Heathrow Connect

I was all about to sing the praises of the Heathrow Connect. Until they went on strike with the Tube and made me miss my flight. Argh. Now normally for a 30 min ride with a just a few stops from Heathrow to London Paddington is a no brainer and way less than the Express (only if you’re short on time). However 0 stops really messes up your day! 35 stars

O Heathrow não é exatamente o aeroporto mais central de Londres. Se você optar pegar o metrô para chegar na cidade, pode sentar e ligar o iPod de novo e esperar outra viagem de mais ou menos 1h30 até chegar a Zona 1.
Aposto que você já está cansado e realmente não quer fazer isso e é por isso que eu sugiro o Heathrow Connect.
Este trem (quase) expresso usa a mesma linha do seu irmãozinho (caro) Heathrow Express, porém faz algumas paradas extra, o que aumentam a sua viagem em apenas quinze minutinhos.
Se você estiver indo ou voltando do aeroporto vai pegar este trem na mesma estação (Paddington para quem está em Central London).
Um detalhe SUPER importante: COMPRE SEU TICKET COM ANTECEDÊNCIA. Você até pode esquecer e comprar o ticket dentro do trem, e eu só faria isso se estivesse desesperada porque o valor dentro do trem é quase o dobro.

My wallet and I feel much better taking Heathrow Connect, than its brother Heathrow Express: it’s roughly half the price, but also half as quick — a trade-​off that I’m willing to do more often than not. (Being German, I’m way early anyway, so I can comfortable squeeze in that extra 15 minutes.)
Both Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect leave from Paddington Station. Yet while the former is very easy to find, the latter is less obviously advertised throughout the station. Let me tell you where to find it: Platform 12! Make sure you get the tickets before heading to the platform though — you can buy them from the normal National Rail ticket machines.
Life in the fast lane — not always my preferred choice!

Cheap, fast, easy. Heathrow Connect takes a lot of the stress out of traveling into and out of Heathrow. I wish Chicago had something so nice — -just the subway, which takes forever, otherwise spend a ton on a cab. Unless you are in a hurry, there’s no real need to take Heathrow Express considering that 10 minutes costs you an extra 9 pounds/​nearly $ 15.

I was almost going to take the Heathrow Express when I heard about the Heathrow Connect. Yes, it’s not direct and you make a few stops along the way, but at a savings of £10.50, it’s totally a better deal compared to the Express.
The only thing was it was hard to find. I thought the Heathrow Express and the Heathrow Connect used separate lines but basically you follow all the signs leading toward the Express… except you get on the Connect instead. Plus, it took me a minute to figure out how to get the doors to open. You press a flashing green button to open the doors… it seemed simple enough but I was nervous that I was going to press an emergency alarm of some sort instead.

A bit slower than Heathrow Express, but half the cost. It takes about 35 minutes, and provides direct service to Terminal 4 (which Express doesn’t). Express and Connect leave from different platforms, despite what some of the signage says.

I have tried all kind of ways to Heathrow, the Express, the tube, buses and now the Connect and I think the Connect its definitely the best option to and from Heathrow/​Central London!
It’s cheaper than the Express, only £8 compared to £18, but a bit more than the tube, i think the tube is about £4, but its way faster! Traveling from Central London to Heathrow is about 1hour if not longer on the tube and the Connect is only 30 minutes. It’s not cramped like the tube, the seats are comfy, and you don’t get delayed like you most likely will on the tube or get kicked out like I did somewhere in the middle of zone 5 with a stupid piece of paper explaining the three buses I need to take to get to Heathrow, F that!
The trains run all 30 minutes and when you buy a tickets it’s valid all day, so if you miss a train you can always take the next one. Paddington station is nice too, and if you’re going to the buses or the shops/​hotels you won’t encounter any stairs!
I am definitely going to use the Connect from now on, because the Express is darn expensive and the tube is just annoying! When I go to the airport I don’t wanna be crushed, squeezed and feel like a sardine with my suitcase! I just wanna relax and now that I get there on time not having to stress about when and how long the tube will be delayed or leaving hours in advance, which I then have to spent at the airport in case the tube is for once on time! The tube is just too unreliable, take the Connect!

