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LHR → London · head to head

Heathrow ExpressorPre-booked private transfer?

The short answer

For one traveler the Heathrow Express is cheaper by £56. That does not change up to 8 travelers.

The Heathrow Express is quicker: 15 min against 1 h 37. The Pre-booked private transfer varies between 45 and 97 minutes.

Heathrow Express: hours not recorded. Pre-booked private transfer: Runs all night.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares
What each costs for the whole party, in GBP. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
TravelersHeathrow ExpressPre-booked private transferDifference
1£26£82£56
2£52£82£30
3£78£82£4
4£104£132£28
5£130£132£2
6£156£264£108
7£182£264£82
8£208£264£56

Side by side

Where each one leaves you
Heathrow Express · Heathrow ExpressHeathrow Express
From
Terminals 2 & 3 and Terminal 5; Terminal 4 by a free four-minute transfer train
To
London Paddington, and nowhere else
Luggage
Racks throughout; it is built as an airport train.
Journey
15–21 min

£26.00 against £5.90 on the Underground is 4.4 times the fare to save about 35 minutes — roughly £34 an hour, before you count what the cap would have saved you.

It does not count towards the daily cap. TfL states that Heathrow Express journeys "are not included in caps and Travelcards", so a same-day return is £52.00 and caps at nothing.

It goes to Paddington and nowhere else. If Paddington is not your destination, add a further journey and its fare to everything above.

Terminal 5 adds five or six minutes to the quoted fifteen — the operator says six, the airport says five.

The first departure from the airport is not stated here: the operator publishes the first train from Paddington at 04:34 Monday to Saturday and the last from Terminal 5 at 23:57, but does not publish a first departure from the airport itself.

Heathrow Express: price for every party size

Check fares with Heathrow Express
transfer · Welcome PickupsPre-booked private transfer
From
Driver meets you in arrivals with a name board
To
Any address
Luggage
Stated when booking; choose the vehicle by luggage as well as seats.
Runs
All night
Journey
45–97 min

This price is indicative: the operator sets it, and it moves with vehicle size, luggage and the exact address. Confirm the total at the time you book.

Pre-booked private transfer: price for every party size

Book transfer through Welcome Pickups

Partner link

This compares two of 12 options. See all of them ranked for your party size

The other comparisons at Heathrow