Transportation from Heathrow to London: How to Find the Best Option into the City

Need to figure out how to get from Heathrow to London?  The short answer is, the train is your best option.  This will break down the different travel options to help find which is right for you. 

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Heathrow to London trains

There are three different options to take a train from Heathrow to London: Heathrow Express, Elizabeth Line and London Underground. 

There are two fast trains that go from London Heathrow Airport into the city, the Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth Line.  The London Underground is the subway, or locally called the “tube”, and is the local line, i.e. the slow train. 

There are pros and cons to each train.  Your decision will really depend on how much you’re willing to pay, and how long you’re willing to travel. 

Heathrow Express

The Heathrow Express is an express train from the airport directly into the city center with no stops.  

Heathrow Express cost

This train is the more expensive of the two options.  The cost is £26 ($34.50) one way, so it’s not an insignificant price.  It’s more or less double the cost of the Elizabeth line to Paddington Station. 

Heathrow Express tickets

You can either book your tickets online in advance, or purchase at the ticket machines and kiosks in the terminal.  The price is the same regardless of where you purchase.  

There is however a discounted option available online if you purchase a ticket 30 or more days in advance.  This ticket is fixed for a specific day and is non-changeable and non-refundable.  These tickets are £10 ($13), so if you pre-plan this is an excellent cost savings option to have the most direct train into the city.  

How long does the Heathrow Express take?

This is the reason to take the Heathrow Express over the Elizabeth Line.  This train only takes 15 minutes to get from Heathrow Airport to Paddington Station.  Also, the train runs every 15 minutes, so it’s the best option for someone that is in a hurry. 

The Elizabeth Line

The Elizabeth Line is part of the city transportation and functions as a fast local train and connects with the London Underground (subways).  It runs from Heathrow to Liverpool Street Station with stops along the way, before continuing out east into the outer edges of the London metro.  Paddington Station is the main central transfer point.

Elizabeth Line cost

As stated above, this train is significantly cheaper than the Heathrow Express.  It costs £13.90 ($18.40) for a one way ticket from Heathrow to Paddington Station.  This is the best option for low cost transportation from Heathrow to London. 

Elizabeth Line Tickets

Do not buy your ticket from the machine at Heathrow, instead use the tap to pay.  Even the attendants at the station will tell you to do this.  If you buy a ticket, it will not connect to your 24 hour fare capping, whereas the tap to pay will. Find out more about TfL fare capping here or read below in the London Underground section.

How long does the Elizabeth Line take?

The Elizabeth line journey time is around 30 minutes to get to Paddington Station, with trains leaving every 10 minutes from Terminals 2 & 3.  There are also stations at Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.  These generally take a few minutes longer than T2 & 3

The London Underground

If time is not a factor, and you are looking for the best price, the tube is the right option for you.  The Piccadilly Line is available at all Heathrow terminals and runs through central London with stops in Kensington/South Kensington, St James, Soho, and Kings Cross Station. 

London Underground cost

Taking the tube is the lowest cost option.  Heathrow airport is located in zone 6, with central London in zone 1.  The Heathrow to London tube will cost £5.90 ($7.80) one way which is by far the cheapest way from Heathrow to London. 

London Underground Tickets

There are multiple ways to buy tickets for the tube. The first is to buy them at the ticket machine.  You should never do this.  As stated above with the Elizabeth Line, TfL (Transport for London) has daily price capping which helps to save money on transit.  You can either tap to pay with your card or get a digital Oyster Card through the TfL app.  I was not able to get a credit card to load to the TfL account I made, so instead I just did tap to pay and it was very easy. 

Be sure to pay with the same exact method each time, every day. Example, if you use your Chase card through Apple Pay on your phone, use that same method every time.  Do not switch between using the physical card, your smart watch and your phone.  Pick one and stick to it, otherwise the system will not recognize it’s the same card, and instead will think of it as different payment methods, thus negating the fare capping and cost savings. 

How long does the Piccadilly Line take?

This will depend on where you plan to get off, but the Heathrow tube to London will take roughly an hour into central London. 

While the Piccadilly Line does more or less run directly through the center of London, it does not connect to many of the larger underground stations with multiple lines.  Within zone 1, most of the stops are specific to this line only, or have only have one other line at the station.  This makes it a little more challenging to transfer trains. 

Taxis from Heathrow to London

While I strongly encourage using the trains, sometimes it makes more sense or is just easier to get in a taxi to your final destination.  If you have a family with a lot of bags, it’s probably best to organize a private airport transfer Heathrow to London. 

Another reason it may be easier to get a taxi or private transfer is if your accommodations are not close to Paddington Station (or another one on the Elizabeth or Piccadilly Line), and requires a lot of additional transportation.  

Keep in mind, with traffic, a taxi will typically take at least an hour into the city and can start at around £100 ($132) using the airport taxis. 

Alternatively, if the cost of the taxi or Uber is excessive, you could take the train into Paddington Station (or any station on the Elizabeth or Piccadilly Line), and then get a taxi to your final destination. 

It’s best to map out your route ahead of time to see what is the best option for you.  You can use the TfL journey planner to see how close you can get with public transportation.

Buses from the Heathrow Airport to London

While there are buses at the airport, there is no Heathrow to London bus that will take you into the city center. 

Local buses

There are a number of buses that service The Central Bus Station at Heathrow, which is connected to Terminal 2 & 3.  There are also buses that go directly to Terminal 4, Terminal 5 and Hatton Cross, which has a free train into T2, T3 and T4. 

These buses service the outlying areas of London rather than central London.  So if the city center is your goal, take a train over the bus. 

Charter buses 

While there are coach buses available at Heathrow Airport London, they will not travel into London.  Instead, these buses provide connecting service to/from surrounding cities like Oxford, Birmingham, Cambridge, etc.  Some have airport connections for Heathrow to Gatwick Airport. 

Heathrow to London FAQs

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