As a tour guide, I am often asked my opinions on the best way to travel into London from Heathrow airport.
Because I travel a lot, I am in a good position to offer advice on the three most popular ways: the Elizabeth Line, the Piccadilly Line, and the Heathrow Express.
In this post, I am going to give you all the details of the newest option - The Elizabeth Line - as well as comparing this with the other two options.
And, in the video below, I explain all about how to get to/from Heathrow Airport on the Elizabeth Line.
This post covers what it is, tickets, transfers, and the pros and cons compared to other options.
- Pros and Cons
- The Elizabeth Line vs the Piccadilly Line vs the Heathrow Express
- What is the Elizabeth Line?
- Tickets and Times
- Transferring to Other Lines
- Getting to the Elizabeth Line at Heathrow
- Heathrow Express
- London Underground
The Elizabeth Line
Pros:
- Elizabeth Line makes multiple stops, unlike Heathrow Express.
- No advance tickets; use Oyster or contactless.
- This is not true for the entire line, which I will outline below.
- Connects with most major London Underground lines.
- Reaches farther outside London than others.
- Larger carriages with luggage and buggy space.
- Eases Heathrow travel with luggage compared to Piccadilly Line during rush hours.
- Step-free access at all stations for convenience.
- Cost: Any Time Fare - £12.20 to Paddington or £13.30 for stations further east.
Cons:
- Costs twice as much as Piccadilly Line.
- The Journey to Paddington is twice the length of the Heathrow Express.
- Transfers often lack step-free access; plan ahead. Use TFL.gov.uk for that.
- Separate ticket needed for west of West Drayton.
The Piccadilly Line
Pros:
- Connects easily to city stops near hotels.
- Cheapest option: £3.50-£5.50 via contactless.
- Paper ticket costs £6.30
- No advance booking; convenient for customs delays.
- Designated luggage spaces in tube carriages ensure easy airport travel.
- Frequent trains; wait times under 5 minutes.
Cons:
- Tube line changes may involve stairs; plan ahead.
- Check your journey on tfl.gov.uk
- Heathrow to King's Cross takes around an hour.
- Post-flight journeys feel long after overnight flights.
- Luggage space limited; rush hour travel challenging.
- Challenging for inbound trains only; outbound boarding is much easier.
The Heathrow Express
Pros:
- Fastest option: 15-minute journey to central London.
- Convenient for Paddington guests; direct access.
- Designated luggage racks for easy bag storage.
- Guaranteed seat from both Paddington and Airport.
- Step-free access with portable ramp for wheelchair users.
- Early Bird discount available via Heathrow Express app.
- I got ticket for just £15.00! That's 40% off.
Cons:
- Expensive unless booking Early Bird discount online.
- Requires Underground transfer if not staying near Paddington.
- Advance booking needed; no contactless or Oyster.
- Open-timed tickets offer flexible travel options.
Heathrow to London Train Lines Compared
Here I will outline the Pros and Cons of each line, based on my experience, to help you decide which option is the best for you!
The Cheapest: The Piccadilly Line
The Fastest: The Heathrow Express
The Most Well Connected: The Elizabeth Line
As you can see from the above three answers, the best way to get from the Airport to your hotel will depend on what you value over all and what you consider to be "the best."
Officially opened in 2022, the new Elizabeth Line is a high-frequency commuter rail line in London, connecting Heathrow Airport with the centre of the capital and beyond.
The line incorporates both the London Underground as well as overground rail services which I love as it makes it convenient to travel into and out of the city, not just to the Airport!
The line stretches more than 100km, linking Heathrow and Reading in the West through to Sheffield and Abbey Wood in the east - which is fantastic for people staying outside of the city centre.
Most of my guests stay in Zone 1 but many people I meet on my tours have family on the outskirts of town so this line is a real game changer for them.
The parts of the line that run through central London are underground, connected with the tube, which I - and all other Londoners - will tell you is hands down the best way to travel through the city.
Stopping at 41 fully accessible stations, this is the newest part of the London Underground transport network.
Not only is this good for people using wheelchairs or who have prams, it is great for when I have luggage with me to take to/from the airport.
NOTE: Some early morning and late evening trains depart from Paddington and Liverpool Street RAIL stations which you can see in the map I've put above.
However, I always find the transition from the Underground to the Rail Station fairly simple and I have found lifts at both stations that take you from the Tube up into the Rail Station.
Which Heathrow Terminals does the Elizabeth Line service?
- Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3
- Heathrow Terminal 4
- Heathrow Terminal 5
Ticket Types
I always use my contactless debit card to take the Elizabeth Line. You can do the same, or use an Oyster Card.
You can buy a paper ticket but I never would: it’s ALWAYS cheaper to use an Oyster Card or your contactless card than it is to buy a paper ticket.
