Local buses at Heathrow Airport

Including FREE public buses to Heathrow Airport hotels

Local buses to Heathrow hotels were often free

Unfortunately the Covid-19 Pandemic hit airports really hard and one of the consequences of this at Heathrow was the removal of the free bus zone around the airport. This though is a temporary measure. Below is the statement from Heathrow explaining the decision:

 

Changes to subsidies for public transport

"COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on Heathrow’s finances. In November 2020 we announced that we would be suspending the Heathrow Free Travel Zone (FTZ) and end some other local transport subsidies, effective from 1 January 2021. From this date, some bus services in the Heathrow Free Travel Zone were no longer free (4, 7, 8, 442, 555). From 12 June 2021 the remaining buses will no longer be free. We are hoping these changes will be short-lived and once Heathrow’s financial health has been restored, we plan to introduce an improved programme of subsidised and sustainable travel for our colleagues, communities and passengers".

 

Previous policy in place before Covid and kept as reference for when the temporary measures end

Heathrow Airport subsidises all public buses, most of which are the famous red London buses so that any journey from the Heathrow Airport terminals to anywhere on the perimeter roads is completely free.

In many cases these public buses stop right outside the entrance of many Heathrow hotels.

Buses are free as long as you get off/on the buses on the perimeter roads of the airport and travel to and from the passenger terminals. Go beyond the perimeter roads and you pay the normal bus fare.

Many of the buses run a 24/7 schedule and all run from early morning until late evening. The official Heathrow Hoppa buses do not run 24x7 and are less frequent than most of the public bus routes.

Most of the buses are the famous London red buses like the one pictured above right. A few going south and west from the airport are run by different operators but still offer the free journeys around the airport perimeter. A mixture of double deck and single deck buses are run. Nearly all routes have several buses an hour, the major routes run about every 10 minutes during the day.

 

So what is the curious policy? Whilst the free buses are provided, the official Heathrow Hoppa Bus charges a full price to transport you to each Heathrow hotel.

 

Where to board the bus at Heathrow

For Terminals 2 and 3 all the buses depart from the Central Bus Station. With luggage it will take about 10 minutes to complete the journey on foot. Much of the journey uses moving walkways and the entire journey is inside.

 

Heathrow Central Bus Station is above the Underground station and the way is well signposted with ramps in each terminal and lifts up to the bus station. There are no steps involved.

At terminals 4 and 5 the buses are right outside the front doors of the arrivals hall and again are well signed.

Hotels with free local buses
Hotels with free local buses to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3	Bus Routes
Leonardo Hotel	7, 105, U3
Park Inn, Renaissance, Radisson, Marriott (Heathrow), Sheraton Skyline, Holiday Inn (Ariel),Ibis, Ibis Styles,	105, 111, 140
Sheraton, Thistle (100m walk), Premier Inn T5	7
Hyatt Place, Holiday Inn Bath Road	7,U3
Hilton Garden Inn (get off at Hatton X Underground)	285,555
Hotels with free local buses to Heathrow Terminal 4	Bus Routes
Hilton Garden Inn (from Hatton Cross Underground Station)	482,490, 555
Park Inn, Renaissance, Radisson, Marriott Heathrow, Sheraton Skyline, Ibis Styles	555
Hotels with free local buses to Heathrow Terminal 5	Bus Routes
Park Inn, Renaissance, Radisson, Marriott Heathrow, Sheraton Skyline, Leonardo , Ibis Styles, Hyatt Place, Holiday Inn Bath Road, Thistle, Sheraton	423
Hilton Garden Inn (accessed from Hatton Cross Underground Station), Hilton T4, Premier Inn T4, Crowne Plaza T4, Holiday Inn Express T4 (accessed from Terminal 4)	482, 490

Location Of Bus Stops Along The Bath Road (the main hotel strip)

More details of staying along Bath Road (eastern section)

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More details of staying along Bath Road (western section)

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Indicative Heathrow hotel room rates - average guide prices only
Hotel & link to detail page	Midweek	Weekend
Hotels walkable to terminals
Premier Inn Terminal 4 ~+#	£39	£39
Holiday Inn Express Terminal 4 +#	£58	£58
Crown Plaza Terminal 4 +#	£94	£76
Hilton Terminal 4 +#	£149	£94
Sofitel Terminal 5 +#	£160	£104
Hilton Garden Inn Terminal 2	£124	£115
Aerotel T3 London Heathrow ~	£164	£164
Heathrow Airport budget / 3-star hotels
Travelodge Terminal 5 +#	£28	£24
Heathrow Lodge ~+#	£36	£34
Premier Inn (Bath Road) +#	£34	£32
Premier Inn (M4/J4) +#	£32	£30
Travelodge Central +#	£30	£24
Ibis Heathrow +#	£40	£36
Premier Inn (Terminal 5) +#	£60	£60
easyHotel Heathrow +#	£29	£27
Moxy London Heathrow Airport ~	£55	£55
Mercure Hotel ~+#	£42	£42
Holiday Inn Express Terminal 5 +#	£44	£37
Ibis Styles Heathrow +#	£58	£50
Heathrow Airport 4 & 5-star full service hotels
Thistle Terminal 5 +#	£52	£47
Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow +#	£80	£59
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel ~	£53	£35
4-Star Mystery Hotel +#	£42	£42
Holiday Inn (M4) Heathrow +#	£64	£48
Holiday Inn Terminal 5	£63	£55
Leonardo Hotel +	£68	£50
Sheraton Heathrow	£85	£68
Novotel Heathrow M4 +#	£61	£66
Marriott Windsor +#	£109	£60
Hyatt Place Heathrow	£76	£59
Renaissance Heathrow	£87	£66
Crowne Plaza M4 +#	£70	£57
Sheraton Skyline +#	£117	£72
Hilton Terminal 5 +#	£140	£85
Radisson Blu Edwardian +#	£112	£85
Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow +	£68	£60
DoubleTree By Hilton +#	£73	£58
Novotel Heathrow T1, T2, T3 +#	£110	£97
Marriott Heathrow +#	£195	£96
Heathrow serviced apartments & studio apartments
Stay City Apartments +#	£81	£71
Bed & Breakfast with airport public transport links
Apple Guest House ~+	£61	£57
Skylark Guest House ~+#	£56	£50
London Plus Heathrow ~+#	£59	£59
Lampton Guest House ~+#	£75	£75
Langley Guest House	£55	£49
Firs Lodge ~+#	£59	£59
Cottage Guest House ~+#	£80	£80
Airport Guest House ~	£54	£54
Oakwood Bed & Breakfast ~+#	£41	£40
~ Single Rooms     + Triple Rooms      # Quad Rooms

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