Our Journey Planning Guides

When flying from Heathrow, you want your train journey to the airport to be smooth and seamless. On this page, you’ll find all the information you need to plan your train travel to Heathrow. You’ll discover in-depth journey planners detailing routes and connections from various regions to find your best path to the airport.

All routes lead to London Paddington, where you can hop on the Heathrow Express to complete the journey from Central London. It’s the quickest and most stress-free connection directly to Heathrow’s terminals. You’ll be there in just 15 minutes.

Explore the guides below and start planning your journey.

Your journey getting from Heathrow to London

Jump on the Heathrow Express at Heathrow Central station and you’ll travel the 16 miles (25km) to London Paddington in just 15 minutes. The journey time from Terminal 5 station is slightly longer at 21 minutes. Trains depart Heathrow every 15 minutes, meaning minimal time waiting on the platform. And on your return journey, you’ll enjoy the same quick and efficient trip from Paddington.

If you’re arriving into Terminal 2 or Terminal 3, Heathrow Central is a short walk away via the inter-terminal walkway.
For Terminal 4 arrivals, take the inter-terminal shuttle transfer, which adds an extra five to 10 minutes on your journey time. Simply follow the signs in the terminal.
If you land at Terminal 5, you can take the Heathrow Express from Terminal 5 station.

Book your Heathrow Express tickets online in advance for great savings. We also accept contactless payments, credit cards and Oyster cards on the day you travel.

Once on the train simply sit back and relax in your comfy seat, log-on to the free WiFi and plug into your power socket. There are tables at each seat, plenty of luggage storage and accessible toilets throughout the carriages.

Check the live information to understand potential train times for both legs of your journey between Heathrow and London.

Make your way to Heathrow with ease using one of our journey planning guides

We want to get you on your way as quickly as possible and you can do this by using our quick and easy journey planning guides.

Select your route from start to finish using the drop-down options below, and our handy journey planning guides will do the rest and show you the swiftest route. We are constantly adding new routes to ensure that we are up-to-date and serving our customers as best as possible.

Whether your journey is outside or inside London, you will find your destinations as needed. If you are travelling within London, you can purchase London Underground tickets directly from our website, meaning you can plan and buy your entire journey all in one place.

Check out our route guides below

Whether you’re travelling from Central London or a little further afield from the likes of Milton Keynes, Oxford or Reading you’ll want to plan your journey to Heathrow so everything runs smoothly. Our helpful journey planning guides detail the different ways to get to Heathrow from a variety of places.

Wherever you’re travelling from, you’ll make your way to London Paddington by train, tube, bus or on foot. From Paddington, it’s just a 15-minute journey on the Heathrow Express direct to Heathrow Central station. It’s an extra six minutes on the train to Terminal 5 station.

And if you’re landing at the airport and looking for transport from Heathrow, the Heathrow Express is the fastest option into Central London. You can then continue your journey from London Paddington.

Below is a selection of our most popular routes.

Cambridge to London

Make your way from Cambridge to Heathrow with this travel guide.

Kings Cross to Heathrow

Get from King's Cross to London with our helpful journey planning guide.

Bristol to Heathrow

Make your way from the capital of the West Country to Heathrow with our Bristol to Heathrow guide.

Bath to Heathrow

Travel across the country to Heathrow from Bath. This guide tells you all you need to know.

Victoria to Heathrow

Get from Victoria to Heathrow quickly and easily with our handy journey guide.

Oxford to Heathrow

Uncover the best way to get from Oxford to Heathrow with out handy guide.

Luton to Heathrow

Make your way from Luton to Heathrow with our route guide

Stratford to Heathrow

Make your way across London with our Stratford to Heathrow guide

Norwich to Heathrow

Plan your journey from Norwich to Heathrow

Ready to book your journey? Our tools and guides make booking a breeze

Planning your journey to the airport shouldn't add stress to your travel experience. That's why we have a number of tools and resources to help you easily plan your journey to and from London Heathrow. Check our daily timetable and service updates page to plan your journey, and book your Heathrow Express tickets directly from our website.

Timetable

View the Heathrow Express timetable here. Our trains leave Paddington every 15 minutes, so you can plan your journey with ease.

A picture of a laptop with the Heathrow Express website on it

Service Updates

Check the live status of our train service here. We’ll let you know how our trains are running to help plan your journey.

Booking Heathrow Express Tickets

Once you know your journey and the date you’re travelling, see our tickets and prices, and book here. You can save money by booking at least 30 days in advance.

Terminal Maps

Use our helpful terminal maps to navigate your way around Heathrow. You’ll find maps for each terminal for a smooth and seamless airport experience.

Want to avoid busy trains? Here are the best times to travel

We want you to avoid travelling during busy peak times where possible, so we have taken the time to examine and assess when our trains are most busy to help you avoid travelling at those times.

We found that during the morning and evening hours, usually before and after the 9am - 5pm working day, is when our trains are at peak capacity and tend to have to most passengers.

With that in mind, we advise it best to plan your journey around these times to avoid overcrowding, especially when carrying large pieces of luggage. If you're travelling to the airport, remember to allow plenty of travel time before your flight. Even if that means arriving at the airport a few hours ahead of time, you can enjoy all the shopping and dining options before take-off.

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Our Journey Planning Guides

Your journey getting from Heathrow to London

Make your way to Heathrow with ease using one of our journey planning guides