As one of the world’s most important airport hubs, Heathrow can be quite complex to navigate and especially challenging to get around by foot.
Conceived as a civilian airport in the late 1940s it has grown incrementally over the following decades with all the challenges that entails. Compared to the purpose-built airports of the Gulf and many other recently developed countries it has no central concept and is essentially a collection of very different terminals built at different times over the decades.
It does of course have distinct advantages. It is closer to the heart of its nation’s capital than most other similar airports with a superb selection of transport links, from the fast and comfortable Heathrow Express (15 minutes to Londons’ Paddington Station) to the slower but equally efficient underground service for the more budget conscious. Plus assorted taxis and buses.
As one of the first privately-owned national airports, it reflects its commercial heritage with some of the best airport shopping available in the world. There’s a multitude of eating and drinking outlets – from basic grab-and-go cafes to high-end eateries with Michelin-starred names on the welcome board.
But the key to Heathrow is knowing which terminal you’re going to use. For most people it’s not a problem but transiting between terminals can be a trek and its wise to allow plenty of time if this is part of your journey.
Terminals two and three are in the airports central area and can be connected by foot, even though it can be a bit of a challenge for the less mobile.
Terminal four and five need some form of transport. It’s possible to connect via the Heathrow Express but there are also many buses, both and airside and landside and all of them are free. Just remember to allow plenty of time if you are transiting between terminal as part of your journey.
