London Waterloo to Heathrow

The Waterloo to London Heathrow route

It’s simple to travel from London Waterloo to Heathrow, and there are just two stages to your journey. The first is travelling from Waterloo to London Paddington, then it’s a quick 15-minute train ride on the Heathrow Express from Paddington to the airport.

Waterloo station serves the Borough of Lambeth and its surrounding areas. If you’re trying to get to Heathrow from here, the Waterloo to Heathrow route including the Heathrow Express is the best option.

Here we’ll focus on both legs of the journey in a little more detail.

How to get from Waterloo to Paddington

The first leg of your journey sees you travel from Waterloo station to London Paddington. You have a few options, depending on time. You can take a cab from Waterloo, which should take between 15 and 20 minutes depending on the traffic. If you fancy taking the bus, hop on the 139 towards Golders Green. If you have time to walk, the trip should take you around one hour and passes some top London sights along the way, including Waterloo Bridge and Piccadilly Circus.

The simplest and quickest route is to take the London Underground. Use either the Bakerloo or Jubilee Line from Waterloo to Baker Street. You’ll then need to hop on the Circle or Hammersmith & City line for two stops to Paddington.

Getting to the Heathrow Express in Paddington

Once you arrive at London Paddington, you’ll need to make your way to the main station concourse to take your Heathrow Express train. Our trains usually run from platforms six and seven, so head through the ticket barriers with your Heathrow Express ticket.

Remember to always check the boards at the station in case we’re running from a different platform on the day.

Relax on the Heathrow Express

The Heathrow Express is the easiest and fastest way to get from London Paddington to Heathrow, with a journey time of just 15 minutes. Heathrow Express trains leave Paddington every 15 minutes, with four trains running every hour.

On Heathrow Express trains, you’ll have ample space to relax in your seat and there’s plenty of storage space for your luggage. You can connect to our free Wi-Fi on board and the level access of our trains ensures they are accessible for wheelchair users. Kids aged 15 and under travel for free on Heathrow Express, on both Standard Class and Business First Class.

Grab your tickets now

Purchase Your Heathrow Express Tickets Here

Arriving at Heathrow

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

If you’re flying 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.

A group of people buying tickets at a ticket machine

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.