Travel: Flights to London

London (all airports code: LON) is served by a total of six airports - getting to and from the airports is made relatively easy by the large number of public transport links that have been put in place over recent years. If transiting through London, be sure to check the arrival and departure airports carefully as the transfer may be quite time-consuming.

In addition to London's six official airports (of which only two are located in London) there are a number of other regional UK airports conveniently accessible from London. Since they offer a growing number of budget flights, choosing those airports can be cheaper (or even faster, depending on where in London your destination is).

For transfers directly between London's airports, the fastest way (short of a taxi) is the direct inter-airport service by National Express . Buses between Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton airports run at least once per hour, with Heathrow-Gatwick services taking 65 minutes (£18) and Heathrow-Stansted services 90 minutes (£20.50). (Note that services between Stansted and Luton Airports run only once every 2 hours.) However, it's essential to allow leeway, as London's expressways, especially the orbital M25 and the M1 motorway, are often congested to the point of gridlock. Buses have toilets on board.

London Heathrow

(ICAO: EGLL, IATA: LHR) London and Europe's largest airport and the world's busiest airport in terms of international passenger movement, with services from most available major airports world-wide. Flights landing in Heathrow often are delayed by up to an hour as a simple result of air traffic congestion and waiting for parking slots. As a result of Heathrow's size and overcrowding, disembarking the plane can also take considerably longer than at London's other airports.

There are fast food restaurants in the departure areas of all four terminals, though, like most airports, the food is rather mediocre and overpriced. The Mark's and Spencer's outlet in the arrivals area of terminal 3 sells excellent sandwiches at standard prices. Cheaper sandwiches can be found at Boots, but the selection is limited. Within Terminal #1 domestic airside area, the situation is particularly poor - with most cafes closing between 9pm and 10pm,.

To get to the centre of London, the following options exist (in rough order of increasing price).

• There is a bus service to nearby hotels at £3 for a single trip - this however can be cheaper than a taxi.
• Piccadilly Line - an underground rail line from the airport to stations throughout central London. There are two stations: one for Terminals 1/2/3, and one for Terminal 4. The journey takes around 50 minutes. £4 (single); Travelcards (zone 6) are valid. This option is much cheaper than the Heathrow Express, and can be faster if your destination is in the suburbs west of London; use the Journey Planner to pick the best route. It can however, become very crowded and unpleasant once the train gets near the central area.
• By coach - National Express runs a regular service to Victoria Bus Station (next to the railway station) for £15 return - journeys take about 40 mins to an hour
• Heathrow Connect - a cheaper but slower regional rail link between the airport and London Paddington station. The service runs every 30 min and takes 25 min from terminals 1,2,3. £9.50 (single). Railcards valid only up to Hayes & Harlington, after which a supplement must be paid to reach Heathrow.
• RailAir - a regular bus service to Woking, a town slightly southwest of London. Woking has good rail connections - if travelling from Heathrow to southwest London, going via Woking is often faster and easier than going through central London.
• Heathrow Express - a high-speed rail link between the airport and London Paddington Station. The service runs every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes from terminals 1,2,3 or 23 minutes from terminal 4. £13.50 (single, booked on-line); £26 (return); Statistically the most expensive railway journey in Britain (at over £1 per mile; Travelcards (see below) not valid.
• By taxi, the journey from the airport to central London will take approximately one hour. £46.00-£50.00 (not great value; you may save time and money by taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington followed by a taxi to your destination)
• By Mini Cab, journey times as for road / taxi travel, however prices are generally cheaper than the black cabs. The Mini Cab service is a licensed taxi service scheme and cars must be booked in advance.

• By road, the airport is some 17 miles (27 km) west of central London - a large part of the journey can be made by means of the M4 motorway which can, however, be quite congested at peak periods
• By the night bus route N9. One of the few options if you need to get in or out of there in the wee hours. Takes about an hour to Aldwych, and only runs every half hour from about midnight to 5am (when the tube and other connections have stopped). Standard £2 bus fare applies.
• By bicycle. Travelling to the centre by bike may sound like madness, but it's a lot easier than it might seem and an attractive alternative for the adventurous traveller. To get out of the terminal123 area, take the cycle path in the service tunnel on the left hand side of the main road tunnel. The cycle path is meant for airport employees and not widely advertised. It can be accessed by following the signs to car park 1A and turning right just before the car park entrance. After leaving the tunnel, turn right and head to Harlington and further on to Hayes&Harlignton station. From there, the remaining 20km journey to Paddington (in central London) is a pleasant, traffic free ride along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal. It will take you about 1h30min, which isn't all that slower than the Tube and it's about the only way to get to Heathrow for free. Most airlines take bikes for a small surcharge, provided you declare them as "sports equipment".

London Gatwick

(IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK) London's second airport, also serving a large spectrum of places world-wide. To get to the centre of the city, the following options exist:

• Gatwick Express - a high-speed rail link between the airport and London Victoria Station. The service runs every 15 minutes and takes 30-35 minutes. Express class £14 (single); £25 (return); First Class (includes priority security procedures) £20 single, £38 return. Some other options (including Day Return and Carnet) available. Travelcards not valid. Railcards valid.
• Regular National Rail trains from the Airport rail station to London Victoria, London Bridge, King's Cross and various other stations in central London. To Victoria these run about every 15 minutes and take 35-40 minutes. £9 (single to Victoria), so slightly slower and slightly cheaper than the Gatwick Express; Travelcards not valid. Be aware that if you travel together in a group (3 people or more), you get a group discount for a day travel card (valid on all London Underground and TFL busses for the entire day) for only £6.10 each after peak hours.

Another option is the First Capital Connect line that runs through Kings Cross, Farringdon, City Thameslink, London Bridge to Gatwick. Have a look at national rail (above) for options.

• By car, the airport is some 29 miles (47 km) south of central London.

There is a cycle path into Central London see sustrans for information; but as it involves going through South London and over the North Downs, it will likely be quite a ride

London Stansted

(ICAO: EGSS, IATA: STN) Currently London's third airport, the base for a large number of budget carriers and flights within Europe and a few inter-continental flights.

Locate the Airport on a map:

Internet: There are several commercial wi-fi hotspots covering most of the airport, but they charge extortionate rates. A free wi-fi hotspot is located in the arrivals gate area, next to the phone booths offering fixed internet.

Sleeping in Stansted Airport: The airport's location a long way outside London, the high price of accommodation in the city, the fact that transport to the airport does not operate before 5:30 am, the fact that airport hotel rooms for under £50 per night are virtually non-existent, the large number of budget flights