London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Facilities at London Heathrow Airport

Heathrow has four terminals. Terminals 2 and 3 are conveniently clustered together, but Terminals 4 and 5 are at the other end of the airport. Terminal 1 is no longer used.

Facilities at Heathrow are excellent with plenty of shopping, eating and drinking options to keep you busy while waiting for your flight.

Heathrow also has more airport lounges than any other UK airport. If you have a Diners Club card or Priority Pass membership (which comes with many American Express Platinum cards) you have access to lounges at all Heathrow terminals.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2, also known as The Queen’s Terminal, has 31 shops including branches of Hamleys and Harrods plus 12 restaurants, bars and cafes including Heston Blumenthal’s The Perfectionist’s Cafe and two pubs.

Terminal 2 also has the Aer Lingus lounge, the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, two Lufthansa lounges, a Plaza Premium lounge, two Singapore Airlines SilverKris lounges and the United lounge.

Terminal 3

There are 35 shops at Heathrow Terminal 3 including Harrods plus 11 restaurants, bars and cafes.

Lounges at Terminal 3 include two American Airlines lounges, two British Airways lounges, two Cathay Pacific lounges, Club Aspire, Emirates Lounge, No 1 Lounge, Qantas Lounge and the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.

Terminal 4

Terminal 4 has 31 shops plus eight restaurants, bars and cafes.

Lounges at Terminal 4 include the El Al King David Lounge, Etihad Airways first and business class lounges, Gulf Air Falcon Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, two Qatar Airways lounges and the SkyTeam Lounge.

Terminal 5

There are 52 shops at Terminal 5 including branches of Fortnum & Mason and Harrods plus 15 restaurants, bars and cafes including Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food, the Fortnum & Mason Bar and several pubs.

Lounges at Terminal 5 include the Aspire Lounge, Be Relax Spa, a Plaza Premium Lounge and five different British Airways lounges.

Which terminal?

Heathrow’s terminals are organised according to airline alliance with Star Alliance members using Terminal 2, Oneworld members (except most British Airways and Iberia flights) using Terminal 3, SkyTeam members (except Delta and Garuda Indonesia) using Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 is used exclusively for British Airways and Iberia.

Airlines are currently using the following terminals (although it is always good to double-check before passing through security):

• Aegean Airlines – Terminal 2
• Aer Lingus – Terminal 2
• Aeroflot – Terminal 2
• Aeromexico – Terminal 2
• Air Algerie – Terminal 2
• Air Canada – Terminal 2
• Air China – Terminal 2
• Air France – Terminal 3
• Air India – Terminal 2
• Air Malta – Terminal 2
• Air Mauritius – Terminal 2
• Air Serbia – Terminal 2
• American Airlines – Terminals 3 and 5
• ANA – Terminal 2
• Arik Air – Terminal 2
• Asiana Airlines – Terminal 2
• Austrian – Terminal 2
• Avianca – Terminal 2
• Azerbaijan Airlines – Terminal 2
• Beijing Capital Airlines – Terminal 2
• Biman Bangladesh Airlines – Terminal 2
• British Airways – Terminal 5
• Brussels Airlines – Terminal 2
• Bulgaria Air – Terminal 2
• Cathay Pacific – Terminal 3
• China Airlines – Terminal 2
• China Eastern – Terminal 2
• China Southern – Terminal 5
• Croatia Airlines – Terminal 2
• Czech Airlines – Terminal 2
• Delta Air Lines – Terminal 3
• Egyptair – Terminal 2
• El Al – Terminal 2
• Emirates – Terminal 3
• Ethiopian Airlines – Terminal 2
• Etihad Airways – Terminal 3
• Eurowings – Terminal 2
• EVA Air – Terminal 2
• Finnair – Terminal 3
• Garuda Indonesia – Terminal 2
• Gulf Air – Terminal 2
• Hainan Airlines – Terminal 2
• Iberia – Terminal 5
• Iberia Express – Terminal 5
• Icelandair – Terminal 2
• Iran Air – Terminal 3
• ITA Airways – Terminal 2
• Japan Airlines – Terminal 3
• Jazeera – Terminal 3
• Kenya Airways – Terminal 3
• KLM – Terminal 3
• Korean Air – Terminal 3
• Kuwait Airways – Terminal 2
• LATAM – Terminal 3
• Loganair – Terminal 2
• LOT Polish Airlines – Terminal 2
• Lufthansa – Terminal 2
• Malaysia Airlines – Terminal 2
• MEA – Terminal 3
• Oman Air – Terminal 2
• Pakistan International Airlines – Terminal 2
• Philippine Airlines – Terminal 3
• Qantas – Terminal 3
• Qatar Airways – Terminal 5
• Royal Air Maroc – Terminal 2
• Royal Brunei Airlines – Terminal 3
• Royal Jordanian – Terminal 3
• RwandAir – Terminal 2
• SAS Scandinavian Airlines – Terminal 2
• Saudia – Terminal 2
• Shenzen Airlines – Terminal 2
• Singapore Airlines – Terminal 2
• South African Airways – Terminal 2
• SpiceJet – Terminal 2
• Sri Lankan Airlines – Terminal 3
• Swiss – Terminal 2
• TAP Air Portugal – Terminal 2
• Tarom – Terminal 2
• Thai Airways – Terminal 2
• Tianjin Airlines – Terminal 2
• Tunisair – Terminal 4
• Turkish Airlines – Terminal 2
• United Airlines – Terminal 2
• Uzbekistan Airways – Terminal 2
• Vietnam Airlines – Terminal 2
• Virgin Atlantic – Terminal 3
• Vistara – Terminal 3
• Vueling – Terminal 2
• Widerøe – Terminal 2

