To what part of Kensington are you travelling? If you're willing to take the Underground, there are some locations that are fairly easy to reach by Tube, and others may require Tube and bus.

But Kensington does describe rather a lot of real estate, so knowing a specific can help give you the best suggestion. Please and thank you.

59 Longridge Rd Earls Court

Ah, so Earl's Court it is.

I think you'll fly from LAX, so to T5 it is. You'll be able to buy Travelcards or PAYG on Oyster before leaving the Arrivals hall at T5 - after you get your bags and go through the green (Nothing to Declare) channel for Customs, you'll walk through a small Duty Free shop then into the terminal building proper. Look right after you walk through the double doors, and you'll see a break in the barrier, towards the main terminal building.

You'll see signs for the HEX and the Underground. There is a ticket office in the Arrivals hall, just across from the M&S Simply Food. Buy your Travelcards or PAYG on Oyster there, then take the lift down to the Underground station.

Sit towards the front of the Piccadilly line train, the second or third carriage from the front, as that's the car nearest the way out. Alight at Earl's Court, where you'll find a lift from the train platform to the ticket hall, then a ramp (or six steps up - the ramp is to the left after you go through the barrier) to street level - use the Earl's Court Road way out.

As you leave the station you'll face Earl's Court Road. Turn left, but don't cross the road. Walk along Earl's Court Road for about three minutes (you'll pass Trebovir Road and Nevern Place, both turnings to the left) - when you see the Sainsbury's Local, you're almost there. Turn left at Longridge Road - the main road just beyond it is the Cromwell Road, and that's about it. Shouldn't take more than five minutes to walk from Earl's Court station, and 35 minutes on the Tube from LHR.

There is a big Tesco at the junction of Warwick Road and Cromwell Road; the shop will be open until 2200 on Saturday. If you'd rather buy provisions at Sainsbury's, it's on the Cromwell Road, just east of the Cromwell Hospital, perhaps five minutes' walk from your flat. It too is usually a 24 hour shop, but closes at 2200 on Saturday, reopening at 1100 on Sunday.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This is perfect and truly amazing. We are actually flying in from Vancouver on BA, but I believe we do arrive at T5).

Is the transporation technically the HEX or the Underground (or are they the same thing)? Do you have an idea about the fare? We'll be in London 4 days...I have read about the Oyster Card, but didn't know if it was a one time ticket or a day pass.

We plan to do the hop on hop off double decker while we're there...have been told it's the best way to see quite a bit.

Thank you again, it is greatly appreciated!

You're welcome. And yes, flights to and from YVR use T5.

The HEX is a rail (overground) service running to and from Heathrow and Paddington - well out of the way for Earl's Court. The Underground or Tube is part of Transport for London, along with London's red buses and the DLR, Docklands Light Railway.

Oyster is a payment method, rather than a ticket in and of itself. If you'll be using the Tube to get to and from LHR, then Pay As You Go on Oyster will certainly give you the best fares - with a caveat.

If you're travelling with children between ages 11 and 15, they will be able to buy one day off peak (weekends and weekdays after 0930) all zones Travelcards for just a pound each, as long as they travel with an adult holding a valid Travelcard.

A Travelcard for the day you arrive will cost £7 - good for transport from Heathrow plus any other travelling you'd like to do on that first day. A zones 1 and 2 Travelcard for Sunday will cost just £5.30, as will a card on weekdays, but again, you'll need to start your travels after 0930.

The hop on hop off buses are popular - I find them a bit pricey, but that's just one woman's opinion. You can join either the Big Bus or Original Tour at Hyde Park Corner - take the Piccadilly line from Earl's Court right to Hyde Park Corner station, sitting at the front of the train (as it's nearest the way out). Use exit 1 to Knighstbridge north, where you'll find three or four bus stops along the road - there are marked stops for both bus tours at either end of the row of stops for London buses, plus a kiosk selling tickets.

The number 74 bus to and from Marble Arch and Baker Street is a good option to the Underground. The bus travels from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner, along Knightsbridge and Brompton Road (past the V&A and Natural History museums), along the Cromwell Road (stops across the way from Sainsbury's) and then turns left at Earl's Court Road - alight at the first stop, as it's just steps from Longridge Road. To take the bus eastbound, towards Baker Street, you'll have to catch it on Cromwell Road, about 50m east of Warwick Road.

Earl's Court station has free Tube maps and Central London bus maps, both of which you may find useful. If you don't see them in racks near the ticket window, do ask.