London
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London (all airports IATA code: LON) is served by a total of six airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Stansted, Luton, Southend). Travelling between the city and the airports is made relatively easy by the large number of public transport links that have been put in place over recent years. However, if transiting through London, be sure to check the arrival and departure airports carefully as transfers across the city may be quite time consuming. In addition to London’s five official airports (of which only two are located within Greater London), there are a number of other regional UK airports conveniently accessible from London. Since they offer a growing number of budget flights, choosing those airports can be cheaper (or even faster, depending on where in London your destination is).
For transfers directly between London’s airports, the fastest way (short of a taxi) is the direct inter-airport bus service by National Express. Buses between Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton run at least hourly, with Heathrow-Gatwick services taking 65min (£18) and Heathrow-Stansted services 90min (£20.50) (note that services between Stansted and Luton run only every two hours). It’s essential to allow leeway, as London’s expressways, especially the orbital M25 and the M1 motorway, are often congested to the point of gridlock. Some buses have toilets on board.
- London Heathrow
Heathrow Airport (IATA: LHR) is London and Europe’s largest airport and the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger movement, with services available from most major airports world-wide.T2 was closed for redevelopment until 4 Jun 2014. Terminal 2 will eventually serve 20 million passengers a year and be home to 23 Star Alliance airlines, as well as Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic Little Red and Germanwings.)
Heathrow is dominated by the UK’s flag-carrier British Airways, who use the airport as its home base and principal hub, and consequently operate nearly 40% of all the airport’s flights. BA occupy all of Terminal 5, and have a major presence in Terminals 1 and 3. Flights landing at Heathrow are often delayed by up to an hour as a simple result of air traffic congestion and waiting for parking slots. To complicate the matter, airlines that fly into Heathrow are currently playing a system-wide game of musical chairs as gate assignments are cycled through the new terminal, making it even more necessary for travellers to check their terminal and gate assignment in advance. Do plan your itinerary to allocate some time needed to get through Heathrow Airport T3, there can be long queues if you are not holding an EEA passport.
Airport Transfer
More information on Heathrow Airport - London Gatwick
London’s second airport (IATA: LGW), also serving a large spectrum of places world-wide. It is the world’s busiest single runway airport and is split into a North and South Terminal. The two terminals are linked by a free shuttle train (5 minutes). The train station is located in the South Terminal. To get to the centre of the city, there are various rail options and two bus options; please note the wide range of prices. If you need a Travelcard added on, to cover any onward travel that same day on Underground or bus, Tickets valid on trains branded Express are most expensive – £30.10, compared to £15.20 with Southern and only £13 with First Capital Connect; this cheapest option connects with more Underground lines than the other two, and takes about the same time.Airport Transfer
- By rail: Gatwick Express
Every 15 min, journey time 30-35 min. Gatwick Express is a brand name of Southern Railway, and used on certain trains. See entry for Southern below. One way £19.90, round trip £33.20, for the cheapest fare visit their website. Service: +44 20 8528 2900. - By rail: Southern Railway
