Transport to the city centre from Heathrow is very busy and the cheapest of the major London airports thanks to the Tube.
Cheap hotels in central London
| Destinations | travel time | price | frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Express train | Paddington | 15 min | 16,50 gbp to 25 gbp | 15 min |
| Elizabeth Line train | Paddington | 30 min | 5,60 gbp | 15 min |
| Metro Piccadily Line | Piccadilly | 46 min | 5,60 gbp | 8-10 min |
| Bus Terravision | Victoria | 60-80 min | 6 gbp | 60-80 min |
| Bus National Express | Victoria | 60-80 min | 10 gbp | 20-40 min |
Train Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express trains provide the fastest service to the city centre. They take just 15 minutes to Paddington Station in central London.
One journey costs from 16,50 gbp when bought at least 1 month in advance. Otherwise, pay for a return ticket at 25 gbp. Return tickets cost 37 gbp. Tickets can be bought online and via the mobile app.
All trains stop at terminals 2, 3 and 5 and do not stop at terminal 4.
- Journey times to Paddington: 15 minutes from Terminals 2 + 3, 20 minutes from Terminal 5
- Frequency: 15 minutes
- Fares: 16,50 gbp to 25 gbp depending on time of purchase
- First service from Paddington: 5:10
- Last connection from the airport: 23:57 (from Terminal 5), 0:03 (from Terminals 2 + 3)
- Official website: heathrowexpress.com
London Underground
The Elizabeth Line or Piccadilly Line trains are the cheapest connections to central London.
Fares paid with your contactless credit/debit card (or Oyster Card) cost 6,50 gbp. Cash fares cost 6,70 gbp. Day fares cost 14,90 gbp (zones 1-6).
The amount will be automatically charged to your card - no matter how many times you ride that calendar day, no more will be charged. Classic paper day tickets cost 20,30 gbp.
- Elizabeth Line - goes to Paddington station with a few stops along the way for about 30 minutes, then will continue across the centre further east into London.
- Piccadilly Line - will run through the whole of central London, arriving at Piccadilly Circus station in about 50 minutes.
- Both the Elizabeth Line and Piccadilly Line underground trains stop at all airport terminals.
Check the transport company's website to find connections on a specific route. On this page you will also find a detailed timetable for the Elizabeth Line (see: tfl.gov.uk/elizabeth-line and Piccadily Line (see: tfl.gov.uk/piccadilly).
Both the tube and the train run from approximately 5am to 12:30am.
- First Elizabeth Line train from Paddington to the airport: 4:42 (5:12 on Sundays)
- First Piccadilly Line tube from Piccadilly to the airport: 5:47 (terminals 2, 3, 5), 5:53 (terminal 4)
- Last Elizabeth Line train from the airport: 23:47 (Terminal 4), 0:07 (Terminal 5), 0:12 (Terminals 2,3)
- Last Tube Piccadilly Line from the airport: 23:35 (Terminal 4) 23:42 (Terminal 5), 23:45 (Terminals 2,3)
Express buses
There are also Terravision buses to central London from all terminals and National Express.
Both companies run to Victoria Central Station, which takes 50 minutes to get to and is therefore cheaper and quicker to take the train, on the other hand you have to change buses when travelling by train/metro to Victoria Station. Frequency of service is 1-2 times per hour.
- Buy your ticket from 6 gbp at Terravision.eu
- Buy tickets from 10 gbp at NationalExpress.com
So if you prefer a more comfortable journey to Victoria Station, buses are a good option.
National Express also stops at Earl's Court station (about 35 minutes), but the Piccadilly Line also runs direct and cheaper from the airport.
Night transport
During the night, the N9 bus runs directly to the airport from central London between approximately midnight and 5am. Intervals are 20 minutes and journey times are 70-90 minutes. Ticket pricing is the same as for other TfL resources, i.e. 5,60 gbp single or 14,90 gbp all day.
The timetable for the N9 can be found on the tfl.gov.uk website.
Buses to the surrounding area
There are many bus routes available for travel to the surrounding areas, most have intervals of no more than 30 minutes, ticket prices vary according to each route, usually between 1,75 gbp and 3 gbp and can always be paid by card at the driver's desk.
For more information about transport in London, visit the Transport for London website.
Heathrow Free Travel Zone
Until 2021, the Heathrow Free Travel Zone operated when travelling in the immediate vicinity of the airport, where you didn't have to pay a fare when travelling on all bus routes. This was useful, for example, when travelling to/from hotels near the airport that do not usually offer a free shuttle to the terminal.
As of January 2021, the Heathrow Travel Zone has been abolished and you do have to pay for your ticket, but payment is simple by card at the driver's desk, so there's no need to find complicated ticket offices or machines before boarding the bus.
Free travel remains on trains and underground between terminals. While you do have to put your payment card to the reader when passing through the turnstiles, no money is taken from it.
Gatwick, Luton and Stansted
National Express and Megabus (Gatwick only) run direct buses from Heathrow to these airports, but always book the cheapest tickets at least three weeks in advance on the website.
- Gatwick: buses run 1-2 times per hour, journey times are 90-120 minutes. Buses depart from all terminals and prices start at 16,50 gbp (Megabus is cheaper).
- Stansted: direct services only run about 4-5 times a day, journey time is 120-150 minutes and costs from 19 gbp.
- Luton: buses leave roughly once every 2 hours (more often at peak times) to reach their destination within 80-100 minutes. Prices start from15 gbp.
For a cheaper, but significantly longer, way to get between the airports, take a combination of TfL or Piccadilly tube trains from Hetathrow to the centre (5,50 gbp at peak times, or 3,50 gbp off-peak if paying by credit card, pays anywhere to the centre, including transfers) and National Express buses, which cost from 4 gbp to 8 gbp. Allow at least 4.5 hours in total for the journey.
To London-City Airport
The quickest way to get to the airport is to take a combination of Heathrow Express trains to Paddington terminus, here you change to the Green District Line or Yellow Circle Line, go to Bank station where you change to the light rail "DLR" which will take you to City Airport. The journey will take at least 150 minutes.
Total approximate times with some allowance for individual airports are:
- Heathrow -> Gatwick: 3.5 hours
- Heathrow -> City: 3.5 hours
- Heathrow -> Luton: 3.5 hours
- Heathrow -> Stansted: 4.5 hours
Long-distance buses
Long-distance buses also leave from all terminals to all parts of the UK.
It's always worth booking online as far in advance as possible to get the lowest price.
Long-distance services from Heathrow are operated by National Express and Megabus.
- Buy tickets on the web NationalExpress.com
- Buy tickets on the web Megabus.com
Car Hire
If London Airport serves as your starting point for travelling around the English countryside, then hiring a car is definitely the best option. There are dozens of car hire companies at the airport, which you can compare and book at a glance, for example on the website rentalcars.com.
Prices range from 100 gbp to 200 gbp per week, depending on the size of the car or the rental company you choose.
If you're only heading into central London, definitely don't rent a car.
