Heathrow is easily accessible by car and all forms of public transport. The airport is 15 miles west of London on the M4 motorway. If you are a tourist or a business traveler, then the best solution for you is to book a private transfer to/from the airport. There are many companies providing airport transfer but just keep in mind one, which will best serve your interest: 247 Airport Transfer.
We are a leading private transfer service company providing transfers from all London postcodes, seaports and airports for you. Our fast and reliable airport transfer and private transfer service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to take you to your destination. We guarantee that all of your bookings will be made quickly and effortless, with the advantage of an instant confirmation, no matter if you book online, by phone or by e-mail. Your safety and comfort is our main aim, meaning that all our cars are PCO licensed.
We have a wide range of vehicle sizes, suitable for your every requirement: saloon cars, estate, MPV-s and 8 Seaters for larger groups. Our courteous and knowledgeable drivers, all PCO and CRB checked, will happily greet you at the Arrivals with a sign bearing your name. If your flight is delayed, the driver will be aware of this before he sets off to collect you.
If you are interested in getting a good price for your transfer, you will be pleased to hear that you can get a 10% discount for each booking, by creating an account on our website. When you are a regular traveler this is a great solution to reduce costs.
If you are traveling with children, we can ensure you their safety with our option that entitles you to choose infant, child or booster seats. We offer you a 24-hour booking and customer service, done by trained operators, so do not hesitate to contact us. If you are interested in our payment methods, you will be pleased to know that there are three main possibilities: cash to the driver, bank transfer or credit card.
Where to meet the driver at Heathrow Airport
No matter on which terminal you are landing on, our drivers will be easily recognized as they are always elegantly dressed, smiling and waiting for you with a name board. Day and night, they will greet you with friendship and respect, take care of your luggage and answer your questions. To make it easier for you to locate our drivers, we have described the meeting areas below.
Terminal 1
For UK and Ireland Arrivals, at the mezzanine level, 247 Airport Transfer’s drivers will await you at the “Meeting Point”, which is clearly signposted and is located just outside Arrivals.
For Terminal 1 International Arrivals, at ground floor, our drivers will await you in front of “Costa Coffee”.
Terminal 3
While heading out of Arrivals in Terminal 3 you will find our driver waiting for you in front of “WHSmith”, which is between Travelex bureau de change and Boots.
Terminal 4
Right outside Terminal 4 Arrivals you will see “Costa Coffee”. The coffee shop is pretty big and easy to spot. Waiting for you in front of it will be our driver which will hold a board or tablet displaying your name.
Terminal 5
The meeting point for Terminal 5 International Arrivals is also “Costa Coffee”, located, same as in Terminal 4, in front of the Arrivals hall. The location is very easy to spot, as well as our driver, who will be waiting for you in front of it.
For Domestic Arrivals the driver will wait for you in front of Giraffe Juice which is in close proximity to the Arrivals Gate.
London Heathrow Airport Transfer by coach:
If you like to travel by coach you must know that National Express coaches cover 98% of the UK including local stops in England, Wales and Scotland. They will take you to and from Heathrow Airport at all times to make sure you are on time for your flight or destination.
Pick-up and drop-off points for terminal 1, 2 and 3 are located at the Central Bus Station, which is just a short walk from the check-in area and is clearly signposted from around the airport. For terminal 4 National Express coaches will pick you up and drop you off at stops 13 and 14. National Express Coaches for Terminal 5 will use stops 13-16 just outside the terminal building for pick up and drop off. There are some special discounts for different categories. For full time students and young people aged 16-26, National Express offers some brilliant discounts and special offers through their Coachcard. The Coachcard will cost you just £10 for one year or £25 for 3 years, and means you can save up to 30% on coach travel across the UK. Group discounts are available for 4 or more passengers travelling together to and from Heathrow airport.
London Heathrow Transfer by train:
Trains offer one of the quickest links between Heathrow and central London. There are two services to choose from: Heathrow Express (the fastest option, taking only 15 minutes to or from London Paddington Station and departing every 15 minutes) and Heathrow Connect (service to London, calling at local stations in west London and reaching Paddington in 26 minutes).
With Heathrow Express you have non-stop trains running every 15 minutes. The journey between London Paddington and Heathrow Central takes 15 minutes (a few minutes more for Terminals 4 or 5). Trains run between 05:10 and 23:25 from Paddington, and between 05:07 and 23:42 from Heathrow. Tickets can be bought on the Internet, at the station or aboard the train.
Heathrow Connect links the airport to the local stations in west London. Modern, air-conditioned trains run every 30 minutes. The journey between Paddington and Heathrow Central takes about 25 minutes (a few minutes more for Terminal 4 or 5).
London Heathrow Transfer by Tube:
Heathrow has three London Underground stations – one for Terminals 1 and 3, one each at Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 station is in the central area between the terminals, which are a few minutes’ walk away via underground walkways. Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 stations are in the basements of the terminal buildings.
