Getting thereLondon
From every London airport to your hotel door: the fastest way, timed
Airport pages tell you how long the train takes to a terminus. We timed the whole trip, from the arrivals hall to the hotel door, for ten hotels from six arrival points, on a weekday morning and again at 23:45.
By The Better Trip Editorial TeamPublished 24 October 2026Last checked: October 20269 min read
The short answer
From Heathrow, the Elizabeth line is the right train for seven of our ten hotels, and the Heathrow Express is only worth its higher fare for the hotels near Paddington: The Pilgrm in 35 minutes door to door, The Zetter Marylebone in 50. From Gatwick, Thameslink or Southern gets you to every hotel in 43 to 70 minutes and the Gatwick Express is never faster by more than two minutes. London City is the closest: 32 to 55 minutes to all ten, even after midnight. Landing late at Heathrow Terminal 5, take a taxi: at 23:45 our search found only night buses, at 81 to 140 minutes.
What only this guide tells you
What we worked out
We asked Transport for London's own journey planner for every trip from Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3, Heathrow Terminal 5, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City and St Pancras International to each of the ten hotels in our London edit: 70 routes, at 10:00 on a weekday and again at 23:45. Each time counts from the airport station or terminal to the hotel door, walks included, which is the time that matters with luggage. Two results surprised us: the Heathrow Express beats the Elizabeth line by more than four minutes door to door for only two hotels, and at Gatwick the Gatwick Express, which charges £24, never beats the £10.70 Southern or Thameslink train by more than two minutes.
Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3
Is the Heathrow Express worth it?
The Elizabeth line runs under the West End and the City without a change, so it is the train for seven of our ten hotels, from Claridge's and Hazlitt's in the West End to The Ned and Town Hall Hotel in the east. The Heathrow Express only pays off for the two hotels near Paddington: 20 minutes saved door to door for The Pilgrm and 13 for The Zetter Marylebone. For Artist Residence in Pimlico, the Piccadilly line is within a minute of the Heathrow Express at about a fifth of the fare.
Every time below starts with about a 13-minute walk from the arrivals hall to the platform, which no train timetable includes.
| Hotel | Door to door | How we would go | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| The PilgrmSee prices | 35 min | Heathrow Express to Paddington, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The Zetter MaryleboneSee prices | 50 min | Heathrow Express to Paddington, bus to Marble Arch / Edgware Road, 7 min walk | See prices |
| Claridge'sSee prices | 52 min | Elizabeth line to Bond Street, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Hazlitt'sSee prices | 54 min | Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Sea Containers LondonSee prices | 63 min | Elizabeth line to Farringdon, Thameslink to Blackfriars, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The NedSee prices | 65 min | Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street, bus to Bank, 3 min walk | See prices |
| Shangri-La The Shard, LondonSee prices | 67 min | Elizabeth line to Bond Street, Tube to London Bridge, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The Standard, LondonSee prices | 70 min | Elizabeth line to Farringdon, Tube to King's Cross St. Pancras, 10 min walk | See prices |
| Town Hall HotelSee prices | 70 min | Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street, Tube to Bethnal Green, bus to York Hall, 3 min walk | See prices |
| Artist Residence LondonSee prices | 71 min | Tube to Earl's Court, Tube to Victoria, 16 min walk | See prices |
Heathrow Terminal 5
How long does it take from Heathrow Terminal 5 to central London?
Terminal 5 is the last stop on both the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line, and the Heathrow Express takes about six minutes longer than from Terminals 2 and 3, so every trip below is about a quarter of an hour longer than from the central terminals. The order of hotels is the same.
| Hotel | Door to door | How we would go | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| The PilgrmSee prices | 51 min | Heathrow Express to Paddington, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The Zetter MaryleboneSee prices | 66 min | Heathrow Express to Paddington, bus to Marble Arch / Edgware Road, 7 min walk | See prices |
| Claridge'sSee prices | 67 min | Elizabeth line to Bond Street, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Hazlitt'sSee prices | 69 min | Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Sea Containers LondonSee prices | 79 min | Elizabeth line to Farringdon, Thameslink to Blackfriars, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The NedSee prices | 82 min | Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road, Tube to Bank, 6 min walk | See prices |
| Shangri-La The Shard, LondonSee prices | 83 min | Elizabeth line to Bond Street, Tube to London Bridge, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The Standard, LondonSee prices | 84 min | Elizabeth line to Farringdon, Tube to King's Cross St. Pancras, 10 min walk | See prices |
| Town Hall HotelSee prices | 88 min | Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street, Tube to Bethnal Green, 10 min walk | See prices |
| Artist Residence LondonSee prices | 89 min | Tube to Earl's Court, Tube to Victoria, 16 min walk | See prices |
Gatwick
Is the Gatwick Express worth it?