Every 15 min, journey time 35-40 min. All services between Gatwick and Victoria are operated by Southern Railway. Some trains operated by Southern carry ‘Express’ branding: premium fares are charged for these services. The time saving on the “Express” trains compared to the normal services is minimal, 30/35 minutes for ‘Express’ compared to 35/40 minutes for normal services. The normal services call at intermediate stations (usually East Croydon and Clapham Junction) whereas services branded ‘Express’ run non-stop. There is little differentiation in on-board comfort – the ‘Express’ trains use commuter type carriages, similar to all other trains serving Gatwick. During rush hour periods the ‘Express’ services continue onwards to/from Brighton and will be busy with commuters. For most of the day, both ‘express’ services and ‘ordinary’ services run at least every fifteen minutes. Southern also operate services to Milton Keynes (north of London) – these use an orbital rail line through the Earls Court area which avoid central London. Prices (2013 fares, will be higher in 2014). One way £19.90 (valid on any train) or £14.40 (not valid on trains branded ‘Express’). Note that for many destinations in central or east London, the Thameslink services are a better option – quicker and cheaper.Service: +44 20 8185 0778. - By rail: Thameslink
To London Bridge (28 mins), Blackfriars (36min), City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras International (for Kings Cross, 46min), Luton Airport and further north. Until 2018 there is a major rebuilding programme affecting London Bridge station – this means occasional interruption to the Thameslink service pattern, especially at weekends. Details of service alterations are published at the Thameslink website. Cheaper than any other rail option – £10 (they occasionally have advance tickets priced at half that), and note the bargain with Travelcard added on (see above). Service: +44 871 200 2233. - By bus: easyBus
Every 15-20min, journey time 60-90min. To Earl’s Court/West Brompton. Not recommendable as very unreliable. As of 2013, service is horrendous, and the company has no staff at Gatwick, so you’re on your own. Factor in the cost of getting to the drop off location in London before booking. It is far from Victoria station. One way prices start from £2. Book online - By bus: National Express
Every 30min, journey time 75-110min. To London Victoria. One way prices start from £7. Book online - By Minicab
Journey time 90-120 min. approx £70. Service: +44 7505 616915 - By car
The road journey from Gatwick to central London is slow 47km (29 mi) – for most visitors a rail journey will be significantly quicker - By cycle
There is a long-distance cycle path into Central London, but as it involves an indirect route, going over the North Downs and through South-East London, it will likely be quite a ride. For adventurous people.
After passing through security you will find no drinking fountains in the South Terminal departure lounge so as to increase the profits of drink vendors.
North Terminal: after passing through security, the intrepid traveller can find power sockets on many of the large columns. There are accessible sockets to the right of the left hand door from security, adjacent Super Dry. Starbucks also has sockets below the seating by the window around the corner from the serving area. All are unofficial. There are official mobile charging stations (paid) also.
- By rail: Gatwick Express
- London Stansted
Stansted (IATA: STN) is London’s third airport, and is dominated by the two low-cost airlines EasyJet and Ryanair who use the airport as a hub, as well as holiday charter airlines Thomson and Pegasus. Stansted also accommodates a few other scheduled carriers within Europe and a small number of inter-continental flights.Stansted is very distant from the centre of London at Charing Cross – almost 38 mi (60km) away in Essex but less than 29 mi (47km) from either Cambridge or Colchester.
There are several commercial Wi-Fi hotspots covering most of the airport, but they charge extortionate rates. A free Wi-Fi hotspot is in the arrivals gate area, next to the phone booths offering fixed internet.
Getting to Stansted for an early morning flight is fairly straight forward, coaches run through the night, provided by Terravision and National Express from London Victoria and London Liverpool Street. Terravision costs £9 one way and run roughly every hour throughout the night(although, on the rush hours the qeues for boarding Terravision coaches at the airport may take more then an hour). Be aware that lines are very common at Stansted, security check can easily take an hour. Also getting to the airport can take longer than the proclaimed 90 minutes, expect more like 120 minutes. Arriving in the airport, queueing for passport control can easily take up to 2 hours for non-EU passport holders, especially for Sunday night arrivals.
