The busiest airport in the UK, London Heathrow is the third-busiest worldwide. Sixty-seven million passengers use the airport each year. Ninety airlines fly from Heathrow, to 180 destinations worldwide. Terminal 5 opened earlier this year. The bright and spacious £4.3 billion building boasts 96 check-in kiosks, a state-of-the-art baggage system, the world's largest airline lounge complex, and floor-to-ceiling windows with views as far as Windsor Castle and Wembley Stadium.
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Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are within walking distance of each other, via underground walkways. Transfer between Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and Terminals 4 (journey time - 8 minutes) and 5 (journey time - 12 minutes), which are located on the south and west sides of the airport respectively, is free on the Heathrow Express train.
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Rail: Train: The frequent Heathrow Express non-stop train service to London Paddington Station takes 15-20 minutes (tel: +44 (0)845 600 1515; website: www.heathrowexpress.com). Paddington is served by mainline national rail routes to the west and south west of England, and is on the London Underground network. From London King's Cross Station, served by the A2 Airbus service (see below), passengers can connect with mainline train services to the north of England and to Scotland. For national rail travel information, contact the 24-hour National Rail enquiries line (tel: +44 (0)845 748 4950). Underground: The airport is also on the London Underground's Piccadilly Line, which can take passengers into central London.
Road: Taxi: London's licensed black cabs serve London Heathrow Airport and are available outside all the terminals. Limousine: Chauffeur-driven cars operated by Burgundy Global can be hired (tel: +44 (0)800 013 1313 or +44 (0)20 8831 2000). Bus: Numerous local buses stop at the central bus station and Terminal 4. Bus services include the A2 Airbus shuttle (website: www.airbus.co.uk) from all four terminals to London King's Cross railway station. At night, the N9 bus service travels to central London. For more information on public transport, contact Traveline (tel: +44 (0)870 608 2608). Coach: Coaches connect the airport to more than 500 destinations throughout the UK. National Express (tel: +44 (0)870 575 7747; website: www.nationalexpress.com) is the major service provider.
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Numerous car parking options are available. Each terminal has its own short-stay parking lot, operated by the airport itself, which also provides the Parking Express long stay car park. Bookings can be made via the airport website (tel: 0870 850 2825; website: www.heathrowairport.com). Long stay car parks are offered by a number of operators, including NCP (tel: 0870 606 7050; website: www.ncp.co.uk), Purple Parking (tel: 0845 450 0808; website: www.purpleparking.com), and Q-Park (tel: 0870 013 4787; website: www.q-park.com) The Airport Parking Shop (website: www.airport-parking-shop.co.uk) is a convenient way to compare prices between operators and pre-book at discounted prices. Business and valet parking is also bookable through the airport website. A free shuttle service travelling between the terminals and the long-term and business car parks is provided. Valet parking is available at all five terminals; CPS provides chauffeured parking, again bookable through the airport website. Disabled drivers can request assistance from customer service staff at the car parks. Motorbikes can park free of charge at designated areas at each terminal.
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Money and communications: There are ATMs and bureaux de change facilities throughout the airport, as well as post offices in Terminals 2 and 4. There are public telephones in the main areas of each terminal, as well as wall-mounted pay fax machines. Webpoints are available in Terminal 4.
Eating and drinking: There are numerous restaurants, bars, fast-food outlets, coffee shops, pubs and sandwich bars throughout the airport.
Shopping: There are a wide variety of shops in each terminal including music shops, bookshops, newsagents, clothing accessories shops, electrical goods shops, pharmacies, sunglasses shops, shoe shops, sweet shops and perfumeries. There are chemists in all terminals; the Terminal 1 chemist dispenses prescriptions.
Luggage: Left-luggage offices can be found in each terminal, whilst lost property can be reclaimed from the Airport Lost Property Office (tel: +44 (0)20 8745 7727).
Other facilities: These include a chapel, showers, a visitor centre (tel: +44 (0)20 8745 6655) and a health centre (tel: +44 (0)20 8745 7047).
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The Hilton Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)208 759 7755) is a short walk over a bridge from Terminal 4. Nearby hotels include the Holiday Inn London Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)20 8990 0000), Marriott London Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)20 8990 1100), Novotel London Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)1895 431 431), Radisson Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)20 8759 6311), Berkeley Park Apartments (tel: +44 (0)870 400 8922), Ramada Jarvis Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)20 8897 2121) Renaissance Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)20 8897 6363), Thistle London Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)20 8759 2400), Comfort Inn Heathrow (tel: +44 (0)20 8573 6162) and the Sheraton Skyline Hotel (tel: +44 (0)20 8759 2535). The Hotel Hoppa transfer bus service runs frequently between Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the main nearby hotels, while the Hotelink bus offers a door-to-door service to London hotels. Hotel reservations can be made at the British Hotel Reservation Centre desks in the Arrivals halls of each terminal; passengers can also use the 24-hour booking line to arrange accommodation (tel: +44 (0)208 759 8797 or +44 (0)800 783 4020).
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Information for passengers with disabilities is available from HeathrowTravel-Care either at counters or by telephone (tel: +44 (0)20 8745 7495). Detailed access information is also available on the airport’s website. There is a Minicom information line for the hard of hearing (tel: +44 (0)20 8745 7950), wheelchair-accessible telephones and text telephones, as well as induction loops. Reserved seating and disabled toilets are also available in all terminals. Wheelchairs push and provision, and help with baggage from Departures to check-in, are available free of charge and can be pre-booked through Skycaps (tel: +44 (0)20 8745 6011 or 5727). Assistance is also available by using the telephones at the various help points situated throughout the airport.
Passengers requiring wheelchairs and special assistance should also contact the individual airlines prior to travel. The Help Bus (tel: +44 (0)20 8745 6261) is a free wheelchair-accessible bus service that operated between all terminals and the central bus station. Disabled parking is also available. The Heathrow Express, black taxis and many bus and coach routes provide facilities for wheelchairs.
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Wall-mounted credit-card-paid fax machines are available throughout the airport. Wireless internet access is available in the Departures lounges of all terminals. The Business Centre, in the Queen’s Building (tel: +44 (0)20 8759 2434) offers 20 meeting rooms, a conference suite seating up to 60 delegates, meeting refreshments and business support facilities including workstations, online computers, faxes, photocopiers, videoconferencing and audiovisual equipment. Showers are also available. There are several airline, business and executive lounges in all terminals.
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