Heathrow Airport has a number of options to get you to central London. In most cases, the Elizabeth Line is the best option, but it depends on exactly where you need to go.
Elizabeth Line
Price: £13.90
Duration: 30 minutes
Frequency: Every 10-15 mins
The Elizabeth Line opened in 2022 and is the best mix between price, time and ease. It runs from all Heathrow terminals to stations such as Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and Stratford. This variety of destinations makes it much more useful than the Heathrow Express, which only goes as far as Paddington.
There’s no need to book in advance or even purchase a ticket at the station – instead simply tap a contactless payment card or device (like Apple Pay or Google Pay) on the barriers when you enter and exit the stations, just like navigating the Tube across the rest of London. The trains are new, spacious, and air-conditioned, making it a much more comfortable ride than the Piccadilly Line. It’s easy to take luggage, with all central Elizabeth Line stations having step free access.
View the detailed guide on how to take the Elizabeth Line here.
Piccadilly Line
Price: £5.90
Duration: 45 minutes
Frequency: Every 5 mins
The Piccadilly Line is a standard London Tube line, meaning it’s relatively cheap and runs very frequently, but stops every few minutes. It’s generally not as pleasant as taking the Elizabeth Line, as the trains are much older and smaller. Many stations it stops at in central London don’t have step-free access, meaning you might need to climb escalators or stairs, depending on the station.
It can be handy if your destination happens to be on the Piccadilly Line but not the Elizabeth Line. Examples of where this is the case include Kensington, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden and King’s Cross.
There’s no need to book in advance or even purchase a ticket at the station – instead simply tap a contactless payment card or device (like Apple Pay or Google Pay) on the barriers when you enter and exit the stations, just like navigating the Tube across the rest of London.
View the detailed Piccadilly Line guide here.
Heathrow Express
Price: £10 – £25
Duration: 15 minutes
Frequency: Every 15 mins
The Heathrow Express is the most expensive train option, and only gets you as far as Paddington station, where you may have to continue your journey via Tube or taxi. This generally makes it a poor choice unless you are staying near Paddington.
If you do decide you want to take the Heathrow Express, you can purchase tickets online. This gives you a discount, which can take the cost to as low as £25 if you book far enough ahead. Tickets are valid for any train during the day selected, so you don’t need to specify what time you’d like to travel.
View the detailed Heathrow Express guide here.
Taxi
If you don’t want to use public transport, or are travelling with lots of luggage, the other option is to get a taxi.
From the rank: Each Heathrow terminal has a rank of London taxis waiting to pick up passengers. These ‘black cabs’ can fit up to six passengers, and have a reasonable amount of space for luggage. The price is shown on the meter – expect to pay around £100 for a trip into central London, although this will vary depending on destination, traffic conditions and time of day. You can pay by cash or card.
Pre-booked: If you’d like the certainty of having a driver waiting to pick you up, you can pre-book a car service such as Welcome Pickups. Give them your flight details when booking, and they’ll monitor your flight and wait for you in Arrivals.