How Do I Get to Heathrow Terminal 4? Step-by means of-Step Directions
Terminal four sits at the southern facet of Heathrow, barely apart from Terminals 2, three, and five. That physical separation shapes well-nigh every travel option. If you know where you might be coming from and how much time you've got you have got, getting there is easy. If you wager, you hazard sluggish go back and forth transfers, surprise waits for evening buses, or a long walk with baggage after a mis-timed practice. I’ve shepherded relations, colleagues, and jet-lagged guests to T4 in every possible means, and the sample is evident: construct your plan round direct routes while you can still, and deal with whatever with a change as a actual connection, no longer a rapid hop.
Below is a practical booklet that starts with the quickest rail routes, weighs the Underground against buses and taxis, then folds in riding, parking, and inn handoffs. I even have protected a small list of picks for short choices and a concise step-by-step for the most popular start line in important London.
The form of the community round Terminal 4
Heathrow has three rail spines that count number for T4:
The Elizabeth line and the Heathrow Express run into Heathrow Central (Terminals 2 and three) and to Terminal five on separate branches. They do no longer run to Terminal 4 right now. The Piccadilly line of the London Underground runs to all terminals, with a devoted department that reaches Terminal 4. Trains exchange among the T4 loop and T5, which catches out a large number of humans late at nighttime. The loose Heathrow Rail/Elizabeth line travel among Heathrow Central and Terminal four bridges gaps whilst the Tube is sluggish or you have got an onward rail price ticket. It operates as component of the usual Elizabeth line service yet intra-Heathrow journey is loose within the Heathrow stations.
Because Terminal 4 is off the key Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express branches, so much rail trips contain one clean interchange at Heathrow Central or a direct Piccadilly line experience to T4. By highway, the terminal is reached as a result of the Southern Perimeter Road, so taxis and personal cars oftentimes make enhanced day without work-height than you’d are expecting, however can move slowly at morning peaks and throughout incidents on the M25 or M4.
From principal London: the fastest functional options
If you might be beginning around Paddington, the fastest stability of pace and simplicity commonly runs due to Heathrow Central with one swap.
Heathrow Express to Heathrow Central, then Elizabeth line or trip to T4: From Paddington, take Heathrow Express to Heathrow Central. Trains run such a lot of the day each 15 minutes and take kind of 15 minutes. At Heathrow Central, keep on with indicators for trains to Terminal four and board the Elizabeth line travel service to T4. Sometimes there's a quick platform trade and a 6 to 10 minute wait. Door to door from Paddington to T4 basically lands round 30 to forty minutes, now not including your on foot time at both finish. If you dangle a railcard or enhance price tag, inspect the Express fare prematurely. If you pick magnitude over absolute speed, the Elizabeth line from Paddington to Heathrow Central provides best about 10 minutes and rates much less.
Elizabeth line all of the means, then change at Heathrow Central: Take the Elizabeth line from imperative London stations like Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, or Paddington to Heathrow Central, then exchange to the loose travel provider to T4. The trains are prevalent, and once you are boarding from the West End or City, this will consider more direct than hiking to Paddington for the Express. Expect about 35 to 50 mins to Heathrow Central from critical stations, plus 6 to 10 mins for the Terminal 4 department, plus move time.
Piccadilly line direct to Terminal four: From many portions of Zone 1, a unmarried Piccadilly line coach to T4 is the simplest experience. Not each and every eastbound platform certainly distinguishes T4 department as opposed to T5 branch on older reveals, so eavesdrop on the entrance-of-educate indicator and the platform forums. The tour from Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus takes kind of fifty five to sixty five mins in established conditions. This is the maximum reasonably-priced user-friendly course and eliminates the swap at Heathrow Central wholly. If your quit basically has T5 trains arriving, wait for a T4 prepare or modification at Hatton Cross for the next T4 service.
Here is the compact step-by using-step for a not unusual scenario from Paddington, making use of the Elizabeth line for price and low fuss:
Tap in at Paddington for the Elizabeth line closer to Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3. Alight at Heathrow Central and apply indicators to the platform for Terminal 4. Board a better train to Terminal 4. Intra-Heathrow travel is unfastened in case you are inside the airport stations. At Terminal four station, take the escalators up. The terminal concourse is a brief indoor stroll.
