“Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted?
There are 5 airports in London surrounding the capital and in all of them you can find transport services that will take you to the centre. In this blog we summarise how to get around in each airport it’s clearer and easier upon your arrival.
London Heathrow (LHR)
…is the closest airport to the centre (25km) and busiest too but you will not have any difficulty in reaching central London, which you can do in a variety of ways:
- Heathrow Express, runs from the airport to the centre, or more precisely to Paddington station. For £25 (£37 return), you can board every 15 minutes and reach the station in only 15 minutes. A similar service is Heathrow Connect, it's less expensive (£10.20) but it takes a little longer (45 min) because it calls at the following stations: Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall, Hayes and Harlington.
- The underground is the cheapest way to get to the centre (£5 single during peak times, £3 off-peak), using your Oyster Card, Travel card, or your contactless debit/credit card, you can get on the Piccadilly Line which runs across London.
- Several bus companies, such as the National Express, run shuttles between the airport and Victoria Coach Station. The journey will last between 1 and 2 hours, sometimes a little more depending on the time of departure, and will cost between £8 and £12.
London Gatwick (LGW)
…is London’s second largest airport and is located a little further to the south, at approx. 40km but it’s still very easy to get to:
- The Gatwick Express offers the fastest way to central London, with trains every 15 minutes and an average of 30 minutes each way, you’ll find it hard to do better than that! Of course, as one would expect, the most practical ways can’t be the least expensive, the average price for a single ticket is £18.
- The National Express company links the airport to central London with coaches leaving every 15 minutes from Victoria Coach Station. The journey is normally 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the single ticket price is £9.
- Another option is national rail services, which is also very affordable and can be more convenient depending where you staying in London as you can get on the train from different stations including St Pancras International, Farrindgdon, Blackfriars, etc. You can purchase tickets online at Trainline
for £8-£12 and the journey lasts about 1h 30 min.
London Luton Airport (LLA)
If you arrive at this airport located in the north of London, the transports services to the centre are the following:
- Bus companies such as Terravision or National Express offer you a journey with several destinations, with access to the nearby metro for around £11, the price varying depending on the destination.
- From the airport you will have access to trains to the centre. Trains leave every 10 minutes for around £15.
London Stansted (STN)
…is located to the north and a little further away than the others. This airport welcomes most low-cost airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair and is as well served as the others.
- The Stansted Express: Departures every 15 minutes to Liverpool Street station in the heart of London. The journey takes 47 minutes, for a minimum price of £16.
- Less expensive but equally good, National Express, Stansted CityLink or even Terravision are bus companies that will take you to central London with several destinations. A price around £9 for a little over an hour’s journey.
London City Airport (LCY)
…is London’s 5th airport, the London City Airport is the smallest in the city with a single runway, but it is located very close to central London and accessible by taking the Overground. Flights from France are not so frequent and can be more expensive but it has good connections with countries such as Switzerland.
In general, buses and express trains offer Wifi on board. If you buy your tickets online and you do not arrive on time for your scheduled journey, your ticket is valid all day, or even within the next few days with some companies. So don’t stress too much and buy another, find out first the options you have with your current tickets. Finally, if you have not booked your tickets in advance, you can always buy them at the airport, in agencies, or on board, it will cost you £1 or £2 more than on the internet. So that should be everything you need to get to/from the airport! Feel free to share your experience, it will certainly help other travellers.
London Stansted (STN)
is located to the north and a little further away than the others. This airport welcomes most low-cost airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair and is as well served as the others.
- The Stansted Express: Departures every 15 minutes to Liverpool Street station in the heart of London. The journey takes 47 minutes, for a minimum price of £16.
- Less expensive but equally good, National Express, Stansted CityLink or even Terravision are bus companies that will take you to central London with several destinations. A price around £9 for a little over an hour’s journey.
A 5th airport exists, the
London City Airport, the smallest in London with a single runway, located very close to central London, accessible by taking the Overground. We decided not to detail this airport because flights from France are infrequent and often expensive. Be aware that with regard to buses or express trains, you will have access to Wifi on board, and for your luggage, the limits are high so there’s no cause to worry there. If you have bought your tickets on the internet and are not on time for your scheduled journey, your ticket is valid all day, or even the week with some companies. So don’t stress too much or go and buy another. Finally, if you have not booked your tickets in advance, you can always buy them at the airport, in agencies, or on board, it will cost you £1 or £2 more than on the internet . So that should be everything you need to leave the airport and finally join us in London! Feel free to share your experience, it will certainly help other readers.
