London has five international Airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, and London City, all of which are easily accessible via city transport.
Getting Into London
Heathrow Airport Transportation
Heathrow sits 24km (15 miles) to the west of the center of London. The cheapest route to London from Heathrow Airport is by Tube. The Piccadilly Line runs west into central London. The trips lasts about an hour and costs £4 (and as little as £2 if charged to your Oyster card. (More about Oyster cards in our Getting Around London article.)
If for some reason you're not up for the Tube, there's the Heathrow Express, which runs every 15 minutes from Heathrow to Paddington Station and costs a pricey £14.50 for a single Express Class fare (£7.20 for children). If you plan to use this option, it's best to buy your ticket online beforehand. The price goes up for purchase at a ticket machine and even further if purchased onboard.
Other options are the National Express coach service to Victoria Coach Station (every 30 minutes; 45 minute trip; £4 one-way; £8 return). By taxi (pause for gasps, tears, or laughter) expect to spend between £40 and £70 for a 30 to 60 minute drive.
Gatwick Airport Transportation
Gatwick is situated 50km (30 miles) to the south of the center of London. The most direct way to get to central London from Gatwick is by the Gatwick Express Train, which goes to Victoria Station every 15-30 minutes, a 35-minute trip, for £17.90 one-way and £30.80 return. It may not be cheap, but it sure is convenient.
Two cheaper alternatives to Gatwick Express are the Southern Train to Victoria Station and First Capital Connect to London Bridge and St. Pancras. The Southern Train journeys to Victoria Station four time an hour. The journey lasts between 30 and 40 minutes and costs £8.90. First Capital Connect runs to London Bridge and St. Pancras every 15 minutes during the day, taking between 30 and 45 minutes to make its journey. The one-way fare also runs £8.90.
Lastly, the cheapest (though least convenient) option is to take a National Express coach from Gatwick into London's Victoria Station. The bus ride lasts between 65 and 110 minutes, departs as often as several times an hour, and costs £6.80 for a one-way journey and £12.50 for a return.
Stansted Airport Transportation
Stansted is located 60km (35 miles) to the northeast of the center of London. The fastest option to central London from Stansted is the reliable Stansted Express train to Liverpool Street Station (every 15 minutes; 45-minute trip; £16 one-way; £24 return). Tickets can be purchased from automated machines on the train platform.
A cheaper way into Central London from Stansted is the airport express bus offered by Terravision. The bus service connects Stansted airport to London along two routes, one to Victoria Station, and the other to Liverpool Street Station. Both run every 20 minutes during normal hours. The Stansted-London Victoria route takes about 75 minutes, while the Stansted-London Liverpool Street route takes about 55 minutes. Tickets run £9 one-way and £14 round-trip. Visit the Terravision booking engine to purchase bus tickets in advance.
A slower, though slightly cheaper, option is the National Express A6 bus. It runs to Victoria Coach Station every 15 minutes during normal hours. The A6's journey lasts between 80 and 105 minutes and costs £10 for a one-way ticket (£17 for a round-trip ticket).
Luton Airport Transportation
Luton is located 51km (32 miles) north of the center of London. Free shuttle buses connect Luton Airport to Luton Airport Parkway station, a few minutes away. From here there are links to Thameslink trains to central London (every 15 minutes; 35 minutes to London St. Pancras; £14 for a one-way journey) and Midland Marine trains, also to London St. Pancras (£10.90 for a one-way journey.)
Otherwise the Greenline/Arriva bus #757 runs every 30 minutes directly from the airport terminal to the city's center (75 minutes; £13 one-way, £18 return; £14 return within a 24-hour period). The Greenline/Arriva bus is operated in partnership with easyJet. EasyJet customers can buy tickets for slightly less (£12 one-way and £13.50 roundtrip) than the listed fare directly through the easyBus site or by following clearly marked links on the Greenline/Arriva site.
London City Airport Transportation
London City Airport is located 16km (10 miles) to the east of central London. Transportation options to and from City Airport are few. One option is to take the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) to Bank station in The City. The DLR journey takes 22 minutes and costs £4 (as little as £2 with an Oyster card.) The DLR and the Tube connect at Canning Town, Canary Wharf, and Bank stations.
Lastly, you can take the taxi route, but it will cost you. A taxi from London City Airport will run anywhere from £12 (to Canary Wharf) to £40 (to Earls Court).
A Note About Rail Transit
All of the major train-lines from outside of Britain go to one of the five main rail stations in London: King's Cross Station, Liverpool Street Station, St. Pancras Station, Victoria Station, or Waterloo Station. All are easily accessible by London's bus or underground transit.
More Resources for flying into London
Visit our London budget flights section for more information on low-cost airlines flying into and out of London. Also worth reading is the guide to cheap flights to London on Bootsnall.com.
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