Book Waterloo to Heathrow Airport: Best Travel Routes – Onward Travel Solutions

Waterloo to Heathrow: Your Best Travel Options

Need to travel to/from Heathrow? It’s a simple to follow, easy to use guide to help you travel from London Waterloo to London Heathrow and it will help you determine which is best value for you. This will vary based on YOUR priorities: Most economical, fastest and/or most convenient travel with the bags.

 

To save money you need to do it with The Cheapest Route: The Tube (Piccadilly Line).
The quickest way: It’s only by the Heathrow Express which will arrive in no time.
Best Balance: The Elizabeth Line will be an excellent blend of speed, affordability and comfort.
Will be done by a pre booked Coach/Taxi (Door to Door Run).

The easiest way to travel around London is by tube – Cheapest Route: The Tube.

If you’re tight on money, your cheapest option to get to Heathrow is the London Underground or “the tube” as it’s also known. With a little work, this is an easy concept, and one of the most quintessential London experiences – train changes.

Take the round signs on Waterloo’s main concourse, to the Underground. On Jubilee line platform (grey platform) get on the train that is going ‘Westbound’. Get on the train and get off at Green Park station (3 stops).

Take dark blue (Piccadilly) line from Green Park to the airport which is a straight line. If not travelling to Heathrow on Piccadilly line, remember which platform you are on, and which train is travelling to Heathrow as some trains do not stop at Heathrow.

This is an overall journey time of about 75 minutes. The upside is it doesn’t cost much, however, it might be challenging to carry large wallets and during rush hour.

A journey map – with The Elizabeth Line – is the Best Balance.

Best Balance is a map that will include information about the balanced use of the Elizabeth Line. A journey map – with The Elizabeth Line – is the Best Balance.

So, it’s getting in and out of the tube to collect your suitcases which is an arse ache and hence the Elizabeth Line is a middle ground compromise of all three cost, speed and comfort. Not a tube train, it’s a large modern train – a regional train.

It is easy to get onto Waterloo as it is the same trip to Paddington Station. For the Bakerloo line look for brown signs in Waterloo’s Tubes. Take a train to go North to get to Paddington ‘7 stops’. Once arrived you’ll see purple signs indicating the location of the Elizabeth Line platforms, which you can continue your journey to Heathrow from.

Immediate comfort difference. The journey to Elizabeth Line takes between 60 minutes and is air conditioned, has special luggage storage racks and stops less. The tube is more costly for many travellers for which it is worth their while.

Heathrow Express is the fastest alternative.

If speed is the most important factor when it comes to getting to London, then Heathrow Express is the fastest alternative.

If speed is the key the Heathrow Express train is the most quick one. The non-stop service to Airport is Pad to Pad (in 15 minutes). In the end, you must use the Bakerloo Line from Waterloo to Paddington – in which case it will take a further 45-50 mins from Paddington (per the Elizabeth Line) – before you can get to your destination. Nevertheless, the quickest and most reliable rail journey.

This is the quickest train to the airport and so it’s also the most costly train service. Probably the most important thing to keep in mind about it is that it’s best that you book tickets online in advance. Last minute fare buying may be a dramatic fare spread.

If speed is the all-important element then it’s obvious, Heathrow Express is the winner. The majority of other visitors probably won’t find the value in the services for paying more.

National Express Coach and Taxis are available in here for the most convenience.

Victoria Coach Station also provides an opportunity of being able to take a direct bus to Heathrow – the National Express Coach. The bus/cab from Waterloo to Victoria will only take a few minutes and after getting aboard can be sat until you reach the airport.

The only thing that can outperform this service – when it truly is door to door – is the all-orchestrated London black cab, or a car through the rideshare system, Uber or Bolt. The easiest route to your terminal door at Heathrow airport is travelling from your door to the terminal door with your family, and using the bus service. The down side is the convenience, the taxi will be a lot more expensive to Heathrow than any other.

The biggest unknown factor for commuters using a car to get to work is the traffic in London. Jamming can be at a slow speed; running can be at a rapid speed.

How to Pay: Contactless, Oyster, and Tickets

Coach: This could be affected by travelling time and is a low cost.
>Taxi/ride-share: Service that may be a good option for getting to and from the airport and is paid for with a fee that can be expensive, but convenient.
What do you use to pay with contactless, oyster and tickets?

Any Tube or Elizabeth Line ticket can be easily paid. The majority of travellers are using Contactless or have Oyster cards. Most of these will choose to pay using a Contactless ‘tap to pay’ bank payment card or payment app on their mobile device.

The system requires a “tap” at the yellow reader at the ticket gate to be able to use the system. On the airport tap on the same card you tap in at, Heathrow airport. This is a system which can automatically calculate the correct fare at the two taps.

It is most cost effective to pay for the cheapest journey to Heathrow on these trains (and anything else) by using Contactless as this will restrict how much you can spend in a day, you will never spend too much. An Oyster card can be used in the same manner – but this isn’t so convenient as you need to purchase an Oyster card and top-up it with credit.

At the end which?

Once it was a daunting list of menu items to select from but now it’s a list. Reducing the time, cost and convenience might be worth it to select the best means of transportation. The most suitable means of transport to get to Heathrow is what suits you.

Choosing Your Best Route: A Final Comparison

Criteria for choosing your priority is given in the “Best For…” column below which you can use to make your decision.

| Option | Est. Total Time | Est. Cost | Best For… | | :— | :— | :— | :— | | The Tube | 75-90 mins | £ | The tightest budget | | Elizabeth Line | 50-65 mins | ££ | The best all-around balance | | Heathrow Express | 40-50 mins | £££ | When speed is everything | | Coach | 60-90+ mins | £-££ | Heavy luggage on a budget | | Taxi/Rideshare | 50-90+ mins | ££££ | Door-to-door convenience |

These will enable you to choose one to use if you are flying from Waterloo to Heathrow and you don’t have to worry about it, since you will be able to concentrate on your flight. Travel well.

