OZU /UNITED KINGDOM /LONDON /GUIDE
Heathrow and Gatwick to the centre
1 h route3 stopsBest: Check where you sleep before choosing: it’s the only thing that decidesUpdated July 2026
London has six airports and the two big ones are Heathrow and Gatwick, on opposite sides and working differently. From Heathrow there’s the Tube, a regional train and an express. From Gatwick, only trains, because the Tube doesn’t reach it.
And at Heathrow there’s one decision most people get wrong, because the information is old: since 2022 the Elizabeth line has existed, crossing all of London west to east with no change. Before that, the Heathrow Express was the fast option, full stop. Today it only makes sense if you’re going to Paddington, because that’s all it reaches, and it costs nearly double.
The route, stop by stop
3 STOPS- 01
Heathrow: the Elizabeth line
The default since 2022 and the one that solves 90% of cases. It leaves Heathrow and crosses the whole of London underground without you getting off: Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf. Wide trains with luggage space and seats, not a cramped Tube carriage.
Against the Heathrow Express: it takes about fourteen minutes longer to Paddington and costs roughly half, but comparing at Paddington is the trap. If your hotel is in Soho, the City or the east, the Elizabeth line drops you there directly and the Express forces a change with your bags.
Look at where you sleep on the line map before deciding.
- 02
Heathrow: the Express and the Tube
The Heathrow Express still runs, every fifteen minutes with a fifteen-minute non-stop journey to Paddington. It’s fast and it’s expensive, and it only pays if Paddington is your real destination or you’re very tight on time.
One note to avoid surprises: its track access agreement expires in 2028 and there has been talk of scrapping it, precisely because the Elizabeth line does its job for half the price.
And then there’s the Piccadilly line, the classic Tube: the cheapest option by a distance, reaching South Kensington, Piccadilly Circus and King’s Cross with no change.
It’s slow, it stops everywhere, and at rush hour, with a big case, in a narrow carriage with stairs and no lifts, it’s genuinely grim. Travelling light and unhurried, it’s unbeatable on price.
- 03
Gatwick: it’s all train
Gatwick lies away to the south, considerably further out than Heathrow, and the Tube doesn’t reach it: here it’s all national rail, and the station is built into the terminal.
Two options, and the choice follows the same logic as Heathrow. The Gatwick Express runs direct to Victoria, fast and expensive. Thameslink crosses London south to north calling at London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras, so if your hotel isn’t next to Victoria it drops you much closer and costs less. And there are Southern trains, slower and cheaper, also to Victoria.
Unless Victoria is your spot, look at Thameslink first.
Frequently asked
Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express?
The Elizabeth line, unless your destination is Paddington. It takes about fourteen minutes longer to get there and costs half, but it crosses all of London with no change (Bond Street, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, the City) and the Express only reaches Paddington. Check where you sleep before deciding.
How do you get from Gatwick to central London?
By train only: the Tube doesn’t reach Gatwick. The Gatwick Express runs direct to Victoria, fast and expensive. Thameslink crosses the city calling at London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras, and usually drops you closer for less.
Is the Tube from Heathrow worth it?
If you’re travelling light and unhurried, yes: the Piccadilly line is the cheapest by a distance and reaches South Kensington, Piccadilly Circus and King’s Cross with no change. With a big case at rush hour it’s grim: the carriages are narrow and there are stairs with no lifts.