Thameslink runs straight through London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras, and that makes it the fastest train for eight of our ten hotels, at £10.70 off-peak. For Artist Residence and The Zetter Marylebone, Southern to Victoria wins. The Gatwick Express also runs to Victoria and gets there a minute or two sooner, but at £24 against £10.70 it does not change a single result.
| Hotel | Door to door | How we would go | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shangri-La The Shard, LondonSee prices | 43 min | Thameslink to London Bridge, 9 min walk | See prices |
| Sea Containers LondonSee prices | 47 min | Thameslink to Blackfriars, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The NedSee prices | 50 min | Thameslink to London Bridge, bus to Bank, 4 min walk | See prices |
| Artist Residence LondonSee prices | 56 min | Southern to Victoria, 19 min walk | See prices |
| Hazlitt'sSee prices | 59 min | Thameslink to Farringdon, Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Claridge'sSee prices | 60 min | Thameslink to London Bridge, Tube to Bond Street, 9 min walk | See prices |
| The Standard, LondonSee prices | 60 min | Thameslink to St Pancras International, 11 min walk | See prices |
| The Zetter MaryleboneSee prices | 61 min | Southern to Victoria, bus to Marble Arch, 4 min walk | See prices |
| Town Hall HotelSee prices | 69 min | Thameslink to London Bridge, bus to Bank, Tube to Bethnal Green, bus to York Hall, 3 min walk | See prices |
| The PilgrmSee prices | 70 min | Thameslink to London Bridge, Tube to Baker Street, Tube to Paddington, 9 min walk | See prices |
Stansted
The Stansted Express is the only sensible way in, and where you leave it decides the rest: Liverpool Street for The Ned, Town Hall Hotel and the Elizabeth line west, Tottenham Hale for the Victoria line to King's Cross and Pimlico. Every hotel is 70 to 90 minutes door to door.
| Hotel | Door to door | How we would go | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| The NedSee prices | 70 min | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, Tube to Bank, 6 min walk | See prices |
| The Standard, LondonSee prices | 72 min | Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale, Tube to King's Cross St. Pancras, 10 min walk | See prices |
| Town Hall HotelSee prices | 75 min | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, Tube to Bethnal Green, 10 min walk | See prices |
| Hazlitt'sSee prices | 77 min | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Shangri-La The Shard, LondonSee prices | 78 min | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, bus to London Bridge, 4 min walk | See prices |
| Claridge'sSee prices | 79 min | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, Elizabeth line to Bond Street, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Sea Containers LondonSee prices | 84 min | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, Tube to Farringdon, Thameslink to Blackfriars, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The Zetter MaryleboneSee prices | 86 min | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, Tube to Marble Arch, 11 min walk | See prices |
| Artist Residence LondonSee prices | 87 min | Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale, Tube to Victoria, 16 min walk | See prices |
| The PilgrmSee prices | 90 min | Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale, Tube to Oxford Circus, Tube to Paddington, 9 min walk | See prices |
Luton
The DART shuttle takes under four minutes to Luton Airport Parkway. From there the Luton Airport Express is the fastest train to St Pancras, which makes The Standard 57 minutes door to door; for the City and London Bridge, stay on Thameslink.
