Central London to Heathrow

Ryans · 13 Nov 2019

Hi, looking for some advice regarding transport out to Heathrow and return.

Friday 22nd Need to be at Heathrow Terminal 3 around 8.30, we are staying in west London and our nearest tube station is Earl’s Court. We were looking at getting the Piccadilly line out to Heathrow but wasn’t sure if it would be very busy and not ideal with cases? But to use Heathrow express we would need to cross London on the tube anyway so is it worth just biting the bullet? As we’re going out of the city would the tube be less busy?

Coming back we are due to land at 6am on Tuesday 26th. We then have trains booked at lunchtime back north, one from Euston and one from kings cross. Is it worth looking at the Heathrow express as we’ll be coming into the city during rush hour?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

RailUK Forums

causton · 13 Nov 2019

The Heathrow Express is quite expensive.

As you are going from Earls Court and back to Kings Cross (the person going to Euston can walk 5-10 minutes from Kings Cross to Euston, probably easier than changing Underground lines with a suitcase) I would say you should be fine as it is a direct Piccadilly line train both ways. Going out shouldn't be that busy. Going back into London will be busy, but you'll have a seat if you board at Heathrow so just ignore the people tutting at your large suitcases while they're trying to get to work :lol:

Snow1964 · 13 Nov 2019

Not worth getting the Heathrow Express, by the time you get there, wait upto 15 minutes (average will be about 8-9 minutes assuming can’t run for train with bags), would already be fair distance on Piccadilly line.

Piccadilly line Wont be too crowded, if 8:30am might not get seat for few minutes, similar 8:30pm. Heathrow exits nearer front of train.

Returning, by time circled around waiting for runway slot, got through immigration and customs, could be 7:30am. You will be ok as already on tube before the crowds try and get on. Go to back of train. Used to be a low level short cut (but it is stairs) at Kings Cross to Northern Line for Euston train. Might still be there haven’t done that change for years

100andthirty · 13 Nov 2019

Strongly recommend not walking from Kings Cross St Pancras to Euston with luggage unless it's dry. When going to Euston from Heathrow, I take the Piccadilly line to Green Park, head up the "way out" escalator and at the top go across to the Victoria line down escalator for he Victoria line to Euston. Much better than using the connecting subway at Green Park. The whole journey from Heathrow to Euston by this route is step free.

Failed Unit · 13 Nov 2019

Snow1964 said:
Used to be a low level short cut (but it is stairs) at Kings Cross to Northern Line for Euston train. Might still be there haven’t done that change for years

It is an escalater now - one of the shortest ones on the tube.

Hadders · 13 Nov 2019

Forget Heathrow Express - a complete rip off and you'll still need to use the Underground on the way back to get to Euston/Kings Cross.

Simply use the Piccadilly Line both ways (the person going to Euston should consider changing to the Victoria at Green Park or Northern at Leicester Square if they don't want to walk from Kings Cross St Pancras).

Earls Court - Heathrow shouldn't be too busy (you should get a seat after Hammersmith).
On the return the train starts at Heathrow so you'l definitely get a seat.

Piccadilly is the way to go and is much cheaper too!

Tetchytyke · 14 Nov 2019

Where are you flying to/from?

I wouldn't trek from Earls Court to get HEx. No point.

On the way back, a HEx single is £25. It's a busy time for travel into London on HEx as much as the tube, but you'll probably get a seat on both. Which way you go will depend how important £25 is to you, how quickly you need to travel, and how well you'd doze on the slow tube trundle into London.

Me? If I've been on a long red-eye, I'd probably get HEx.

Ryans · 15 Nov 2019

Tetchytyke said:
Where are you flying to/from?

I wouldn't trek from Earls Court to get HEx. No point.

On the way back, a HEx single is £25. It's a busy time for travel into London on HEx as much as the tube, but you'll probably get a seat on both. Which way you go will depend how important £25 is to you, how quickly you need to travel, and how well you'd doze on the slow tube trundle into London.

Me? If I've been on a long red-eye, I'd probably get HEx.

We’re flying in from New York. Our trains north are around 1pm so our current thinking is if all goes to time we may get the tube and then have brunch somewhere before the train back north. If flights are delayed then we will look at Heathrow express for getting into London for speed

Hadders · 15 Nov 2019

Heathrow Express is the fastest way to Paddington, but you need to get to Kings Cross.

