Earl’s Court tube station is served by two Underground lines rather than one, and that is the whole reason the area works as a base for a visitor. The South Kensington museums are three minutes away, Heathrow is a direct run with no changes, and most of central London is reachable without ever leaving your seat. This guide gives you the journey times, the lines, and how to pay, all from Earl’s Court specifically rather than from London in general. We write it from the front desk of our hotel in the heart of Earl’s Court, two minutes from the station, where these are the questions guests ask most.
Key takeaways
- Two lines, District and Piccadilly, which is unusual outside the very centre and is what makes the area so well connected.
- Heathrow is 36 minutes with no changes on the Piccadilly line, a real advantage when you are carrying luggage.
- The museums are three minutes away: South Kensington is two stops east.
- Eighteen of the nineteen destinations in the table below are direct, no changes.
- Earl’s Court is in Zone 1 and Zone 2, so you are charged the cheaper of the two on most journeys.
- Just tap a contactless card or phone. Fares cap automatically each day and week, so you cannot overpay.
Which Tube lines run through Earl’s Court?
The District line runs east through Victoria, Westminster and the Tower of London, and west and south towards Hammersmith, Richmond, Ealing and Wimbledon. The Piccadilly line runs east through Knightsbridge, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and King’s Cross, and west all the way to Heathrow.
Between them they cover the museums, the West End, the main rail terminals and the airport, which is why the platform indicator at Earl’s Court is worth a moment’s attention: trains from the same platform go to different places, and the destination is always displayed on the front of the train and on the indicator board.
Which way do the trains go?
Earl’s Court sits on two lines, and trains from the same platform go to different places. Check the front of the train and the indicator board before you board.
Line routings as published by Transport for London, checked September 2026.
Journey times from Earl’s Court
Every time below is from Transport for London’s own journey planner, measured from Earl’s Court tube station at a weekday mid-morning departure. Real journeys vary by a few minutes with service frequency and how long the walk between platforms takes.
How far is everything from Earl’s Court?
Journey times from Earl’s Court station, weekday mid-morning, taken from Transport for London’s own journey planner. Sorted fastest first.
Source: Transport for London journey planner, checked September 2026. Real journeys vary by a few minutes with service frequency and how long the walk between platforms takes. The same times are listed as a table below.
| Destination | Line | Time | What is there |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Kensington | Piccadilly or District | 3 min | Natural History Museum, V&A, Science Museum |
| Notting Hill Gate | District | 4 min | Portobello Road market, Notting Hill |
| Hammersmith | Piccadilly | 5 min | Riverside pubs, Eventim Apollo |
| Knightsbridge | Piccadilly | 6 min | Harrods, Hyde Park |
| Victoria | District | 8 min | Trains to Gatwick and Brighton, coach station |
| Paddington | District or Circle | 8 min | Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line, trains west |
| Green Park | Piccadilly | 10 min | Buckingham Palace, Mayfair |
| Westminster | District | 11 min | Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey |
| Piccadilly Circus | Piccadilly | 11 min | Regent Street, Soho, the theatres |
| Leicester Square | Piccadilly | 13 min | Chinatown, cinemas, the West End |
| Covent Garden | Piccadilly | 14 min | The Piazza, Royal Opera House |
| Oxford Circus | District then Victoria, one change | 14 min | Oxford Street, Regent Street shopping |
| Holborn | Piccadilly | 16 min | Sir John Soane’s Museum, Lincoln’s Inn Fields |
| Wimbledon | District | 18 min | The All England Club, Wimbledon Common |
| Russell Square | Piccadilly | 18 min | The British Museum, Bloomsbury |
| King’s Cross St Pancras | Piccadilly | 20 min | Eurostar, trains north, Coal Drops Yard |
| Monument | District | 20 min | The City, Borough Market across the bridge |
| Tower Hill | District | 22 min | Tower of London, Tower Bridge |
| Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 | Piccadilly | 36 min | The airport, with no changes |
Source: Transport for London journey planner, checked August 2026. Terminals 4 and 5 sit a few minutes further along the same line.
Can you get to Heathrow from Earl’s Court without changing trains?
This is the single best argument for staying in Earl’s Court. The Piccadilly line runs from the station straight into all four Heathrow terminals in around 36 minutes, with no changes, no escalator scramble and no lifting a suitcase between platforms. Trains run every few minutes for most of the day.
The alternative is the Heathrow Express, which is faster but starts from Paddington: eight minutes on the District line, then a change, then fifteen minutes on the train, at several times the price. For most guests the Piccadilly line wins on cost and on simplicity, and the time difference once you count the change is smaller than it looks.
Contactless works the whole way. Tap in at Earl’s Court, tap out at the terminal.
Earl’s Court to Gatwick, Stansted and Luton
For Gatwick, take the District line east to Victoria, eight minutes, then the Gatwick Express, about thirty minutes, or a slightly slower and cheaper Southern service from the same station. For Stansted, the Piccadilly line to King’s Cross St Pancras and a short walk to Liverpool Street, or the District line east, then the Stansted Express. For Luton, the Piccadilly line to King’s Cross St Pancras and a Thameslink train to Luton Airport Parkway.
Gatwick, Stansted and Luton journeys are national rail rather than Underground, so you will usually buy a train ticket for that leg rather than relying on the daily cap.
