Bournemouth to Heathrow

The Bournemouth to Heathrow route

It’s a straightforward journey to travel from Bournemouth to Heathrow on the train. The first step is to take the train from Bournemouth to London Waterloo. You’ll then need to get from Waterloo to London Paddington to take the Heathrow Express to Heathrow.

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

Bournemouth to London: Getting into the capital

The first stage of your journey is to take the train from Bournemouth to London Waterloo. There are usually two direct South Western Railway trains an hour from Bournemouth, with a journey time of around 1 hour 50 minutes.

Making your way from Waterloo Station to Paddington

Once you get off the train at London Waterloo, make your way from the main station concourse down to the London Underground station.

The easiest way to get to Paddington is on the Bakerloo line, as it runs direct from Waterloo without the need to change trains. Hop on a northbound train for nine stops to Paddington. The journey on the tube should take around 14 minutes.

To make things easier when you arrive at Waterloo, you can pay for your tube tickets online alongside your Heathrow Express train ticket. That means you won’t need to find a ticket machine, and can instead hop straight on the tube.

Locating the Heathrow Express and its platform in Paddington

Having arrived at Paddington on the tube, make your way up to the main station concourse. Simply follow the signs to the train station and come up either on the escalator or lift.

Once in the main station concourse, check the boards for the next Heathrow Express train. We usually run from platform six or seven, but it may change on the day so always check the boards to confirm. When you know the platform, head through the ticket barriers with your Heathrow Express ticket in hand. Then hop on the train, and you’ll be at Heathrow in 15 minutes.

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All aboard the Heathrow Express

The Heathrow Express is the quickest and simplest way to get from central London to London Heathrow. Heathrow Express trains leave London Paddington station every 15 minutes with four trains every hour. Once on the train, you’ll glide into Heathrow in just 15 minutes.

Our seats have plenty of legroom and are super comfy, plus you’ll find free Wi-Fi on board for all passengers. Business First Class passengers benefit from more legroom, a table at each seat and a plug socket that’s ideal for laptops. Kids aged 15 and under travel for free on Heathrow Express, whether on Standard Class or Business First Class.

Arriving at Heathrow

Heathrow Express trains take just 15 minutes to arrive into Heathrow Central station, with an extra six minutes to Terminal 5 station.

For flights from Terminal 2, 3 or 4, leave the train at Heathrow Central. It’s a short walk to either Terminal 2 or 3 using the inter-terminal walkway. For Terminal 4, you’ll need to hop on the quick shuttle bus from Heathrow Central to the terminal.

For flights from Terminal 5, stay on the Heathrow Express for an extra six minutes into Terminal 5 station.

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 on either Standard Class or Business First Class. 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 45+ 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. 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 on both Standard Class and Business First Class, 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.