London Heathrow Airport Transfers

How to get from Heathrow to London?

Once you arrive at Heathrow Airport – as modern and interesting this place may be – you’ll likely want to get to London as quickly as possible. We found the fastest and cheapest transfers from LHR Airport for you.

First things first: London Heathrow is the largest airport of London’s six international commercial airports (the other five being Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, London City and Southend). Heathrow sees more international traffic than any other airport worldwide. Each day it handles a staggering amount of passengers, around 190,000 in total! London Heathrow is a giant international hub and might be overwhelming at first. But with the help of the official Heathrow Airport maps of all the airport’s terminals, you will find your way around – and out of – Heathrow Airport in no time. Located less than 20 miles from the hustles and bustles of inner-city London, Heathrow Airport offers excellent public transport choices both in terms of price and travel time. 

Prepare for your trip to London

Located less than 20 miles from the hustles and bustles of inner-city London, Heathrow Airport offers excellent public transport choices both in terms of price and travel time. 

Heathrow Bus Transfer with the National Express

National Express-180123161304001

The National Express bus line runs regularly between Victoria Coach Station and the central bus station at Heathrow Airport. It calls at all airport terminals (Terminal 1 – 5). The bus service at LHR Airport starts at around 4:00 am and ends at around 10:00 pm. Buses run hourly during quiet periods and every 15 minutes during the day. Unfortunately, travel times by bus from Heathrow to the city center can be a bit of a lottery, as they can range from 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on route and traffic. A single ticket costs from £6. If you are travelling on a budget, the Heathrow bus transfer might be your best choice. Currently, it is also the only scheduled direct public transport service running from Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport and vice versa.

 

CHECK AVAILABILITY FOR THE BUS

From Heathrow Airport to London by train

While the bus might be one of the cheaper options to get to London from LHR, it is most definitely not the fastest. Luckily, at Heathrow Airport you will also find various train connections that will take you to innermost London and the other way round. To us, taking the train from Heathrow to London is the most plain choice. We have listed the different ways to get from LHR to London by train:

1. Take the Heathrow Express from LHR to London

 

The Heathrow Express, a high-speed train, is definitely the fastest way to get from Heathrow to London. The Heathrow Express to London runs every 15 minutes, between 5:00 am and 12:00 pm. Even better, the journey to London Paddington Station only takes the Heathrow Express about 15 minutes! The train leaves from Heathrow Central Station (Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and Terminal 5. Though, if you find yourself arriving at Terminal 4: no need to despair! Just hop on one of the shuttle trains that run regularly between the terminals and are free of charge. Heathrow Express tickets cost £22 one way for adults. However, if you buy your ticket on the train it will cost around £27. So we strongly recommend buying your tickets online in advance.

CHECK AVAILABILITY FOR THE TRAIN

 

2. Use the Heathrow Connect (TfL Rail) from the LHR airport to London

 

Between 5:20 am and 11:00 pm you can take the Heathrow Connect to Paddington Station. Trains stop at stations Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing and Ealing Broadway. It’s a £10.10 charge to Paddington. The journey time for the Heathrow Connect is approximately 25 minutes from Heathrow Central to Paddington Station. Departure is from Heathrow Central Station (Terminals 1, 2 and 3). If you are arriving at Terminals 4 or 5, you can use the free Heathrow Express transfer that will take you to the Central Station from where the Heathrow Connect departs. At the end of your London trip, make sure to board the right train for your departure terminal.

 

 

CHECK AVAILABILITY FOR THE TFL RAIL 

Ride with The Tube to your destination in London

The cheapest way to get to London from Heathrow is by underground. It is less costly than the Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect. The London Underground comes out to Heathrow in the form of the Piccadilly Line. The downsides: the journey is considerably slower, the carriages can get crowded and the queues at the ticket machines nerve-rackingly long. The Piccadilly Line stops at Heathrow at three stations: One station is “Terminal 1,2 and 3” and the other two stations are “Terminal 4” and “Terminal 5”. Every 6–10 minutes between about 05:10 am (Sundays: 05:50) and 11:45 pm (Sundays: 11:30) you can travel to downtown London from £5.70.