Ready to book?

Call Onward Travel Solutions today for dependable taxi hire in Waterloo to Heathrow Airport and more. Your journey matters to us.
Contact for the best Transfer Ride: +44 7575 470883
Email: info@onwardtravelsolutions.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Between which city and which airport is the lowest cost and shortest flight from Waterloo and what is that time?

A quick answer: Take the Jubilee Line (westbound) to Green Park (1 stop) then change to Piccadilly Line direct to Heathrow. Let 75 minutes (90 minutes is allow in a hectic time). The cheapest, but can get quite full, and isn’t the most effective for large bags.

Question: I have baggage that I’m travelling with, what is the easiest way?

Short answer: One of the easiest ways to reach Waterloo’s destination hassle free can be through rideshare services or Waterloo taxi services. If you don’t wish to be as well-paid, but still wish to train to the airport then take the Bakerloo Line from Oxford Circus to Paddington, and then the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow. The comfort: cost ratio on the Elizabeth Line trains is good due to the following features: they are spacious, air conditioned and have luggage racks.

Question: Have any plans for travelling to Waterloo from the Elizabeth/express line Heathrow?

Short answer: On the Underground take the Bakerloo Line (northbound) straight to Paddington (7 stops) from Waterloo. The Elizabeth Line from Paddington will take an hour or so (approx. 60 mins) or the Heathrow Express will arrive at Heathrow in 15 mins, and Waterloo in 45-50 mins. The Express is also more expensive, but the money can be save by making a reservation so far in advance (up to 90 days) as this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How much will the cost of the Tube / Elizabeth Line be and do I need an Oyster card?

Short answer: If the bank card/phone is for contactless payments, then opt for “Tap to Pay” as this is likely to be the fastest and easiest – and sometimes the cheapest – option for paying. Tap in and out (with the same card) at the trains at Waterloo and Heathrow – you can charge up a certain amount of times on each of the trains per day. Much more like an Oyster card (have to buy and load onto the card and the use of the card is less convenient on short journeys).

Question: In the decisions, what do you think the benefit (in terms of time/cost/optimum for) is?

Short answer: Tube: 75 mins – 90 mins, £ — Best budget.
The Elizabeth line is a new development and a great overall value and will take approx ££ 50-65 mins.
>The Heathrow Express gets you to and from London in 40-50 minutes, is £££ and best for those who really want to get to or from London.
Coach (via Victoria): £ – ££ — Traffic is a factor, heavy luggage, on a budget (Coach): 60 – 90 minutes.
Mainly by public transport and depending upon the traffic takes 1-2 hrs and £s for convenience.
Q&A

Questions

Question: What change of trains do I have to make if I have to change trains in Waterloo?

Short answer: It’s not as if the Elizabeth Line and the Heathrow Express have to make the journey through Paddington. The cheapest direct Underground service is from the Jubilee line (westbound) service from Waterloo to Green park and then a direct service from Green park to Heathrow on the Piccadilly line. The ride take about 75 minutes (up to 90 minutes during rush hours) and announce on the destination board on the train that the train is leaving from Piccadilly line to Heathrow.

Questions Answers

Question: If I have a lot of bags to carry, how can I get the safest bags to take with me and/or kids?

Short answer: Just take a taxi or rideshare from the Waterloo to terminal. Take the rail at a lower cost – Elizabeth Line (northbound) Bakerloo line from Waterloo to Paddington, Elizabeth Line to Heathrow. The Elizabeth Line runs affordable trains, and is comfortable, air conditioned and has luggage racks. A budget option: Can travel from Victoria by coach on the National Express (but must be able to get to Victoria first!) and road traffic can be expensive.

Question: Assuming that it is worth the time and money, how much is the Heathrow Express going to cost me and how will I save money?

Short answer: If time is of the essence, then take the Heathrow Express. It is about 15 minutes via the train, non-stop from Paddington to Heathrow and about 45-50 minutes via Waterloo (via Bakerloo Line) to Paddington and then a non-stop train to Heathrow. The most costly one however will save a ton of money if one books as early as possible – till 90 days in advance. However, in most instances the Elizabeth Line will be the more cost effective option.

Questions Answers

Question: What are some of the major decisions that are make in Waterloo and how is the decision make (time and cost)?

Short answer: Tube: 75-90 mins, £ — For the lowest budget.
The cheapest train is the Elizabeth Line which operate for 50-65mins, ££.
The Heathrow train is 1 hour 30 minutes (£££) – For the quick get there.
>Heavy Luggage, budget travellers: Coach (Victoria) 60-90 mins £-££ (traffic dependent)
Metro: 2 hours, ££ — Manchester Piccadilly to Leeds — If you’re willing to spend up to 2 hours then this is the one to use as it is cheaper than taxi.

Question: How to pay for journey on Tube / Elizabeth line, is it necessary to have an Oyster card?

Short answer: Contactless (Tap to Pay bank card or phone) is the fastest, most convenient and often, the least expensive method of payment. Tap in at Waterloo, out at Heathrow – there are limits each day which can help you to avoid overpay. It’s like Oyster, but requires to buy a card and load a fare, and generally isn’t as convenient for short trips. Bookings for taxis or coaches to Heathrow ahead of time, or even book far ahead for Heathrow Express may be convenient but will be the cheapest.