good reason. No AC in this airport.. the gates are secluded from the rest of the airport and there are no bathrooms near the gates. They are also afraid to tell you when your flight is boarding for some reason. Absolutely no information on when you should be at your gate to board. Need fast food? Too bad, only sit down restaurants or week old cold cut sandwiches are available so eat beforehand. Sorry, had to show my boarding pass again while typing this. Im back now. Need a designer bag or perfume?! Much easier to buy that then get a quick bite to eat. This place is obsessed with designer shops, not feeding you. What a nightmare. Its like they dont want you to fly. Okay all done read more

Going to London, Heathrow is the airport of choice for most if not all. Flying into Heathrow was no issue for me during my solo trip. I departed the plane, went to customs, and got heckled by the agent because I couldn't remember the exact address of where I was staying while I was in the country. On the way back.... WOOF. Unless you take a cab (which I don't recommend since it's ridiculously expensive) you'll have to take the tube for about an hour from central London ... then navigate underground tunnels... then finally you're at the airport! The whole system here is so different than the US, it's more like the trains at Grand Central Station. You don't find out your planes gate number till boarding time so you get to wait in the main area amongst the restaurants and duty free shops and shops I can't even begin to talk about because I'll never justify buying a 300 pound scarf from Burberry. There are tons of fancy stores and restaurants to pass the time thank goodness while waiting. I wish more airports were like this. I'd rather be stuck at Heathrow than LaGuardia any day of the week! read more

I've visited Heathrow several times, and each visit has been pleasant. I appreciate the variety of food options, including a pharmacy, sportswear, sneakers shop, toy store, and more. The availability of WiFi is also a positive aspect. I appreciate the available seating while I waited for my flight to board. I do want to add the process for security, custom and baggage claim was so efficient. Overall, I would consider returning in the future. read more

LHR can be one of those airports you dread because of its size and crowdedness, but fortunately I had a pleasant experience here most recently. One thing with the size is they have nice shop and eatery options to explore if you have the time. Just be sure to leave yourself enough time to transfer between terminals/get to the gates as needed. read more

I used to not like arriving here as it takes so long to get through immigration. On my recent visit to U.K, I was prepared to stand in line for immigration but I didn't have to. If you have a US passport, you get to go through automated gate. Short queue and easy to follow instruction. I was out in no time. Upon departure, I think their security takes longer than I am used to. I think they are more thorough than other countries. Considering the history, it is understandable. I learned to separate my power makeup prior to arriving here as they seems to have issues with power make up. Airport is massive. Always arrive early. read more

Heathrow Airport - Arriving at LHR, always select right side window seat for this view - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

Nice airport. Easy to navigate, folks are nice. Good restaurants plenty of shopping and dinning in each terminal. No issues passing through Heathrow! read more

Worst experience ever ! Avoid at all costs ! If you have a connection....plan for at least 2h to get from one terminal to another. On a more positive note, the staff at the airline desk (especially Air France) was quite accommodating and very helpful, they really made a difference. read more

Heathrow appeared to me to be a well thought out airport logistically. Where I was seated both times that I visited was in close proximity to my flight. Naturally souvenir shops were very close too. I spent my time there. My bags arrived to my destination in good shape. No problem there. My flights were on time and as I said I was seated close to the gate. Truthfully, I didn't wander very far. I was excited and nervous so other than the gift shop I sat and people watched. I enjoy doing that! read more

This airport is enormous but I love to stop here. Feels always like an adventure and everybody is so nice. For my connection flights I always plan more than enough time to spend some time or don't come into rush when I have to use the train. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

I don't like this airport. I wish we flew to LGW. Check in is a bigger mess now than before covid. The screening lines are a mess. The duty free isn't saving you any money. The food options are mostly UK cuisine, so... Give yourself hours before your international flight because you will need it. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

I've flown into Heathrow a bunch of times over the years but not for a long time until recently. I remember a huge line for customs and it being an ordeal to get in and out of this airport. Not so on this recent trip. Technology has helped as there are kiosks to scan your passports. Customs was a complete breeze this time. Flying out was just as easy as well. Tons of places to eat and shop as well. Not a bad experience at all. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

Very busy! I had a layover here coming from Barcelona. Once we landed we had to wait in line for a bus to move to another terminal, which took about 30 minutes. Heathrow was understaffed, which made wait times longer. Then we had to go through security/customs. Heathrow had one person working for customs, and only two lines for security. This added to an extra hour wait time. For an airport as big as this, they need to have more workers. Finally we were done! If your having an international layover at Heathrow, make sure to allow for plenty of time! Our 4 1/2 hour layover decreased to 3 hours, We decided to find a club to hang out until our flight. We had to leave 45 minutes before boarding, because it takes forever to walk to the gate. Again, allow yourself plenty of time to do anything at Heathrow. Not to bad for my first international layover. read more

This is a great airport! If you have a connection layover at this airport make sure you have at least one hour and a half. This airport is huge! Also if you are checking in at this airport, make sure any liquids in your carry-on are in a sandwich plastic baggy! Including perfume, foundation, etc... read more

Not a bad airport overall, but the international arrivals area seems to be miles from where planes come in on Terminal 3. Departure areas are also very crowded unless you have lounge access, which luckily we did. That being said make a reservation for lounge access as it can get quite crowded during peak times. Security was pretty easy to get through and underground service is convenient into central London. read more

Traveling from terminal A to Terminal B or C on their transit has to be the worst experience I've ever had, squeezed in like sardines Just horrible !!!!! read more

