London Heathrow Airport
2010 Worst Airport
REGION: EUROPE
Runner-Up
Traveller Comments....
Terminal 3, Gate 3 - by Caro
"When trying to board my plane the next morning they took me aside to search me for drugs as I must have looked completely devastated after one night at Heathrow Airport." (.Nat.)
"Probably more comfortable than half of the hotels I slept in." (Jamie Anderson)
"My god ...I would sooner eat my own face than sleep here again. I was contemplating suicide at 3:30AM" (?)
"I don't understand why the airport doesn't offer youth hostel-style accommodation in the T123 area - there would certainly be a market for it!" (Milo)
"After getting into the arrivals part of the terminal I crawled under the seats with a blanket" - sandrabillingsley
Recent Review
Terminal 3 - by Caro
by gradstudent2010
Terminal 3:
Heathrow is a very large airport. On this site, there has been some debate on which is the best place to sleep.
If you arrive before the airport opens and have not crossed security, Terminal 3 is the best opinion. In fact, even if you are in the secured section, exiting the airport (depending on your visa) is a better option.
Where to find where people sleep:
Go to Terminal 3, Check in area Zone B. On the map, look for the 1st floor (upper floor). People sleep in front of the WHS Smith, Pontis and Three Bells Stores.
If you plan on sleeping, arrive very early cause seats are taken early.
Police do not hassle and the cleaners are polite. There is a 24 hour coffee shop near by.
Killing time if you cant sleep: If you have a laptop, the network called The Cloud allows you surf myspace sites for free.
A better way to kill time: Travel into the city. You can return to the airport early in the morning using the N9 bus which runs from Piccadilly Circus 24 hours. It costs 2 pounds and not 1 pound as the websites erroneously state.
Avoid missing your flight: Get up early and make sure you are at your terminal at least 1 hour before departure. Heathrow is a maze.
Showers: All public showers are now closed (despite what the map says). An alternative is to go into a baby changing room (they have sinks) and sponge yourself. I did this and was not bothered by anyone.
The last review for this airport was in 2012. Have you been there recently? Tell us about it!
London Heathrow Airport Guide
Airport Lounges
There are several pay-per-use lounges at Heathrow airport. I haven`t included the airline lounges on this list, but they exist too.
- 4Deck Lounge - Terminal 4, airside, Gate 17 - Hours: 05:30-22:00
- Servisair Lounge - Terminal 1, airside - Hours: 0600-2200
- Servisair Lounge - Terminal 3, airside - Hours: 0630-2230
- American Admiral's Club
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge - has two lounge locations:
- Terminal 3 - Departures
- Terminal 3 - Arrivals - landside
Airport WiFi / Internet
Wireless internet access is available at London Heathrow Airport for a fee. Connect to the Boingo network.
Airport Hotels
If sleeping in the airport does not appeal to you, there are hotels at Heathrow airport in Terminals 4 and 5....
- Hilton Hotel - direct access to Terminal 4 by covered walkway.
- Yotel - located inside Terminal 4 near Arrivals on the Mezzanine Level.
- Sofitel - direct access to Terminal 5 via covered walkway.
- Arora Hotel - located 5 minutes from the airport. Free airport transfers to Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4. Public bus to Terminal 5
Airport Facilities & Services
- Food / Dining
Terminal 1 - Landside: AMT Coffee • Caffe Italia • Cafe Rouge • Costa Coffee (open 24 hours) and more
Terminal 1 - Airside: Caffe Nero • Costa Coffee •Pret A Manger •The Tin Goose and more
Terminal 3 - Landside: AMT Coffee (open 24 hours) • Bagel Street • Bite • Costa Coffee (open 24 hours) • Krispy Kreme • M&S Simply Food • Millie's Cookies • Ponti's •Pret A Manger • The Three Bells and more
Terminal 3 - Airside: AMT Coffee • Bagel Street • Caffe Italia • Eat • Starbucks • Yo Sushi and more
Terminal 4 - Landside: Caffe Nero (open 24 hours) • Cafe Rouge • Costa Coffee and more
Terminal 4 - Airside: AMT Coffee • Costa Coffee • Starbucks and more
Terminal 5 - Landside: Caffe Nero • Costa Coffee (open 24 hours) • Krispy Kreme • M&S Simply Food • The 5 Tuns and more
Terminal 5 - Airside: Apostophe • Bagel Street • Eat • Espresso • Itsu • Pret A Manger • Starbucks and more - Luggage storage / Lockers
Terminal 1 - Arrivals, next to lifts for Heathrow Express
Terminal 3 - Arrivals
Terminal 4 - Arrivals and Mezzanine levels
Terminal 5 -Arrivals near UK arrivals
Hours: 05:30-23:00 - ATM
Cash machines are located landside and airside. - Showers
Terminal 4 - Airside
If you have access to the airline lounges, you can use their shower facilities. - Family Facilities
If you are in transit and want to ditch the kids for a few hours, you can hand them over to the attendants at the Jetterz Kids Club Lounge (Terminals 3 - Airside). Hours: 08:00-19:00. Rate: £15.00 per child. A bit pricey, but sometimes its worthy getting the little rugrats out of your hair for a while. Another option is the 4Deck Lounge (Terminal 5 - Airside). - Prayer Rooms
St. George's Chapel - There is a chapel located between Terminals 1 and 3. It is underground, so you need you descend the stairs. Hours: 07:30-20:00 The prayer room is located street level. There are other prayer rooms located in the terminals, but you have to stumble upon them or ask the Information Desk where they are located. - Observation Areas
The best spots to watch the action on the runway are the following:
Terminal 1 - The Tin Goose, Caffè Nero and Costa Coffee
Terminal 4 - The AMT, Costa Coffee, the 4Deck lounge, and many of the gate seating areas.
Terminal 5 - Almost everywhere. The Gordon Ramsay Plane Food and wagamama offer particularly good vantage points. - Car Rentals
Alamo • Avis • Budget • Enterprise • Europcar • Hertz • National
Airport Hours
open 24 hours
Airport Maps
Click to download the London Heathrow Terminal Maps
Airport Transportation: Getting There
All of your land transportation needs will start or end at the central bus station (open 24 hours), located between Terminals 1 and 3. To buy tickets and get directions to places beyond the airport, go to the travel centre (hours: 06:00-22:30) at the station. Follow the link for comprehensive transportation information to/from Heathrow Airport.
For inter-airport transportation, there is frequent coach service to:
- Stansted - departs every 30-60 minutes. Journey time is 90 minutes. Fare £23
- Gatwick - there are 100 buses between Gatwick and Heathrow per day. Journey time is 75 minutes. Fare £19.50-
Airport Transportation: Getting Around
Heathrow's 4 terminals are connected by trains and buses. To move between Terminals 1 and 3, you can walk. The inter-terminal bus and train schedule.
>>>Read All London Heathrow Airport Reviews
Last Updated: 04 Jan 2011 | Sources: London Heathrow Airport
The information in this Airport Guide is based on information collected and/or received from the airport's and their web sites. When you see "information not available" and "unknown", the airport has a lousy web site and/or has been uncooperative in providing information. The information above is subject to change without notice. Use it for informational purposes only to help you during your stay. To report errors, or to add/change any items quoted in the guide, please email me.