Airport Transfer
- By rail: Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street
Every 15 min, journey time 45-60 min. One way £23.40, round trip £33.20. Cheaper if you book 7 days in advance or travel in a group. Travelcard not valid. Some budget carriers’ websites offer reduced price deals for the Stansted Express, allowing you to save a few pounds.Service: +44 845 600 7245 - By rail then London Underground: Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale then London Underground (Victoria line)
Every 15 min. If you are going to South London, the West End or West London then take Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale then the London Underground (Victoria line). At Tottenham Hale ask for an Oyster card. Service: +44 845 600 7245 - By coach: National Express
Every 15-30 min. Journey time to Stratford: 1 hour. To Victoria: 90 min. To Stratford (tube: Stratford) or Victoria (tube: Victoria). Folding bicycles only. To Stratford: £8 one way, £14 round trip. To Victoria: £10, £16. Travelcard not valid. Service: +44 870 580 8080. - By coach: Terravision
Round trip (Liverpool St, Victoria) £9 one way, £14. To Stratford: £6, £11. Travelcards not valid. To Liverpool St Station (tube: Liverpool St), Victoria (tube: Victoria) or Stratford Station (tube: Stratford). Service: +44 1279 680028 - By minibus: EasyBus
To Baker St (tube: Baker St). Buses are usually overbooked, leave plenty of time to avoid missing your flight. From £2 (advance web purchase) to £8 one way. Travelcard not valid - By taxi
This airport is a long way from London about 60 mins. It’s normally better to take a train to London Liverpool St and continue by taxi from there. approx £70. - By Minicab
Journey time 90-120 min. Stansted Airport Cars, located just outside of the terminal complex. approx £70.
Service: +44 1279 816901
- By rail: Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street
- London Luton
Luton airport (IATA: LTN) is physically much smaller than Stansted, but still a major hub for many Low Cost airlines, and over 10 million passengers fly through the airport each year. It boasts the same facilities of the other major airports and also like Stansted, it is common place for some passengers on early morning flight, to sleepover in the terminal before their flights. The Parkway Airport station, which serves the terminal is about 20 minutes walk back into town, though there is a regular shuttle bus charging £1.50 to take you to the station. If your train ticket says Luton Airport (rather than Luton Airport Parkway), then the bus ride is included in the ticket.The airport is a major hub for easyJet, Ryanair, Wizzair, Thomson Airways and Monarch Airlines, with other airlines also serving the airport like Aer Arann, FlyBE and El Al, to cities primarily in Scotland, Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. If leaving on a morning flight (departing 07:00-08:30), it is advisable to leave extra time to check in and clear security due to the large number of flights leaving (particularly Wizzair).
Airport Transfer
- By rail
Journey time: 20-55min and £13.50 one way, Travelcard not valid. The airport has its own railway station “Luton Airport Parkway”, and is served by trains 24 hours a day from Central London using “First Capital Connect Trains” and connects with St Pancras International. There are up to 10 trains an hour, depending on the time of day. All trains go to London St Pancras International, but many also continue on to Blackfriars, London Bridge and Elephant & Castle, Gatwick Airport and Brighton. The station is nearly 2km (1 mi) from the terminal building, there is a shuttle bus service running between the terminal and airport every 10 minutes, costing £1.50 each way. At rush hour times, this journey can take up to 25 minutes. - By coach: Green Line number 757
Every 20min, journey time 90min. To Victoria (tube: Victoria) via Brent Cross, Finchley Rd tube station, Baker St, Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner. £14 one way if bought from the driver. Service is run by Greenline and in conjunction with easyBus (but can be used by all travellers regardless of airline you travel with). Travelcard not valid.
Service: 0844 801 7261 (premium rates from most mobiles and non-BT landlines). - By coach: National Express
Every 2 min, journey time 90min. To Victoria (tube: Victoria) via Golders Green and Marble Arch. From £1 (advance web purchase) one way. Travelcard not valid.
Service: 0870 580 8080 (premium rates from most mobiles and non-BT landlines). - By car
North of London 60km (34 mi) , just off the M1 motorway which connects London with the Midlands and the North of England. Depending on where you are travelling from in London and time of day, journey times take 45-90min. Road users should plan their journey and check traffic conditions, as if an incident occurs on London’s busy roads, journey times can dramatically increase. There is no free location to wait or drop passengers off. It costs £1 to stay in the “drop off zone” for a maximum of 10 minutes (non-extendable without penalty). There is also a short stay car park nearby.
