Heathrow Express

How far into the future are you trying to buy a ticket for? If purchased far enough in advance the savings are substantial. But there is a limit of how far into the future you can go

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/ this site should be where to look/buy tickets

This is an edited comment. I'm breaking it down into three categories ...as it works out, it's in order of most expensive to least expensive AND quickest trip to longest trip. I will use bold to separate the three options, and for travel times I'm using the city mapper app for London. It's also a website but the smartphone app is great too.

https://citymapper.com/london?lang=en

So: weekday afternoon, let's get you from Heathrow to Great Portland Street tube!

OPTION ONE - HEATHROW EXPRESS.

To answer one of your questions: yes you can buy an Express Standard ticket on board the train. From 29 February 2016, cash is not accepted on-board. Debit/credit cards only if that's what you're doing.

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/faqs/ticket-faqs

...but the only fare available for purchase if you're on the train without a ticket is the Express Standard Return (in Britain, when it comes to rail tickets, "return" means "round trip ticket"). Current cost is £42 (a shade under $60 US). So if you’re not also leaving from Heathrow (flight back is from Gatwick, or you’re catching the Eurostar to Paris and flying home from there), it’s much cheaper to buy the single ticket fare at the ticket window (which will certainly be open in the afternoon). Those are £27 each.

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/tickets-deals/prices-fares

Then, of course, you'd have to buy a Tube (underground) ticket from Paddington to Great Portland Street, or take a very expensive taxi.

The Express train takes around 15 minutes to get to Paddington, then you make your way down to the Tube (Circle Line - yellow, or Hammersmith & City Line - pink) which we'll say takes a further 10 minutes including getting a ticket. Then you get one of the trains heading towards Edgeware Road or Barking and that's a further 10 minutes or so on the Tube.

That part on the tube: travel in London rewards getting pre-paid Oyster Cards or Travelcards at the expense of penalizing single-journey ticket buyers. The cost of a single ticket each for the ten minutes on the Tube from Paddington to Great Portland Street is £4.90.

Don't get single tube tickets.

COST - £27.00 FOR THE TRAIN, THEN WHATEVER OPTION YOURE DOING FOR TUBE TRAVEL. MORE ON THE OYSTER CARD LATER. TIME - 35 MINUTES.

Don't forget, that's in Pounds. £27 is over US$37.

OPTION TWO - STILL A TRAIN, IT'S THE HEATHROW CONNECT.

The Heathrow Connect (also to be known in future as CrossRail or the Elizabeth Line - it’s currently a topic of friendly debate in the city) does stop at a few stations en route and takes 30 minutes instead of 15 ...but is much cheaper. £10.30 for a one way trip per person.

https://www.heathrowconnect.com/tickets

And if you’ve looked into using London transport by using the Oyster Card, and you’re going after May 20th this year (I checked your post history to see when you guys were traveling and you mention June so this looks perfect), this option is even better because the daily maximum (called the daily cap) traveling from Heathrow (in Zone 6) to central London (Paddington is in the bullseye Zone 1) is £12.50. No matter how much you hop on and off additional trains and tubes and buses all over London, the whole kit-and-caboodle is that £12.50 for the day. £10.30 for the fare from Heathrow, and everything else for £2.30 for the rest of that Thursday. Including that Tube ride to Great Portland Street.

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow_connect_train.htm

COST - £12.50 ON THE OYSTER CARD, £5 RETURNABLE DEPOSIT ON THE OYSTER CARD, £17.50 EACH ON THE DAY BUT YOU GET £5 BACK EACH WHEN YOU REFUND IT. IF YOU'RE TRAVELING BEFORE MAY 20TH, SLIGHTLY MORE. TIME - 50 MINUTES.

Option #3 in my next post.

Thanks for all the replies! So we leave in less than 2 weeks (May 10th arrival)! All that info has just confused me further, but only because there are so many options, lol. Would you agree that just taking the tube the whole way is a good idea? How long would that trip likely take? (and regarding the June trip, that was 2017. I am lucky enough to be going again in May. Sort of a last-minute thing!). Thanks for all the help!

I got a lot more replies to this in my email box. Not sure why they are not showing up here.

I just tried to buy two tickets for May 10th, I was a able too, it was $30:53 for two tickets.

Robin, that is interesting. When I do it, (I tried a different browser and it worked), it comes out to $67.40 for two on the Heathrow Express...

Why not just purchase Oyster Cards when you get to Heathrow, load them, and take the Tube? Its easy, fast, and convenient, as well as cheaper .

Happy Travels✨💫

For Great Portland Street Tube station from Heathrow take the Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith and the Circle/Hammersmith & City Line from there to Great Portland Street. You do have to walk a short way between the two stations in Hammersmith but this is the best route, in particular because you are at the start of each of the lines. Cost - £5.10 each peak, or £3.10 off-peak presuming you use an Oyster card or contactless payment. £6 cash.

If you are set on the Express, the cost will by now be £44 to get you to Paddington; £50 if you want to travel peak (you could get a car service direct to where you are staying for less than this). If you want a return, use the promo code DUOSAVER and you can get two return tickets for £55.50.

Why take Heathrow Express when you can take the tube for much less. It's a good question, but there are some good reasons to cough up the cash. First, there are no steps. It's much easier to roll that suitcase right on the train. And it rolls right off at Paddington. A second reason is the length of the trip. If you've come off a transatlantic flight or some other long flight and all you want to do is get to your hotel, then take Heathrow express. (For the contrary perspective, if you need to use up time until your hotel room is available, take the Tube!) A third reason is if your hotel is near Paddington as you can likely walk to it from the station. And you don't have to buy a ticket in advance. It is 27£ if you buy it on board vs 22£ if you buy in advance. Sometimes flexibility is worth 5£. :)

Pam

Pam, thank you. And that brings up another question: If I do buy my Heathrow Express ticket in advance, but getting through customs takes longer than expected, will I be able to just get on the next available train? Or do I have to make sure I get on the on the train corresponding to the time on my ticket? Also, I hear round trip tickets cost less, so I guess I need to figure out what time I am returning to the airport as well?

Heathrow Express tickets are not tied to a specific service. They ask for the time of travel to determine if you need a peak rate ticket or not.

Notionally the Heathrow Express route would take a little over half an hour and the tube route a little under an hour. However, this difference will be cut into if you just miss one as the frequency is only every 15 mins. Both require one change enroute.

The most economical way into London is the Underground ( tube). Time wise it’s about an hour. Follow the route provided by Marco.

The quickest and most expensive way into London is the Heathrow Express. Trains run nearly every 15 minutes and the ride from the airport to Paddington Station. You then have to get from there to Great Portland.

U need to decide what your public transport preference would be.

Heather, there is also Heathrow Connect which you can board on the same platform as the Heathrow Express but for MUCH less money — just £10.30. It's just 15 minutes more on a very comfortable train and well worth the savings if you’re heading to Great Portland Street.

You can buy your rail ticket from the ticket machine.

At Paddington, you can take either the Central Line or Hammersmith & City 3 stops to Great Portland Street.

If you are returning to Heathrow at the end of your trip for a flight home, you can get a DUOSAVER ticket on the Heathrow Express for £55. This is a roundtrip ticket for two people. It brings the cost of each ride down to £14 per person.

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