Brighton to London Heathrow Airport

The Brighton to London Heathrow Airport route

It’s a straightforward journey to travel from Brighton to Heathrow Airport, with three legs to your trip. The first stage is to take the train from Brighton into central London, arriving into London Blackfriars or London Victoria. Then you’ll need to travel from central London to London Paddington, before jumping on the Heathrow Express to Heathrow Airport.

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

Brighton to London: Getting into the capital

The first leg of your journey is to take the train from Brighton to London Blackfriars or London Victoria. Your journey should take around 1 hour 15 minutes into Blackfriars, with the trains operated by ThamesLink. If you’re planning to arrive into Victoria, you’ll take the Gatwick Express, from Brighton to London with a journey time of just over an hour.

How to get from London Victoria or London Blackfriars to Paddington

If you arrive at London Victoria train station, the simplest way to then travel to Paddington is on the London Underground. Make your way down to the tube station, below the main train station concourse. You can take the Circle Line westbound all the way to Paddington, in about 12 minutes.

For trains arriving at London Blackfriars, again the tube is your fastest option to get to Paddington. You’ll also need to hop on the Circle Line via Victoria, with your journey taking around 20 minutes.

You can pay for your tube tickets online with Heathrow Express alongside your Heathrow Express train ticket.

Make your way to the Heathrow Express in Paddington

If you arrive at Paddington on the tube, make your way up to the main station concourse – follow the signs to the train station and come up either on the escalator or lift.

You’ll then head through the ticket barriers with your Heathrow Express ticket in hand, and make your way to our designated platforms – six and seven. Remember to check the boards at the station to make sure we’re not running from a different platform on the day. We’re usually six and seven, but sometimes it does change.

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Your journey into the airport from the Heathrow Express

The Heathrow Express arrives at Heathrow Central station first, after 15 minutes, then continues for another six minutes to Terminal 5 station.

For flights from Terminal 2, 3 or 4, leave the train at Heathrow Central. You can walk to either Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 using the inter-terminal walkway, and there’s a shuttle bus from Heathrow Central to Terminal 4. It runs regularly and takes only a few minutes.

If you’re flying from Terminal 5, simply stay on the Heathrow Express to Terminal 5 station. You’ll then need to make your way up to check-in, which is on Level 3 of Terminal 5.

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

All aboard the Heathrow Express

The Heathrow Express is the fastest and most efficient 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 run direct into Heathrow Central train station, taking just 15 minutes. It’s then an extra six minutes into Terminal 5 station.

You’ll find ample room on our trains, with plenty of space for your all-important luggage, whether on Standard Class or Business First Class. We have free Wi-Fi throughout and our level access is ideal for wheelchair users. Business First Class customers have their own table and plug socket to connect for some last-minute work before the flight, and even benefit from free Fast Track through security at the airport. Kids aged 15 and under also travel for free on Heathrow Express.

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.