Heathrow to Paddington

When is the Heathrow Express the better choice?

When you are travelling alone or as a couple, with luggage you can manage on an escalator, arriving at a terminal the train serves directly, at a time when trains are running. In those conditions, the Heathrow Express is quick, frequent and unaffected by traffic on the M4.

The Elizabeth line is slower, with several stops, but cheaper, and it also runs directly to Paddington. Both need a walk from the arrivals hall to the platform, which at Terminal 5 is short and at Terminal 4 involves a transfer.

When does a car make more sense?

When there are three or more of you, when you have more than one large case each, when you are travelling with young children, a pushchair or someone with limited mobility, or when you land very early or late. For a family of four, a car from the terminal kerb to the station entrance or a hotel door is often comparable in cost to four train tickets, and far easier with bags.

It also helps if your final destination is not Paddington itself but somewhere a short distance beyond it, such as Bayswater, Maida Vale or Little Venice, where a train would leave you with a second journey to make.

How long does the drive take?

About 34 minutes off-peak and around 49 minutes in the weekday rush. The route leaves the airport on the northern side, joins the A40 and runs in along the Westway, which ends a few hundred metres from the station. When the A40 is slow, the chauffeur may use the M4 and come up through Kensington instead.

Early morning arrivals, before about 07:00, are the quickest: often under half an hour to Paddington.

Can you connect to a Great Western train?

Yes. Many visitors land at Heathrow and continue west by train from Paddington. Give us your flight and your train time, and we will plan the connection. For a reserved seat, we suggest at least two hours between a long-haul landing and the train’s departure, to cover immigration, baggage reclaim and the drive.

The chauffeur will drop you at the station entrance nearest the Great Western platforms and can help carry your bags to the concourse. If your flight is badly delayed, we will tell you early, so you can change your train booking before it leaves.

What about the hotels around Paddington?

The area around the station has a large number of hotels, from the big ones on Praed Street and in Paddington Basin to smaller ones in the terraces of Sussex Gardens and Norfolk Square. The chauffeur will stop at the hotel entrance or, on the narrower streets, as close as possible, and help with the luggage.

For Paddington Basin and Merchant Square, many buildings are reached from the roads around the edge rather than the canal-side paths; give us the building name, and the chauffeur will go to the right entrance.

Where will your chauffeur meet you at Heathrow?

In the arrivals hall of your terminal, just past customs, with a board showing your name. The chauffeur follows your flight, so a delay moves the pickup automatically. From there, it is a short walk to the terminal car park.

What about arrivals after the last train?

Late-evening flights, and delayed ones, often land after the Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line have finished for the night or when they are running a reduced service. For an arrival after about 23:30, a car is the dependable way into Paddington. The roads at that hour are clear, and the drive usually takes about half an hour. The chauffeur follows the flight however late it lands.

Is there a Congestion Charge?

No. Paddington is west of the Edgware Road, which forms part of the zone’s free boundary, and the route along the Westway stays outside it.

What about the journey back?

From Paddington to Heathrow, allow about three hours before a long-haul flight on a weekday evening, when the Westway and the A40 are busy outbound. For light travellers, the Heathrow Express is again an excellent choice. Heathrow’s £7 drop-off charge is included in our fixed price.