Car Rental London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

How to get from Heathrow Airport car rental to London

It takes around an hour to drive from London Heathrow Airport to Trafalgar Square in the center of London.

1. Leave the Hertz car rental car park on Northern Perimeter Road (West), turn right on to Nelson Road and right again to Newbury Road.
2. Continue on Newbury Road to join the M4 motorway.
3. Follow the signs for M4 Central London/M25/Gatwick Airport.
4. Continue on the M4, which becomes the A4 after 7.5 miles.
5. Follow the A4 through Chiswick and Hammersmith, and it will take you all the way into Kensington and Piccadilly in the heart of London.

How to get from London Heathrow Airport to Oxford

London Heathrow Airport is just an hour’s drive from the beautiful city of Oxford.

1. Leave Heathrow car rental parking lot and head for the M4 motorway, as above.
2. Take exit 4B for the M25 signposted M40/M1/Oxford.
3. At exit 16, take the M40 west and at exit 8 join the A40.
4. Join the A420 at Headington Roundabout and follow into Oxford.

Congestion zones and toll roads in London

Note that in central London there is a congestion charge in place for driving at certain times, and the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) beyond this which costs £12.50 per day, although some cars including electric vehicles are exempt.

The official Transport for London website has more information on limits and payment options.

Key roads around London Heathrow Airport

• M25 is the motorway ring-road around the capital, connecting London Heathrow Airport with other major roads.
• M4 connects London Heathrow Airport to the west of England, running to Reading, Bath and on to Wales.
• M40 connects London to the Midlands, running close to Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Birmingham.

Best hotels around London Heathrow Airport

Sofitel London Heathrow Hotel

Terminal 5, London Heathrow Airport, TW6 2GD

Enjoy a touch of luxury when you touch down at the five-star Sofitel London Heathrow, which has direct access to Terminal 5.

Staybridge Suites London – Heathrow Bath Road

276A Bath Road, UB7 0DQ

Apartment-style accommodation just outside London Heathrow Airport, with fully equipped kitchens, free wifi and an EV charging station.

Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport T2 & T3

15 Bath Road, TW6 2AB

For a relaxed atmosphere and comfortable rooms with all the facilities you’ll need, Premier Inn provides great access to Terminal 3.

Best restaurants near London Heathrow Airport

Fortnum & Mason Bar

Terminal 5, London Heathrow Airport, Level 2, Airside, After Security, Longford, London TW6 1QG

Try a taste of London’s famous food hall before you fly home, from caviar to a classic English afternoon tea. Premium in-flight picnics are available to pre-order too.

Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food

Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport, Wellington Road, London TW6 2GA

Big-name dining is a rarity at airports, so spoil yourself with some luxury food, or sample something fresh from the raw bar. Children eat for free.

The Pheasant Inn & Restaurant Heathrow

98 West End Lane, Harlington, UB3 5LX

If you’re looking for traditional British pub food close to the airport, the Pheasant Inn just a few minutes away offers hearty, classic meals such as slow-roast lamb, steak and ale pie and beer-battered cod.

Best things to do near London Heathrow Airport

Kew Gardens

Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE

Step out of the city at the lush Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, where you can see and smell thousands of plants including a number of rare and tropical species. From the treetop walkway to the temperate house, the site is a real treat for the senses.

Windsor Castle

Windsor, SL4 1NJ

Take a tour of the Queen’s residence – the biggest inhabited castle in the world – and if you have time, lose yourself down the Long Walk into gorgeous Windsor Great Park or hop over the Thames to wander round Eton, home to the prestigious school that’s known for educating princes and Prime Ministers.

V&A, Natural History Museum and the Science Museum

Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD

Spend a day at London’s most famous museums, all a few minutes’ walk from each other in Kensington and accessible for a modest donation. See centuries of art and design at the Victoria and Albert Museum (known locally as the V&A), fearsome dinosaur skeletons at the Natural History Museum and everything from vintage medical equipment to real space rockets at the Science Museum.