London is a major European transport hub, and there are many ways to reach it. By air, there is a huge choice of carriers from all over the world, and competition and budget airlines have driven down prices. Eurostar links the UK to Europe, and ferries, jetfoils and catamarans cross the English Channel and North Sea. Coaches to London from Europe are often the cheapest option.
Arriving by air
Five airports serve London: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City.
From Heathrow
Heathrow is 24 km (15 miles) west of Central London. The quickest way in is by the Heathrow Express, a 15–20-minute non-stop train to Paddington Station. Trains depart every 15 minutes 5am–11:40pm. Tickets are cheaper for Heathrow Connect’s 25–35-minute stopping trains to Paddington, departing every 30 minutes 5am–11pm. Three stations link Heathrow to London Underground’s Piccadilly line, which takes around 50 minutes to the reach the West End. At night, the N9 bus runs to Aldwych, central London, leaving every 10–20 minutes.
The journey into London on the busy M4 motorway takes around 1 hour. National Express runs a good-value coach service to Victoria from Heathrow’s bus station from 5:20am–9:40pm, as well as the Heathrow Hoppa Service buses at £4. A shuttle bus service to various London hotels is provided by Heathrow Shuttle and SkyShuttle, a cheaper alternative to taxis, which cost £45–75.
From Gatwick
London’s second airport is 50 km (31 miles) south of the city and has two terminals. The fastest way into the city is on the Gatwick Express.Trains leave the South Terminal every 15 minutes from 4:35am–1:35am and take 30–35 minutes to get to Victoria Station. National Express coaches leave for Victoria every 30–60 minutes from 5:15am–9:45pm. Departing every 15 minutes round the clock, easyBus runs coaches to Earl’s Court/ West Brompton. There are coach pick-up points in both terminals and the journey takes 65 minutes. Taxis to central London cost £50–60.
From Stansted
The quickest way to travel the 56 km (35 miles) southwest to London from Stansted is on the Stansted Express. Trains run to Liverpool Street every 15 minutes from 5:30–1am, and take about 45 minutes. National Express provides 24-hour coaches to Victoria (every 20–30 minutes) and Stratford (every 30 minutes). Terravision coaches leave every 30 minutes for Victoria (7:15–1am) and Liverpool Street (6–1am). The 24-hour easyBus runs coaches to Baker Street every 20–30 minutes. Coaches to East London take 45–55 minutes and to the centre, 60–90 minutes. Taxis to the centre of town cost £70–80.
From Luton
From Luton, 50 km (31 miles) north of London, a 5–10-minute shuttle bus runs from 5am–midnight to Luton Airport Parkway station (price included in rail tickets). From there, trains to St Pancras International are run by First Capital Connect (24 hours, every 10–30 minutes, taking 25–50 minutes) and East Midlands Trains (6am–10:30pm, every hour, taking 25–35 minutes). Green Line 757 and easyBus both have a 24-hour coach link to Victoria. The journey usually takes slightly over 1 hour. Green Line coaches leave every 20 minutes–1 hour; easyBus ones leave every 15–30 minutes.
From London City
London City Airport is in Docklands, 14 km (9 miles) east from the centre. From the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station, trains leave every 8–15 minutes to Canning Town and Bank, both also on the Underground with connections to major rail stations. Bus number 473 goes to Stratford and the 474 goes to Canning Town. Taxis cost from £25 to the City and from £30 to the West End.
The Docklands Light Railway station at London City Airport, from where the DLR takes passengers directly into Central London
Arriving by train
St Pancras International is the London terminus for the Eurostar, the high-speed train linking the UK and Europe. From King’s Cross St Pancras Underground station, it is possible to travel almost anywhere in the city via six Underground lines. The city’s other main stations and the areas they serve are Liverpool Street, East Anglia; King’s Cross, the northeast; Euston, the northwest; Paddington, the west; Waterloo, the southwest; Charing Cross and Victoria, the southeast. All have Underground stations. Buy tickets in advance from National Rail.
Arriving by sea
The UK’s ferry ports all have good rail links. Trains arrive at St Pancras International from Dover, which serves Calais and Ostend, and Folkestone (Calais and Boulogne), which is also the terminus for the Eurotunnel, the drive-on-drive-off rail service for cars. From Newhaven, which serves Dieppe, trains arrive at Victoria. Trains from Portsmouth, which serve the northern French ports, arrive at Waterloo, and from Harwich, which serves the Hook of Holland, they arrive at Liverpool Street.
Ferry leaving the port of Dover, heading for France.
