Getting To London From Heathrow
There are many ways to get into and around London. Choose your method of transport from out helpful information below:
Coach and Bus Train and Tube Travelling by Taxi Oyster Cards Travelling by Car Cycling in LondonHeathrow Airport is located about 20 miles west of the centre of London. We have put together all the information you could need for travelling from Heathrow Airport to the centre of London, and vice versa.
Coaches to London
National Express
National Express operate services from London Heathrow Airport to London Victoria, and many destinations around the UK. The buses run from Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station. The bus station is located between terminals 1,2 and 3, and is well signposted within the terminals. From terminals 4 and 5 catch Heathrow Connect to the central bus station.
It is worth booking in advance as National Express have removed the booking fee when purchasing your tickets online.
On average they run 3 coaches per hour to and from London Victoria coach station. The journey takes between 35 and 60 minutes.
For more information the National Express website.
Dot2Dot
There is a London hotel transfer service to and from Heathrow Airport called Dot2Dot.
Offering comfortable, business class sized, leather seats on clean and modern minibuses, they are a great option for getting to London, and to or from your hotel.
The Dot2Dot shuttle buses are equipped with traffic and flight data management which helps ensure that you reach your destination on time. Wifi access on every seat means that you needn't stop work on your journey, and modern air conditioning keeps the shuttles comfortable making sure you have a pleasant trip.
There are Dot2Dot desks in the arrivals area at Terminals 1, 3, 4 and 5. If you are arriving at Terminal 2, a Dot2Dot representative will come to meet you. The service runs 24 hours a day.
The tickets for one person cost from just £20 single and £38 return. Discounts for larger groups are available. For less than half the price of a taxi, this is a great form of transport.
Web: Dot2Dot
Buses Around London
Most buses around London are low floor, meaning that they lower to pavement level, making it easier to board the bus. You are now able to use Oyster cards on bus routes.
For more information on what buses to get and timetables for the buses, visit Transport for London.
Trains
Heathrow Connect operates between Heathrow airport terminals 1,2 and 3 and Paddington, via five stations in west London. This service takes 25 minutes, and operates every 30 minutes. Passengers travelling at terminal 5 should use the free inter-terminal service. Oyster pay as you go cards are not accepted on this service.
For more information call 0845 6786975
Heathrow Express runs four trains an hour, non stop between the airport and Paddington station. This journey takes 15 – 20 minutes and oyster cards and travelcards are not valid on this service.
For more information call 0845 6001515.
Tube
The Piccadilly line connects all Heathrow terminals with frequent services to London. The journey to central London takes about 50 minutes and services run between 05:00 and 23:40. You are able to use your oyster card for the underground.
For more information on fares and what route to take call 020 7222 1234.
Taxi
The journey time to central London is approximately 45-60 minutes and should cost between £45 and £70.
Getting a taxi can take the hassle out of your journey. Choose a taxi to suit you and your passengers. From executive travel to minibus, and coach taxis. You can just sit back and relax, knowing you will be at the airport soon.
However, you could get a better price by booking your transfer in advance. Find a taxi company on our Heathrow Airport Taxis and Transfers page. Alternatively, follow the signs from each terminal for taxi ranks.
Oyster Cards
Getting an oyster card is generally the cheapest way to get around using public transport in London. You can get a pay as you go oyster car, meaning you don't have to worry about having the right change in your pocket.
You can use an oyster card on tubes, buses, DLR, trams, London overground and some National rail trains. For more information on where you can use your oyster card, visit TFL.
Just make sure you touch in with your card before boarding tubes and buses and Oyster will work out they cost of your journey at the end of the day. By doing this it means they can charge you less than the price of a day travelcard.
Car
Airport Parking
If you are planning to park your car at the airport while your away then you may find cheaper quotes if you book online or by phone in advance. Take a look at our airport parking page to see prices, and compare car parks to find the cheapest deal.
Car Hire
Planning your journey once you arrive at Heathrow? Looking for car hire? Look no further, we have compared all the car rental companies operating from Heathrow. We also have their details if you wish to contact them directly.
Maps and Directions
It takes approximately 45-60 minutes to get to central London from Heathrow.
When leaving terminals 1, 2 and 3, follow exit signs to the access/exit tunnel. Follow signs to the M4 motorway, which will eventually bring you into London. Terminal 4 is on the main A30 road while Terminal 5 is close to A3044. The M4 and M25 orbital are signposted. Again, follow signs to the M4 which will eventually bring you into London. For further information on directions and the best roads to take, have a look at our Maps and Directions page.
If you are driving to or from Heathrow airport then it's a good idea to check that your car is in good condition, and that it won't breakdown, causing you and your passengers to miss your flight. We have put together 10 top tips on what to check before you head off to the airport.
Congestion Charge
Driving in and around Central London means that you have to pay the Congestion Charge. You may be eligible to pay the congestion charge if you are travelling in central London between the hours of 7am and 6pm Mon – Fri. The charge is £8 daily, and you will be notified by signs when you are approaching CC zones, are within them and exiting them.
You can pay the congestion charge in a number of ways. By SMS, phone, online, at a shop and by post. For more information on how to pay the congestion charge, and where the congestion charge applies visit the Transport for London.
How does the congestion charge work? There are no physical toll booths or barriers, it is a network of cameras that monitor the entrances and exits of the congestion charge zones. If the camera recognises that you have paid to be in the zone then your image is automatically deleted from the database. If at midnight your image still exists an you should have paid the charge then a pentaly charge notice is produced and sent to the vehicle owner.
Lift Sharing
A fantastic way to reduce costs, pollution, congestion and parking is to lift share with someone who is making the same or a similar journey as you. You can then share a car with them, which is a great way to get to and from the airport. If you are interested in lift sharing with others who are making similar journeys then take a look at LondonLiftShare.
It's free to register and you enter your journey details and it will automatically display others who are making similar journeys on that day.
Once you have signed up, the system will send out an automatic email, and get in contact with those you may wish to share the journey with.
It will also calculate the CO2 and financial savings if you are to share a car, rather than driving alone.
Cycling in London
Bicycles are permitted on the London Underground, however, some lines only allow non folding bikes - outside of peak times. Folding bicycles are permitted on the underground at all times, free of charge. You are not allowed to take non folding bikes on moving escalators, at any time.
Overground trains will take folding bicycles, free of charge at all times, on all sections of the network. Non-folding bicycles may be allowed on some sections of the networks, outside of peak times.
London buses may allow folding bicycles, however, it is up to the driver. The same applies to pushchairs and large shopping luggage.
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) accepts folded bicycles if they are in a container.
Tramlink will only accept folded bicycles, however, they do not have to be in a container.
There is bike parking available at most stations around London. To find out if a particular station has bike parking and for more information on cycling around London take a look at the Transport for London website.