Use Heathrow’s Flight Connections route for your flight pair. The terminal-connected hotels listed here are landside: an international transit passenger must be able to enter the UK to use them.
Your airport, at a glance
Location and access come first. These are researched options, not an exhaustive directory. Use the linked operator for current availability and prices.
| Place & location | Access | Before you book |
|---|---|---|
| Aerotel Terminal 3 · Arrivals | Landside | Inside the arrivals building. Not an international transit hotel. |
| Hilton Terminal 4 · covered walkway | Landside | Allow for the walk and the next departure’s check-in/security requirements. |
| Sofitel Terminal 5 · covered walkway | Landside | Directly linked to T5; check the transfer if departing another terminal. |
| Club Aspire / No1 Lounge Terminal 3 · Departures | Airside | Check your specific lounge’s opening hours, admission and maximum stay. |
Your connection, step by step
- 1Arrival terminal
- 2Purple Flight Connections signs
- 3Transfer bus / required checks
- 4Departure terminal & gate
Schematic process, not a terminal map. Your airline’s itinerary-specific instructions take priority.
Official access & transfer instructionsChoose Flight Connections or Arrivals deliberately
The two routes serve different journeys. Following the crowd to baggage reclaim can be the wrong choice for a protected through-connection; staying in transit can be wrong for a self-transfer.
One connecting booking
Enter the arriving and departing flights in Heathrow’s connection guide. Follow the purple signs for Flight Connections, including the transfer bus if directed. Use the route for your exact terminals rather than a general airport-to-airport map.
Flights booked separately
Heathrow’s FAQ instructs separate-ticket passengers to collect baggage and check in again. Include the necessary entry procedures, terminal transfer, bag-drop cutoff and security; an onward online boarding pass does not remove a checked-bag requirement.
The inbound flight is delayed
Speak to the airline or connection staff before heading to a lounge or hotel. On a protected itinerary, follow their rebooking instructions. For separate tickets, contact the onward carrier promptly and check your own booking’s change terms.
Do not use a landside train-transfer estimate as the duration of an airside connection. They are different routes with different procedures.
Terminals & airport transfers
Choose the route for your itinerary. Public road directions do not describe restricted airport corridors.
Changing Heathrow terminals
Flight Connections route or public terminal transportConnecting passengers should follow the purple Flight Connections signs and their flight-specific instructions. The public terminal-transfer tool is for landside journeys, including self-connections. Free inter-terminal options exist, but the route depends on the terminal pair. Do not leave transit just because a public train appears on a map.
Heathrow ↔ Gatwick
Direct coach or road transferHeathrow lists direct coach services to Gatwick. Check the current operator timetable and the terminal pickup before booking. Add baggage reclaim, immigration, coach waiting, traffic and the next airline’s check-in deadline. This is not Heathrow’s free inter-terminal transport.
Know before you settle in
Storage has a collection deadline
Excess Baggage operates left-luggage desks in Arrivals at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5. The operator’s individual terminal listings show 05:00–23:00 daily; confirm your chosen desk’s hours before deposit. These are public-side desks, so allow time for immigration and collect your bag before returning through security. Do not plan an overnight collection from a closed desk.
Official information ↗Checked 2026-10-20Arrange help for the whole connection
Heathrow asks travellers to request assistance through their airline, travel agent or tour operator at least 48 hours before flying. Describe both flights and any terminal change, rather than booking help for departure alone. If your itinerary changes, contact the airline again so the assistance request matches the new journey.
Official information ↗Checked 2026-10-20Personal checklist & offline guide
Your personal checklist
Choose what applies to your trip. Progress stays on this device for LHR. Checking an item is your own reminder, not an access approval.
A standalone HTML file with your checklist, transfer instructions, facility locations and source notes. It needs no app or login to read offline. Save it before travelling. It contains a snapshot of your ticks; download again after updates.
Your LHR connection route
Heathrow’s connection tool gives instructions for the actual arriving and departing flights. Follow the purple Flight Connections signs rather than the public Arrivals route when your itinerary qualifies for an airside transfer. Separate-ticket travel can require baggage reclaim and a new check-in.
Calculate time you can actually use
Subtract arrival procedures, all transfers, security and the airline’s boarding deadline from the gap between flights. Use our planner to make those assumptions explicit. It estimates a time budget; it does not validate the airline’s minimum connection time.
Can you explore London?
A London visit requires UK entry permission and a full return allowance. Do not confuse the train ride with total door-to-gate time. Check the service operating on your travel date.
Separate tickets: resolve the baggage question
A hotel “at Heathrow” is not necessarily inside your departure terminal, and a terminal-connected hotel is not necessarily airside. Ask both airlines whether baggage is checked through. If it is not, include reclaim, entry, bag drop and security. Confirm the second airline’s check-in cutoff before making any optional plans.
A few useful answers
What is the most common booking mistake at LHR?
A hotel “at Heathrow” is not necessarily inside your departure terminal, and a terminal-connected hotel is not necessarily airside.
Can I use facilities in another terminal?
Heathrow’s connection tool gives instructions for the actual arriving and departing flights. Follow the purple Flight Connections signs rather than the public Arrivals route when your itinerary qualifies for an airside transfer. Separate-ticket travel can require baggage reclaim and a new check-in.
Are opening hours and prices guaranteed?
No. Use the airport or operator’s current information for your travel date. Prices, availability and access rules may change.
Can I leave the airport during my connection?
A London visit requires UK entry permission and a full return allowance. Do not confuse the train ride with total door-to-gate time. Check the service operating on your travel date.
Check the original source
Locations and access details reviewed on 19 October 2026. This is editorial research, not a claim of an airport visit. Prices, queues, gate changes and availability are not live.
Individual facilities link to their own airport or operator listing in the table above.
Use the airport’s current information to confirm details for your journey. These guides do not provide live prices, queues or gate updates.
Heathrow Airport — official website