You can find tickets available at all London Underground stations, at ticket offices or machines. Pre-paid Oyster cards can also be used on the London Underground.
But if during your stay in London you want to live in the area near Heathrow there is a great number of pleasant hotels you can check-in at any time. The closest one is The Runnymede-on-Thames, just 4.5 miles away. There are also many other Hotels near London Heathrow Airport, most of them having a 4 or 5 star rating.
Short History of London Heathrow Airport
Heathrow started life as a small grass airfield which was privately owned. In 1944 it was requisitioned by the Air Ministry to be developed as a major transport base for the Royal Air Force. Soon it became a major base for civil flights. London needed a large airport with modern equipment and the partly-built site at Heathrow was ideal. One runway was ready for use and when the Ministry of Civil Aviation took it over in 1946 the tented terminal was quickly put in place and a new chapter began. By 1947 three runways had been completed and work on another three – subsequently abandoned as unnecessary – was going on. A new building arose in the central area at the start of the 1950s.
As traffic increased Heathrow Airport found itself with an ever-increasing demand for passenger facilities. In 1955 the Queen inaugurated a new building (Terminal 2) and the tunnel which provides the main road access to Heathrow’s central area was opened. Next, came Terminal 3 handling long-haul carriers, a function it still performs today. In 1968 it was inaugurated Terminal 1. Increased congestion in the central area led to the birth of Terminal 4 in 1986 on the south side of the airport, a modern facility but an inconvenient 10-20 minute transfer from the heart of Heathrow. In March 2008 Terminal 5 opened on the far western side of the airport grounds.
Today London Heathrow International Airport has superb rail and road links to London and other parts of the country and 5 terminals to serve the numerous flights.
Location
Heathrow Airport is located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, in West London. Heathrow is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world (as of 2011) in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe. It is also the busiest airport in the EU by passenger traffic and the third busiest in Europe given the number of traffic movements.
Airlines and destinations from Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport is used by over 90 airlines flying to more than 170 destinations worldwide. The airport is the primary base of BMI, British Airways and for Virgin Atlantic Airways. From Heathrow you can fligh to the most important European and world destinations: Athens, Paris, Milan, Brussels, Sofia, Stuttgart, Madrid, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisbon, Bucharest, Moscow, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, Beijing, Dubai, Sidney, etc.
Of Heathrow’s 67 million annual passengers, 11% are bound for UK destinations, 43% are short-haul international travellers and 46% are long-haul. The busiest single destination in terms of passenger numbers is New York, with over 3.7 million passengers travelling between Heathrow and JFK / Newark airports in 2008 and 3.5 million in 2009. The airport has four passenger terminals (Terminals 1, 3, 4 and 5) and a cargo terminal.
Heathrow Terminal Information
London Heathrow Terminal 1 is home to all Heathrow’s domestic flights, as well as some European and long-haul destinations. You can find here 19 airlines operating from Terminal 1, carrying over 25 million passengers each year. Check-In and Flight Departures for domestic destinations can be found on the first floor of Terminal 1. Check-in desks for international flights are located in the middle and on the right of the concourse. Flight Arrivals are located on the ground floor for international passengers and on the first floor for those arriving from the UK, Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands. Check–in for long-haul flights is made in 3 hours prior to departure, for European flights in 2 hours prior to departure and for domestic flights, in 90 minutes prior to departure.
Some airlines offer self service check-in. This service is very simple, secure and can save you a lot of time at the airport. Self service check-in is available both online and in kiosks located at the airport. On Terminal 1 you can find such kiosks located near the standard check-in desks. Use this service if you’re flying with: Aer Lingus, BMI, Lufthansa and United Airlines. There are also companies on Terminal 1 that offer online self-service check-in: BMI, Lufthansa, South African Airways, Swiss. International connections do not require going through Immigrations or Customs but all International to Domestic connections do. Left luggage facilities are available in the Arrivals concourse in Terminal 1, next to the lifts for Heathrow Express. They are open from 06:00 to 23:00 at a cost of £8 per item per day.
You can enjoy a great shopping experience in Heathrow’s Terminal 1, with retail shops, book stores, electrical outlets, souvenir shops and much more. Most shops are located in the departures area of the terminal, after security control, but there are shops available in the arrivals area and before security such as: Boots, WH Smiths, Bally, Burberry, Caviar House, Chocolate Box, Clarks, Cocoon, Dixons, Fat face, Swarovski, Perfume Gallery Timberland and so on.
London Heathrow Terminal 2 was Heathrow’s first terminal opened in 1955. 30 airlines operate from this terminal carrying over 8.5 million passengers every year. There are some long-haul flights operating from Terminal 2, although most are for European destinations. Terminal 2 was closed in November 2009 for modernisation works. The new Terminal 2 will open to passengers in 2014. Check-In is located on the ground floor of Terminal 2. Flight Departures and Flight Arrivals are located on the first floor. Self service check-in is available with some airlines on this terminal. This service is available both online and in kiosks located at the airport. Terminal 2 has kiosks located near the standard check-in desks. Arrivals for international arriving passengers and baggage reclaim are on the first floor of Terminal 2. Although it is not yet available for the public, on Terminal 2 you can find many shops where you can spend your money and enjoy a relaxing shopping experience: Accesorize, Boots, Game Grid, The post office, WHSmith, Bally, Barbour, Burberry, Gassan Diamonds, Dixons Travel, Harrods, Naturally Cashmere, The Pen Shop, World Duty Free and so on.