Wer am Heathrow Airport ankommt, hat fünf Verkehrmöglichkeiten die Stadt London zu erreichen:
Taxi
Heathrow express (Zug)
Heathrow connect (Zug)
Bus
U-​Bahn
Wir entschlossen uns für den Heathrow connect, die Tarife sind akzeptabel, der Zug ist bequem und man ist in 25 Minuten in Paddington (Bayswater).
Die Unterschiede zwischen Heathrow connect und Heathrow express sind die Preise, (GBP 7,90 für Hc und GBP 16,90 für He), während der Heathrow express direkt in 15 Minuten in Paddington ankommt, macht der Heathrow connect Halt in verschiedenen kleinen Bahnhöfen. Diese 10 Minuten Unterschied waren uns auf keinen Fall wichtig und von Paddington Station hat man Verbindungen in alle Richtungen. Wir erreichten unser Hotel in Bayswater zu Fuss in 10 Minuten, war unser erster kurzer aber angenehmer Spaziergang in London.

Die perfekte Alternative zum Heathrow Express. Zugegeben, ein bischen mehr Zeit braucht man, denn Heathrow Connect fährt nur alle 30 min und braucht auch 25 Min statt 15 Min von Heathrow nach Paddington. Aber als Tourist hat man doch die Zeit, oder etwa nicht:
Die Züge sind piccobello, sehr modern und sauber. Es gibt genügend Gepäckfächer und das beste ist: Es kostet die Hälfte. Ich habe für die Hin– und Rückfahrt GBP 13,80 und für Sohnemann GBP 6,90 bezahlt. Super!

The normal person’s alternative to the way overpriced Heathrow Express. If you’re going Heathrow 1,2, 3 or 4 it’s the perfect way. 10 minutes slower than the Heathrow Express train, but least 10 pounds cheaper. Bonus that it stops at Ealing Broadway, offering you better connections to the City via the Central Line. The only time it’s not good is to terminal 5, since the connection at 1,2,3 to T5 is slow and poorly timed, leaving you with a 20 – 30 minute wait to transfer on the trains.

I travelled on this a few years ago and I can’t fault it — train was on time, get there in half an hour or so and was right in the terminal building. The trains are smart, modern and extremely comfortable, you can buy a zone 1 –6 travelcard but you have to pay a bit extra for a few more stops. The journey is a mere 8 to 10 minutes longer than the express service but at a quarter of the price. It does stop several times but it also gets you there quicker than the underground– so, I don’t see why not take this route of travel instead, especially if you live nearby.

I’m really glad they added this service a couple of years ago. Heathrow Express (
) is fine, but pricey. Heathrow Connect is a nice bridge in service between the Tube and the Heathrow Express.
It’s under £6 from Ealing Broadway to Heathrow, runs every 30 min, and takes only 20 min to get to the airport. Sure, it stops at a couple of places, but it’s smooth and quiet (it’s electric), clean, spacious, modern, and new.

This like the Heathrow Express is a direct train service from Heathrow to London. Unlike the Heathrow Express though, it is not extortionately expensive. It should be noted that it is a little slower than the Heathrow Express but I don’t think there’s too much difference really. If you want to avoid a long old journey on the Picadilly Line of the London Underground out to Heathrow, this is a much better option.

A good cheaper alternative to the Heathrow Express, the trains are modern, smart and comfortable but they can get a little cramped at peak hours with local commuters. You can use Zone 1 – 6 Travelcards from Paddington as far as Hayes and Harlington but after there you must pay a supplementary fare. The big advantage of Heathrow Connect is if you’re going to Terminal 4 — it goes directly there and avoids the change of train necessary on Heathrow Express.

My preferred ‘weapon of choice’ when making my way from central london to Heathrow airport. The travel time id only about 10 mins longer than the Heathrow express but it’s half the price (even cheaper if you already have a travelcard).
TIP 1: When you get to paddington, check if there’s a Heathrow connect departing before an express
TIP 2: If you already have a valid travelcard (eg Zone 1 – 3), you’ll only need to purchase train tickets to cover the extra zones to the aiport (eg Zones 4 – 6)