The London Layover Map
Which terminal you land in, which station serves it, how far the road really is, and where the famous buildings sit relative to each other — the geography a connection is planned on.
Where you land: the four terminals
Heathrow runs four passenger terminals, numbered 2, 3, 4 and 5. There is no Terminal 1; it closed years ago and the number was never reused, which is why the sequence looks odd. Terminals 2 and 3 sit together in the central area and share a station. Terminals 4 and 5 are separate buildings on their own branches.
| Terminal | Its station | Who flies from it | Fastest rail to central London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 2 | Heathrow Central | Star Alliance carriers, and others | 15 minutes to Paddington |
| Terminal 3 | Heathrow Central | Virgin Atlantic and over twenty airlines | 15 minutes to Paddington |
| Terminal 4 | Heathrow Terminal 4 | SkyTeam carriers and others | Elizabeth line, or a free transfer to Heathrow Central |
| Terminal 5 | Heathrow Terminal 5 | British Airways | 15 minutes plus 6 minutes to Paddington |
Terminal allocations move between airlines from time to time. Your boarding pass and the airport's own arrivals board are the authority on the day.
The three Heathrow rail stations, and the road
Three stations serve the four terminals, and between them they carry three different rail services plus the coaches. If you are travelling alone and light, the train is usually the better answer; with a family and cabin bags, the road wins on convenience even though it loses on time.
| Way in | How long | Which terminals | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Express | 15 minutes to Paddington, 6 minutes more from Terminal 5 | All terminals; Terminal 4 by free transfer | from £10 |
| Elizabeth line | under 45 minutes to Zone 1 | All terminals, each with its own station | £13.90 |
| Piccadilly line | under an hour to central London | Terminals 2 and 3, 4, and 5 | from £5.50 |
| Coach | To Victoria Coach Station | Terminals 4 and 5, and the Central Bus Station | from £10 |
| Taxi or private hire | an hour minimum, traffic depending | All terminals | Not published |
Journey times and fares as published by Heathrow and Heathrow Express. Transfers between the airport stations are free.
The full case for doing it yourself, including when it is the wrong call, is in the guide on getting into London without a tour.
Moving between terminals
If you land at one terminal and depart from another, you need the transfer at both ends of your day. Heathrow runs a free shuttle bus between terminals every 10 minutes, and transfers between the three airport rail stations are free of charge (Heathrow). Within a single terminal you walk, or take a free tram.
Allow twenty minutes for a terminal change even though the bus itself is quicker. The walk to the stop, the wait and the walk at the other end are the part people forget.
Where the landmarks sit relative to each other
This is the fact that makes a London layover work at all. The famous buildings are not scattered across the city — they cluster, and the clusters are close together.
The Westminster cluster: Buckingham Palace, St James's Park, Horse
Guards, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye all sit
within about fifteen minutes' walk of one another.
The West End, five minutes north: Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and
Covent Garden.
The City, ten to fifteen minutes east by road: St Paul's Cathedral,
Leadenhall Market, the Monument, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
Everything else: further, and generally out of reach on a connection.
A driving loop that does Westminster, crosses at Westminster Bridge or Tower Bridge and comes back along the Embankment covers both main clusters in about two hours of moving time. That is the shape of nearly every itinerary here — see things to do on a London layover for what each stop is worth.
The road in, and why it takes what it takes
Heathrow sits about fifteen miles west of central London, and the road in is the M4 or the A4 and then the length of west London. Heathrow's own guidance is to allow an hour minimum by taxi, and more in traffic. Nothing about a private car changes the traffic; what it changes is that somebody else is driving in it and your bags are in the boot.
The practical consequence is that the road eats between eighty minutes and three hours of your connection, both ways combined. That number, more than any other, is what the timing rules are built on.
Where the tours pick you up
| Where you are | Where you meet the driver | How you find them |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 2 | Arrivals hall, in front of WHSmith | Name board with your name |
| Terminal 3 | Arrivals hall, in front of WHSmith | Name board with your name |
| Terminal 4 | Arrivals hall, in front of Costa Coffee | Name board with your name |
| Terminal 5 | Arrivals hall, in front of Costa Coffee | Name board with your name |
| Heathrow hotels | Reception or lobby | One listing collects this way |
| Central London | Any Zone 1 address, or a named hotel | Three listings start here |
Meeting points as stated on the listings. The exact spot is confirmed in your booking, and operators occasionally move them.
The airport on a map
Heathrow Airport
Longford, Hounslow TW6, United Kingdom
The map is not loaded until you ask for it, so nothing is requested from Google before then. Open in Google Maps instead if you prefer.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Heathrow into central London?
Heathrow Express covers Terminals 2 and 3 to Paddington in 15 minutes, with six more for Terminal 5. The Elizabeth line reaches Zone 1 in under 45 minutes and the Piccadilly line in under an hour. By road, Heathrow says to allow an hour minimum, and more in traffic.
How long does it take to move between Heathrow terminals?
Heathrow runs a free shuttle bus between terminals every 10 minutes, and the Elizabeth line connects the three airport stations free of charge for transfers. Within one terminal you walk, or take a free tram. Build it into your plan if you land and depart from different buildings.
Where does the driver meet me at Heathrow?
Inside the arrivals hall, holding a board with your name on it. Several listings name the exact spot: in front of WHSmith for Terminals 2 and 3, and in front of Costa Coffee for Terminals 4 and 5. You will be sent the details after booking, along with a contact number.
Is London Heathrow the only airport these tours work from?
These are built round Heathrow, and several say so explicitly. Gatwick, Stansted and Luton are much further out, which changes the road time enough to change the answer. If your connection is at another London airport, check the pickup point on the listing before you book.
Know your terminal? Pick the tour that meets you there
Most of these products collect from a Heathrow arrivals hall and return you to your departure terminal.