“Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted?… Erm?

There are 5 airports in London, spread around the capital. All of them offer services into the centre. We’ve done a little roundup so that it’s clearer and easier on your arrival.

London Heathrow (LHR)

…is the closest airport to the centre (25km) and busiest too, so you will not have any difficulty in reaching central London, in a variety of ways:

• Heathrow Express, the train that 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 just 15 minutes. You also have access to Heathrow Connect, which for the same destination can be less expensive (£10.20).
• The underground is the cheapest way to get to the centre, using your Oyster Card, Travel card, or even your contactless credit card, you will have access to 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 around 40km. Very easy to get to, there are several transport links throughout the day:

• The Gatwick Express is the fastest way to reach 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 you would expect, the most practical ways can’t be the least expensive, you will need around £18.
• The National Express company links the airport to central London every 15 minutes in around 1 hour and 30 minutes, at a price of £9 for Victoria Coach Station, for example.

London Luton Airport (LLA)

If you arrive at this airport to the north of London, there are many transport options for reaching the centre:

• 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.

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.