Travelling between terminals at Heathrow

A free travel zone used to operates at Heathrow, which meant that there was no charge to travel from one terminal to another, whether you’re travelling by bus or rail. However, the Heathrow Free Travel Zone has been suspended and now bus travel in the area surrounding the airport (including inter-terminal travel and travel to airport hotels) will be charged at the same rate as bus travel elsewhere in London. However, inter-terminal transfers for passengers transiting between international flights and rail transit between terminals remains free of charge.

If you are a transit passenger with a connecting flight at a different terminal you are able to take a free flight connection bus from one terminal to another without passing through British immigration but you will still need to clear security when you arrive at the next terminal. Simply follow the purple flight connection signs to the coach gates to catch your bus. Connecting buses to other terminals depart every 10 minutes.

If you are not a connecting passenger, or if you are connecting from a domestic flight arriving at one terminal to an international flight departing from a different terminal, then there are several free ways to travel from one terminal to another.

From Terminal 2 to Terminal 3
It is a 10-minute walk between Terminals 2 and 3 via a pedestrian underpass.

From Terminal 2 to Terminal 4 or Terminal 5
You can take the Heathrow Express train from Heathrow Central railway station (which serves Terminals 2 and 3) or the tube from Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 tube station to either Terminal 4 or Terminal 5. With either service, you can use an Oyster card or a contactless payment card (there is no charge for this trip) and you are also able to get a free Inter-Terminal Transfer ticket for use on the Heathrow Express train from the ticket machine at the station.

The Heathrow Express train runs every 15 minutes and the tube runs every 10 minutes.

From Terminal 3 to Terminal 2
It is a 10-minute walk between Terminals 2 and 3 via a pedestrian underpass.

From Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 or Terminal 5
You can take the Heathrow Express train from Heathrow Central railway station (which serves Terminals 2 and 3) or the tube from Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 tube station to either Terminal 4 or Terminal 5. With either service, you can use an Oyster card or a contactless payment card (there is no charge for this trip) and you are also able to get a free Inter-Terminal Transfer ticket for use on the Heathrow Express train from the ticket machine at the station.

The Heathrow Express train runs every 15 minutes and the tube runs every 10 minutes.

From Terminal 4 to Terminal 2 or Terminal 3
You can take the Heathrow Express train from Terminal 4 to Heathrow Central railway station (which serves Terminals 2 and 3) or the tube to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 tube station. With either service, you can use an Oyster card or a contactless payment card (there is no charge for this trip) and you are also able to get a free Inter-Terminal Transfer ticket for use on the Heathrow Express train from the ticket machine at the station.

From Terminal 4 to Terminal 5
Local bus routes 482 and 490 operate between Heathrow Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, although there is currently a charge for this service. You can also take the tube to Terminals 2 & 3 and change for another train to Terminal 5.

From Terminal 5 to Terminal 2 or Terminal 3
You can take the Heathrow Express train from Terminal 5 to Heathrow Central railway station (which serves Terminals 2 and 3) or the tube to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 tube station. With either service, you can use an Oyster card or a contactless payment card (there is no charge for this trip) and you are also able to get a free Inter-Terminal Transfer ticket for use on the Heathrow Express train from the ticket machine at the station.

