Heathrow Airport Review

Overall Rating

Nearer to London centre than other airports
Good fares available with many airlines

Run down
Overcrowded
Inadequate land transport links

Heathrow is the nearest of the big airports to London, with the exception of the smaller London City Airport. It also offers a wide choice of airlines, and most of the low cost long haul fares you will find will be routed to/from Heathrow. As such it is the best airport o use if you have a long haul flight and can't afford to pay a premium to route through a frankly more pleasant airport.

Heathrow is terminally overcrowded. 24/7 you will find a heaving crowd and facilities stretched well beyond capacity. Various attempts to remedy the situation have all met with limited or no success, particularly in T3 which is the worst, and also plays host to virtually all long haul flights.

For short haul European flights I'd serious recommend using another airport, as for these flights LHR is neither cost nor time effective, as security is hopelessly overwhelmed with people, Q'ing for half an hour or more to pass through Xray and search is common.

The airport is very run down, and on all my frequent visit has been dirty, dark and very old and decaying. Building work is ongoing, though so far there is no sign of improvement, I think the work is more to prevent further deterioration of the existing situation rather than upgrade. Arriving here from most destinations, which usually try to make a showcase of their airports, therefore, can be both a surprise and culture shock.

Staff at the airport are overworked and often overwhelmed. Paticularly in check in there are semi-security staff employed to try and maintain a semblence of order to the chaos (paticularly in T3). They can often be rude and pushy (Bus Station staff are similar). Try to avoid agrrevating the situation and keep out of their way as much as you can. The same applies for the security checks. it IS inefficient and it IS frustrating, but don't give them a reason otherwise youll just hold everyone up even more.

Ground transportation is inadequate for the number of passengers. Rail connections are poor and the tube poorly suited to traveling with baggage. The best bet is National Express which offers service to the other London airports and a good number of cities direct from Heathrow instead of having to route into London and out again

Some LHR survival tips:
* Bring plenty of food and drink with you. The airport is painfully expensive (even by London standards) and as delays are fairly common, you don't want to be dependent on the expensive (and overcrowded) cafe's if your stuck for several hours.

* Allow PLENTY of time. Heathrow is big and slow. Allow at least 2 hours to Q for check in, get through passport control, Q for security and to get to your departure gate.

* Check if your flying from T4. T4 is separate to the other terminals and needs a bus ride to get there. The tube link between T1/2/3 and T4 is not working. There is a Heathrow Express train every 15 minutes but the shuttle bus is a safer and more reliable option. Allow time for the transfer, as traffic congestion can add to the time. It usually takes around 15 mins. Buses depart from the "Heathrow Central Bus Station" (the collection of bus shelters at the end of the entrance tunnels above the T1/2/3 tube station, rather than the semi covered bit next to them where some of the National Express services depart from)

* Wear flat shoes when you travel. Most departure gates are quite a walk from the terminal proper and flat shoes will be a godsend. Heathrow is a place where practicality pays off.

* Take off your top layers, coats and jackets etc. before getting to the end of the Q at security. Also when you travel try to wear slip on slip off shoes, more comfy on the palne and also they'll probabaly ask you to take them off at security, so it's less hassle all round.

GETTING THERE AND AWAY:
To and From LONDON:
Tube service runs direct into the city centre every few minutes. Journey time is just under 1 hour. Cost is £4.00 one way. NOT RECCOMENDED IS YOU TRAVEL WITH LUGGAGE. Trains run 5:15am to 11:45pm, after which night bus runs every 30min

There are no urban commuter buses to the city centre anymore. Some buses do serve nearby areas of the city however.

National Express has a twice hourly shuttle service to Victoria Coach Station in the city centre (links with tube, commuter and InterCity rail). Cost is £6. RECCOMENDED (the only sane way). Journey takes about 45mins (depends on traffic!).

Heathrow Express dedicated rail service, non-stop to Paddington station in the city centre. Every 15 minutes. £14.50 one way. Runs from approx 5am to 11:30pm. Journey takes around 15min

Heathrow Connect stopping commuter train service to Paddington. Calls at Hayes, Southall, Hanwell, W Ealing, Ealing B'way, London Paddington. Cost £6.00 to Hayes, £9.50 Paddington, single. 05:36 to 00:06 every 30 mins. Does NOT run to T4

To/From Other Cities:
National Express has bus services direct from Heathrow to most cities, most frequently to London (2 and hour dedicated plus other thru services), Brighton (hourly), Cambridge (hourly), Oxford (served by several operators), Southampton, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Penzance, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and others less frequently. Services into London depart from the bus shelters where local buses congregate, others run from the dedicated "Coach Station" section (covered part). In the new waiting hall there is also an NX ticket office and info counter.

Driving: Not recommended. However the easiest route is still to come off the A4 or M4 roads and approach from the North through the tunnels. Allow for delays, particularly during rush hour (tens of thousands of people work at this location). Another route if there is problems on the M4 is to leave the M25 at the junction south of Heathrow for Stains (Junction 13) onto the A30 then at the big junction onto the A3044 across the reservoirs (bypassing Stanwell to the East). At the junction with the Southern Perimeter Road you can turn either onto that for a shortcut to T4, or continue North to join the North Perimeter Road and join the tunnels, avoiding the M4. A lot of works traffic uses this route but not many visitors, so in the holidays it is particularly useful.

Travelling by train to Heathrow from other cities is not recommended.