Seeking Best Way to reach Central London from Heathrow

Last time I was in London, I took the tube. I had an early morning flight so taking a while to get in was not an issue. I still arrived before the British Library opened. ; ) Pam

If your destination is anywhere along the Picadilly line (like the British Library), then taking the tube is actually the fastest way to get into central London as it's a direct journey involving no change of trains.

We had a train pass that included the Heathrow Express trip from the airport to London and then back again, so we used that and loved it. 20 minutes from the airport to Paddington, and then we jumped on the tube to our flat a few stops away. Easy and fast. But the tube is easy too, just not fast! If you don't have much luggage, take the tube and save some money!

How many of you are there? What date do you arrive? What time do you arrive? Where in Central London are you headed?

I've used Heathrow Connect - it's a bit slower than the Express but quite a bit cheaper if my memory is correct. Tube is also a good option, depending on where you are trying to end up. Alas, these experiences are not as recent as I would like... it's been several years.

If you want door-to-door service, book a private car service rather than a shared shuttle. It's cheaper than a taxi. Just Airports is highly recommended by people on the Helpline. There is a discount for paying cash. If you're packing light and want to save even more money, take the Tube.

Hi Robert, lots of good advice above. Be aware that the Heathrow Connect takes twice the time (20 verses 40 minutes) as the Heathrow Express but it costs half the price of the Express (@ 8.5 pounds vs 16). You can also buy your ticket on the Connect without an extra fee which saves you some time/money but the express costs an extra fiver if bought on board. If time is an issue I would take the Express. Both trains are run by British Air, both very clean - comfortable. You should should know that the Connect departs 27 past the hour and 57 till the hour from terminal 1/3. The Connect train departure is almost always on time. The Express goes every 15 minutes. The tube cost @ 4 pounds to get into town. All are good choices depending on your situation.
Enjoy London!

Do not be fooled by the "Express" in Heathrow Express. For some journeys the lowly tube is faster, Heathrow to popular budget lodging area Earl's Court for example. http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2 Transport for London Journey Planner figures the trip from Heathrow to King's Cross/St. Pancras as about 57 minutes by tube versus about 39 minutes with the Heathrow Express plus the tube. The 18 minutes saved costs you an extra £15.50 which works out to £51.66 per hour or about $79.92 per hour at the current exchange rate. I believe that TFL understates travel time with the Heathrow Express. Running every 15 minutes, your average wait time would be 7.5 minutes. With the tube your average wait time is only about 3 minutes.

If there are more than 2 of you, or if you have lots of luggage, a car service might be a better option than train or tube. We visited in September and used British Airport Transfers both to and from Heathrow: http://www.british-airport-transfers.co.uk/ Cost was 37 pounds from Heathrow to our flat near Waterloo Station.
The driver met us inside the arrivals hall, and drove us to our front door. You can book online ahead of time, so there will be no surprises. The drivers are courteous and careful; the cars are clean. Have a fun trip!

If you are activating your Britrail pass on the day you come in you can use either the Connect or Express. If you are coming into Terminal 5 the Express is the major player and the Connect goes to Terminal 4 and both serve terminals 1 and 3.

My husband and I just got back a few days ago from London, and we used the tube to get to central London. Our hotel was near a Piccadilly line stop, so we just hopped on; and we did time our trips to and from Heathrow to avoid rush hour. Also, if you have heavy luggage, ask a station attendant which stations to use enroute to avoid alot of stairs. For example; at the Earls Court stop you have a ramp to take you to a lift down to the District line platform where you take a westbound train to Barons Court, you get off there and literally walk across a narrow platform and get on a westbound Piccadilly line train to the Heathrow terminals - NO STEPS INVOLVED!!

This summer, we took the bus from Heathrow to Victoria Station. Traffic jam does not even cover it. A 1 hr. trip took 2.5. Luckily, I took an earlier bus. I had tickets for the 3:00 o'clock Heathrow bus and was transferring to another bus at 5:00 for another city. I took the 1:30 bus and barely made it. The traffic was horrendous. Maybe a car service knows another way, but the main roads were jammed all the way to London. So, my suggestion would be the tube.

Heathrow express