We had two positive and straightforward visits to Heathrow during our recent walking trip to the Cotswolds. It was easy to locate all of the transportation we needed including the hotel hoppa bus, trains to London and Uber cars. The airport is quite large so give yourself plenty of time for security, etc. The dining options were plentiful and interesting- we especially enjoyed Leon and were eyeing what looked like a fun and tasty Chinese eatery with fun decor. The airport has several stores for duty free purchases, fashion and toy stores to kill some time. Overall, a straightforward experience but maybe not the most interesting airport we've visited. read more

Flying in and out of Heathrow is always a breeze. What's not to like. I enjoy landing and being on my way in an Uber within 15 minutes. There's never any huge massive crowd or lines to fight through. Must be the times I fly in but I enjoy the hassle free part of it. It's much bigger airport too but well kept. Clean and organized. What's not to love about starting your travel months here. read more

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Airport needs major upgrades. Needs more duty free shops in every terminal. Need a standard layout for dety free shops at each terminal with lots of options. read more

Heathrow Airport - Passport control - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

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Why did we need to dump our water when we just got off a flight and were staying in the same terminal? Why did we have to go through security again? Not a good experience for transferring to another flight. read more

Where people meet technology. Heathrow Airport has become largely automated in the past couple of years including getting your tickets and checking in your luggage (at least for British Airways). However the thing is, it's not really easy to figure out how to use. For example, if you want to change seats and you can't do that by yourself. The security checkpoint is honestly pretty cool. It is pretty efficient because they have a conveyer belt for the trays below the actual luggage coveted belt. They are, however, more strict than a lot of airports though as a lot more bags were double checked. Inside there are a ton of different types of shops but most of the clothing brands are on the higher end of the price spectrum like Chanel and Burberry. There are also a ton of British stores like Fortnum and Mason which is great. The best part though has to be the views. At least in the B wing of terminal 5 they had super large windows so you can watch all the airplanes parking there. It's pretty great. Not a bad airport at all. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

There is one word for this airport, "huge!" We flew out of Terminal 2 on United. After getting a ride to the airport via ride sharing service, we were dropped off in a special area that was convenient and a short walk away to the terminal. After checking in and dropping our bags off, we walked through the security checkpoint. We got through really fast because it was a Fast Track Lane and we were booked into Polaris. The regular security checkpoint looked busy. After getting through security, we entered an area of many shops on the upper concourse. We browsed and noted that most of the shops on the upper level were high end shops. We weren't really interested in shopping so we headed over to the gate. Thankfully, there are escalators and people movers so even though the gates are far away, you won't have to break a sweat unless you want to. Arriving and departing to and from Heathrow was a nice experience and the airport is well-laid out. It is big and thankfully the signs offer clear directions so that you can navigate around the airport. Very nice foreign airport outside of the US and one of the best that I've flown into and out of. read more

Heathrow Airport - They are ready for The Christmas holiday. - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

This was a pretty good airport with a lot of shopping, restaurants, and things to do to keep you busy. The customs was straight forward, easy, and actually pleasant! The airport as a whole is updated and modern and clean. There are several restaurants including a Chef Ramsay cafe as well as lots of places to grab a drink. There is a lounge that you can get into with priority pass but it wasn't one of the nicer ones. There's some really high end shopping as well as duty free. So you could definitely keep yourself busy pulling out your credit card. You also have your choice of transport from this airport. We checked out uber, the train, and the underground. We selected the underground as the most cost effective way to get to London. Overall it's a pretty nice airport and even gets extra points for having a Harry Potter store right past security! read more

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This airport sucks they are on some serious stupid juice that's as blunt as it gets. Been here twice and both times it's been bad. Most recently I was making a connection flight from Rome to Seattle in Heathrow. For some reason they have to land their planes on the tarmac and not on the aprons. This means a shuttle bus has to come and get you so they can drive you to the main building. My flight had already got delayed so by the time I landed I had one hour to get through security and find my gate. The group I was traveling with was already stressed and then the shuttle bus that was supposed to be there already waiting for us was 20 minutes late. I can understand a small delay like maybe it's not there right away but damn. So we finally get on the bus and at this point it obvious we aren't making the flight so we call the airline and they agree to hold the plane for us so we thought we were in the clear. However we couldn't have been more wrong, once we got off the bus we sprinted to security and they have this dumb system where you have to scan your ticket before continuing in the line. So we scan ours and they declined. Apparently the airline didn't communicate to security that they were holding the plane for use so to them it looked like our flight had already left. We tried to explain the situation to them but they said there was nothing they could do which is really studied because they could have just let us through. So now the plane is was waiting for us But we had no way to get to it THEY HELD THE FLIGHT FOR AN ALMOST AN HOUR but because our tickets declined on the machines they wouldn't let us through even thought they were fully aware that the flight was waiting for us. So we talked to British airways and they said the earliest flight they could book us was the next day which really sucked but they did give us a nice hotel, payed for our meals and a check for 15 bucks so could have been worse. Overall I would avoid this airport if you can everyone here is tweaking off galaxy gas. The only way I could think to improve the airport is to tear it down. read more

Heathrow Airport - Stupidest airport of all time - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

After exiting our plane and then needing to head home - the airport was easy to navigate through customs, baggage claim and to the gate for departure. Employees were extremely kind and helpful, shopping for last minute gifts provided a great assortment and grabbing that last meal if need be before flying back home was a challenge with the selection of eating establishments. Looking forward to returning read more