Best and or Fastest way to go from Heathrow to Waterloo Station!

https://tfl.gov.uk/

Seems to indicate fastest way is Elizabeth Line to Tottenham Court Rd, then Northern Line to Waterloo. 54 minutes including 5 minutes of walking each end.

What Sam said. I stayed in that same area in mid-March and it was the cheapest and easiest way to get there.

Just follow the signs at the airport for the Elizabeth line (you will have to go outside). Once you get down there, buy an Oyster card (there are lots of employees around who can help if you need it) or just use your credit card to tap and pay.

Take the Elizabeth train (Abbey Wood) to Tottenham Court Road Station. Transfer to Northern (black) Line. Get off at Waterloo Station. Head out of the station (walk towards the signs that say Way out #4 - Tension Way), then when you get outside, turn left on Cab Rd, then left on York Rd. until you get to your hotel.

That's a great area to stay, by the way. I loved it and it was very close to lots of sights and restaurants. There's a Marks & Spencer Food Hall a few blocks away where you can get groceries, if you like, and a Starbucks right up the block. You're also right next to Westminster Bridge, which takes you into the heart of London.

Payment for the Elizabeth line and tube can also be made by oyster card, contactless credit cards and smartphone. Just make sure you use the same method to tap in and tap out.

Tottenham court road station is before the Elizabeth line splits going eastbound. So you should be able to take any train going that direction. Generally the trains will show Shenfield or Abbey Wood as the destination.

OP -- You may find CityMapper a useful app for journey planning in London and other major cities.

A few corrections to the comments above. The Elizabeth line routing is probably just the quickest but it’s definitely not the cheapest. That route will cost £13.30*. Taking the Piccadilly line tube to Hammersmith, changing to the District line to Westminster and then walking across Westminster Bridge to the hotel will only cost £5.60 and will involve no more walking. The tube change is a few feet across a platform rather than a walk and lift at Tottenham Court Road.
The reference to walking outside at Heathrow does not apply to all terminals. It’s true for T3 but not for T5. Not sure about the other two.
You definitely should not buy any form of ticket on arrival at either station - that’s the most expensive option. The simplest is just to use a contactless card or phone or smart watch pay. If you prefer you can get an Oyster card and load money on to it but the card costs £7 you don’t need to pay.
* whilst the Elizabeth line journey would be quite a bit more than the tube, that £13.30 will go towards the zone 1-6 daily cap of £14.90. So, if you plan other travel during your arrival day you will quickly hit the cap and the gap between the two fares will reduce.
PS - sorry Mardee - not getting at you as I know how useful your many other posts are!

John 52, that’s my fault. I was thinking, buy an oyster card, which is what I did, but wrote the word Ticket, which was wrong. I’ve amended my post accordingly.

Thank you all. You have been most helpful. Your kindness has been greatly appreciated. Have you had any experience with pre arranged car service from Heathrow?
LT

Get a quote from Blackberry Cars (cheaper than Uber!), then schedule a pick-up. They will monitor your flight number, so will know if your flight is late, etc. They deliver you right to the front door of your hotel.
https://www.blackberrycars.com/

Thank you so much Rebecca!

You're welcome!