Londoners: What's the best public transport option from Heathrow to Kings Cross?

[Andy in Germany]

I'm currently planning my journey to York in October: I've managed to find a flight from Stuttgart to Heathrow and another from Edinburgh to Stuttgart a week later, which seems to avoid all rail replacement bus services in the month.

So the big question is how do I get from Heathrow to Kings Cross?

You'd think this is easy, looking at a map. But the online journey planners don't think so. They all tell me to catch the Heathrow Express to Paddington, then "use public transport" to go from Paddington to Kings Cross which "should take about 40 minutes"

This seems on a par with "Magic happens"...

Transport for London advises that this section can be achieved by the following:

Except that the London Underground map shows a direct underground connection from Heathrow to Kings Cross, which, given the above "Magic Happens" and multiple changes with all their possibilities for getting lost, it would seem more sensible to go directly. Am I missing something?

 

[PeteXXX]

Doesn't the Piccadilly line go straight from one to t'other? 🤔

 

[presta]

Google is telling me Piccadilly tube goes direct from LHR to KGX in 64 minutes, or Elizabeth line from LHR to Farringdon, then Thameslink to St Pancras in 57 minutes, on Wed 1.10.25 at ~14:00.
(NB: I haven't done the journey.)

 

[Andy in Germany]

Doesn't the Piccadilly line go straight from one to t'other? 🤔
View attachment 787177

That's what I thought, but the system seems to want to send me the other way. I suspect it's "faster" if you don't get lost in the bowels of London while transferring, but I'm inclined to go for slow and relatively simple this time around.

And I thought cities were supposed to have better public transport...

 

[Pblakeney]

I had the same dilemma while I was at Heathrow stranded due to a cancelled flight.
My summary, the Express is quicker but more expensive and requires changing. I was in no rush so used the Piccadilly.

 

[alpine fenlander]

Just to make this more complicated: Could you fly from Memmingen (aka Munich West)? Gets you to Stansted or Manchester and you could then avoid London.
The downside: it's Ryanair....

 

[JohnHughes307]

The Piccadilly line direct is simple, it just takes a while as there are a lot of stops. You can shave minutes of your precious time by paying many more of your precious pounds to use the Heathrow express etc. That requires changes and faff however. If you have a book with you, I'd choose the Piccadilly line every time.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

As above, Piccadilly Line. It is only 10mins slower and is 7 or 8 quid cheaper than the Elizabeth Line and other express tickets.

 

[PeteXXX]

About £5:80 and just over an hour on the Piccadilly line..

 

[Beebo]

Other option is Elizabeth line. Change at Paddington.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Just to make this more complicated: Could you fly from Memmingen (aka Munich West)? Gets you to Stansted or Manchester and you could then avoid London.
The downside: it's Ryanair....

I live near to Stuttgart airport, and there's three flights a day to LHR so I'm trying to see how easy it is to fly through LHR instead of Manchester. Memmingen is a long way away, with a long (if pretty) train journey through the mountains of the Swabian Jura.

Also:

The downside: it's Ryanair....

 

[PeteXXX]

20 miles on a Boris Bike... 2 hours and loads of sights to see 😂

 

[Dogtrousers]

Lots of options.

Personally I'd get the Elizabeth line and change at Farringdon provided that it's running straight through lots of engineering closures at weekends, all advertised in advance.

That would be the nicest. And maybe not far off quickest. But you do have to change at Farringdon which can be super busy. Kings X is just 1 stop on a Thameslink train from Farringdon.

The Piccadilly is a bit crap, and takes ages as there are a million stops. And it's a bit cramped if you have luggage. But you don't have to change anywhere. This is the main bonus Result is the least stress if lugging bags and worrying about changing/ finding the right platform. This is what I'd recommend (but not what I'd do)

Heathrow express will whizz you into Paddington for a premium price. Heathrow Connect will trundle you slowly into Paddington more cheaply. From there you get the Hammersmith and City tube. The H&C is at the far end of Paddington and a bit of a schlep when changing. I don't really recommend this but it will work. Don't get the Circle from Paddington to KGX, you'll end up having to change (again) at Edgware road, and the Circle line is pants anyway.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Thanks for the thoughts. Looks like it's a Piccadilly Line then.

I'm working on a Britrail pass now, so I'm flexible if/when the plane is late. Because life can't be simple, the seller is trying to force me to use a cell-phone ticket.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Lots of options.

Personally I'd get the Elizabeth line and change at Farringdon provided that it's running straight through lots of engineering closures at weekends, all advertised in advance.

That would be the nicest. And maybe not far off quickest. But you do have to change at Farringdon which can be super busy.

The Piccadilly is a bit crap, and takes ages as there are a million stops. And it's a bit cramped if you have luggage. But you don't have to change anywhere. This is the main bonus Result is the least stress if lugging bags and worrying about changing/ finding the right platform. This is what I'd recommend (but not what I'd do)

Heathrow express will whizz you into Paddington for a premium price. Heathrow Connect will trundle you slowly into Paddington more cheaply. From there you get the Hammersmith and City tube. The H&C is at the far end of Paddington and a bit of a schlep when changing. I don't really recommend thus but it will work. Don't get the Circle from Paddington to KGX, you'll end up having to change (again) at Edgware road, and the Circle line is pants anyway.

Sounds like a more expensive way to add complication to the journey and save perhaps a few minutes.