For example - travelling on the Elizabeth Line through Zone 1 will cost £2.80 (£2.70 off-peak) on your Oyster Card but £6.70 when using a paper ticket.
This is why us Londoners never bother with paper tickets anymore!
Another nice thing about using the Oyster Card is that you can use the Railcard offer to save 1/3rd when purchasing off-peak tickets.
For more information on Oyster Cards, check out our blog post here: https://freetoursbyfoot.com/oyster-card-london/
If you don't have this payment method, you can purchase admission at a ticket machine in any London underground station that services this line.
It's been a while since I have had to do this (again, I use my contactless card everywhere) but it is very straight forward when using the self-service machine.
NOTE: For stations west of West Drayton, the Elizabeth Line is outside of the Transport for London Network which means an Oyster card is not valid.
I have found this to not be that big of an issue for most of my visitors but I myself have needed to get a ticket to travel to Reading in the past (take note for those of you who I might see at the Festival!).
The line is mostly for commuters coming in from the West but you may find it relevant to you if you are staying outside the city Centre.
Can you use the 60+ Oyster Card on the Elizabeth Line?
Yes, this card for London residents over the age of 60 is valid on the Elizabeth line.
Can you use the Freedom Pass on the Elizabeth Line?
Yes, the Freedom Pass covers the cost of admission for this line.
Cost to Get to/from Heathrow
Any Time Fare: £12.20 to Paddington or £13.30 for stations further east.
Is the Elizabeth Line more expensive than the Piccadilly Line?
This price makes the Elizabeth Line about twice the price of the Piccadilly Line (£5.60 into zone 1 at any time) - but it gets me into central London twice as fast.
The Elizabeth Line is about half the price of a full-fare Heathrow Express ticket but takes twice as long to reach Paddington.
In my opinion, the Elizabeth Line is a middle-ground between the Express and the Piccadilly Line, both for cost and time wise.
Times and Hours of Operation
Mondays to Saturdays: The Elizabeth Line now operates largely within the same hours as the London Underground Network.
First trains depart around 4:30am and the last trains depart central London shortly after midnight.
Sundays: As above, with the first trains departing shortly after 5:00am and the last trains departing shortly after midnight.
The Elizabeth Line has six trains an hour departing from Heathrow Terminals 2&3 - but only four an hour from Terminal 4, and two an hour from Terminal 5.
The Elizabeth Line is far less frequent than the Piccadilly Line which runs every 5-7 minutes, and slightly less frequent than the Heathrow Express which runs every 15 minutes.
When the Elizabeth Line first opened, the hours were different and it was a challenge for me to work out if the line would be running at a time that coincided with my arrival or departure time.
But, this is no longer the case so, just as I do with the Piccadilly Line, I don't book it in advance, I just turn up whenever I happy to get there.
SNEAKY TIP: I like to find out which Terminal I will be arriving into before I travel as I don't want to wait on the platforms at Terminal 5 or 4.
Then, I can take the Piccadilly Line to Terminals 3&4 which is FREE when I use my contactless card to transfer between the two.
TRANSFERS AT PADDINGTON STATION
One benefit of the Elizabeth Line is that it connects with many other Underground lines in central London.
This means if you are not staying at Paddington, where the line from Heathrow terminates, you can change to another Elizabeth Line train and travel further into the city to Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Stratford, Whitechapel, and Canary Wharf.
This gives you easy access to the Circle, Hammersmith, and City, Metropolitan, District, Central, Northern, and Jubilee lines as well as the London Overground AND the DLR. Whew!
Unless you are staying at a hotel on the Piccadilly line I believe you can get essentially anywhere from there.
This means the Elizabeth Line can be a good choice for many as there are vast connections.
It’s also worth noting that ALL Elizabeth Line stations are step-free from street to platform which can be an immense help if you have mobility needs or are travelling with a lot of luggage.
Pay attention, though, as I have discovered that not all the transfers from the Elizabeth Line to the other line are step free which is a rough thing to discover when I was rolling two giant suitcases!
GETTING TO THE ELIZABETH LINE AT HEATHROW AIRPORT
The Elizabeth Line serves EVERY terminal at Heathrow Airport which means it’s super easy to get on/off the train regardless of which terminal your flight departs/arrives from.
The Heathrow Express, for example, only serves some terminals which means I have to first travel from one terminal to another to catch the train - which I don't think is difficult but may be an extra step you don't want to take.
I have found that all the signage for the Elizabeth Line is brand new, easily visible, and straight forward so it is honestly so easy for me to get to and from the line to the airport terminals.
Does the Elizabeth Line go to Heathrow Airport?
Yes, you can take this train both to and from Heathrow Airport. This Elizabeth Line services terminals 2, 3, 4, and 5.
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