Would you pay £12 for 15 minutes? (Heathrow Express)

Member Name: Waikie

Product:	Heathrow Express
Date:	03/07/00 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast, with easy check-in

Disadvantages: Very expensive for what it is

An economy class airfare to New York can cost you as little as £183. That's approximately 5p a mile, or 41p a minute (one way).

A standard class rail ticket on the Heathrow Express from Paddington to Heathrow costs £12. That's approximately £1 a mile, or 80p a minute.

Hmm, which one's the better value for money then?

Okay, so the Heathrow Express only takes 15 minutes. That's a lot faster than the alternatives, both coach/bus and tube take approximately 1 hour from central London. However, these are cheaper, with the tube costing less than £4, and the Airbus costing £7.

Apart from the speed of the Heathrow Express, there is of course another advantage over tube or bus. You can now check-in at Paddington Station, thus meaning you don't have to be at the airport as early, and also meaning that you don't have to lug your own luggage to the airport, it's all done for you.

So, in conclusion. If speed and the ability to check-in in central London are important to you, and money is no object, then travel by the Heathrow Express. If however, you don't feel you can justify the price, then don't. Although the trains looked nice when they were first introduced, the interiors have quickly started to look shabby, with the material on the seats starting to sag, and the aluminium luggage racks getting very dented.

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