Reading to Heathrow

The Reading to Heathrow Route

The Reading to London Heathrow Airport route

Travelling from Reading to London Heathrow Airport is a straightforward journey with two legs. First, you’ll take the train or Elizabeth Line from Reading to London Paddington. Then you’ll simply stroll to the Heathrow Express train at Paddington station to jump on your direct service to Heathrow Airport.

We’ll run through each leg of the journey in detail below.

Reading to London: Getting into the capital

The first leg of your journey is the train from Reading to London Paddington. The quickest way into Paddington is by using the Great Western Railway.

Direct Great Western Railway trains take around 26 to 28 minutes and usually arrive into Paddington on platforms 1, 3 or 4.

Where is the Heathrow Express in Paddington

Once you arrive at Paddington, you’ll likely get off your Great Western Railway train at either platform 1, 3 or 4. You can then simply stroll to either platform six or seven to take the Heathrow Express to Heathrow Airport.

Always check the boards at the station to make sure you’re not running for a different platform on the day.

All aboard the Heathrow Express

The Heathrow Express is the fastest and most convenient way to get from London Paddington to Heathrow Airport. Our trains leave Paddington every 15 minutes, with four trains running every hour. Heathrow Express trains are direct into Heathrow Central, with no stops along the way – the journey takes just 15 minutes. If you’re flying from Terminal 5, it’s an extra six minutes on the train to Terminal 5 station.

You’ll find plenty of room on our Heathrow Express trains. There’s ample space to relax in your seat and more than enough storage space for your luggage. We have free Wi-Fi on all our trains, and our seats are super comfy. Customers travelling on Business First Class get their own table and plug sockets to catch up on any last-minute work before arriving at the airport. Kids aged 15 and under also travel for free.

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How long does it take to get to Reading from London Heathrow?

On average, journey times between Reading and London Heathrow take around one hour and 15 minutes. However, when opting to incorporate the Heathrow Express into your Reading to Heathrow journey, you can cut your journey time to around 40 minutes.

There are no direct Reading to Heathrow trains, or Heathrow to Reading trains, meaning the fastest option is to take a direct train into London Paddington and catch the Heathrow Express. Our trains run every 15 minutes and will take you from Paddington to Heathrow in just 15 minutes.

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Arriving at Heathrow with the Heathrow Express

Once you get on the Heathrow Express at London Paddington, the journey to Heathrow Central takes just 15 minutes. The train then carries on an extra six minutes to Terminal 5 station.

If you’re flying from Terminal 2 or Terminal 3, it’s just a short walk to either terminal from Heathrow Central. For flights from Terminal 4, simply hop on the shuttle bus from Heathrow Central to the terminal.

Discover more about Heathrow’s terminals with our helpful terminal maps.

Our ticket types

Choose from a range of Heathrow Express ticket types to suit your journey and your budget.

Single

Book a Single ticket in either Standard Class or PREMIER+. Pick any train on that day and travel one way either to or from Heathrow whether you're flying for business or pleasure.

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Advanced Discounted Single

Make great savings by booking your single ticket on Standard Class 30+ days in advance. Get organised with your train travel and plan a single journey to or from Heathrow for just £10. Get your advanced discount ticket here.

Same Day Return

Book a Same Day ticket if you're flying out of and returning to Heathrow on the same day. Ideal for business travelers regularly flying out of Heathrow. Hop on a morning flight for a meeting in Edinburgh or Berlin and fly home that evening, using Heathrow Express both ways.

Return

With a Return ticket on Heathrow Express, you have ultimate flexibility for your travel to and from the airport.

Whether you're away for two weeks with the family or enjoying a city break, you can travel five days after you buy the ticket and return within one month.

Carnet tickets

Available as a Carnet x6 or Carnet x12 in both Standard Class and PREMIER+, you'll save money on your journeys by buying your tickets in bulk.

With a Carnet x6 you get 6 journeys for the price of 5, whilst a Carnet x12 will give you 12 journeys for the price of 9.

Family travel

Children aged 15 and under travel for free on Heathrow Express. If you're travelling as a family from Heathrow – whether to see friends or for the holiday of a lifetime – book tickets for the whole family, but only pay for the adults.