- By rail
- London City Airport
A commuter airport (IATA: LCY) close to the City’s financial district, and specialising in short-haul business flights to other major European cities. There are a growing number of routes to holiday destinations including Malaga, Ibiza and Majorca. There is also a business class only flight to New York JFK operated by British Airways.Not as expensive to fly into as it used to be, and you may indeed find that from some origins, this may be your cheapest London airport to fly to, without even considering the cost savings of NOT coming from the distant larger London airports with £10+ transfer costs. Then there is the added bonus that it is close to central London, with a convenient link on the DLR. Minimum check-in time for most airlines is around 30 minutes, with some offering 15 minute check-in deadlines. Queues for security can be long at peak business times. From touchdown to the DLR (including taxi, disembarkation, immigration and baggage reclaim) can be as fast at 5 minutes, although 15 minutes is normal.
Airport Transfer
- By Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
The DLR runs to Bank station (27 minutes). During weekday rush-hours, some trains operate to Stratford International. There is a convenient change to the Jubilee line at Canning Town. Travelcard valid. - By taxi
Journey time approximately 30 min. £20-35 - By car
Distance 10 km (6 mi) - By bus
Take the 474 bus to Canning Town station and then the 115 or N15 into central London. Travelcard valid.
- By Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
- London Southend
Only officially became London’s sixth airport (IATA: SEN, ICAO: EGMC) when it was recently included within IATA’s classification of the Metropolitan Area of London, LON – meaning the airport is now officially London Southend to the rest of the world and airline booking systems. The name is something of a creative liberty, since Southend is certainly not in the south end of London – it is located near the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, which is some 42 miles (67km) to the east of the city.
There has been an ongoing programme of development and EasyJet started operating services in April 2012. A regular rail service runs from Southend Airport Station to London Liverpool Street Station in central London 36 miles (58 km) to the west.London Southend Airport, +44 1702 608100 (enquiries@stobartair.com). Serves a range of destinations in Europe and the British Isles
Airport Transfer
By rail
A journey time of 55-65 min. Travelcards are not valid. The airport has its own railway station “Southend Airport”, and is served from Liverpool Street, via Stratford by trains 17 hours a day. There are up to 8 trains an hour, depending on the time of day. The station is c. 200 yd from the terminal building.Please note: Passengers from central London intending to use the first departures of the day (or the latest arrivals into SEN) should note that the earliest train from London arrives too late for first flights, and the final train to central London leaves before the final arrival of the day. The airport terminal building is not open 24 hours a day, opening at 4am and closing at midnight. Passengers will be asked to leave the terminal building after midnight when it closes. Therefore, this airport is not suitable for sleeping/camping out overnight for an early morning flight. There is a Holiday Inn Express hotel, a few minutes walk from the terminal, but it is advisable to book in advance for better deals and lower prices.
Southampton Airport, +44 870 040 0009. Every 30 min, journey time 1 hour. (IATA: SOU, ICAO: EGHI) is not officially a London airport, though accessible enough to conveniently serve the capital, especially South West London. A couple of budget carriers serving an increasing number of European destinations are based here. Direct trains connect Southampton airport to London Waterloo station. £30-35 round trip. Bournemouth Airport similarly operates a couple of Ryanair flight amongst others, and is not too far west on the train line from Southampton.
Birmingham International Airport, +44 870 733 5511. (IATA: BHX, ICAO: EGBB) is another non-London airport worth considering as a less congested and hectic alternative to Heathrow, being just over an hour away from London. As a major airport serving the UK’s second largest city, there is a good choice of long distance and European destinations. Direct trains connect Birmingham International to London Euston and Watford. The train station is connected to the terminal via a free shuttle train (2 minutes). From £10 (advance web purchase) one way, £35-100 round trip.
Other small airports, such as Oxford Airport can also be useful. Kent International Airport and Shoreham Airport (near Brighton) are similarly small. Biggin Hill in Bromley borough had a rejected licence bid in 2010 for commercial flights for the Olympics but may recieve one in the near future.
