Heathrow Airport Guide
Independent airport guideVerified August 2026

Popular routes from Heathrow: times, distances and fares

Independent London Airport travel guide · not affiliated with Heathrow Airport.

The most common trips from Heathrow are into central London, out to nearby Windsor and Slough, west to Reading and Oxford, and the cross-airport run to Gatwick. Central London is about 15 miles and 45 to 75 minutes by road. The fares below are indicative from private-hire lists, except the sourced central-London range. Prices checked August 2026.

Routes table

DestinationApprox distanceDriving timeIndicative taxi fare
Central London / West End~15 mi45 to 75 min£75 to £130 metered, £45 to £75 pre-booked
City of London~18 mi50 to 80 minindicative, confirm with operator
Windsor~7 mi15 to 25 min£35 to £45
Slough~7 mi15 to 25 min£22 to £35
Reading~26 mi35 to 50 min£70 to £85
Woking~15 mi25 to 40 minindicative, confirm with operator
Watford~17 mi30 to 45 minindicative, confirm with operator
Oxford~45 mi60 to 80 min£90 to £110
Gatwick Airport~45 mi60 to 90 min£59 to £110

Distances and driving times are road estimates. Taxi fares are indicative from private-hire fixed-price lists and are not official, so verify with an operator quote when you book. The central London range is sourced; where a figure is least certain it's shown as indicative rather than a hard price.

Central London

Central London is the busiest route, roughly 15 miles east over about 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. By taxi it's £75 to £130 metered or £45 to £75 for a pre-booked minicab. By rail it's usually quicker and cheaper: the Elizabeth line at £15.50, the Heathrow Express in 15 minutes for £26, or the Piccadilly line from about £5.60. Compare all of these on the public transport page, or see fares and pickup rules on the taxis page.

Windsor and Slough

Windsor is close, about 7 miles and 15 to 25 minutes, with indicative taxi fares of £35 to £45, and Slough is a similar distance at £22 to £35. Both are short enough that a taxi is often the simplest choice, though local buses and rail connections exist. For a fixed price, a pre-booked minicab from the taxis page removes any surprise on a short hop.

Reading and Oxford

Reading is about 26 miles and 35 to 50 minutes, with National Express route 504 running from £13.60 if you'd rather take the coach than pay £70 to £85 for a taxi. Oxford is further, about 45 miles and 60 to 80 minutes; National Express runs from £26 one-way and the Oxford Bus Company's "The Airline" serves it about every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, which is usually better value than a £90 to £110 taxi. See the public transport page for coach details.

Gatwick Airport

The cross-airport transfer to Gatwick is roughly 45 miles and 60 to 90 minutes by road, with indicative taxi fares of £59 to £110. If you're connecting between the two airports, allow plenty of time, as this route is heavily affected by M25 traffic.

Routes FAQs

How far is Heathrow from central London? About 14 to 15 miles (20 to 23 km) west, taking 45 to 75 minutes by road depending on traffic.

How much is a taxi from Heathrow to Windsor? Indicatively £35 to £45 for the roughly 7-mile trip, taking 15 to 25 minutes. Confirm the exact fare with the operator when you book.

How do I get from Heathrow to Oxford? By road it's about 45 miles and 60 to 80 minutes. National Express runs from £26 one-way, and The Airline coach serves Oxford about every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day; a taxi is around £90 to £110.

How much is a taxi from Heathrow to Gatwick? Indicatively £59 to £110 for the roughly 45-mile transfer, taking 60 to 90 minutes and heavily dependent on M25 traffic.

More: Overview, Taxis, Public transport, Parking, Drop-off, FAQs.

Getting a taxi or transfer Need a door-to-door taxi? For fixed-price, flight-tracked transfers to and from Heathrow Airport, we recommend 247 UK Airport Taxi. Your fare is fixed and quoted before you travel, so drop-off charges, night surcharges and traffic never change what you pay.

We recommend a transport partner and may earn a referral fee. It never changes what you pay, and we only list options we would use ourselves.

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.