Three rail lines link Heathrow to central London. The Elizabeth line is the best all-rounder, Heathrow Express is fastest to Paddington and the Piccadilly line is cheapest. First, though, you have to clear the border.
We earn a commission if you book through some links on this page, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
Short answer
For most layovers, take the Elizabeth line from Heathrow into central London: 28 minutes to Paddington for £15.50, continuing to Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and the City. Heathrow Express is fastest, 15 minutes to Paddington for £26. The Piccadilly line is cheapest at £5.90 but takes about 50 minutes. Allow about an hour from landing to a train, and be back at the airport 90 minutes before departure.
Getting through the border
Before any train, you clear UK border control. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) doesn’t publish queue times, so plan on about an hour from landing to sitting on a train, and more at busy times.
- eGates are the quick route. You can use them if you’re 8 or older (8 to 17-year-olds with an adult) and are British or Irish, or hold a valid ETA, eVisa or digital record and come from the EU, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the US.
- Everyone else uses a staffed desk. Allow more time.
- Arrivals Fast Track is a paid lane at the border, £25 off-peak and from £35 at peak times, sold only on heathrow.com. It’s worth it if you can’t use the eGates and your layover is tight. See at the airport.
- Bags: on one ticket they usually go straight through to your next flight. On separate tickets you collect them first, which adds time, and you’ll want to store them before heading into town.
The options at a glance
| Elizabeth line | Heathrow Express | Piccadilly line | Black cab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To | Paddington, Bond St, Tottenham Ct Rd, Farringdon, Liverpool St | Paddington only | Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Sq, King’s Cross | Anywhere |
| Time | 28 min to Paddington | 15 min to Paddington | About 50 min | 30 to 60 min |
| Single fare | £15.50 | £26 (from £10 in advance) | £5.90 | £70 to £120 |
| Pay with | Contactless, Oyster | Tickets, app | Contactless, Oyster | Contactless, cash |
Elizabeth line: the best all-rounder
- Six trains an hour from Terminals 2 and 3. Four an hour serve Terminal 4 and two an hour serve Terminal 5, so check the timetable if you’re at T5.
- 28 minutes to Paddington, then straight on to Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road (for the British Museum and Soho), Farringdon and Liverpool Street.
- £15.50 a single to Zone 1 since March 2026. Heathrow’s own website may still show the older £13.90 fare.
- First trains into London leave around 5:15 to 5:30am. The last trains back from Paddington on weekdays leave around 11:10 to 11:25pm. Weekend times differ.
Heathrow Express: fastest to Paddington
- Trains every 15 minutes. The ride to Paddington takes 15 minutes from Heathrow Central (Terminals 2 and 3), and about 6 minutes more from Terminal 5. It doesn’t serve Terminal 4.
- £26 single or £30 same-day return in Standard. Advance singles from £10 if you book at least 30 days ahead online or in the app (non-refundable).
- Children 15 and under travel free in Standard with a paying adult.
Piccadilly line: cheapest
- About 50 minutes to the West End, with trains at least every 10 minutes from every terminal.
- £5.90 to Zone 1 with contactless or Oyster.
- Slow, and crowded with luggage at rush hour, but direct to Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and King’s Cross St Pancras.
Taxis, Uber and pre-booked cars
- Black cabs wait at every terminal. TfL’s 2026 fare card puts central London at £70 to £120, taking 30 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. All cabs take contactless at no extra charge.
- Uber picks up only in marked areas of each terminal’s Short Stay car park.
- Pre-booked transfers give you a fixed price and a driver waiting at arrivals. Quotes vary by car, address and time of day. In October 2026 Welcome Pickups (opens in a new tab) showed central London fares from about £54 on one page and £82 by day (£98 at night) on another, and Kiwitaxi (opens in a new tab) started at about £74, so check the quote for your exact trip. GetYourGuide also lists Heathrow transfers (opens in a new tab).
A car beats the train mainly when you’re a group, have bags, or are going somewhere the trains don’t reach directly, such as Windsor.
Windsor Castle instead of London
Windsor is closer than central London. A taxi takes about 20 minutes, and a pre-booked car costs about £35 to £40. First Bus route 8 runs from Terminal 5 to Windsor town centre about every 30 minutes (up to an hour’s journey), and the train needs two changes. The castle is open Thursday to Monday, it may turn away large suitcases, and Windsor has no left luggage, so leave bags at Heathrow. GetYourGuide sells Windsor Castle admission tickets (opens in a new tab), and our itineraries have a Windsor half-day plan.
Storing bags near Paddington
If you’re heading into town by train, app-based storage near Paddington station is much cheaper than the terminal desks. In October 2026 Stasher listed spaces from about £1.49 a day and Bounce from about £1.95. You book in the app and drop your bag at a nearby shop or hotel.
Moving between terminals
- Airside: free connection buses about every 10 minutes. Follow the purple Flight Connections signs.
- Landside: the Elizabeth line is free between its Heathrow stations at Terminals 2 and 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Tap your card and you won’t be charged. Heathrow Express is free between Terminals 2 and 3 and Terminal 5, but you still need a free ticket.
Timing your return
Be back at the airport 90 minutes before departure, with your onward boarding pass. Coming back you only go through security, as the UK has no exit passport control, then walk to your gate. At Terminal 5 the B and C gates are a short transit train away, which still fits. Ride back to the terminal your onward flight leaves from.
If you still need to check in or drop a bag, allow longer.
| Layover | Time in London |
|---|---|
| 5 hours | About 1.5 hours, near Paddington |
| 6 hours | About 2 to 2.5 hours |
| 8 hours | About 4 hours |
| 10 hours | About 6 hours |
| 12 hours | About 8 hours |
The times assume about an hour from landing to a train, 30 to 50 minutes each way and 90 minutes back at the airport. Use our layover length guide to see what fits.