Heathrow Airport — The Complete Arrival & Transfer Guide

Terminals, Immigration & Tax Refund

The terminals: T2 (Star Alliance — Air China, Singapore, EVA), T3 (Cathay, some oneworld), T4 (SkyTeam — China Eastern, China Southern, Korean), T5 (British Airways only). Know yours before you land — inter-terminal transfers take 20-45 minutes. Immigration: e-gates now accept Chinese, HK, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysian biometric passports (10+, no landing card) — a fast lane most don't realise they qualify for; otherwise the staffed desks. Baggage then customs (green channel if nothing to declare). Note: the UK scrapped in-store VAT refunds for tourists in 2021 — that famous Bicester/Harrods tax-back is gone for visitors, a common outdated expectation.

Four Ways Into London & the Pick-Up Case

The options: Heathrow Express (15-20 min to Paddington, £25, fastest but Paddington may not be near your hotel); the Elizabeth Line (45 min, £13, cross-London to the City/Canary Wharf, superb value); the Piccadilly Line Tube (50-60 min, cheapest ~£5.60, but stairs and crowds with luggage); black cabs (£70-100, an hour in traffic); and a private transfer (name-board pick-up, from £75/vehicle, door-to-door with luggage handled). The honest verdict: solo light traveller → Elizabeth Line; families, elderly, big luggage, late arrivals, or straight-to-Highlands → the private car earns every pound after a long-haul flight. Heathrow pick-up flows straight into a London day tour or Day 1 of the Grand Tour. 微信、WhatsApp預約，微信收款。