Harrow

Introduction

Harrow is a town in Greater London, England, and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Harrow. It sits in the north-west of the capital, roughly nine and a half miles from Charing Cross and a little over five miles south of Watford. The eastern edge of the town, near Northwick Park Hospital, crosses into the London Borough of Brent.

Use Harrow as a base for exploring this corner of outer London, with the wider borough stretching out around the town centre and the neighbouring borough of Brent close at hand to the east.

Getting around

Harrow sits within London's integrated transport network, so the same tickets and habits you use elsewhere in the capital apply here. The Underground is the backbone of longer journeys, with Harrow-on-the-Hill station serving both rail and Metropolitan line services; the line links the area toward Chesham and Watford to the north-west, and toward Uxbridge to the west and Aldgate to the east, giving you a direct route into central London. If you are staying near the town centre, this is the station you will most likely use. Note that Harrow has no trams, so plan around the Underground, National Rail and buses.

Harrow Bus Station on College Road, near the St Anns Shopping Centre, is the main bus hub and only a short walk from Harrow-on-the-Hill station, making bus-to-train changes straightforward. Routes from here link Harrow to Central and West London, and local "H" prefix routes plus night services cover the surrounding area. Two Superloop limited-stop routes serve the station: SL9 to Heathrow Airport Central and SL10 to North Finchley. Pay for buses with a contactless card, phone or Oyster card, as cash is not accepted. Black cabs and booked private-hire cars are useful for short trips, late nights or heavy luggage. The centre itself is compact enough to explore on foot, with the bus station, St Anns Shopping Centre and the station all within a short walk of one another; beyond the centre, distances grow and buses or the Underground become more practical. If you arrive by air, Heathrow is the most directly connected airport, reachable on the single-bus SL9 or via the Underground with a change through central London.

Three days in Harrow

Day one: Start in Harrow itself, using the Underground or National Rail to reach the borough, and orient yourself around Harrow Bus Station and College Road, where St Anns Shopping Centre sits. From there you can head into Greater London by Tube, with the Metropolitan line linking Harrow to stations such as Charing Cross, Aldgate, Uxbridge and Chesham. Pay with Oyster or a contactless card, and note that Superloop routes connect the area with destinations including Northwick Park Hospital, Brent, Watford, North Finchley and Heathrow Airport Central.

• Harrow Bus Station and College Road for the town centre
• St Anns Shopping Centre
• Metropolitan line services toward central London

Day two: Use Harrow as your base for a day in Central London, taking the Underground in and out. The Metropolitan line gives you direct access to the centre, and Oyster or contactless payment keeps fares simple. Return to Harrow in the evening for a quieter pace in the borough.

Day three: Stay closer to Harrow and West London, using the bus network from Harrow Bus Station and the Superloop routes. You can reach Northwick Park Hospital, Brent and Watford, or head toward Heathrow Airport Central if you are connecting onward. Note that National Rail and Underground services both serve the area, so check your route before setting out.