Night owls and early departures
Between the last and first Piccadilly line trains, T4’s hyperlink may be skinny. The Night Tube occasionally covers part of the Piccadilly line on weekends, however the T4 department does no longer usually mirror daylight hours patterns. If you're shifting after midnight on a weekday, plan for:
A night bus to the Heathrow perimeter, then a switch to the terminal by native bus or jogging for those who’re normal with the arena. Not blissful with luggage in wintry weather rain. A pre-booked taxi or experience-hail. At 2 am, the Southern Perimeter Road is clear and trips from zones close to the A4 will likely be swifter than you think that, even though fees reflect the hour. If you're connecting airside from an overnight arrival into T2 or T3, the intra-terminal move routes, including buses and the unfastened rail commute when reachable, are signposted 24 hours, yet closures for engineering can amplify waits by 10 to 20 mins.
If you are one of those 5:55 am departure vacationers, pad some time. Security should be would becould very well be brief at that hour, but one overlooked T4 branch prepare at Hatton Cross can add 10 minutes that you simply do not have.
From other London places: which line to favor
West and northwest London: The Elizabeth line is your friend. Ealing Broadway, Acton Main Line, and Hayes & Harlington feed into Heathrow Central. From there, difference to the T4 provider. If you stay on the Piccadilly line close to Hammersmith or Barons Court, give some thought to staying at the Tube right now to T4 to preclude the interchange.
South and southwest London: National Rail to Clapham Junction or Vauxhall, then District or Victoria to hook up with the Piccadilly line at Hammersmith or Green Park works, yet you may be exchanging a minimum of as soon as. If you're sporting heavy bags, a experience-hail across the Thames to Hammersmith for a one-seat Piccadilly trip may be value it. Traveling from Richmond or Twickenham, a mixture of South Western Railway to Vauxhall or Waterloo and then the Tube is commonplace. For door-to-door speed outdoors top hours, a few go with a taxi immediately to the Southern Perimeter Road.
East London and the City: The Elizabeth line become equipped for you. Board at Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, or Canary Wharf in the direction of Heathrow Central, then switch to the T4 shuttle. If engineering works have an effect on the department, the Piccadilly line rescue path because of Green Park nonetheless works, but will upload time.
North London: The Piccadilly line is the handiest once you are near it. Otherwise, Overground or Thameslink to Farringdon, then Elizabeth line to Heathrow Central, then the T4 travel is a sparkling transfer.
Inter-terminal transfers: T5, T2/three to T4 and back
Moving between terminals is a commonly used desire for codeshares and misaligned arrival and departure halls. From T5 to T4, the shortest psychological path is basically incorrect. The direct Piccadilly line among T5 and T4 does now not run. You must change:
T5 to Heathrow Central via Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express, then switch to the T4 service with the aid of Elizabeth line commute. Intra-Heathrow segments are unfastened. Allow 20 to half-hour platform-to-platform, plus on foot, longer if trains are spaced out with the aid of works.
T5 to Hatton Cross by Piccadilly line, then Hatton Cross to T4 with the aid of Piccadilly line. This is workable yet now not speedier than the loose rail commute by using Heathrow Central in most circumstances. It should be to hand if the Elizabeth line is disrupted, given that Hatton Cross oftentimes has more normal T4 branch trains than the airport loop at some stage in engineering windows.
From Terminals 2 and three to T4, the free rail travel is straightforward. Follow the purple Elizabeth line indicators, and test the platform presentations. If you by accident board a T5 instruct, get off at T5 and reverse, or return to Heathrow Central and switch there. Avoid long walks and buses across the perimeter until you already know the team of workers routes.
If you might be asking yourself how do I get to Heathrow Terminal five as an alternative, the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express each run at once to T5, and the Piccadilly line runs to T5 on its possess department. The T5 design additionally dictates parking and inn options. best marriott hotel in paris If you're comparing Heathrow terminal 5 parking to the T4 choices, word that legit T5 quick continue to be is adjoining, at the same time T4’s automobile park is connected through a covered walkway. For long remain or valet, booking early saves true payment. If your plans involve a package like Heathrow lodge and parking, confirm the hotel-to-terminal travel trend. Some T4-field accommodations run to T2/3 with the aid of default and want a request for T4.
Heathrow by means of bus: when it allows and when it does not
Buses subject if you are transferring between neighborhood lodges and T4, or at some stage in Tube engineering. The free go back and forth region round Heathrow covers a few neighborhood buses between terminals and neighborhood stops, yet not all. Have a contactless card or Oyster ready simply in case. Hotel Hoppa buses serve many properties. They settlement greater than public buses and run on fastened periods within the early morning. Slow, however predictable.
If you're coming from southwest suburbs like Feltham or Ashford, nearby buses funnel towards Hatton Cross, in which you connect to the Piccadilly line for one prevent to T4. This would be the most frictionless budget preference. In heavy rain with luggage, I might take a taxi to Hatton Cross station instead of anticipating a bus, until the bus is due in lower than five mins.
