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Your hours, planned
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Connections at LHR: the honest numbers
The indicative minimum international-to-international connection at London Heathrow is 75 minutes on a single booking with bags checked through. On separate tickets, add roughly 90 minutes: you'll collect bags, recheck them, and re-clear security — and no airline is obliged to help if the first leg runs late.
Transfer specifics
- T3↔T5 and T2↔T4 transfers ride buses or the Elizabeth line and can involve passport control — with the ETA requirement that entails.
- Same-terminal British Airways connections within T5 are the only genuinely quick Heathrow transfer.
Leaving LHR during a layover
UK ETA is fully enforced since 25 February 2026. Staying airside at Heathrow (or Manchester) without passing UK passport control is currently exempt — but the Home Office calls that exemption temporary and under review. EXITING the airport, separate tickets, or any transfer that crosses passport control requires an ETA (£16, apply via the UK ETA app at least 3 working days before travel). Terminal changes (e.g. T3→T5) eat 60–90 minutes on their own. The city is about 45 minutes away one-way; as a rule of thumb you want 6+ hours before exiting is worth the queues, and you should be back through security 90 minutes before boarding.
Worth your hours in London
- Elizabeth Line to Paddington in ~30 min — a Westminster/South Bank loop is doable on 8h+ with an ETA sorted
- Windsor Castle is closer than central London (~30 min by taxi) and less frantic
Staying airside instead
- Genuinely good shopping and restaurants in T2/T5
- Plaza Premium and wide Priority Pass lounge coverage
- Paid showers in arrivals lounges
Sleeping, showers and lounges at LHR
Sleep: No great free options; YOTELAIR (T4) and Aerotel (T3) sell rooms by the hour.
Showers: Arrivals lounges in T2/T5 and pay-in lounges.
Lounges: Huge Priority Pass coverage, but lounges cap walk-ins at busy hours — go early in your layover.
Overnight reality: Terminals technically stay open but get cleared and are sleep-hostile; book a pod hotel.
LHR layover FAQ
Do I need a visa or ETA to transit Heathrow?
Since 25 February 2026 the UK ETA is fully enforced. If you stay airside on a single booking and never pass UK passport control, you're currently exempt — Heathrow and Manchester are the only UK airports where that's even possible, and the Home Office describes the exemption as temporary. Separate tickets, bag collection, landside terminal changes, or exiting the airport all require an ETA (£16, apply at least 3 working days ahead). Given denied boarding is the failure mode, many travellers just get one.
How long does a terminal change at Heathrow take?
Budget 60–90 minutes for inter-terminal transfers like T3 to T5, on top of the 75-minute indicative minimum connection — and check whether your transfer routes airside or through passport control, because landside transfers require a UK ETA. A 'legal' LHR connection with a terminal change is often tighter than it looks.
Can I see London on a Heathrow layover?
With 8+ hours and an ETA sorted, yes — the Elizabeth Line reaches Paddington in ~30 minutes. With less time, Windsor Castle is closer and calmer.
Where can I sleep at Heathrow?
YOTELAIR at T4 and Aerotel at T3 by the hour. Free overnight sleep at LHR is grim — terminals get cleared and seating is deliberately uncomfortable.
Minimum connection times are indicative and vary by airline, terminal pair and season; visa notes are simplified general guidance, not immigration advice. Facts on this page were last verified on 2026-07-02. If anything has changed, tell us and we'll fix it fast.