The cheapest way between central London and Heathrow is the Piccadilly line Tube, from about £5.90 with contactless or Oyster, taking roughly 50 minutes. The Elizabeth line is the best-value upgrade, a flat £15.50 to Zone 1 (£14.60 from Paddington), in about 30-40 minutes. The Heathrow Express is fastest at 15 minutes from Paddington, £26 walk-up or from £10 if booked 30 or more days ahead. A taxi runs £75-£130 metered or £45-£75 pre-booked. These fares and times are the same whichever direction you're travelling. Checked 2026.
Heathrow transport options at a glance
| Option | Fare | Time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piccadilly line (Tube) | from £5.90 | ~50 min | Every ~10 min; Night Tube Fri/Sat |
| Elizabeth line | £15.50 (£14.60 from Paddington) | ~30-40 min | Up to 6/hour from T2/3 |
| Heathrow Express | £26 single, from £10 advance | 15 min (21 from T5) | Every 15 min |
| National Express coach | from £9.50 | 45-90 min | Up to 77/day, to/from Victoria |
| Pre-booked taxi/minicab | £45-£75 | 45-75 min | On demand |
| Metered black cab | £75-£130 | 45-75 min | Ranks at every terminal |
Piccadilly line: the cheapest way, in either direction
The Piccadilly line, the only Underground line serving Heathrow, is the lowest-cost rail link between central London and the airport. Since the TfL fare changes that took effect on 1 March 2026, a pay-as-you-go single is £5.90 with contactless or Oyster. Unusually, it's charged at the peak rate at all times on journeys to or from Heathrow, so there's no off-peak discount, but it remains the cheapest option by a wide margin. The journey takes 45 to 60 minutes, typically around 50 minutes, with trains roughly every 10 minutes from about 05:00 to 23:30. On Fridays and Saturdays the Night Tube runs all night, making it one of the few ways to reach Heathrow by rail in the small hours (Terminal 4 isn't served by the Night Tube). There are stations serving T2/T3, T4 and T5, so check your terminal before travelling, since not every train calls at every station and frequency drops at T4 and T5.
Elizabeth line: the value middle ground
The Elizabeth line serves all three Heathrow stations and runs through Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and on to Canary Wharf and Abbey Wood. A single fare is £15.50 to most central London stations, with Paddington the one exception at £14.60. The journey to Paddington takes about 28 to 40 minutes. For most travellers, this is the best balance of speed and price: roughly £10 cheaper than the Heathrow Express for a trip only about 15-20 minutes slower, and it's the direct route if Canary Wharf or the City, rather than the West End, is your start or end point. Frequency is up to 6 trains an hour from T2/3, dropping to 4 an hour from T4 and 2 an hour from T5.
Heathrow Express: fastest, at a price
The Heathrow Express is the fastest way between the two, reaching Paddington in 15 minutes from T2/T3 and 21 minutes from T5. A walk-up single is £26 standard class (£32 Premier+), dropping to from £10 if you book 30 or more days ahead, which is worth doing if your travel date is fixed. A same-day return is £30, and a standard return £42. Children aged 15 and under travel free with a fare-paying adult. Trains run every 15 minutes from early morning to late at night, and connecting passengers travel free between T2/3 and T5 on the same train.
National Express coach and local buses
National Express coaches connect Heathrow to London Victoria Coach Station from £9.50 one-way, with up to 77 services a day taking about 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Coaches use the Heathrow Central Bus Station for T2 and T3, with separate stops for T4 and T5. It's the cheapest option after the Tube, and a reasonable choice if Victoria, or somewhere else on the route, suits you better than a Tube or Elizabeth line station. Numerous local TfL bus routes also run from the Central Bus Station at the standard TfL fare, and the night bus N9 covers the route once the Tube and trains stop running for the night.
Taxi or minicab between central London and Heathrow
A metered black cab typically runs £75 to £130 for the roughly 18-mile journey, taking 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. A pre-booked minicab is usually cheaper, commonly £45 to £75 with the price fixed in advance. A taxi makes most sense for a group with luggage, a very early or late departure once trains have stopped for the night, or when you want collecting from or dropped at an exact address rather than a station. See our taxis page for how black cab and minicab fares are worked out, including the standard TfL tariff structure.
Which should you pick?
- Cheapest overall: the Piccadilly line, from £5.90, if you don't mind the longer journey.
- Best balance of speed and price: the Elizabeth line, £15.50 flat, about 30-40 minutes.
- Fastest, and worth booking ahead: the Heathrow Express, from £10 if booked 30+ days out, otherwise £26.
- Group with luggage or travelling very late: a pre-booked taxi or minicab, fixed price and door to door.
For the full breakdown of every public transport option at Heathrow, including night travel and local buses, see our public transport page. If you're driving yourself or being dropped off, check the drop-off charges first, since the forecourt costs £7 per visit.
Which station should I use?
Check your terminal before you travel: the Piccadilly line and Elizabeth line both serve T2/T3, T4 and T5, but not every train calls at every station, and frequency drops noticeably at T4 and T5. The Heathrow Express serves T2/T3 and T5 only. If you're unsure which terminal your airline uses, confirm on your booking confirmation before you set off.