The most major airport London is Heathrow Airport. It is 32 km west of central London. During the day, 190 thousand people fly in and out of different countries, and is therefore considered the most "international" and busiest airport in the world.
Heathrow Airport (2017) consists of four operating passenger terminals: Terminal 2,3,4,5. Terminal 1 has been closed since June 2015.
To ensure a smooth journey, find out which terminal you need before heading to Heathrow.
- Terminals 2 And 3 located close to each other in the center of the airport.
- Terminal 4 is located in the southern part of the airport and has its own separate entrance.
- Terminal 5 is located in the western part of the airport and also has its own separate entrance.
You can get to London from Heathrow or vice versa in the following ways.
By train Heathrow Express
This is the fastest and convenient way get to London. The journey from Terminal 1 at Heathrow to Paddington Station in London takes just 15 minutes.
To get to the airport express stop, follow the signs that say Train or Heathrow Express.
An economy class ticket costs £22-25 when purchased online one way, and £37 return. Business class fares: £32 one way and £55 return.
Metro
The most common way is the metro. The Picadilly Line connects Heathrow Airport with the entire city underground. A metro ride costs ₤5.50. The journey to the center will take you about 45 minutes. Metro trains run every 2-4 minutes and run from 5 am to midnight.
The London Underground is divided into tariff zones - Heathrow tube station is in zone 6. Signs in the airport terminal with the inscription Underground will help you find a metro station. The cost of travel also depends on the type of ticket - a one-way trip to central London costs £5.70, with an Oyster Card - £5, and other options are possible.
To travel you will need to purchase an Oystercard, which is sold directly at the entrance to the metro at the ticket office or in the machines. To travel, you can use a regular bank card with a contactless form of payment (the one that you can simply attach to the turnstile). The cost of the trip will be debited from the card exactly the same as if you were using an Oystercard.
By bus
Company buses National Express will take you to central station London Victoria Coach Station in approximately 1 hour. The fare starts from ₤6. Buses run from 5:30 to 21:40. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance online on the website, then you can take advantage of the minimum fare for this route.
Booking example:
By public bus
City buses operate from Heathrow only at night when other transport is closed. Buses run from approximately 23:30 to 5:00. Night bus The N9 will take you to Trafalgar Square in 1-1.5 hours, the journey will cost ₤1.40 if you pay with an Oystercard (or by bank card), or ₤2.40 if you pay cash to the driver.
Itinerary:
Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 - Compass Center - Heathrow Airport Central - Cranford - Hounslow West - Hounslow - Isleworth - Brentford - Turnham Green - Hammersmith - Kensington - Hyde Park Corner - Pall Mall - Aldwych
By taxi
Official taxi stands are located near the terminal exits. Signs will guide you to the parking lot. We do not recommend using the services of machines that do not have an official license. The approximate cost of a trip to central London by taxi from Heathrow is £60-£80. It is also customary to leave a 10-15% tip.
In addition, you can pre-order a transfer from a reliable KiwiTaxi company using the form below. You can select a car of a suitable class and capacity in advance. The cost of such a service is from 62 euros (£55), which for a company of 3-4 people is not so expensive, considering all the amenities. The cost of a transfer from Heathrow Airport to London is fixed at the time of pre-order and does not increase under any circumstances: neither when the driver is expecting a passenger, nor if you need to make a stop at a cafe, nor because of traffic jams. The driver meets you at the airport, as close to the arrivals area as the rules allow.
By rented car
Find cheap flights
If you have not yet purchased air tickets to London, you can use our convenient search form right now. All you need to do is enter your origin and destination and your expected travel dates, and then click “Find flights.” The air ticket search engine will select the optimal route for you and show the minimum price among airlines and air ticket sales agencies.
This transport hub is listed in international registers under the codes LHR (IATA) and EGLL (ICAO). It is located 24 km from the capital of Great Britain, in the town of Hillingdon. The hub operator is Heathrow Airport Limited, which can be contacted on 0844 335 1801.
You can find out about booking rules, flight schedules, and airport services via email [email protected] or visit the official registered website heathrow.com.
