Even though Heathrow is London’s largest airport, a lot of visitors are amazed to find that it is actually 16.9 miles from the centre of London, and that if they are staying in a hotel there that there is still quite a journey to be made before they can check-in to their room. Thankfully, there is a variety of options to get you quickly on your way.
The quickest option is the Heathrow Express train service which operates a non-stop service between Heathrow airport and Paddington Station in the heart of London; the journey takes only 15 minutes. There are two classes – standard or first class; which offers a little more luxury. In either class you can also buy a pass for Wi-Fi should you need to catch up with emails before hitting the capital. However, the Heathrow Express isn’t cheap with fares starting at £15.50 standard class single, and climbing up to £47 first class return.
A cheaper alternative to the Heathrow Express is the Underground. Heathrow is on the Piccadilly line and from any terminal you can access central London. Trains run every 4 – 9 minutes, with the single fare costing £4.00, or if you are travelling after 9.30 am, buy a travelcard which is valid anywhere on the London transport system for £6.30. At 45 – 60 minutes to reach central London the journey takes significantly longer than the Heathrow Express, but you have more en-route stops at which you can disembark.
Another public transport option is to take the bus or coach. This takes up to an hour to get into Central London if the traffic is operating normally, but can take up to two hours if there are problems, and offers a choice of destinations including Victoria rail station. The cost of this service currently starts around £10 for a single journey.
The airport is very well-served by London black cab taxis with the average fare to most central hotels in London varying between £40 and £60. Each cab holds up to five people, but do consider how much luggage you have, as very few cabs will be able to accommodate five passengers that each possesses two pieces of luggage. Also, if you intend to pay by credit or debit card you will be subject to a 10% service charge on the cash price.
Alternatively, Limousines are available through various agencies and can be booked in advance. Prices can vary between agencies, but this is definitely the most luxurious way of getting into the city centre – but also normally the most expensive!
Finally, it’s worth remembering that you’ll have to carry your luggage on public transport, so if you travel fully-loaded it might not be the best option for you to get through ticket gates and up and down stairs. Most taxis will get you to all central hotels in London dropping you directly in front of reception – and that will probably be the best option for those who have more than one piece of easily transportable luggage.
