Why it could cost £17.50 to drop a loved one at Heathrow this summer

Giving somebody a lift to Heathrow Airport could become an expensive favour once it is part of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez).

The Ulez was introduced in 2019 to improve air quality in the city. Drivers whose vehicles don’t meet the low emissions standards will need to pay a daily fee of £12.50 to drive within the zone or risk being fined. 

The zone currently covers all areas within the North and South Circular Roads - and on 29 August this will extend to include all London boroughs, including Richmond upon Thames where Heathrow Airport is.

This means if you’re running somebody to the airport in a vehicle that isn't compliant, you could be charged £12.50 on top of Heathrow’s £5 drop-and-go charge - a total of £17.50.

Is your car compliant for the Ultra Low Emission Zone?

Generally speaking, petrol cars first registered with the DVLA after 2005 and diesel cars registered after September 2015 meet the standards and will not incur a fee to drive in the Ulez. According to the DVLA's August 2022 census, nearly 8.7m cars on the roads were registered before those dates - that’s around 21% of registered vehicles in that quarter. Therefore, a charge of £12.50 per day may apply. You can use the vehicle checker on Transport for London’s website to find out if you need to pay.

Transport for London believes the impact of the expansion will be minimal. It told us that currently only a quarter of passengers arrive at Heathrow by car and believes it’s ‘unlikely’ that drivers liable to pay would change airports as a result.

Which airports are in the Ultra Low Emission Zone?

Heathrow will be the only new London airport affected by the Ulez expansion in August. London City Airport is already within the Ulez boundaries and Gatwick and Luton will remain outside the zone.

How to avoid paying Heathrow’s drop-off fee

If you’re dropping somebody at Heathrow by car, you could save £5 by dropping them at the long-stay car park which is free for 30 minutes. From there, passengers can use the free shuttle bus to the terminals.

Read our other tips on how to save money at the airport.

Public transport to Heathrow

There are a number of train and bus routes you can take to Heathrow to avoid the online payments for driving there.

By train

If you’re using the London Underground, both the Piccadilly and Elizabeth lines serve the airport.

From King’s Cross: take the Piccadilly line all the way to Heathrow.

From Euston: take the Northern Line to Tottenham Court Road and pick up the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow.

Alternatively, the Heathrow Express train service operates from London Paddington. When we compared public transport routes to popular airports, this was the fastest way to reach Heathrow from the city, costing roughly £25 for a 21-minute journey.

By bus

There are several bus services from central and outer London to Heathrow. Find out if there’s a bus stop near you here.

If you’re travelling from outside of London, coach companies such as National Express and Megabus offer cheap services to Heathrow from around the UK.

If you’re stopping at an airport hotel the night before your flight, there’s usually a regular free shuttle service to the terminals.

Check prices of airport hotels on Booking.com.