Bus and Coach Services

BAA Heathrow has an ongoing campaign called Freeflow Heathrow, designed to encourage the use of public transport to and from the airport. The campaign is not about empty exhortations to ride the bus or Tube but about massive constant investment in the whole public transport infrastructure. From the £300 million Heathrow Express link with central London to the support for local bus companies, BAA Heathrow is showing the world's airports how millions of people can be moved in and out of an airport in safety and comfort without the need for private transport. The campaign seems to work, because more passengers travel to and from Heathrow by public transport than at any other airport in the world.

The Bus and Coach Station, situated at the heart of the Central Terminal Area, is often the busiest in the UK and handles more than nine million passengers every year. The many local bus routes help to transport the more than 50,000 staff at the airport, and some of the local routes have been upgraded to facilitate easy access to the airport by passengers staying within 20 miles or so of Heathrow.

The network of local bus routes is so comprehensive that it is impossible to give adequate coverage within this Guide. BAA Heathrow has its own Traveline, however, from which detailed information on all forms of transport to and from the airport can be obtained. Call 0990 747777 for any transport help you require.

Many passengers arriving at Heathrow want to go to central London, often knowing only the name of the hotel in which they are to stay. The obvious solution is to climb into a cab, tell the driver the name of the hotel and leave the rest to him. A very much cheaper option, however, is to call Airbus on 0181 8972688 to see if your hotel is one of the 43 principal London hotels that their services cover. For just £6.00 one way, £10.00 return, you can be taken directly to the door of your hotel and collected again at the end of your stay. Although the scheduled Airbus services are frequent, the new Airbus Direct service allows you to decide the time at which you travel. Call the Airbus freephone number 0800 247287 at least 24 hours before you wish to be collected, and one of the 21 seater coaches will be there to take you to the airport. Airbus Direct costs only £8.00 each way, which is about double the Tube fare for a twentieth of the hassle, and little more than a quarter of what the taxi fare would be.

The route map on pages 92/93 is by no means exhaustive, but intended to show just how comprehensive is the coach route coverage of the UK. The longer routes are served by comfortable, air-conditioned coaches equipped with video, reclining seats and refreshment facilities. National Express operates to some 1200 destinations around the UK, and all of their services are now non-smoking.

Whether you need local or national bus and coach information, the easiest way is to call Heathrow Traveline on 0990 747777.