How to get from Heathrow to central London

Three direct rail services link Heathrow with central London. Heathrow Express is the fastest. It runs non-stop to London Paddington in 15 minutes. The Elizabeth line reaches central London in under 40 minutes. Heathrow calls the Piccadilly line its most affordable option, and it gets there in under an hour.

Heathrow Express vs Elizabeth line vs Piccadilly line

• Heathrow Express: non-stop between Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and London Paddington in 15 minutes. A train leaves every 15 minutes in both directions.
• Elizabeth line: direct trains between Heathrow and major London stations, stopping in west London on the way. Stations served include Paddington and Bond Street. Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon are on the line too. So are Liverpool Street and Stratford. Journeys to central London take under 40 minutes.
• Piccadilly line: a Tube line serving every Heathrow terminal, reaching central London in under an hour. Its trains call at Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. King’s Cross St. Pancras is also on the route.

Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line share the same track. Heathrow Express says Elizabeth line trains make six stops on that stretch and take around 27 minutes on average, compared with its own 15.

Heathrow Express cost and tickets

A single in Standard Class costs £26, and a single in PREMIER+ costs £32. Book at least 30 days ahead and an Advance Discounted Single in Standard Class starts at £10. Advance tickets are only valid in the direction they were bought for.

• Same Day Return: £30 Standard, £36 PREMIER+
• Return: £42 Standard, £46 PREMIER+
• Carnet of 6 tickets: £125 Standard, £160 PREMIER+ (six journeys for the price of five)
• Carnet of 12 tickets: £225 Standard, £288 PREMIER+ (12 journeys for the price of nine)

Carnet tickets can be used in either direction. Using one of the railcards Heathrow Express accepts takes a third off the ticket. PREMIER+ includes Fast Track security at the airport, which otherwise costs £12.50 per person.

How to pay for Heathrow Express

Tickets can be booked on the Heathrow Express website or app up to a year before travel, and the app gives 10% off a first purchase. Anyone who has not booked can buy on the day at Paddington or the Heathrow stations, using a ticket machine or the ticket office. A mobile sales adviser can also sell a ticket.

Buying in advance is not required. A contactless debit or credit card can be used to tap in at the start of the journey and out at the end. Apple Pay and Google Pay also work. Oyster cards are accepted as well, but they need enough credit to cover the fare.

Children on Heathrow Express

Children aged 15 and under travel free in Standard Class when they are with a paying adult. They can also travel alone in Standard Class with proof of air travel from Heathrow, such as a flight booking or boarding pass. Photo ID will be needed. In PREMIER+, under-16s go free only with an adult holding a PREMIER+ ticket, and they cannot travel on their own.

Getting to and from Terminals 4 and 5

Heathrow Express trains from Paddington stop first at Heathrow Central for Terminals 2 and 3, then continue for another six minutes to Terminal 5. For Terminal 4, change at the Terminal 2 and 3 station onto the Elizabeth line. That transfer is free and adds about four minutes. Heathrow Express advises allowing extra time.

Travel between Terminal 5 and Terminals 2 and 3 on Heathrow Express is also free. A free ticket from the platform machines is still needed, or passengers can tap in and out with contactless or Oyster. The Piccadilly line calls at all terminals.

From other London stations to Heathrow

Heathrow says the airport can also be reached from London’s other major stations by changing trains. It lists these routes towards Heathrow:

• From Waterloo: Northern line to Tottenham Court Road, then the Elizabeth line to Heathrow. Around 50 minutes.
• From Victoria: Circle line to Paddington, then Heathrow Express to Heathrow. Around 40 minutes.
• From London Bridge: Jubilee line to Bond Street, then the Elizabeth line to Heathrow. Around an hour.
• From Euston: around 55 minutes.

Elizabeth line trains accept contactless and Oyster. TfL says passengers whose journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more may be able to claim a refund. Heathrow describes its local bus fares as good value compared with other ways of travelling, and some routes run 24 hours a day.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked against these official pages on 17 September 2026. Fares, times and rules can change, so check them before you travel.

• Train to Heathrow (heathrowexpress.com)
• Elizabeth line (tfl.gov.uk)
• By rail or train (heathrow.com)
• By coach or bus (heathrow.com)
• Heathrow Express Tickets (heathrowexpress.com)
• Our journey time: Paddington to Heathrow in 15 minutes (heathrowexpress.com)