Travelers evaluating how do you get to Gatwick airport from London or learn how to get to Gatwick with a connection from Heathrow needs to forestall crossing the town by using bus. National Express runs direct coaches between Heathrow and Gatwick which are well worth their value for a baggage-heavy switch, in contrast with carrying suitcases across Victoria station. If you would have to use rail, a Piccadilly line into vital London then Thameslink to Gatwick works, however assume greater stairs and platform variations.
Driving to Terminal 4 and parking choices
Driving reaches T4 via the Southern Perimeter Road, accessed from the A30 or the M25 junction 14. Signage onto the terminal spur is apparent. The drop-off region is next to the quick reside vehicle park. Heathrow now expenses for terminal drop-offs, accumulated through ANPR. If you disregard to pay on-line by the cut-off date, penalty notices keep on with, so set a reminder as quickly as you depart the terminal.
Short continue to be at T4 is adjacent and decent for select-ups, but this is priced for temporary visits. Long remain shuttles run many times, even though occasional bunching can add a ten to twelve minute wait. Official Heathrow terminal 5 parking and the parallel T4 long reside are in a similar way run: safe, shuttled, and close sufficient. Off-airport park-and-experience an awful lot south of the runway can save payment, yet make sure running hours in case you have a very early departure. For Heathrow five parking deals, the same information applies, however payment which aspect of the airport you would go back to. Returning at T4, being parked out through T5 can upload 25 mins for your tour again to the car.
Packages that package deal a room with parking will also be compelling. The phrase Heathrow lodge and parking covers all the pieces from a T4-related industrial hotel with a week’s parking blanketed, to a funds assets close Bath Road that makes use of a 3rd-birthday party lot miles away. Two law from feel: in the event that your flight is from T4, e book a inn on the south facet. If you're leaving from T5, keep on with that area or plan additional shuttle time.
Hotels round Terminal 4 and find out how to transfer
Several accommodations are both attached to T4 by using a lined walkway or are a quick go back and forth away. Many visitors miss the fact that Terminal four links at once to its on-website resort by way of an indoor bridge, which saves a shocking amount of time whilst it rains or when a morning flight calls for a 5 am foyer espresso.
Budget possibilities include the Heathrow Ibis houses. The branding is also difficult, as Ibis, Ibis Styles, and Ibis Budget have varied addresses and shuttle arrangements. Confirm the exact position whenever you e-book, and fee whether your room rate contains the Hotel Hoppa or when you need to apply a neighborhood bus. That option can shave 10 minutes and about a kilos.
If you're a Hilton traditional, the Hilton through T4 historically associated by the use of walkway and serves as a risk-free early morning base, specially while you are trying out a brand new settlement approach like a hilton debit card or a hilton honours debit card connected in your existing account. For UK-founded factors seekers, the hilton honors credit score card uk has had moving bargains; perks fluctuate, however loose evening certificate can flip an airport reside from grudging to first-class. Always test the motel’s cutting-edge go back and forth occasions to T4. Some homes swing their early morning buses in the direction of T2/three first, which provides a 10 minute loop previously you attain T4.
Travelers who weigh Heathrow five resorts against south-aspect houses ought to map the trip routes, not just resort star ratings. If your flight departs T4, a T5 inn that appears like a bargain on paper can can charge a further 40 minutes round-day out in transfers.
Accessibility and mobility tips
Terminal four station systems have lifts and escalators. The walkway from the T4 Tube and rail station into the terminal is flat and indoor. If you operate a wheelchair or have a mobility impairment, pre-booklet advice because of your airline. The group can meet you on the station gates. Assistance telephones sit down near the platform exits, and the signage is apparent.
For mum and dad with buggies, the Piccadilly line may be a squeeze at peak hours. If that issues you, the Elizabeth line to Heathrow Central and the trip to T4 affords wider doors and point boarding, notwithstanding it adds a difference. If you might be wrangling a immense pushchair and two rolling luggage, the Elizabeth line swap will be simpler than threading a crowded Tube carriage aisle.
Money and tickets: make it simple
Contactless funds and Oyster cards paintings at the Underground and the Elizabeth line to Heathrow. If you cross among Heathrow Central and T4 in basic terms, the rail ride is free, and gates will open to allow the move. Keep your card easy besides. Heathrow Express is a separate fare. Advance fares should be would becould very well be low priced on quieter trains, but once you plan to tour in the course of height hours, evaluate the price to the Elizabeth line.