History of development
This airport was created during the First World War. In the 1930s, Fairey Aviation assembled and tested military equipment here.
Military air force Great Britain never used the runways of Heathrow Airport, and since 1946 the transport hub changed its status to civilian. The first passenger flight was to Buenos Aires with refueling in Lisbon. Since 1947, the airport already had 3 runways, and several more were in the project.
The first permanent terminal was opened in 1955 and the same year the command and control tower was opened. In the 60s, 2 more were built passenger terminal and 1 cargo. In subsequent years, there is a technical improvement of existing terminals and an increase in the length runways. Prince of Wales Terminal 4 opened in 1986.
Now Heathrow Airport (London) has become the largest in Europe transport hubs and ranks first in terms of traffic volume on the continent and second in the world. This is facilitated by the presence of 5 terminals, the last of which began to function quite recently - in the summer of 2008.
Additional Information. Bandwidth London airport is designed for 45 million people, but every year Heathrow exceeds its capacity - at the beginning of 2017, passenger turnover amounted to 74.3 million people.
Online flight board
You can find out about the departure and arrival times of the flight you are interested in from the information presented on the online boards posted in the terminal halls. The flight status is also indicated here, so passengers will always be aware of events and will be able to control the time of boarding the plane, and those greeting them will know the time of arrival.
You can monitor such information while at home, while getting ready for the trip, as well as in transport on the way to the airport, if you have a gadget with an Internet connection on hand to go to the website of the operating company Heathrow Airport Limited.
Information about Heathrow online can be found on the pages http://www.heathrow.com/arrivals (arrivals to London Heathrow) and http://www.heathrow.com/departures (departures from Heathrow). The “airport online” service is a convenient opportunity to monitor the status of flights.
How to get there
23 June 1998 between Heathrow and railway station A direct message has been opened to London Paddington. Now this is the most in a fast way to get from the city to the airport, the travel time takes 15 minutes, and the trip costs 27 GBP (approximately 2100 rubles).
Travel by metro will cost less - 5.70 GBP (or 446 rubles). Every 5 min. Trains depart from Piccadilly, but the journey from the capital's center to the airport takes 55 minutes.
There is also a bus service between Heathrow and London bus station. Express buses make stops along the route according to the established route, so travel time can last from 45 minutes. up to 1 hour. Bus fare costs 6 GBP (469 rubles).
A taxi will take a passenger in 40 minutes, but the trip will cost from 45 to 85 GBP (3500-6640 rubles).
Parking
Heathrow Airport is fairly well equipped with parking spaces road transport– parking lots are located at each terminal. You can park cars there for up to 5 hours for free, Next comes the service at a tariff, which depends on a number of factors:
- some of the parking lots are serviced by the airport, and the rest by private operators;
- The tariff includes the opportunity to book the most convenient parking spaces in advance;
- are also included in the payment Additional services parking attendant
Each parking lot has specially equipped areas for parking motorcycles, which can be left there for an indefinite period of time free of charge. There are unpaid spaces available in parking lots for people with disabilities.
Note! There are free shuttle buses between the terminals and parking lots.
Airport map
Heathrow Airport is a fairly large branched hub consisting of several buildings:
- Terminal 1 at this moment does not serve passengers - it is planned to be refurbished and made an addition to terminal 2;
- Terminal 2 is the most modern and serves 27 international airlines of the Star Alliance community;
- Terminal 3 – for long-haul travelers flying to Asia and America;
- Terminal 4 receives aircraft from Qatar Airlines, United Airlines United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, as well as others - the SkyTeam alliance;
- Terminal 5 is used exclusively by the British airline and the Spanish Iberia.
Each terminal has a well-developed infrastructure, but in order not to get lost in this diversity, you should immediately go to the information stand - it contains a map of the airport. You can study the terminal plans in advance by visiting the company's website.
Services
In Heathrow, passengers of various classes can relax comfortably while waiting for flights - the airport has fashionable restaurants, affordable fast food outlets, fast food kiosks, as well as coffee machines and numerous bars. Rest areas are also designed for different categories of passengers.
