Heathrow Airport
Heathrow is 30km west of London. There are five terminals at Heathrow and where you land or depart from will depend on the airline and the destination.
By bus
National Express run a service throughout the day to Victoria Coach Station (amongst others) from Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station located between Terminals 1, 2 & 3 and is open 24 hours (The travel centre at the coach station is open from 6am-22.30pm). From Terminals 4 & 5 catch a free Heathrow Connect or Heathrow Express service to the Central Bus Station. Journey times take from between 40-80 mins. Tickets are from £5.50 one-way when bought online.
By train
The cheapest way from Heathrow to central London is on the London Underground. Heathrow is in zone six and is on the Piccadilly line. Buy an Oyster card to pay for your travel around London.
The fastest way from Heathrow is on the Heathrow Express train, which travels to and from Paddington Station every 15 minutes. The journey takes 15 minutes and costs £25. Book well in advance and you get tickets from as little as £5.50 (weekend). Between Paddington Station and Terminals 2 & 3 takes 15 mins, slightly more for Terminals 4 & 5.
Heathrow Connect run from Paddington Station to Terminals 1, 2 & 3 stopping at Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes and on to Terminal 4, journey time is around 25 mins, 35 mins to Terminal 4. Departures from Paddington are every 30 mins, tickets are from £9.90 one-way to £19.80 for an open return.
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is 40km south of London. There are two terminals: Gatwick North and Gatwick South. You can travel between the two on a free bus (every 3 minutes, journey time 5 minutes; allow 20 minutes in total for the transfer).
Getting from Gatwick Airport to central London
By bus
The cheapest way from Gatwick Airport to London is on easyBus. Fares start at only £2 one way, and from £4 return. The cheapest fares are available with easyBus. Click here to get the best fares. Departures are every 15 mins and run from 4am through to 1am seven days a week. Services run from both the North & South Terminals to Earls Court, West Brompton and London Victoria Coach Station. Services also run from the South Terminal to Waterloo Station.
easyBus is for all airline passengers, whoever you fly with – not only easyJet.
Bookings for easyBus can be made online. Click here to make a booking or you can pay the driver on the day.
Terravision offer a low-cost service from Gatwick to Bayswater, stopping at Hammersmith and Cromwell Road, a one-way ticket is £6 (luggage free). Services run ever 30 mins seven days a week. Tickets can be bought online (no booking fee), from Terravision sales points in the North and South Terminals and at bus stops in London.
National Express coaches run direct to London Victoria every hour, a one-way ticket will cost £8. Tickets are available from Nation Express desks in both terminals or online.
By train
Trains to central London depart from Gatwick South terminal. The cheapest trains (about £10 one way) from Gatwick Airport to central London are with ThamesLink Great Northern and Southern Railway.
ThamesLink Great Northern run trains from Gatwick to London Bridge, St Pancras International, and continue to Luton and Luton Airport Parkway (the stop for Luton Airport). It takes 30-45 minutes from Gatwick to London Bridge. Note: because of engineering work, on weekends trains from Gatwick terminate at London Bridge. Tickets are from £9.40 to London Bridge.
Southern Railway run trains from Gatwick to London Victoria Station via East Croydon and Clapham Junction, taking 35-40 mins a one-way ticket will cost you from £15.40.
The Gatwick Express trains run every 15 minutes and take about 30 minutes to reach London’s Victoria station. Tickets are £17.80 (online) one-way and £31.10 (online) return
Stansted Airport
Stansted Airport is 60km north-east of London.
Getting from Stansted Airport to central London
By bus
The easiest and cheapest way to get from Stansted Airport to central London is on easyBus. Fares start at only £2 one way, and from £4 return. The cheapest fares are available with easyBus. Click here to get the best fares. easyBus is for all airline passengers, whoever you fly with – not only easyJet.
easyBus runs from the Stansted Airport Coach Station (which is just outside the airport) to Victoria & Liverpool Street with one stop-off at Stratford. easyBus runs to and from Stansted Airport every 15-20 mins. From Stansted Airport, the earliest departure is 7am, the latest is 1.05am. From Victoria the earliest departure is at 3am, the latest is 10.20pm.
Bookings for easyBus can be made online. Click here to make a booking or you can pay the driver on the day.
National Express run services every 15-30 mins and will take you to Paddington Station, Victoria Station, Liverpool Street or Stratford, journey times are from 50mins and tickets will cost from £5 one-way when booked online in advance.
Stansted Citylink run a direct route from Bays 11 & 12 at Stansted Airport Coach Station direct to kings Cross St Pancras approx every half hour. Tickets are £8 one-way and £15 return and must be bought before boarding the coach, these can be bought online or at the three sales points in Arrivals or at the Coach Station.
Airport Bus Express offer a flexible service (you’re not tied in to any date, time or direction) from £10 and run a service from Stansted to Baker Street, Liverpool Street, Stratford and Victoria departing from Bays 13 & 14 at the Coach Station at Stansted. Tickets can be bought online.
By train
The only train service from Stansted Airport to central London is the Stansted Express. It runs between the airport and London Liverpool Street Station and Tottenham Hale (where you can go on to Stratford), and takes 47 mins. Trains depart every 15 minutes from 5.30am – 12.30am, one way is from £8 and a return ticket is £12 and can booked online
Luton Airport
Luton Airport is 56km north-west of London.
Getting from Luton Airport to central London
By bus
The easiest and cheapest way to get from Luton Airport to central London is by easyBus. Fares start at only £2 one way, and from £4 return. The cheapest fares are available with easyBus. Click here to get the best fares. easyBus is for all airline passengers, whoever you fly with – not only easyJet.
Easy Bus runs from Luton Airport Bus Station (just near the airport), to Brent Cross (journey time 40 minutes), Finchley Road (50 minutes), Baker Street (60 minutes), Marble Arch (70 minutes), and London Victoria (on Buckingham Palace Rd stop 6 (80 minutes)
easyBus run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week between Luton Airport and central London, except Christmas Day
By train
East Midlands Trains run services to central London from Luton Airport Parkway station. (There is a shuttle bus which runs regularly from Luton Airport to the Parkway station (cost £1) and takes about 10 minutes.) Trains run to St Pancras (about 35 minutes) and Blackfriars. Tickets cost from £14 one-way and £23 return and can be bought online.
Note: because of engineering work, on weekends trains from Luton terminate at St Pancras.
Thameslink Great Northern operate a direct service to Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras. TRains leave every hour overnight and there are 6 trains every hour in the daytime. The journey time is around 40mins including bus transfer. Tickets are from £14 one-way and from £24 return and can be bought online.
London City Airport
London City Airport is a smaller airport, just east of the City. The Docklands Light Railway trains (DLR) leave London City Airport every 7 to 15 minutes, with journey times of just 7 minutes to Canning Town, 18 minutes to Canary Wharf and only 22 minutes to Bank.
