Like all modern major destination airports, Heathrow is massive and can be overwhelming to the uninitiated. But look again and you’ll see that its size is tempered by having four terminals. Ignore the ‘Europe’s busiest airport’ bluster and concentrate solely on the terminal you’re passing through and everything is much more manageable.
Whichever terminal you find yourself in, Heathrow is renowned for being overcrowded and congested. The long security and immigration queues rightly draw the ire of many travelers, me among them. Another quirk is the tendency to announce gates with very little time before departure.
It’s cited as being 45 minutes but in practice that’s not always the case. It’s not uncommon to be overtaken by red-faced passengers scrambling to some distant gate, bags flailing, because they haven’t kept an eagle eye on the flight information screens.
Being prepared is your best defense against the notorious queues at Heathrow. I always arrive two hours before flying, just to be on the safe side. If you’re checking in bags, give yourself longer.
If you can swing it, book flights outside peak times. While these vary by terminal, the morning rush (typically 6am to 9am) and evening periods (often 6pm to 9pm) tend to be busiest. It won’t eliminate the queues, but it’ll make them more bearable.
Know your terminals and plan your route
Flying from and to the US could land you in several terminals. British Airways mostly uses its dedicated Terminal 5, though some flights also operate from Terminal 3. Virgin Atlantic operates all flights from Terminal 3, which also hosts Oneworld Alliance airlines (including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines). Star Alliance airlines like United use Terminal 2, known as “The Queen’s Terminal,” which houses all 23 Star Alliance members operating at Heathrow.
The London Heathrow to New York JFK route is the busiest international airline route from Europe and the busiest overall at Heathrow, carrying over 3 million passengers across the pond annually, with British Airways being the dominant carrier on this sector.
Independent of airline, Terminal 2 is my favorite. It’s the quickest to get to and from central London, easiest to navigate, has the shortest walks to the gates and is still fully catered to with quality shops and restaurants. Terminal 5 is the newest and a love letter to all things British Airways, but it has long walks to the gates. On the plus side, most T5 gates offer interesting views towards the apron and runways, although the best views are found at the Gordon Ramsay Plane Food and Wagamama restaurants.
Getting to and from Heathrow
The best way to get to and from central London
Heathrow is just 14 miles away from central London, but in real terms that translates into something like an hour-long door-to-terminal commute, depending on where you are. The train is your most convenient option.
The best connected station is Paddington, where you’ve got two options. The Heathrow Express is fast (15 minutes to Terminals 2 and 3, 21 minutes to Terminal 5) but expensive at £25 for a standard single ticket, though advance singles from £10 are available. My pick is the Elizabeth Line, which stops at several major stations. Tickets cost half the price of the Express and the journey takes about twice as long, so it’s the best compromise. It’s around a 15 minute walk between the terminals and the station, but there are moving walkways to help you along. Terminals 4 and 5 have stations directly beneath them.
Unless you’re staying at one of the many stops on route, I’d avoid the Piccadilly metro line. It’s slow, noisy and often so busy you can’t get a seat.
Car rental recommendations
As you’d expect, car rental is plentiful at Heathrow. If you’re staying outside London, it’s likely the easiest transport option. Major operators including Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise and Europcar have branches serving the airport. Alongside all the major players like Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise and Europcar, there are plenty of cheap and cheerful options that can save you serious dollars, such as Drivalia and Green Motion.
All rental car pickup zones are off site, so you’ll need to take a free shuttle bus to the rental desk. Realistically, this takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on which company you book with and how long you wait. The big brands are closer, the cheaper companies are further away.
The simple truth is that almost all car rental is a pain, and seldom does it feel like a smooth and great value experience. At Heathrow I’ve regularly found budget operator Drivalia to be the best option, based in the car park of the Moxy hotel. If you’re flying long haul and want to stay at an airport hotel, it’s the perfect combination of rental car and hotel stay convenience. And the Moxy itself is great.
One important thing to remember if you’re not used to driving a stick shift in the US: ask for an automatic car. If not, you may end up with a stick shift (called a manual in the UK), whether you can drive one or not.
Navigating connections between terminals
Making connections between flights can be tortuous at Heathrow, especially if you need to change terminals. T2 and T3 are an easy walk from each other, but getting to and from T4 and T5 will require a train transfer. Although it’s free and the quoted commute time is under five minutes, you’ll need at least 30 minutes once you factor in walking and waiting times.
All connecting passengers must go through security screening. If you’re connecting from an international flight to another international flight and remain airside, you won’t need to go through UK immigration. However, immigration checks are required if you’re connecting to UK domestic flights, flights to the Republic of Ireland, or for self-connecting itineraries.
Lounges worth the splurge
There’s a bewildering number of lounges spread across Heathrow’s four terminals, catering to all manner of traveler. And with over 80 million passengers passing through annually, it’s easy to see why. While many are reserved for premium passengers, several independent lounges including Plaza Premium, Club Aspire, and No1 Lounges are open to anyone happy to pay the entry fee.
If you’re only in the terminal for an hour or two and don’t have free access, skip the lounge. All terminals have plenty of shops, bars and restaurants to entertain you for a little while. If you’re there longer, on a connection or transfer for example, I’ve found the lounges a cost-effective alternative to hours spent shopping, snacking and spending.
My top pick across all of Heathrow’s open lounges is the Qantas London Lounge in T3. Its Neil Perry inspired à la carte menu is the best food I’ve found at Heathrow, and the cocktail bar upstairs serves a great margarita with even better views over the airfield. Rock up, pay at the door and you’re in.
For other terminals: the Lufthansa Business Lounge is best in T2, the Plaza Premium Lounge is available for all passengers in T4, and Club Aspire in T5 is open to all travelers with runway views and complimentary food and drink.
Alternative London airports to consider
Officially, London has six international airports to choose from, which is a lot by any count. If you’re planning to fly on to Europe after a few days in London, you may find its other airports cheaper or more convenient.
London Gatwick
If you’re flying to or from the US, Gatwick is your alternative to Heathrow with daily direct flights to destinations including New York and Orlando. While both airports are easily accessible to and from central London, if you’re taking public transport elsewhere, Gatwick has better connections with direct rail links to 120 stations including Brighton, Cambridge, Reading, Southampton, and Portsmouth.
London Stansted
London Stansted is the largest operational base for Ryanair, which serves lots of interesting secondary cities throughout Europe, as well as most of the capitals. While the airline offers cheap prices and mediocre service, Stansted is an easy and relatively small airport to navigate. It’s a pain to get to and from central London though.
London City
London City is in the heart of the capital, but serves limited flights and can be expensive and so is favored by business travelers on day trips.
London Luton
London Luton sits far to the north-west of central London. After a recent massive overhaul, it’s growing in popularity. Home to the easyJet headquarters and original base at Hangar 89, it serves destinations across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
London Southend
London Southend sits far to the east of the city, serving European destinations. Convenient if you’re heading east of the city or beyond, otherwise your least likely option.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