Particular attention is paid to the convenience of disabled people: the airport has assistance points for people with disabilities, wheelchairs are provided if necessary (must be ordered in advance), as well as special escorts and porters for carrying luggage. In all terminals, rest areas for such people are equipped with special sitting places, and there are separate toilets with increased comfort for them.
There is an extensive shopping area with a wide variety of goods, and there is a museum of the history of the airport, the Heathrow Airport Visitor Centre, where interesting exhibitions are presented. Those who want to watch planes take off and land are invited to go to one of the observation decks.
There are representative offices at the airport travel companies, car rental offices, bank branches and currency exchange places. The terminals have 24-hour restrooms and free showers, and a prayer room is available to believers. There are also luggage storage facilities with a fee of 5.5GBP (RUB 428) per 1 piece per day, and luggage transfer services are provided, as well as free luggage trolleys.
Between the terminals, located at a considerable distance from each other, communication is provided by shuttle buses and Heathrow Express trains. The possibility of this movement is provided to passengers free of charge. Recharging stations are located in the terminals mobile phones, and there are also payphones where you can pay with both cash and cards.
WiFi
On all floors of each terminal, a wireless Internet network is available to passengers, as well as those greeting and seeing off, which can be used in the first 45 minutes. for free. There are also Internet stations, the services of which can be used by anyone waiting for the arrival of the desired flight.
Hotels near the airport
There are several comfortable hotels located on the airport grounds, providing the opportunity for a peaceful rest for everyone arriving at Heathrow. Hotel services are provided at any time of the day.
- In close proximity to the airport, between terminals 1 and 3, the hotel " Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow";
- A little to the side, within walking distance, there is the Renaissance London Heathrow hotel;
- In the arrivals hall of Terminal 4, travelers are offered small rooms with hourly payment at the Yotel hotel;
- At Terminal 4 there is the Hilton London Heathrow Airport, which can be reached from Terminal 5 by shuttle;
- From Terminal 5 you can make reservations at the Sofitel London Heathrow.
Note! Despite the abundance hotel rooms in the airport area, it is better to book them in advance - it is necessary to take into account the large passenger turnover.
Which airlines fly
The airport is the base for British Airways, which flies on many routes to all continents. But the hub also serves numerous aircraft from other carriers. Among them are the following companies:
- From the British - this is “Virgin Atlantic”, “Flybe” (a relatively new company);
- Scandinavian airlines - Aer Lingus, Finnair, Icelandair, Scandinavian Airlines;
- The hub is also used by other European airlines - Air France, KLM, Swiss International Air Lines, Lufthansa, Iberia, Eurowings, Austrian Airlines, Alitalia, TAP Portugal, etc. .P.;
- From Asia, Air India, Jet Airways, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Asiana Airlines, El Al, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, and a number of Chinese carriers fly to Heathrow and etc.;
- Tourists from other continents fly to London using airplanes:
- from Africa “Tunisair”, “Ethiopian Airlines”, “Air Mauritius”, “Philippine Airlines”, “Air Algerie”;
- from the airports of Northern and South America Air Canada, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Aeromexico, and Air New Zealand fly to Heathrow.
On the Russian side, Aeroflot operates regular flights to Heathrow.
This airport today is quite popular for travelers all over the world. Therefore, the administration takes care of the convenience of arriving and departing passengers by creating an international standard infrastructure.
Video
Tourists who travel to England ask the question: “How to get from Heathrow Airport to London?”, so in this article I will show instructions on how to get to Heathrow Airport and from Heathrow Airport to central London cheaper, faster and more comfortably.
Before you start your trip to London, follow these steps:
- After booking your hotel, look at Google maps Maps where your hotel is located. If your hotel has not yet been booked, then it doesn’t matter, on the Hotellook website you can choose one of 3,000 hotels in London. Prices will be lower than those of booking, booking is free and hotels are available for any dates.
- Use the London Public Transport website to get directions from Heathrow Airport to your hotel.
- Be sure to write down the correct address of your hotel and download an offline map of London to your phone.
international AirportHeathrow Airport is the UK's largest airport by passenger traffic, London's main airport, and the busiest airport in Europe. The airport is located 22 km west of the city center. You can see the location of the airport on the city map below.