Overview of all the options available at London’s main airports: 

The journey from Heathrow to Piccadilly Circus takes about 60 minutes with stops at around 20 stations. Though the journey to Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus is a little shorter than that. You might not notice at first – due to Heathrow being the first stop of the line finding a seat won’t be an issue – but the trains can get quite crowded later on in your trip to the city. One of The Tube’s big draws of course are price, and frequency of the trains. Also, riding The legendary London Tube for many visitors is considered an experience in itself.

 

The Visitor Oyster Card for London

Since long queues tend to form at the ticket machines of the London Tube, one of the oldest underground railway systems in the world, we recommend buying a Visitor Oyster Card. You can order it in advance, and it will be sent to your door via post. This way you can get on the underground directly at the airport without having to wait in any queues. On top of that, you can use it to explore the city by public transport later on during your stay. We recommend this to anyone who likes to have their things in order before the trip.

Order a visitor oyster card 

Private transfer from Heathrow to London

Did you know that you can book a car transfer online in advance that will get you to your accommodation reliably, quickly and even at a good price? Private transfers are becoming increasingly popular.

The clear benefits:

  • Bookable in advance
  • No waiting in lines
  • Fixed price
  • Transfer to the accommodation/hotel
  • Door-to-door service – no dragging around your luggage

The two best Heathrow transfers to London for you:

The Heathrow Shuttle

An easy and quick way to get from Heathrow to London is the Heathrow Shuttle Transfer, which is available 24 hours a day. From £20 per person you will be driven directly to your hotel. The journey to the city center takes about 40 – 50 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. One of its advantages is that you can book the transfer in advance online.  No doubt this will take a load off your mind as you won’t have to worry about anything else once your flight touches down at Heathrow Airport. That’s because the shuttle service is door-to-door: just get on the shuttle transfer at Heathrow Airport and your holiday in London can start.

BOOK YOUR LUXURY PRIVATE TRANSFER

Taxi from Heathrow to London

The world-famous London Black Cabs are as iconic as they are dear. Taking a taxi directly from Heathrow Airport to central London seems like the most convenient way to get to the city. And for many tourists being a passenger in a Black Cab is high up on their London to-do list. However, it is also one of the most expensive options of them all. For the trip in a Black Cab to the center of London you will pay between £45 and £60. And with an approximate duration of 50 minutes to get there, it is definitely not one of the fastest options either.

Caution: You might get approached by cab drivers of a different kind in the exit area of the airport who want to offer you a cheaper ride. It’s highly unlikely they are telling the truth, and you will end up with an even larger bill than you would with a Black Cab.

Stay at one of the many Heathrow hotels

Your flight into Heathrow Airport arrives late or delayed? If you don’t fancy to travel to London in the dead of night and aren’t pushed for time either, you can always stay at one of the Heathrow hotels at the airport. They are cheap (prices from 30£ per night) and accustomed to late-night check-ins. The options to travel from Heathrow Airport to London at night time are quite limited. The trains only run until late evening (The Tube a bit longer than that). You can always make your way to London from LHR the next morning! Your options at Heathrow range from budget hotels, such as a Premier Inn or Ibis, to a 4-star Radisson Blue.

FIND HOTELS ON BOOKING

Heathrow Airport FAQ

How to get to Heathrow Airport from London?

All of the transfer options mentioned will not just take you from Heathrow to London, but also the other way round. Though I wouldn’t really recommend getting on The Tube during peak times in central London. You might have to stand all the way to Heathrow with luggage in hand.

How do i get from Gatwick to Heathrow a good transfer?

Are you arriving at Gatwick but have a connecting flight at Heathrow, or perhaps the other way around? In either case, you aren’t exactly spoilt for choice. Your best (and practically only) option would be to take a National Express Bus, part of the only scheduled direct public transport service running  between Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport. Unless you are driving yourself or prefer to take a cab, this is the option for you.

How long does it take to get from Heathrow to Paddington?

The Heathrow Express is what you are looking for if you need to get to Paddington Station from the airport. The journey takes the Heathrow Express only about 15 minutes.

Profilbild Laura Haig
About the author

I love traveling in Europe and I am passionate about writing about my travels. The cultural peculiarities of each region always fascinate me. I enjoy exploring and discovering the best-kept secrets of each town or village. I love road trips as much as city breaks; I love visiting an art gallery and also the magic of musicals or discovering new delicacies in a street market. In this blog, I write about all my travel adventures and my best tips and tricks! Auf Loving Travel schreibe ich über alle meine Reiseerlebnisse und gebe euch meine besten Tipps und Tricks!

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