The museums, on foot and by tube
South Kensington is two stops on either line and puts you at the door of the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert and the Science Museum, all free to enter. If the weather is reasonable it is also a walk of about twenty minutes from Earl’s Court, straight up past the garden squares, and the walk is more pleasant than the tunnel at the far end.
Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are a similar walk north, or four minutes to Notting Hill Gate and in from there. Our guide to the free museums near Kensington and Earl’s Court covers which ones are worth a full morning and which you can see in an hour.
Do you need an Oyster card at Earl’s Court, or is contactless enough?
Just tap your own contactless bank card, phone or watch on the yellow reader. There is nothing to buy, nothing to top up and nothing to return at the end of the trip, and the fare is identical to Oyster. Use the same card or device for every journey so the capping works.
Fares are capped automatically, daily and weekly. Once you have spent the cap for the zones you have travelled in, the rest of that day costs nothing. This is why there is no visitor travelcard worth buying for most stays: the cap does the same job without you having to predict your own journeys.
Earl’s Court sits in Zone 1 and Zone 2 at once, a quirk that works in your favour. On journeys west and south you are charged as if you started in Zone 2, which is cheaper.
Tap in and tap out on the Underground, or you will be charged the maximum fare. On buses and trams, tap in only. Oyster still works and is worth having if you are travelling with children who need a Young Visitor discount, or if you would rather not put a bank card near a reader.
Is Earl’s Court station step-free, and can you manage with luggage?
Earl’s Court is a step-free station, which is unusual for a Victorian station in this part of London. There is lift access between street and platform level from the Earls Court Road entrance, so arriving from Heathrow with cases does not mean carrying them up a staircase.
The station has two entrances, one on Earls Court Road and one on Warwick Road, and they are a few minutes apart at street level. If you are meeting someone, say which one. There is no lift in our own building, so if stairs are a concern it is worth reading the floor column on our rooms page before you book.
What Earl’s Court tube station is actually like
It is a Grade II listed building, opened in 1871, and it looks it: a long, high-roofed hall with the original ironwork still overhead. Outside the Earls Court Road entrance stands a blue police box, one of the last in London and the reason a certain number of visitors arrive with a camera and no interest in trains at all.
The station is busy but not oppressive, and it is rarely the crush you get at Oxford Circus or King’s Cross. There are ticket machines, gates, toilets and cash machines inside, and the exits put you within a few minutes of the shops, restaurants and cafes along Earls Court Road.
Getting around day to day
Buses are the cheapest way to travel and the best way to see the city above ground, with a Hopper fare that gives you unlimited buses within an hour for the price of one. Walking is underrated: London’s centre is smaller than the tube map suggests, and Earl’s Court to South Kensington or Kensington High Street is comfortable on foot. Cycle hire docks sit close to the station.
For a fuller picture of the network, fares and the airports in general, see our guide for first-time visitors to London.
Staying by Earl’s Court tube station
We are a two-minute walk from the Earls Court Road entrance, which in practice means you can leave your bags and be at the Natural History Museum inside fifteen minutes of arriving. Our page on the walk from the station has the door-to-door directions, and our location guide covers what else is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Which lines run through Earl’s Court tube station?
The District line and the Piccadilly line. The District runs east towards Victoria, Westminster and Tower Hill and west and south towards Hammersmith, Richmond, Ealing and Wimbledon. The Piccadilly runs east towards Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Circus and King’s Cross and west to Heathrow.
How long does it take to get from Earl’s Court to Heathrow?
About 36 minutes on the Piccadilly line to Terminals 2 and 3, with no changes. Terminals 4 and 5 are a few minutes further on the same line. Contactless works the whole way.
Is Earl’s Court in Zone 1 or Zone 2?
Both. It is one of a small number of dual-zone stations, and you are charged the cheaper option on most journeys, which makes it better value than a Zone 1 base.
Is Earl’s Court tube station step-free?
Yes. There is lift access between street and platform level from the Earls Court Road entrance, which is worth knowing if you are arriving from Heathrow with luggage.
How far is Earl’s Court from the Natural History Museum?
Three minutes by tube to South Kensington on either line, or about twenty minutes on foot. The V&A and the Science Museum are on the same corner and all three are free.
Do I need an Oyster card, or is contactless enough?
Contactless is enough for almost everyone. Fares and caps are identical, and there is nothing to buy or return. Oyster is useful for children who need a Young Visitor discount.
Do I have to tap out on the Underground?
Yes, on the Underground and on national rail. If you do not tap out you are charged the maximum fare. On buses and trams you tap in only.
Is Earl’s Court a good area to stay in London?
For a visitor who wants to be able to reach things quickly without paying Zone 1 prices, it is one of the best in the city: two lines, a direct airport run, the museums three minutes away, and a residential neighbourhood rather than a tourist strip.
Is Earl’s Court better than staying in central London for getting around?
Earl’s Court station sits on the Zone 1 and 2 boundary with two lines. Transport for London’s journey planner gives 11 minutes to Westminster, 14 to Oxford Circus, three to South Kensington for the museums, and Heathrow direct in about 36 minutes without changing, as the table above shows. The trade-off is that the West End is a short Tube ride rather than a walk.
Staying near Earl’s Court tube station? London Court Hotel is a two-minute walk from the station exit, with en-suite rooms, air conditioning and free WiFi. See our rooms and check availability.