Additional options
Get Directions Print Directions
The airport has 5 terminals. Terminals 1 and 3 are within walking distance of each other. There is a free Heathrow Express shuttle bus to Terminals 4 and 5. If you do not know your terminal number, you can check it using the link on the official Heathrow website. It is at Heathrow Airport that planes of British Airways and Aeroflot fly from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Baku, etc.
The first thing you need to do after arriving is to withdraw local currency, pounds, at an ATM at the airport, because You can pay for transport and buy tickets only in local currency.
Heathrow Express fast train from Heathrow Airport to London
The fastest and easiest way to get from the airport to central London is by train, which is reminiscent of our Aeroexpress from Moscow airports. Train Heathrow Express will take you in 15 minutes from the airport to the center of London - London Paddington station, near which Hyde Park and the famous Oxford Street are located. The train travels non-stop and runs from 05:00 to 23:58 every day. Trains stop at all terminals except Terminal 4. Therefore, if you are flying into Terminal 4, you will need to take the free shuttle bus to Terminal 1, 2, or 3.
The cost of a one-way ticket purchased in advance is 21.5 pounds, a two-way ticket is 35 pounds. Tickets can be bought online, at the railway station, or on the train itself. It is more profitable to buy tickets online in advance.
Heathrow Connect train from Heathrow Airport to London
Electric train Heathrow Connect makes several stops along its route and travels from the airport to west London through the following stops: Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway ), London Paddington. Travel time is 25 minutes. Trains run every 30 minutes from 04:40 to 23:00 every day.
The cost of a one-way ticket to the London Paddington terminal station is 10.1 pounds, a two-way ticket is 20.1 pounds (as you can see, the fare is cheaper than on an express train). A ticket to the final station can be purchased online; tickets to other stations are available only at the ticket office at the railway station.
Metro from Heathrow Airport to London
From Heathrow Airport to London you can take the dark blue line of the tube Piccadilly Line. Travel time to central London is approximately 1 hour. Heathrow Airport has 3 metro stations (Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3; Heathrow Terminal 4; Heathrow Terminal 5). The metro operates from 05:00 to 23:45.
On the attached London metro map you can see that the city is divided into 9 tariff zones, the airport is included in the 6th tariff zone. Look for the airport in the lower left corner of the metro map.
The cost of a ticket to central London (zone 1) is 5.7 pounds. Tickets can be purchased from special vending machines (ticket machines) or sales offices (ticket offices).
Taxi from Heathrow Airport to London
The official taxi service in London is the famous black cabs, which rank at the exit from the arrivals area. Please note that increased rates apply from 20:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and all day on weekends. For a trip to holidays and at night (from 22:00 to 06:00) you will also have to pay an increased rate.
The minimum amount to pay for a taxi ride is 2.4 pounds. At the end of the trip, the passenger must pay the driver the amount indicated on the meter. An increased tariff applies to trips over a distance of more than 10 km. There is a £2 charge when booking a taxi by phone or online. When departing from Heathrow Airport you will pay an additional £2.80.
Taxi
The fare is 65-80 GBP. The taxi rank is located next to the exit from the airport terminal. Travel time is about 40 minutes.
Bus
National Express buses from central bus station Heathrow to Victoria Station. Fare from 6 GBP. Departures every 20-30 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at the airport building or directly on the bus. Travel time is about 40 minutes.
Train
High speed train to central London (Paddington railway station). Departures every 15 minutes, cost from 22-25 GBP. Travel time is about 15 minutes. Prices on the page are as of August 2019.
Metro
Thanks to the London Underground extending the Piccadilly line to the airport by 1977, and a direct train service to London Paddington Station opening by 1998, travel from the airport to London is quick and easy. The Piccadilly Line runs from Heathrow to central London. The cost of travel to central London is from 6 GBP per trip. Trains depart every 5 minutes. Travel time is about 55 minutes.
Transfer
The fastest and most comfortable option to get there. You need to select a car of a suitable class and capacity in advance, and the driver will meet you at the airport with a name plate. The price indicated at the time of booking will be fixed: for example, traffic jams will not affect it.
