Does Heathrow Airport have a bus station?

Heathrow Central Bus Station, located between Terminals 2 and 3 and right above the London Underground station.



Yes, Heathrow Central Bus Station is the primary hub for buses and coaches at the airport, and it is located right in the middle of the terminal complex. It is directly linked to Terminals 2 and 3 via underground walkways and is situated above the Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Underground station. In 2026, this station serves as the UK's busiest bus terminal, offering local London Buses (like the SL7 or 285), regional express buses (like the RailAir to Reading), and long-distance National Express or Megabus coaches to destinations like Oxford, Birmingham, and Bristol. If you are arriving at Terminal 4 or Terminal 5, you do not have to walk; you can take the free Elizabeth Line or Heathrow Express trains (the "Free Travel Zone") to reach the Central Bus Station in about 5–10 minutes. The station is open 24 hours a day and features a heated waiting area, digital departure boards, and a travel center to help you navigate the various local and national bus routes departing from its 20+ stands.

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Bus trips within the airport perimeter are no longer free. Heathrow withdrew financial support for bus services last year, making a mockery of its environmental credentials. The services are hardly expensive, however, at £1.75 per trip. You can take multiple buses within one hour for this price.

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London buses are card only, so you cannot buy a ticket with cash. Use a Visitor Oyster card*, an Oyster card, a Travelcard or a contactless payment card to pay your fare. Unlike the Tube zone fare system, a single London bus journey costs £1.75 no matter how far you go.

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Pay as you go You don't have to work out the cost of your journey in advance. You can pay as you go using contactless (card or device), an Oyster card or a Visitor Oyster card. It also offers great value as pay as you go is cheaper than buying single tickets and you get daily and weekly capping.

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All trains between terminals are free. You can find out more information on the Heathrow free travel map.

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Most UK buses do accept cash, London is one of the few cities to have gone cashless on all public transport. In London, you can either pay by using an approved contactless card or an Oyster Card. The Oyster card is a prepaid card, which can be paid for using either cash or a debit or credit card.

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Heathrow Express timetable Trains operate every 15 minutes between Heathrow and London Paddington. Please click here to download a copy of the Heathrow Express timetable. The journey between London Paddington and Heathrow Central (for terminals 2 & 3) takes 15 minutes.

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Direct trains connect Heathrow Airport train stations to London: the service is called the Heathrow Express. They run every 15 minutes, seven days a week. The Elizabeth line also connects central London to Heathrow Airport. Read on to learn more about buying train tickets, timetables and possible connections.

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When to arrive. We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.

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The free H30 bus runs every 20 minutes between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 via the Cargo Area from early in the morning until late at night. The H30 bus also serves Hatton Cross, Waterside, Compass Centre and Central Bus Station early in the morning.

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The London Underground (aka 'the Tube') gets you from Heathrow to central London in under an hour, with trains running every 10 minutes. Heathrow has three underground stations, at Terminal 2/3 and at Terminal 4 and 5. Prices start from £5.50, making it one of the cheapest travel routes to London from Heathrow.

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London Underground By far the easiest and most affordable way to get to and from Heathrow Airport. The Piccadilly Line runs through all Heathrow terminals as well as straight through the centre of London, offering connections with every other tube line on the London Underground network.

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Buses are also cheaper than trains, with a flat fare of £1.65 per single journey. You can take two bus journeys for the price of one if you touch in using the same card on the second journey within an hour, thanks to the “Hopper Fare”.

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The Piccadilly line connects Heathrow Airport to central London and the rest of the London Underground network. Taking the Tube is cheaper than riding the Heathrow Express or the Elizabeth line, but it takes longer. The journey time to Piccadilly Circus is about 50 minutes.

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To make the link between Heathrow and London City Airport, your options include: Heathrow Express between Heathrow and Paddington, Elizabeth line between Paddington and Woolwich, then DLR to London City Airport. Elizabeth line between Heathrow and Woolwich, then DLR to London City Airport.

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