From Terminal 5 to Terminal 4
Local bus routes 482 (destination Southall Town Hall) and 490 (destination Pools on the Park) operate between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Terminal 4, although there is currently a charge to use this service. You can also take the Heathrow Express train or the tube to Terminals 2 & 3 and change for another train to Terminal 4.

You should allow 10 minutes to get between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 and 20 minutes to travel between the other terminals.

Getting to and from Heathrow Airport

Heathrow is easily accessible from central London by tube, train and bus and there are also bus and coach services to other cities elsewhere in the UK.

Travelling between Heathrow Airport and Central London

There are lots of options for getting into Central London from Heathrow Airport, but most people take either the tube or the train.

Heathrow Airport to Central London by tube
The most popular way to get to and from Heathrow is via the Piccadilly tube line that runs from central London with three stations at Heathrow: Terminals 2 & 3; Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. The tube takes approximately 45 minutes from central London. The cash fare is £6 one-way; with a contactless payment card or an Oyster card, it costs £5.10 during peak travel times and £3.10 off-peak.

Heathrow Airport to London Paddington by train
There are two rail services connecting Heathrow Airport with London Paddington railway station.

The fastest and most expensive option is the Heathrow Express train, which connects Heathrow Airport with Paddington Station in 15 minutes, with trains running every 15 minutes. Tickets cost £22 off-peak and £25 peak. It costs £32 to travel in first class, although Star Alliance Gold members can travel in the Heathrow Express first-class carriages with a standard ticket. Fortunately, there are also advance purchase fares available for travel on the Heathrow Express that start as low as £5.50.

If you are not able to score one of the cheap advance-purchase fares on the Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth line rail service is a cheaper option that follows a similar route to the Heathrow Express but it takes a little longer as it is not an express service. Trains run every 15 minutes, the journey time is 29 minutes and the one-way fare is £11.50 with contactless payment or an Oyster card.

Heathrow Airport to Central London by local bus
The cheapest way to get into central London from Heathrow Airport is by a regular local bus, but whether this is worth the effort depends on whether you are travelling during the day or night.

This is a good option late at night when the N9 night bus runs directly from the airport to Trafalgar Square every 20 minutes for just £1.75, taking around an hour to get into Central London.

However, it’s not such a great option during the day as there is no direct bus route linking the airport with Central London meaning that you may need to change to multiple buses (taking as many as five different buses in some cases) and this coupled with more congested roads during the day means that the trip into town can take over two hours. Also because you have to take several different buses, the journey will be more expensive at £3 and it doesn’t cost that much more to take the tube.

Heathrow Airport to Central London by coach
Green Line, National Express and Megabus coaches also go into central London. These are not strictly airport bus services, but rather long-distance coach services from other parts of the country that just happens to call in at Heathrow Airport en route to London. Most of these coach services run express to Victoria Coach Station, but Green Line services terminate at their own coach station (near Victoria) and also make some stops in Kensington and Knightsbridge.

These coaches are a comfortable way to travel and quite good value (but not as cheap as regular local buses or the tube). Although they do not provide as regular a service as other airport transport options, they are worth considering if you’re staying at a hotel near Victoria Coach Station (or the Kensington/Knightsbridge area if you’re taking the Green Line coach).

All coaches into central London stop at the Heathrow Central Bus Station, which is within walking distance to Terminals 2 and 3. Many of these coaches also stop at Terminal 5 and there are some coaches that stop at Terminal 4 as well.

Travelling between Heathrow Airport and other London airports

Although you can easily get between London’s different airports by travelling via Central London, there are some direct bus and coach services that link Heathrow with Gatwick, Luton and Stansted airports without the need to go into London.

It is important to note that these direct services are not always the cheapest or quickest way to get between London’s airports and it is sometimes cheaper and faster to travel via Central London.

When booking National Express coaches, you will usually get a much cheaper fare if you book your ticket online well in advance but this means that you’re tied into a specific coach departure rather than the first available bus. For an extra £5, there is the option for a more flexible ticket that lets you take a later coach if your flight is delayed. Because cheap tickets are often not refundable, this is a good idea as you will otherwise need to allow extra time to clear customs and immigration before your scheduled departure time.

All coaches into Gatwick, Luton and Stansted Airports stop at the Heathrow Central Bus Station, which is within walking distance to Terminals 2 and 3. Many of these coaches also stop at Terminal 5 and there are some coaches that stop at Terminal 4 as well.

Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport
The easiest way to travel between Heathrow and Gatwick airports is by the National Express coach service, which runs around 100 times each day. For a relatively short (one hour) journey, it is not particularly cheap, but it is not much more expensive than going via Central London and it is certainly a much easier option.

However, if you have enough time between your connecting flights, it can be nice to go via central London to see some of the sights (or have a nice meal and a few drinks in a pub) before continuing onward to Gatwick.

Heathrow Airport to Luton Airport
National Express have an hourly coach service that links Heathrow and Luton airports. This usually takes around an hour, but you should allow longer as the roads can get congested at times.

The alternative is to take the Green Line coach into Central London and transfer to the Green Line coach to Luton Airport (it is easier to take the Green Line coach into London as Green Line have a different London terminus to National Express).

The other option is to take the tube into London and get off at Kings Cross St Pancras and then take the Thameslink train to Luton Airport Parkway.

Heathrow Airport to Stansted Airport
The National Express coach service from Heathrow to Norwich goes via London Stansted Airport. This service runs around once every two hours and takes around an hour and 20 minutes but, like the other airport to airport coach services, it is subject to delays due to traffic congestion.

The other option is to take a train to London Paddington railway station, then the tube to London Liverpool Street railway station, and then the Stansted Express train to Stansted Airport. Officially this takes a little longer than the coach, but it is a more frequent service and is more reliable as it is not subject to delays due to traffic congestion.

Heathrow Airport to the other London airports
There are no direct coach services to London’s other airports. This means that you need to travel into central London to make connections if you need to get to London City or London Southend airports.

Travelling between Heathrow Airport and other cities in the UK

If you need to travel directly to somewhere other than London, you can often get a direct coach which will save having to go into London.

Megabus and National Express operate frequent coaches to and from Heathrow Airport. Both Megabus and National Express have direct services to Bristol and Cardiff and National Express also have direct coaches to Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Cambridge, Coventry, Exeter and Leicester.

If you need to travel between Heathrow and Reading, Slough or Windsor, Green Line Coaches have regular coach services to these towns.

Almost all coaches stop at the Heathrow Central Bus Station, which is within walking distance to Terminals 2 and 3. Many of these coaches also stop at Terminal 5 and there are some coaches that stop at Terminal 4 as well.

An exception to this are coaches to Windsor, Slough and Reading. These coaches all serve Terminal 5 but only some of them continue on towards the Heathrow Central Bus Station.

Hotels near Heathrow Airport

There is a large choice of hotels to stay at that are close to the airport. The best choice for you will depend on your budget and which terminal you are travelling through.

We have reviewed all the hotels with easy access to the airport including the hotels attached to the airport terminals, the hotels along Bath Road and at Hatton Cross as well as hotels in Cranford and Hounslow that have easy bus and tube links to the airport. However, there are some hotels that advertise as being airport hotels that we do not include as they either have inconvenient transport connections or require that you take the overpriced Hotel Hoppa shuttle bus. Just click the name of the hotel to read our full review of that hotel.

Terminals 2 and 3 (including central Bath Road hotels)

There are only two hotels within walking distance to either Terminal 2 or 3 and the remainder of hotels serving these two terminals are located along Bath Road and accessible only by bus. However, buses are frequent and the bus journey is no more than 10 minutes.

Terminal 4 (including Hatton Cross hotels)

Most of the Terminal 4 hotels are within walking distance to the airport terminals (the Yotel is actually inside the terminal). The Atrium and Hilton Garden Inn both have free bus connections to Terminal 4 and are near Hatton Cross tube station which makes it easy to get to any of the terminals at Heathrow (although the tube is not free).

Terminal 5 (including western Bath Road hotels)

Of the Terminal 5 hotels, only the Sofitel is within easy walking distance, although the Thistle is accessible via an automated pod which is a fun way to get to your hotel. The other Terminal 5 hotels require a bus transfer, although buses are cheap and frequent. The bus ride between Terminal 5 and the Sheraton and Premier Inn hotels goes through the village of Longford, which is the nicest area along the Heathrow perimeter road and some people staying in these hotels take the bus to one of the local pubs in Longford for a more authentic local experience.

Hounslow and Cranford hotels

Although these hotels are outside the former Heathrow Free Travel Zone, they have excellent transport connections to the airport and the cheaper prices more than compensate for the couple of pounds that you will spend on a bus or tube trip to the airport.