Heathrow to Central London
by JFC AdminOne service that I’ve started to use recently is National Express dot2dot. The service is effectively a shared minibus taxi service from Heathrow Airport to Central London. The price is significantly cheaper than a taxi and compares favourably with the Heathrow Express. As this service picks you up at your door and drops you off at the terminal you don’t have the hassle of getting to the station and then fighting with the crowds. How does this compare with other means of getting to the airport?
dot2dot
- Price: Maximum £20 per person Heathrow – Central London (discounts for multiple passengers or return bookings).
- Serves hotels, businesses and National Express train stations in Central London and Canary Wharf as well as residential addresses in their catchment area.
- Service available from every terminal so there’s not far to walk.
- Service to your door, no need to mess around with changing trains or getting a connecting bus.
- Shared service: maximum of three other stops.
- Can use bus lanes – useful in heavy traffic.
- Power sockets available and free WiFi is being rolled out on board.
- Generous free luggage allowance – 2 large cases + hand baggage.
- Disadvantages: may have to wait up to 15 minutes for the dot2dot shuttle to arrive, only covers Central London and Canary Wharf so if you live outside the catchment area it’s no use to you.
- Site: dot2.com
Heathrow Express
- Price: £16.50 one-way (plus cost of connection from Paddington to final destination).
- Serves Heathrow terminals 123 and 5 to London Paddington station.
- Trains run every 15 minutes and takes approx 15 minutes from terminals 123.
- On board entertainment (Express TV) – BBC News summary, some random short clips and ‘Express Facts’.
- The fastest way to Paddington but the speed advantage is cancelled out if you need to connect to the tube or bus.
- Disadvantages: doesn’t serve terminal 4, works out more expensive than dot2dot if you need to travel beyond Paddington, the station is a long walk from terminals 2 and 3.
- Site: heathrowexpress.com
Heathrow Connect
- Price: £6.90 one way between Paddington and Heathrow (cheaper if you alight at one of the intermediate stops).
- Serves Heathrow terminals 123 and 4 and a number of West London stations between Heathrow and Paddington.
- Trains run every 30 minutes (except Sunday) and take 25 minutes from terminals 123.
- Offers good value compared to the Heathrow Express for only a slightly longer journey time.
- Disadvantages: doesn’t serve terminal 5, trains leaving Paddington can get crowded with commuters during rush hour travelling from Paddington to the intermediate stations, as with the Heathrow Express the station is a long walk from terminals 2 and 3.
- Site: heathrowconnect.com
Tube (London Underground)
- Price: with Oyster card £2.00 off-peak, £3.50 peak. Without Oyster £4.00. Based on single journey to Central London.
- Serves all Heathrow terminals and a large portion of London. If you’re travelling to Central London there’s likely to be a tube station near where you need to be.
- The cheapest way to get into Central London.
- Disadvantages: a lot of stations are old and not designed for accessibility meaning that you could find yourself carrying heavy luggage up stairs when alighting or changing trains, can get very busy throughout most of the day so getting a seat could be difficult at times. There’s no air conditioning on the tube.
- To plan your journey: TFL Journey Planner.
Taxi (Black Cab)
- Price: £45 upwards depending on destination in Central London and amount of traffic.
- Can use bus lanes – useful in heavy traffic.
- No need to book, follow the signs to the airport taxi rank if at the airport or hail one in the street.
- Can seat a maximum of five people.
- Disadvantages: One of the most expensive ways to Central London, rate is metered so heavy traffic or a diversion could add significant extra expense.
Taxi (Private Hire)
- Price: £40 upwards depending on destination in Central London. Price is usually agreed at time of booking.
- Different sized vehicles available from a saloon car to a minibus.
- Cheaper than a black cab.
- Most firms will meet you inside the terminal and escort you to your car.
- Disadvantages: Cannot use bus lanes – so more likely to get stuck in traffic than with a black cab or dot2dot. Pre booking is required, it’s illegal for a private hire cab to pick you up on the street.
- A number of private hire firms exist in London, it’s worthwhile to compare prices before booking.
Taxi’s and dot2dot operate a 24-hour service whereas the trains and the tube finish around midnight most days. If the tube is closed and you need to get into Central London very cheaply then there’s a nightbus service N9. You can connect with other nightbuses to get to most London destinations at Trafalgar Square. A single on this bus is 90p with Oyster and £2 without. If you take this option you should consult the TFL Journey Planner first.