The cheapest public-transport route into London is the Piccadilly line Tube, from about £5.60 with contactless and roughly 50 minutes to the centre. If you want more speed for the money, the Elizabeth line is a flat £15.50 to Zone 1 in around 35 minutes, and the Heathrow Express reaches Paddington in 15 minutes. Prices checked August 2026.
Piccadilly line (the cheapest option)
The Piccadilly line is the cheapest rail link into London, from about £5.60 to £5.90 with contactless or Oyster. There's one catch worth knowing: it's charged at the peak rate at all times, with no off-peak discount to Heathrow, but it's still the lowest fare. The journey takes about 45 to 60 minutes, with a typical run of around 50 minutes to central London. Trains run from roughly 05:00 to 23:30, never more than about 10 minutes apart, and the Night Tube runs all night on Fridays and Saturdays. There's a station between T2 and T3, one at T4 and one at T5.
Elizabeth line
The Elizabeth line serves all three Heathrow stations (T2/3, T4 and T5) and runs through Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street. A single to Zone 1 is a flat £15.50, and the journey takes about 30 to 40 minutes to Paddington. Frequency is up to 6 trains an hour from T2/3, 4 an hour from T4 and 2 an hour from T5. For most travellers this is the value pick: it's roughly £10 cheaper than the Heathrow Express for a journey only about 20 minutes slower.
Heathrow Express (the fastest)
The Heathrow Express is the fastest way into London, reaching Paddington in 15 minutes from T2/T3 and 21 minutes from T5. A walk-up single is £26 standard class, but it drops to from £10 if you book 30 or more days ahead. Children aged 15 and under travel free with a fare-paying adult. Trains run every 15 minutes from early morning to late at night. If you're a connecting passenger, the same train is free between T2/3 and T5.
Coaches (National Express)
National Express coaches use the Heathrow Central Bus Station, which serves T2 and T3, while T4 and T5 have their own stops. Fares to London Victoria Coach Station start from £9.50 one-way, with up to 77 services a day taking about 45 to 90 minutes. Other routes include Reading (route 504) from £13.60 and Oxford from £26 one-way, roughly 90 minutes and frequent. The Oxford Bus Company's "The Airline" also serves Oxford about every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.
Local buses and night bus
Numerous local TfL and other bus routes run from the Central Bus Station to surrounding areas, many at the standard TfL bus fare of around £1.75. Overnight, the night bus N9 runs from central London to Heathrow when the Tube and other trains have stopped. For Bath Road hotels, free local TfL buses from the Central Bus Station often cover the same stops as the paid Hotel Hoppa, which is £6.80 single or £12.00 return.
At a glance
| Mode | Fare | Time to central London | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piccadilly line | from ~£5.60 | ~50 min | Every ~10 min, Night Tube Fri/Sat |
| Elizabeth line | £15.50 to Zone 1 | ~35 min | Up to 6/hour from T2/3 |
| Heathrow Express | £26, from £10 advance | 15 min (21 from T5) | Every 15 min |
| National Express to Victoria | from £9.50 | 45 to 90 min | Up to 77/day |
| Night bus N9 | TfL bus fare | Overnight | Overnight only |
When a taxi is worth it
Public transport is almost always cheaper for one or two people. A taxi or minicab starts to make sense when there are several of you with luggage, when you're travelling in the small hours after the last Elizabeth line and Express trains have gone, or when you want to be taken to an exact address rather than a station. If someone is driving you instead, check the drop-off charges, because the forecourt costs £7 per visit.
Public transport FAQs
What's the cheapest way from Heathrow to central London? The Piccadilly line Tube, from about £5.60 with contactless, taking roughly 50 minutes. It's charged at peak rate at all times but still the lowest fare.
How much is the Heathrow Express? £26 for a walk-up single, or from £10 if you book 30 or more days ahead. Children aged 15 and under travel free with a fare-paying adult.
Is there a night Tube to Heathrow? Yes. The Piccadilly line runs all night on Fridays and Saturdays. Otherwise the last train is around 23:30, after which the night bus N9 runs from central London.
How much is the coach to Victoria? National Express runs from £9.50 one-way to Victoria Coach Station, with up to 77 services a day taking about 45 to 90 minutes.
More: Overview, Taxis, Parking, Drop-off, Routes, FAQs.
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Last verified August 2026 by the Heathrow Airport Guide editorial team. Prices and timetables change, so confirm the specifics on the official Heathrow Airport website before you travel.