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| AIRPORTS |
 London has 5 airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Luton and Standsted. Each one serves different airlines and it can be quite complicated to choose where to fly to.
All of them are a similar distance from Central London once you get off the plane.. it will take you an average of 1-1.5 hours in total from the minute you land, until you go through passport control, pick up your luggage and find your way outside to the train, metro, bus or taxi rank.
Read on to learn all the possible combinations to get into town. That may help you to decide which airport to choose, depending of where are you heading in town.
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| HEATHROW AIRPORT |
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Heathrow is the major airport serving London. Situated South West of London (zone 6), it hosts most BA flights and major transatlantic and overseas flights as well as some internal ones around UK and to Ireland. It has
4 Terminals and different airlines fly from each one of them. Find out here which terminal your airline flies from.
How to get to/from Heathrow:
- Tube (London Underground)– You can access this airport through the Piccadilly Line (dark blue). This crosses the city all the way from SW to NE (link to map). It is one of the cheapest options to get to Heathrow but you’d have to allow plenty of time to get there. An average of 50 minutes from downtown is the minimum travelling time. (London Underground Tube map here)
- Heathrow Express train– This is the fastest way into central London. It takes you directly to Paddington in 15 minutes. Trains depart every 15 minutes and the basic single fare is £15.50 – though you can travel in 1st class or get a small discount if buying return.
Check the prices here - buying online will save you a bit.. though if you don't have time you can always buy inside of the train for a bit extra.
And the first and last trains here
- Heathrow Connect train – A cheaper version of Heathrow Express, it only takes another extra 10 minutes. It is great value for money, £6.90 for the single fare and you are in London in 25 minutes! It has a few stops on the way that may be convenient for you too…
- Bus - There are a number of different coach operators with National Express being the largest. Most coaches pick up and set down passengers at the central bus station, which is located close to Terminals 1, 2 and 3, however, some services stop outside the terminals themselves. Please check with your coach company for exact information. Some services also stop at Terminal 4.
Services into west London are part of the Transport for London network. A single adult fare for anywhere in London is £2. All tickets can be purchased on the bus. It is preferable to have the exact fare ready. The central bus station is open 24 hours a day, however, the travel centre is open from 06:00-22:30. The bus station is well signposted from Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and is located above the London Underground station. Access to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 is via underground walkways. The approximate walking distance to Terminal 1 is four minutes, to Terminal 2 is three minutes and to Terminal 3 is seven minutes. Trolleys are provided nearby and there is a lift directly from the central bus station down to the underground level.
This is a map of the local buses that may serve you to move around the airport
Compare all the possibilities here
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| GATWICK AIRPORT |
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Gatwick is 28 miles (45km) south of London, directly linked to the M23 at Junction 9 and to the A23 London-Brighton road. Just a ten minute drive away, the M25 further connects with the UK's extensive road and motorway network.. You need to allow 30 minutes to get there by train from Victoria. There are numerous trains that stop there and, depending on your time, you can take the Gatwick Express from £15.90 (the single fare) or take the multi-stop trains to Brighton for half the price.
Check all the possible routes here or compare them here
To get there by bus, check these different companies. Though allow plenty of time as traffic can be a problem to delay your journey.
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| CITY AIRPORT |
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City: London City Airport is situated just 10 miles (16km) from the West End (the major shopping centre) and Westminster (location of main government offices), six miles (10km) from the City of London (the financial district) and three miles (5km) from Canary Wharf (London's newest business and financial centre).
The easiest way to get to/from London City Airport is to use London City Airport DLR station. The service running from London City Airport has direct connections with the Jubilee Line (at Canning Town), Northern, Central, Circle and Waterloo and City Line (all from Bank station).
The station is situated 50 yards from the Airport Terminal and journey times are as follows:
Bank - 22 minutes
Canning Town - 8 minutes
Canary Wharf - 18 mintues (change onto the Jubilee Line at Canning Town)
Ticket prices from London City Airport are:
Adult, single fares:
Any combination Zone 1 with 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 - £4.00
Any combination of Zone 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 - £3.00
Zones 2 & 3 on DLR only (not valid on Tube) - £1.50
Single fares are cheaper when using Oyster. For information on Oyster visit www.tfl.gov.uk
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| STANSTED AIRPORT |
STANSTED: Stansted Airport is situated North of London, a good hour by car. It holds most budget airlines travelling mostly to Europe. You have various options to get to/from there by trains or by bus. If you want to save time, you have the Stansted Express to Liverpool Station. It is expensive and the journey takes 45 minutes (leaving every 15 minutes from either the station or the airport). The SE also calls at Bishops Stortford, Harlow Town and Tottenham Hale (where you can catch the tube for Victoria Line). www.stanstedexpress.com
If you are on a budget, then try ONE Rail - Service to London Stratford and Lea Valley stations.An hourly off peak service connects Stansted Airport to all principal stations along the Lea Valley to London Stratford, stopping at Stansted Mountfitchet, Bishops Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Mill, Harlow Town, Roydon, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Enfield Lock, Angel Road, Northumberland Park, Tottenham Hale and Stratford. This service operates Monday to Saturday only. For further timetable information, please call National Rail Enquiries on 0845 748 4950.
The cheapest way to get there is by bus. There is National Express and Terravision. If you have time, then take the bus as it goes through most of the tourist attractions of London and is a very enjoyable ride. It is a long journey but it goes all night and the fares start at £8 for a single trip, very reliable for those strange budget flights we catch sometimes. The only advice is allow another 10-15 minutes extra than what they promise in their website, as traffic and their slow ticketing system can delay the journey.
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| LUTON AIRPORT |
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LUTON: Another airport for budget airlines, Luton is situated North of London, approximately 1 hour by car. There are a few ways to get to Luton airport. One of the most economical would be using easybus (which leaves from Baker Street and is around £8 a single trip), Green Line or National Express, which takes you from/to various points in town and which runs all hours.
You can also go by rail, check your most convenient option here. We think though the bus is the best option.
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