| Hotel | Door to door | How we would go | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Standard, LondonSee prices | 57 min | DART, Luton Airport Express to St Pancras International, 12 min walk | See prices |
| The NedSee prices | 70 min | DART, Thameslink to City Thameslink, 14 min walk | See prices |
| Hazlitt'sSee prices | 71 min | DART, Thameslink to Farringdon, Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Sea Containers LondonSee prices | 72 min | DART, Thameslink to Farringdon, bus to Blackfriars, 6 min walk | See prices |
| Claridge'sSee prices | 73 min | DART, Thameslink to Farringdon, Elizabeth line to Bond Street, 8 min walk | See prices |
| Shangri-La The Shard, LondonSee prices | 74 min | DART, Thameslink to London Bridge, 9 min walk | See prices |
| The PilgrmSee prices | 78 min | DART, Thameslink to West Hampstead Thameslink, Tube to Baker Street, Tube to Paddington, 9 min walk | See prices |
| Artist Residence LondonSee prices | 81 min | DART, Luton Airport Express to St Pancras International, Tube to Victoria, 16 min walk | See prices |
| The Zetter MaryleboneSee prices | 81 min | DART, Luton Airport Express to St Pancras International, Tube to Oxford Circus, Tube to Marble Arch, 11 min walk | See prices |
| Town Hall HotelSee prices | 82 min | DART, Luton Airport Express to St Pancras International, Tube to Liverpool Street, Tube to Bethnal Green, 10 min walk | See prices |
London City
What is the closest airport to central London?
The DLR leaves from the airport's own station, and with one change at Canning Town onto the Jubilee line it reaches the West End as well as the City. London City is the closest airport to every one of our hotels, even the ones in Paddington and Pimlico.
| Hotel | Door to door | How we would go | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shangri-La The Shard, LondonSee prices | 32 min | DLR to Canning Town, Tube to London Bridge, 7 min walk | See prices |
| The NedSee prices | 33 min | DLR to Bank, 7 min walk | See prices |
| Sea Containers LondonSee prices | 40 min | DLR to Canning Town, Tube to Southwark, 14 min walk | See prices |
| Town Hall HotelSee prices | 41 min | DLR to Canning Town, Tube to Stratford, Tube to Bethnal Green, 10 min walk | See prices |
| Claridge'sSee prices | 42 min | DLR to Canning Town, Tube to Bond Street, 9 min walk | See prices |
| Hazlitt'sSee prices | 44 min | DLR to Canning Town, DLR to Custom House, Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road, 8 min walk | See prices |
| The Standard, LondonSee prices | 51 min | DLR to Bank, Tube to King's Cross St. Pancras, 12 min walk | See prices |
| The Zetter MaryleboneSee prices | 51 min | DLR to Canning Town, Tube to Bond Street, Tube to Marble Arch, 11 min walk | See prices |
| The PilgrmSee prices | 54 min | DLR to Canning Town, Tube to Baker Street, Tube to Paddington, 9 min walk | See prices |
| Artist Residence LondonSee prices | 55 min | DLR to Canning Town, Tube to Westminster, Tube to Victoria, 15 min walk | See prices |
St Pancras, from the Eurostar
Arriving by Eurostar, you are already in Zone 1. The Standard is across the road, and every other hotel in our edit is 26 to 33 minutes away by Tube.
| Hotel | Door to door | How we would go | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Standard, LondonSee prices | 8 min | Walk | See prices |
| Hazlitt'sSee prices | 26 min | Tube to Euston, Tube to Tottenham Court Road, 9 min walk | See prices |
| The NedSee prices | 28 min | Tube to Liverpool Street, Tube to Bank, 6 min walk | See prices |
| Claridge'sSee prices | 29 min | Tube to Oxford Circus, 16 min walk | See prices |
| The PilgrmSee prices | 31 min | Tube to Edgware Road (Circle Line), 14 min walk | See prices |
| Sea Containers LondonSee prices | 32 min | Tube to Farringdon, bus to Blackfriars, 6 min walk | See prices |
| Artist Residence LondonSee prices | 32 min | Tube to Victoria, 16 min walk | See prices |
| The Zetter MaryleboneSee prices | 32 min | Tube to Oxford Circus, Tube to Marble Arch, 11 min walk | See prices |
| Shangri-La The Shard, LondonSee prices | 33 min | Tube to London Bridge, 11 min walk | See prices |
| Town Hall HotelSee prices | 33 min | Tube to Liverpool Street, Tube to Bethnal Green, 10 min walk | See prices |
Landing late: what still runs at 23:45
How do I get from Heathrow to London late at night?