London Heathrow Terminal 3 was opened in 1961. It is used by 35 airlines and approximately 15.5 million passengers. Terminal 3 mainly operates long-haul flights, although some are to European destinations. Check-In and Flight Arrivals are located on the ground floor at the front of the building and Flight Departures are above check-in on the first floor. Check-in for International flights is made 3 hours prior to departure, for European flights in 2 hours prior to departure and for domestic flights in 1 hour prior to departure. With Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Japan Airlines, SAS and Virgin Atlantic you can use the self service check-in. There are some other flight companies providing online self service check-in such as: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic. The Arrivals desk is located on the left at the north end of the building on the ground floor. Like the other terminals, Terminal 3 also offers a wide range of shops where you can relax and shop as much as you can. Most shops are located in the departures area of the terminal, after security control, but there are shops available near Arrivals and Before Security: Impulse, Bulgari, WHSmith, Swatch, Pink, Tie Rack, Versace, Marks and Spencer Food and so on.
London Heathrow Terminal 4 was opened in 1986 and is the base for 38 airlines. This terminal handles approximately 14.2 million passengers each year. The flights operating from Terminal 4 are mainly for long-haul and European destinations. British Airways, Delta and KLM are the major airlines flying from it. They operate flights to destinations in the USA, Canada, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe, e.g. Paris and Amsterdam. Check-In is located on the first floor of the terminal, along with Flight Departures. Flight Arrivals are located on the ground floor of the terminal. There are some flight companies operating on terminal 4 such as: Air France, Gulf Air, KLM, where self service check-in is available. Among them, KLM and Air France offer online self check-in. Left luggage facilities are also available in Terminal 4, located at the west end of the Arrivals hall. As for shops, you can find here the same important retailers like on the other terminals: Boots, WHSmith, Austin Reed, Burberry, Cartier, Caviar house, Escada, Dixons, Harrods.
London Heathrow Terminal 5 is Heathrow Airport’s newest terminal. It is used exclusively by British Airways and is seen as the largest free-standing building in the UK. In the future Terminal 5 will be able to handle 30 million passengers per year, taking Heathrow’s total number of passengers to around 90 million. This will make Heathrow the world’s busiest airport. If you have money to spend then don’t hesitate to visit the shops here: Cartier, Harrods, HMV, Caviar House, David Clulow, Dior, Dixons, Gucci, Mulberry, Mont Blanc. And these are only a small part of the shops you can find in the area. If you are traveling with children then you must know that Heathrow Airport provides a wide range of facilities for children. There are a number of shops in each terminal that have computer and arcade games available to keep children occupied while waiting for a flight. BAA information desks offer free colouring books and crayons to children, and many shops offer a variety of magazines, comics and puzzle books to keep children entertained. There are also a number of unsupervised play areas at Heathrow Airport for children aged 2 to 6 years.
Heathrow Airport also offers facilities for disabled persons and for those needing special assistance. Ramps, wider access pathways, telephones at a height accessible to wheelchair users, disabled toilet facilities, reserved seating for disabled people in check-in areas.
If you need any kind of medical care at Heathrow, the airport provides the facilities to look after you. There are emergency phones throughout the terminals, a health centre, plus a number of pharmacies, so you should not worry.
Important contacts
Each person traveling to Heathrow must take into account some important contacts:
Information desk +44 (0)844 335 1801;
Police 0300 123 1212;
Airport Parking +44 (0)844 335 1000;
Lost Property +44 (0)208 745 7727;
National Rail Enquiries +44 (0)845 748 4950;
Transfer Desk Terminal 1 +44 (0)208 745 7487;
Transfer Desk Terminal 2 +44 (0)208 745 5408;
TransferDesk Terminal 3 +44 (0)208 745 4655;
TransferDesk Terminal 4 +44 (0)208 745 7302;
National Express +44 (0)870 580 8080.
Other Important Airport Transfer Information:
* Get Fares for London Airport Transfer Here: London Airport Transfer
* Find Out More Information About Transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick: Heathrow Gatwick transfer
* Find Out More Information About transfers from Heathrow to Gatwick: Heathrow Gatwick Transfer
* Find Out More Information About transfers from Heathrow to Stansted and Luton: Heathrow Transfer Stansted Luton
* Prices for transfers from Gatwick to City Airport here: Gatwick to City Airport Transfers and Gatwick to Luton Transfers
* We also offer very affordable prices for Heathrow to City Airport Transfers and Gatwick to Stansted Airport Transfer Transfers
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