Heathrow Express operates every 15 minutes taking 15 minutes. You might be luck and arrive on the platform as a train is about to leave. On the other hand you might have to wait 14 minutes. The typical wait is likely to be 7 minutes.
The journey takes 15 minutes then you need to take the H&C Line to Kings Cross. Let's assume a 5 minute walk to the Underground platforms.
The trains run every 5 minutes so we can probably assume that 2 minutes is a typical wait. The trains take 12 minutes to get to Kings Cross.
Total journey time with perfect connections would be 32 minutes. With poor connections it could take 51 minutes. I'd say it's typically likely to take 41 minutes (which incidentally is what the TfL Journey Planner says)

The Piccadilly Line runs direct from Heathrow to Kings Cross every 5 minutes taking 57 minutes to make the journey. You might be lucky and board a train as it is about to leave, on the other hand you might need to wait 5 minutes if you just miss a train. The typical journey time is likely to be an hour.

The fare on the Underground using contactless is £3.10. Heathrow Express costs £22 on contactless plus a further £2.40 for the Underground onwards to Kings Cross. Total £24.40.

You need to decide whether it's worth paying an additional £20.50 to save 20 minutes (and have the hassle of an additional change at Paddington). Personally I'd never pay that sort of money to travel on the Heathrow Express.

Joe Paxton · 15 Nov 2019

Hadders said:
...
The fare on the Underground using contactless is £3.10. Heathrow Express costs £22 on contactless plus a further £2.40 for the Underground onwards to Kings Cross. Total £24.40.
...

The £22 is the Off-peak contactless/Oyster fare for Heathrow Express - for the OP it'd likely be the Peak fare of £25, for journeys starting between 0630-0930 and 1600-1900 (actually for when the touch-in / validation time is of the card on the reader).

hkstudent · 15 Nov 2019

Hadders said:
Heathrow Express is the fastest way to Paddington, but you need to get to Kings Cross.

Heathrow Express operates every 15 minutes taking 15 minutes. You might be luck and arrive on the platform as a train is about to leave. On the other hand you might have to wait 14 minutes. The typical wait is likely to be 7 minutes.
The journey takes 15 minutes then you need to take the H&C Line to Kings Cross. Let's assume a 5 minute walk to the Underground platforms.
The trains run every 5 minutes so we can probably assume that 2 minutes is a typical wait. The trains take 12 minutes to get to Kings Cross.
Total journey time with perfect connections would be 32 minutes. With poor connections it could take 51 minutes. I'd say it's typically likely to take 41 minutes (which incidentally is what the TfL Journey Planner says)

The Piccadilly Line runs direct from Heathrow to Kings Cross every 5 minutes taking 57 minutes to make the journey. You might be lucky and board a train as it is about to leave, on the other hand you might need to wait 5 minutes if you just miss a train. The typical journey time is likely to be an hour.

The fare on the Underground using contactless is £3.10. Heathrow Express costs £22 on contactless plus a further £2.40 for the Underground onwards to Kings Cross. Total £24.40.

You need to decide whether it's worth paying an additional £20.50 to save 20 minutes (and have the hassle of an additional change at Paddington). Personally I'd never pay that sort of money to travel on the Heathrow Express.

For trains to Kings Cross St Pancras, OP has to go to the north end of Paddington Station (trains from Hammersmith), which the walk is longer, involving up for once and down for once . Better to say 10 minutes. (The Google Map direction points to the south side of Paddington)

Hadders · 15 Nov 2019

Joe Paxton said:
The £22 is the Off-peak contactless/Oyster fare for Heathrow Express - for the OP it'd likely be the Peak fare of £25, for journeys starting between 0630-0930 and 1600-1900 (actually for when the touch-in / validation time is of the card on the reader).

I saw 1pm and assumed this was the time from Heathrow but on checking I see the OP is arriving earlier with trains from KGX/EUS at 1pm. In that case the potential saving is even more.

hkstudent said:
For trains to Kings Cross St Pancras, OP has to go to the north end of Paddington Station (trains from Hammersmith), which the walk is longer, involving up for once and down for once . Better to say 10 minutes. (The Google Map direction points to the south side of Paddington)

I'm very familiar with the layout at Paddington. The quickest way is to use the footbridge half way down the platform although being located at a decent position onboard the train arriving into Paddington helps.

Central London to Heathrow

Ryans

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causton

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Snow1964

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100andthirty

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Failed Unit

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Hadders

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Tetchytyke

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Ryans

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Hadders

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Joe Paxton

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hkstudent

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Hadders

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