Getting from Heathrow to London

Several ways to get from Heathrow into town and to your hotel.

The Tube's Piccadilly line runs to and from Heathrow. Takes about an hour to get into town, with many stops on the way. Handling luggage on board is makeshift. There's a good chance you'll ride with a suitcase in your lap. The Tube is the cheapest way into town. Unless your Kensington hotel is next to a Tube stop, plan on using a taxi for that last leg.

The Heathrow Express is a train dedicated to running to and from Heathrow and London's Paddington Station. The trip takes about 15 minutes, give or take. Comfortable with places to put luggage. Significantly more expensive than the Tube. Take a taxi from Paddington to the hotel.

More expensive, but very convenient, are car hires: You reserve a car and a driver in advance who meets you at the airport, loads you and your luggage into a vehicle and drives directly to your hotel. Lots of posts and threads here you can search for for more info.

Still more expensive is a taxi. Same convenience as a car hire at more cost.

With a family of 4 and luggage, I'd look first at a car hire, then Heathrow Express, unless you don't mind splurging on a cab.

I wouldn’t even consider the Heathrow Express since it’s nowhere near Kensington.

I’d just take the tube, you’re going to need to learn it anyway. Plus, since the tube starts at Heathrow, you’re going to get a seat. There’s plenty of YouTube videos that show how to use the tube if you want to feel more confident.

How much luggage? If there’s a lot, then perhaps a private car hire service might be worthwhile.

Don’t even consider a taxi unless you’re taking out a second mortgage, it’ll be insanely expensive.

Uber won’t really work either, Heathrow is huge and it’ll be impossible to find the driver.

Please let us know time of day and day of the week. That can impact the best transport option.

. . . and you can buy your Oyster Cards at the Heathrow tube station. Easy.

We will be arriving at about 7 in the morning on a Thursday.

As asked above, where in Kensington? Its a huge area. We can help better if we know where you're staying.

Oops...I forgot to write that...we are staying at 81 Kensington Gardens Square, W2 4DJ (London House Hotel).

This changes a lot of the advice above - you are in Bayswater, not Kensington.

Oh...I am sorry if I was inaccurate...I just assumed from the address name. We are not familiar with London.

London transportation planning tool:
https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/

For example:
https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/results?InputFrom=Heathrow+Airport+Terminals+1-3&FromId=1000105&InputTo=81+Kensington+Gardens+Square%2C+W2+4DJ+&ToId=&Date=20190718&Time=0900&JourneyPreference=leastwalking&MaxWalkingMinutes=20

From: Heathrow Airport Terminals 1-3
To: 81 Kensington Gardens Square, W2 4DJ
Leaving: Thursday 18th Jul, 09:00

Travel preferences & accessibility: Showing routes with least walking Using all transport modes Max walk time 20 mins

08:48 - Arrive at: 09:27 Total time: 39mins
Detailed steps for option 1
Step 1
DepartHeathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Rail Station at 08:48via Heathrow Express to London Paddington

Heathrow Express to London Paddington Journey time: 17 min

Step 2
DepartLondon Paddington Rail Station at 09:05via Walk to Paddington

Walk to Paddington Journey time: 9 min

Step 3
DepartPaddington Underground Station at 09:18via District line or Circle line to Bayswater

District line or Circle line to Bayswater Journey time: 1 min

Step 4
DepartBayswater Underground Station at 09:19via
Walk to 81 Kensington Gardens Square, Westminster (London)

Walk to 81 Kensington Gardens Square, Westminster (London) Journey time: 8 min View directions
Arrive at 81 Kensington Gardens Square, Westminster (London) at 09:27 81 Kensington Gardens Square, Westminster (London)

Your hotel is close enough to Paddington that you might consider the Heathrow Express, especially if you're arriving on a weekend when its fares are lower. Then it's a pretty short taxi ride from Paddington to the hotel. If you'll be returning to Heathrow, you could get "return" (aka round trip) tickets for more savings. Note that the Express plus taxi is likely to be much faster than a car hire from airport to hotel, since the Express doesn't encounter any traffic. But you may not care about that with such an early morning arrival.

If you decide on the Express, get your tickets as far ahead as possible using the website. They commit you to riding on the specified day, but not at a specified time. So you don't have to worry about a late flight or delays at immigration or baggage claim as long as you're taking the Express that day.

You could also take the Piccadilly tube line, as described above, and change at Earl's Court to either the Circle or District Line, taking you to the Bayswater station which is just a few blocks from the hotel. As another poster noted, you'll be learning the tube anyway, but it will take longer and involve considerably more bag-handling than the other options. Also it's likely to be rush hour when you change tube lines, no fun for you with your bags or other riders in a hurry.

For this location, absolutely use Heathrow Express. Your hotel is just near Paddington Station, where Heathrow Express drops off. 15 minutes into the city. Someone above said it's "significantly" more expensive than the tube...the tube is supremely cheap but the Express is not that expensive for the hassle it saves you. Since you are going in a couple of weeks you can't do the 30+ day advance purchase tickets, which are quite cheap...I think at this point it will cost you something like 12 pounds per person. One way on the tube will be 6 pounds per person. I use the Express every time I go to London - 3-4 times a year - and it is completely worth it. Your hotel is quite close to Paddington Station. Just get off the Express train at Paddington, follow the stickers on the floor of Paddington Station to the taxi queue, hop in a cab, and you'll be to your hotel in 5 minutes. Unless you are on a super tight budget this makes the most sense IMHO.

Download the Rome2rio app and type in Heathrow to your hotel and your transportation options pop up. Also a great app to use while in London and elsewhere in the world.

Google Maps offers a trip planner similar to the one operated by TFL. You can compare them in case of any confusion.

Thanks to everyone for their advice and suggestions...this has all been very helpful.

I too would recommend the Heathrow Express for speed and convenience, especially for your location. Although you are late for the deep discounts on advance-purchase tickets, there are still ways to save.

First, depending on the ages of your teens, one or both may be free. Kinds 15 and under travel free on the HEX with a paying adult (but they do need a ticket).

If you are returning to Heathrow from London within 30 days, the DuoSaver ticket may be of use. This is a RT ticket for 2 adults that brings the fare down to around 13 GBP pp each way.

Or perhaps the Group Saver for 3 adults traveling together.

For all discounts, read the rules carefully, since they may not be valid for travel during peak hours (6:30-9:30 am on weekdays in particular).

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/group-saver

I did a similar trip in April. From Heathrow, take the Heathrow Connect (not Express) on the train into town. It costs about half as much and will take twice as long but at 7 in the morning that should be okay. You can pay for the Connect with an Oyster card that you buy and add value to before you enter the train area. You can then use the Oyster card and the value on it to get around London by bus or tube. Once you are at Paddington, follow the signs for a taxi and it will take you to the hotel for not very much money. I did this plan to the hotel and from the hotel back to the airport and it worked well and was very economical.

Heathrow Express for speed and convenience

Agree - but if cost is also a factor you may consider looking into TfL Rail (The line previously known as Heathrow Connect). Double the time (15 -> 27 minutes) but half the cost (22GBP -> 10.10 GBP)

Whilst TfL Rail remains only twice an hour, like the former Connect, its disadvantage is that if you miss one it is a long wait, and you would have got there quicker using the Underground instead as well as it being cheaper. This is less of a problem in the opposite direction as you can arrange to arrive as it is about to leave.

These recent posts are probably too late for the OP, who wrote on July 6 that they were traveling into LHR "in a couple of weeks." Although the TfL train option is indeed more economical than the HEX, and the info will probably be useful to other readers.