Published: 23 September 2026
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Heathrow Express vs Elizabeth Line vs Tube: Which Is Best?
There are three main rail options for travelling between Heathrow Airport and central London: the Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line and Piccadilly line on the London Underground.
However, the fastest is not necessarily the best option.
The Heathrow Express can get you from Heathrow to Paddington in just 15 minutes, but a standard ticket costs ÂŁ26. The Elizabeth line takes slightly longer but serves several central London stations directly, while the Piccadilly line is considerably cheaper and may actually get you to your final destination faster if you’re heading somewhere such as South Kensington, Knightsbridge or Covent Garden.
In this guide, we compare price, journey time, frequency, luggage convenience and where each service takes you, to help you choose the best way to travel between Heathrow and London.
At a glance
| Â | Heathrow Express | Elizabeth Line | Piccadilly Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical fare | ÂŁ26 | ÂŁ14.60* | From ÂŁ2.60* |
| Advance fare | From £10 | — | — |
| Heathrow–Paddington | From 15 mins | From 24 mins | From 37 mins (Earl’s Court) |
| Best for | Speed/Paddington | Central London | Lowest cost |
| Luggage | Excellent | Good | Fair |
| Step-free | Excellent | Excellent | Depends on station |
| Direct to West End | No | Yes | Yes |
| Children | Under 16s free†| Normal TfL rules | Normal TfL rules |
* Contactless or Oyster  †With a paying adult
Heathrow Express
| Cost | Time | Effort |
|---|---|---|
  or (£10 advance) |   or (Terminal 4) | 💪 or 💪💪💪 (Terminal 4) |
The Heathrow Express is a non-stop train between Heathrow Terminals 2&3 and Terminal 5 railway stations and Paddington station. If you are wanting Terminal 4, then you need to get a free transfer to/from Terminal 2&3 station.
There are two classes of service: Standard and Premier+. All services have dedicated luggage space, on-board toilets, complimentary wi-fi and in-seat power sockets.
Tickets in Premier+ come with larger seats, additional leg room and include Fast Track security for departing flights.
Timings to/from Paddington
- Terminals 2 & 3: 15 minutes direct
- Terminal 4: 15 minutes to Terminals 2 & 3 plus 10 minute transfer
- Terminal 5: 21 minutes direct
One way cost (to/from Paddington)
- ÂŁ26 Standard Class, ÂŁ32 Premier+ Class Â
- Advance standard class discounted singles are ÂŁ10 each way (travel at any time on the day) but need to be booked 30 days in advance.
- Children aged 15 and under travel free in Standard when accompanied by a paying adult. They also travel free in Premier+ when accompanied by a Premier+ adult.
- Railcard discounts available (Oyster cards only)
- Carnets of 6 or 12 tickets are also available
Service
- Trains run every 15 minutes from around 4:30am (departing Paddington) to 11:30pm (departing Heathrow Terminal 5)
Is Premier+ Class Worth It?Â
At full price, Premier+ costs only ÂŁ6 more than Standard but includes fast-track security. If you are travelling to Heathrow and do not have fast-track access via your airline status or flight ticket, it might be worth considering paying the extra to get through the airport a little more quickly.
How to Get a Free Heathrow Express Premier+ Upgrade
You and a companion can get a free upgrade from Standard to Premier+ Class if you hold one of the following airline statuses:
- British Airways Club Gold Guest ListÂ
- Star Alliance Gold (any alliance member)
- SAS Eurobonus Diamond or Gold
- JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic
Just buy a standard ticket(s), sit in Premier+ Class and be prepared to show proof of your airline status to the ticket inspector.
Earn Avios on your booking
Book with this link and get 5 Avios per ÂŁ spent. Â
Elizabeth Line
| Cost | Time | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| |  |
Trains on the Elizabeth Line trains are modern “tube-style” with a lot of standing space. The service stops at six stations between Heathrow and Paddington but continues into the West End and beyond. In addition to Paddington, it serves other central London stations including Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel.
This is a single class service with air-conditioned carriages. All stations on the Elizabeth Line have step-free access which is a definite plus if you have got a lot of luggage, although the train can become busy in the morning as it gets closer to the city centre.
Timings to/from Paddington
- Terminals 2 & 3: 24-28 minutes
- Terminal 4: 34 minutesÂ
- Terminal 5: 30 minutesÂ
One way cost (to Paddington)
- ÂŁ14.60 (contactless or Oyster), or ÂŁ15.50 to anywhere in zone 1.
- Railcard discounts available (Oyster cards only)
Service
- Trains run approximately every 15 minutes to/from Heathrow Terminal 4 and every 30 minutes to/from Heathrow Terminal 5. Â
- Heathrow Terminals 2&3 station has around 6 trains an hour (as both the Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 trains stop there too).
- Weekday services run from around 4:30am (departing Paddington) to just after midnight (departing Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3)
Underground
| Cost | Time | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 | ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰ | 💪💪💪 |
Standard underground train with 12 stops between Heathrow and Earl’s Court). Serves many other central London underground stations directly including South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Kings Cross St Pancras. Extensive connecting services to all over London.
Many underground stations do not have step-free access so can be challenging if you have heavy luggage and/or small children to deal with.
Timings to/from Earl’s Court
- Terminals 2 & 3: 37 minutes
- Terminal 4: 43 minutesÂ
- Terminal 5: 40 minutesÂ
One way cost (to Zone 1)
- ÂŁ3.80 peak, ÂŁ2.60 off-peak (contactless or Oyster), ÂŁ7.00 any time (cash)
- Railcard discounts available (Oyster cards only)
Service
- Trains run approximately every 10 minutes to/from both Heathrow Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Â
- Heathrow Terminals 2&3 has around 12 trains an hour (as both the Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 trains stop there too).
- Weekday services run from around 6:00am (departing Earl’s Court) to around 11:30pm (departing Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3)
Quick Picks
- Cheapest → Underground
- Fastest → Heathrow Express
- Early flight → Heathrow Express or  Elizabeth LineÂ
- Using Terminal 4 → Elizabeth Line or Piccadilly Line underground
- Family with Children → Check Heathrow Express (especially with an advance fare)
- Paddington area → Heathrow Express if booked 30 days in advance, otherwise Elizabeth Line
- West End/City → Elizabeth Line (no need to change trains)
- Station on the Piccadilly Line → Piccadilly line (as direct service will usually offset time taken to change trains)
- Lots of luggage, elderly travellers or young children → Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line
Our Take
There is no best way to travel between Heathrow and central London – the right choice depends largely on where in London you’re actually going.
The Heathrow Express is unquestionably attractive if speed is your priority or you’re staying around Paddington. At ÂŁ26 for a standard single, however, you’re paying a substantial premium to save a relatively small amount of time compared with the Elizabeth line.
That calculation changes considerably if you plan ahead. Book at least 30 days in advance and Heathrow Express can cost just ÂŁ10, making it cheaper than an Elizabeth line journey into Zone 1. Children aged 15 and under also travel free with a paying adult, making the Heathrow Express potentially excellent value for families.
For many travellers, though, the Elizabeth line is probably the best compromise between speed, price and convenience. It serves Paddington as well as Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street, so avoiding a change of train can easily outweigh the extra few minutes it takes to reach central London.
Don’t dismiss the Piccadilly line either. It is by far the cheapest option, and if your destination is already on the line – particularly South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden or King’s Cross – taking a direct Tube could be easier than travelling faster to Paddington and then changing.
Our advice is therefore not to automatically choose the fastest train from Heathrow. Look at your final destination first. A slower direct train can get you to your hotel faster than the Heathrow Express followed by another journey across London.
