Using the Elizabeth Line to get from Heathrow to Central London is easy, fast and affordable. This guide shows you exactly how to do it.
Determine Your Route
The Elizabeth Line stops at multiple stations within central London, including:
- Paddington
- Bond Street
- Tottenham Court Road
- Farringdon
- Liverpool Street
- Whitechapel
- Canary Wharf
- Stratford
Therefore you’ll need to decide in advance where to get off. You may also need to transfer to a further Tube line once you’re in London.
To do this, simply use transit directions within Google/Apple Maps, or download the Citymapper app. These apps will give you step-by-step instructions on which lines and stations to use to get to your destination. You can also consult the Elizabeth Line map, which shows all stations on the line.
Walk to the Elizabeth Line Station
Heathrow airport actually has three Elizabeth Line stations:
- Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3
- Heathrow Terminal 4
- Heathrow Terminal 5
It’s easy to find your way to the nearest station – simply follow the blue signs for ‘Trains’.
Elizabeth Line trains leave from the same stations as Heathrow Express trains, so you can also follow signs to the Heathrow Express. The Elizabeth Line is technically not an Underground / Tube line, so don’t follow signs to ‘Underground’, as these will lead you to the Piccadilly Line only.
At terminals 4 and 5, the stations are part of the terminals themselves, so the walk is short. At terminals 2 and 3, the station is between the terminals, which means a slightly longer walk (up to 5 minutes). However there are moving walkways to help you get there quickly.
If you have lots of luggage, you can take luggage trolleys from the terminals into the train stations. However you can’t take the trolleys onto the train. You can use lifts (elevators) to get you down to the platform, so there is no need to use stairs.
Buy Tickets, or use Contactless
Once you get to the rail station, you’ll see machines selling tickets, and a row of ticket gates.
You have three options to chose from to pay for your travel:
- Use contactless – The easiest way to travel is to use a contactless credit/debit card or device, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay on a phone. This way, you don’t need to buy a ticket at all – simply walk up to the ticket gate and touch your card or phone on the reader. The gate will open, and you can walk through with your luggage. Each adult needs their own card or device. The fare is £13.90 to central London.
- Buy an Oyster Card from the machine – if you’re doing other travel within London, it’s worth getting an Oyster Card, as it will save you a lot of money compared to buying paper tickets. Oyster Cards cost £7 to buy, and you will be asked how much credit you’d like to add. As the fare is £13.90, you’ll need to add at least this amount to the card to complete this journey, but you might want to add more for further travel within London. You can always bring the card back to a ticket machine to add further credit.
- Buy a paper ticket from the machine – you can also use the machines to buy a single ticket. The price varies depending on where you need to get to, and is generally more expensive than using contactless or Oyster. Make sure you don’t buy a Heathrow Express ticket if you want to use the Elizabeth Line.
Children: Children under 11 travel free on the Elizabeth Line (and other London transport) when accompanied by an adult. They don’t need a ticket, simply use the wide ticket gates and walk them through in front of you. Children 11-15 do need a ticket, which you can purchase from one of the machines (or they can use contactless to pay the adult fare).
Find the Correct Platform & Wait for the Elizabeth Line
Once through the ticket gates, all you need to do is find your way to the right platform. This is easy, as the stations only have two platforms, and have screens to display which platforms trains are leaving from.
Elizabeth Line trains towards central London usually use these platforms:
- Terminals 2 & 3: Platform 2
- Terminal 4: Platform 1 or 2
- Terminal 5: Platform 4
At terminals 2 & 3, and terminal 5, Elizabeth Line trains leave from the same platforms as Heathrow Express trains. Therefore you need to make sure you get on the correct type of train. This is easy, as screens will show upcoming departures, announcements will explain what train is approaching, and branding on the train will clearly display either Elizabeth Line or Heathrow Express.
All trains heading away from Heathrow stop at the central London stations (Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street & Whitechapel), however the line splits after Whitechapel. The list of stations the train stops at is shown on the platform display boards. If your desired station is after the line splits (i.e. Stratford or Canary Wharf) and the train is not shown as stopping there, take the first train and get off at Whitechapel. Remain on the same platform and board a following train which is shown as stopping at the station you need, which should only be a couple of minutes behind. You can visualise the way the line works by consulting the map, here.
Ride the Train
When the train arrives, roll your luggage on and take a seat. Keep your luggage with you – there are plenty of spaces to sit where your luggage can fit next to you and not block the aisle.
Screens and announcements show the upcoming stops, so it’s easy to know when to get off.
Once you’ve reached your destination, follow signs for the ‘Way Out’, tap your card/device (or enter your ticket) on the ticket barrier, and enjoy your stay!