We asked the same planner for the same trips setting off at 23:45, when flights land late and the last trains are going. London City and St Pancras barely change. Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 still have the Heathrow Express to Paddington. Terminal 5 is the one to watch: our search found only night buses, taking from 81 minutes to well over two hours.
| From | What still runs at 23:45 | Door to door to our hotels |
|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 | The Heathrow Express to Paddington, then the Tube or a bus | 38 to 89 min |
| Heathrow Terminal 5 | Night buses only in our search | 81 to 140 min |
| Gatwick | Southern to Victoria and Thameslink through the City | 60 to 106 min |
| Stansted | The Stansted Express, and coaches | 77 to 111 min |
| Luton | The DART and Thameslink; the Luton Airport Express has stopped | 73 to 112 min |
| London City | The DLR, as by day | 29 to 55 min |
| St Pancras (Eurostar) | The Tube and buses | 8 to 33 min |
Taxis and the meter
How much is a taxi from Heathrow to central London?
A taxi is the answer for a late Terminal 5 landing, a family with luggage, or a hotel with no good rail link. Black cabs run on the meter in London; from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, agree the fare before you set off.
- Heathrow
- £70 to £120 on the meter to central London, according to Transport for London, plus £1.60 from the rank; 45 to 75 minutes to our hotels by road
- London City
- On the meter with no rank supplement; 30 to 58 minutes to our hotels by road
- Gatwick, Stansted, Luton
- Agree the fare before setting off, as Transport for London advises; 66 to 105 minutes by road
The catch
Rush hour and weekends change the numbers
Our times are for 10:00 on a weekday, after the morning peak. Between about 06:30 and 09:30 the same trips cost more on the trains that charge peak fares and take longer on crowded platforms, and weekend engineering works can close lines altogether.
What to do. Check the planner for your own landing time, and weekend works on the TfL and National Rail sites before you fly.
Door to door assumes light luggage
The walks in our times are at an ordinary pace, including about 13 minutes from the arrivals hall to the platform at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3. With heavy bags, stairs and children, add time, or take a taxi for the last stretch.
What to do. For a hotel more than 10 minutes' walk from its station, take a cab from the station.
Where we would stay in London
Mayfair
Claridge'sMayfair's art deco grand hotel, and since 2022 it has a seven-treatment-room spa and pool three floors below the lobby.
Soho
Hazlitt'sA 1718 Soho townhouse hotel that refuses to be updated: four-posters, sloping floors, breakfast at your door and no restaurant.
Paddington
The PilgrmTwo minutes from Paddington, in Victorian townhouses, with the front desk replaced by a café and the savings put into the rooms.
City of London
The NedLutyens's Midland Bank, reopened as 250 bedrooms above a ground floor that now holds seven restaurants, with the best of it kept for members.
London Bridge
Shangri-La The Shard, LondonLevels 34 to 52 of Western Europe's tallest building, and the one London address where the view is the whole of the argument.
King's Cross
The Standard, LondonA 1970s Camden council block turned design hotel, with a red lift up the outside to a tenth floor facing St Pancras.
Questions people ask
Good questions about From every London airport to your hotel door: the fastest way, timed
What is the fastest way from Heathrow to central London?
It depends on the hotel. The Heathrow Express reaches Paddington in 15 minutes and is fastest for hotels near Paddington; for the West End and the City, the Elizabeth line is as fast door to door, at £15.50 against £26.
Is the Heathrow Express worth the money?
Only for hotels near Paddington. In our door-to-door times it saved 20 minutes for The Pilgrm and 13 for The Zetter Marylebone, and no more than four minutes for any other hotel in our edit.
Is the Gatwick Express faster than Thameslink?
To Victoria, by a minute or two. Door to door to our ten hotels, it never beat the £10.70 Southern or Thameslink train by more than two minutes, at £24.
Which London airport is closest to the city centre?
London City. From it, all ten of our hotels were 32 to 55 minutes away door to door by DLR and Tube, for £3.30 off-peak.
Can I get from Heathrow to London after midnight?
From Terminals 2 and 3, the Heathrow Express was still running to Paddington when we searched for a 23:45 departure. From Terminal 5 our search found only night buses, at 81 to 140 minutes door to door, so a taxi is the better choice.
Sources we read (8)
Last checked: October 2026
More guides
Image credits: Sunil060902 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Hugh Llewelyn (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Oxyman (CC BY 2.5)