London Heathrow to central London: train, tube, taxi or private car

Heathrow is about 25 kilometres west of central London and better connected than almost any airport in Europe. That is also why the choice is confusing: four rail options, black cabs, app cars and booked drivers all leave from the same terminals. This is how they compare for a traveller with luggage.

Heathrow Express

The non-stop train to Paddington takes about a quarter of an hour and is the fastest way into the city if Paddington is where you need to be. From there, most hotels still require a taxi or a tube ride with your bags.

Elizabeth line

Slower than the Express but far cheaper and more useful: it runs through Paddington to Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. If your hotel is near one of its stations, it is hard to beat. Trains are frequent and step-free at most stations.

Piccadilly line

The classic tube ride: cheap, slow, roughly 50 minutes to the West End, with escalators and crowded carriages. Fine for a backpack, hard work with two suitcases at rush hour.

Black cab

Metered, reliable and available at every terminal. The fare to central London depends on traffic, which on the M4 and the A4 at peak times can double the journey time. No booking needed, but no price certainty either.

Private transfer

A driver waiting in the arrivals hall with your name, a vehicle sized for your group and a price fixed at booking. It makes most sense for families, groups, business travellers who need a receipt, anyone landing late at night, and for destinations outside the rail corridors, for example hotels in Kensington, Chelsea or the City. The driver follows the flight; the free waiting time at Heathrow is 45 minutes from landing.

Terminal by terminal

• Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 share a central area; the meeting point is the arrivals hall of your terminal.
• Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 are separate buildings with their own arrivals halls and car parks.
• Tell us your terminal only if it is not on your ticket: the flight number is usually enough to know it.

How long by road?

Outside peak hours count 45 minutes to an hour to the West End; in the morning and evening rush, more. A booked driver chooses between the M4 and the A4 according to live traffic and drops you at the door, which on a rainy evening is worth more than any timetable.

Onward and intercity

Heathrow is also a common starting point for transfers to Windsor, Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and the south coast, and for connections to Gatwick or Stansted when a journey involves two airports. These are fixed-price private transfers too, with the same free waiting and cancellation terms.

See the airport page for vehicle classes and fixed prices from London Heathrow.