How do I get to Heathrow late at night?

How to travel by bus to and from Heathrow Airport. If your flight arrives late, you can catch the N9 night bus, which operates from 11.55pm until 4.55am (until 5.25am on Sunday mornings). Buses run about every 30 minutes to central London (Trafalgar Square), and the journey time is approximately 75 minutes.



Getting to London Heathrow (LHR) late at night in 2026 (after 11:30 PM) requires different strategies than daytime travel. The Piccadilly Line runs 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights ("Night Tube"), but for mid-week travel, the primary public option is the N9 Night Bus, which runs every 20 minutes from Aldwych and Trafalgar Square directly to the airport. Another reliable late-night option is the National Express coach from Victoria Coach Station, which operates around the clock. If you prefer a faster journey, Uber, Free Now, and London Black Cabs are available 24/7, though a trip from Central London can cost between £60 and £100 at night. For those with a very early flight, many 2026 travelers choose to take the last Elizabeth Line or Heathrow Express train (around midnight) and stay at an "at-terminal" hotel like the Sofitel or Aerotel to avoid the stress of nighttime road traffic.

People Also Ask

During the night, the nightbus “N9” connects Heathrow with central London every 30 minutes, so don't worry if you've got a flight at a funny time!

MORE DETAILS

Travel information Standard operating hours are between 05:00 - 23:30, though the line operates a 'Night Tube', which runs throughout the night on Friday and Saturday nights.

MORE DETAILS

If your flight arrives late, you can catch the N9 night bus, which operates from 11.55pm until 4.55am (until 5.25am on Sunday mornings). Buses run about every 30 minutes to central London (Trafalgar Square), and the journey time is approximately 75 minutes.

MORE DETAILS

You cannot stay airside at Heathrow Airport overnight. You can however remain in the public areas and try and sleep (I wouldn't, as I would worry about my belongings getting stolen). There are no sleeping couches, just ordinary seating. If you are worried about visa requirements though, you may be exempt.

MORE DETAILS

Aerotel London Heathrow, Terminal 2 & Terminal 3 Offering free WiFi, Aerotel London Heathrow offers accommodations inside of Heathrow Terminal 3 and is a 10-minute walk from Heathrow Terminal 2. Boasting a 24-hour front desk.

MORE DETAILS

You can stay overnight and sleep at 24-hour airport lounges, as long as they don't have any rules on how long you stay. Many airport lounges close at night or limit access to just a few hours before your flight. Go to your airport lounge program's website to review hours and rules at the lounge you want to visit.

MORE DETAILS

Heathrow Shuttle Bus to and from London Heathrow Airport 24 hours day 7 days and week, Book your Heathrow Shuttle Bus with Heathrow Shuttle today, our Heathrow Shuttle bus service is one the cheapest and fastest door to door mode of transport in and out of London city.

MORE DETAILS

The best and the most convenient way to get from heathrow airport to london are taxis. It is easily available outside each terminal. The taxi fare to central London from heathrow is around £45–£70 with a journey time of approx one hour.

MORE DETAILS

What is the Night Tube?
  • A 24-hour service now runs on the Central, Victoria, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines on Fridays and Saturdays.
  • Trains run every 10 or 20 minutes, depending on stations.
  • This new service runs alongside existing Night Bus and taxi services.


MORE DETAILS

The Elizabeth line is not one of the few Transport for London services to run an all-night timetable, but its trains do start quite early in the morning and run late at night. Only five Tube lines run a 24-hour service on Fridays and Saturdays: the Victoria, Piccadilly, Jubilee, Central and Northern lines.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Night-time (23:30 - 06:00) operations at Heathrow are heavily restricted by the Government, which sets a limit of 5,800 night-time take-offs and landings a year. A night quota limit is also in place, which caps the amount of noise the airport can make at night.

MORE DETAILS

Free London Underground services and shuttle trains are available for inter-terminal transfers between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Heathrow Terminals 2&3.

MORE DETAILS

You can stay overnight and sleep at 24-hour airport lounges, as long as they don't have any rules on how long you stay. Many airport lounges close at night or limit access to just a few hours before your flight. Go to your airport lounge program's website to review hours and rules at the lounge you want to visit.

MORE DETAILS

What do you do if you have an overnight layover?
  1. Schedule enough daylight hours into the layover. ...
  2. Choose a layover-friendly airport. ...
  3. Pick a hotel that's just a short walk from the city train station. ...
  4. Or choose a hotel close to the airport train station. ...


MORE DETAILS