Heathrow is the largest airport in Europe. Every day more than 1,300 flights are performed here, which are carried out by 90 airlines, serving a total of 190 destinations. The airport grew at the site of the military airfield, which was used during the First World War by the Royal Air Force of Great Britain.
Today, Heathrow is five passenger terminals and one cargo terminal. The airport's capacity is 45 million people a year, but this figure is systematically exceeded and reaches 70 million people. Naturally, in such stressful conditions, airport services sometimes fail, which cause a negative reaction from the passengers.
How to get here
Thanks to the fact that by 1977 the London Underground extended the Piccadilly Line to the airport, by 1998 a direct rail service had opened with London's Paddington Station, it was easy and quick to get from the airport to London.
| The Queen at Heathrow |
| Heathrow Airport |
| There is something to do at Heathrow |
There are four options for transfer from the airport to central London:
- Bus Airbus. Flight A1 to the station "Victoria" or A2 to the station "Euston". The fare is ~ 10 GBP. Departure every 20 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at the airport building or directly on the bus. Travel time is about 40 minutes.
- Metro. The Piccadilly Line runs from Heathrow to the center of London. The fare to the center of London is ~ 4 GBP per trip. Trains depart every 5 minutes. Travel time is about 55 minutes.
- High-speed train to the center of London (railway station "Paddington"). Departure - every 20 minutes, cost 13 GBP. Travel time is about 20 minutes.
- Taxi. The fare is ~ 40 GBP. A taxi stand is next to the exit from the terminal. Travel time is about 40 minutes.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure of the airport is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of passengers, from lowly travelers to those who consider snobbery the norm of life. The third terminal has the world's best airport cocktail bar Gray Goose Loft. Its interiors are made up of refined novelties and unique furniture, and cocktail components are provided by the world's leading alcoholic concerns.
At the same time, in the airport terminals you can find the most undemocratic fast food and the most usual coffee machines. Shopping areas of the airport (both conventional and tax-free) have a significant expenditure in a variety of stores. Recreation areas, many of which provide wireless Internet access, offices of tourist and rental companies, representative offices of banks and airlines, numerous bars, restaurants and cafes make a short stay at the airport comfortable.
For a longer stay, you can use one of almost 50 hotels located in the immediate vicinity of the airport. For those who consider the airport not just a transport hub but also a place worthy of close interest, there is the Heathrow Airport Visitor Center, which has an extensive exposition showing the history and prospects of the airport development, and providing access to the observation platform allowing to observe the take-off and landing aircraft.
- Airport website: www.heathrowairport.com
- On-line departure board: www.heathrowairport.com/live-flight-departures
- On-line arrival screen: www.heathrowairport.com/live-flight-arrivals