For families, on a daily basis capping on contactless could make the finding gatwick airport transport Elizabeth line first-class importance. For a couple opening in Zone 1, the big difference between the Express and the Elizabeth line can pay for lunch. If time is tight and you would like the quickest platform-to-platform pass from Paddington, the Express is still the bullet.
When engineering works or moves hit
Planned engineering on the Piccadilly line or the Elizabeth line almost always lands on weekends or late nights. Shuttle timings between Heathrow Central and T4 can widen to each 15 minutes all through works, and bus replacements on occasion step in for sections of the Piccadilly line. If the Elizabeth line is blocked into Heathrow, the Piccadilly line is your fallback. If equally are affected, taxis and coaches stock up temporarily.
A trick I use: if a deliberate closure is flagged, I payment the two TfL and Heathrow’s carrier pages 24 hours ahead of tour and once again the morning of departure. If the T4 rail go back and forth presentations gaps, I upload 20 mins to my plan and bypass any tight espresso stops along the method.
Stansted and Gatwick comparisons for combined-airport itineraries
Multi-airport itineraries are problematical. If you're pairing Heathrow with Stansted, the perfect rail trip to Stansted Airport from crucial London is the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale. If you need to connect Heathrow to Stansted promptly, coaches make more feel than crossing Zone 1 with bags. If you are already within the City and desire trains to London Stansted Airport, journey the Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street, then the Stansted Express. For trains to Stansted London routing in reverse, avert an eye on weekend works around Tottenham Hale.

When travellers ask how do you get to Stansted from west London, I ask for luggage dimension and time of day. Outside height hours, one rail exchange can work well. During rush hour, the trainer keeps your luggage lower than the instruct and removes stair issues. For a finances overnight, properties just like the Travel Inn Stansted Airport and comparable hotels close to the terminal are purposeful, yet determine shuttle leap times opposed to your first-flight cost-in.
Gatwick sits on Thameslink and Southern prone. If your day carries equally Heathrow and Gatwick, and time is simply not plentiful, an instantaneous train among the two airports is the least headache. For pure speed from important London, Gatwick Express out of Victoria is clear and quickly, yet primary Southern or Thameslink also do the job for much less, with very few more mins.
The most simple choice tool
For so much travellers heading to T4 from primary or west London, the fantastic collection is a rail-first plan with one exchange at Heathrow Central or an instantaneous Piccadilly experience. If payment is tight, the Tube wins. If time is tight, the Express plus shuttle wins. If you magnitude an empty seat and stage boarding, the Elizabeth line beats the Tube. If you might be visiting at four:30 am with two teens and 3 suitcases, a pre-booked taxi commonly earns its fee.
Quick-alternative record for Terminal four:
Starting close Paddington: Elizabeth line to Heathrow Central, switch to T4 commute. If in a hurry, Heathrow Express to Central, then travel. Starting near Leicester Square or South Kensington: Piccadilly line direct to T4, stay up for practice department. Starting in Canary Wharf or Liverpool Street: Elizabeth line to Heathrow Central, modification to T4 go back and forth. Connecting from T5: Free rail travel through Heathrow Central to T4. Avoid the temptation to ride the Piccadilly line your complete approach round unless the Elizabeth line is disrupted. Late night or very early: Consider a taxi or be certain Night Tube patterns. Build in another 15 to twenty minutes.
Final facts that shop 5 mins each
Walk toward the the front of the Piccadilly line show at T4-sure stops to shorten your distance to the escalators at Terminal 4 station. At Heathrow Central, practice the indicators intently. The structures for T4 and T5 sit on distinctive sides, and following the yellow coats of fellow travellers can lead you incorrect. If you bring two baggage, positioned the heavier one under the seat at the Elizabeth line, now not inside the aisle racks, so that you can step off effortlessly for the T4 switch devoid of preventing for a suitcase that has rolled at the back of a stroller.
If you rely on inn shuttles, investigate the precise minutes earlier the hour they go away. I even have viewed a overlooked Hoppa bus add 29 mins to a morning plan. For on-website residences just like the Hilton through T4 or others attached by means of walkway, bypass the travel absolutely and get pleasure from the climate-managed walk. If you've gotten elite repute or a past due checkout, the ones properties flip an extended layover at T4 into a cozy pause.
Finally, keep flexible. If a workforce member at Heathrow Central points you to a one-of-a-kind platform for T4 than the only you expect, take their assistance. The working plan can change during quick engineering windows. With that small little bit of agility, Terminal 4 becomes as ordinary to achieve as the other Heathrow corridor, in spite of the fact that the map indicates in another way.