London Airport Information

Heathrow

The Heathrow Express (0845-6001515) service from Paddington Station is the quickest and most efficient way of getting to and from Heathrow. The journey takes 15 to 20 minutes and costs £12 each way (£22 return). Many airlines including British Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines now have check-in desks at Paddington.

Traveling by tube from Central London on the Piccadilly Line will take you about one hour. Tickets cost £3.40. There's a tube station for Terminal 4 and another for Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The Airbus Heathrow Shuttle (020-7222-1234/020-8400-6655) runs two buses an hour (5 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.) from all four terminals to 17 points within central London. The journey time is around 1 hour and 45minutes. Tickets cost £7 single, £12 return.

Gatwick

Three rail services link Gatwick to London. The Gatwick Express to Victoria Station takes about 30 to 35 minutes and runs 24 hours daily. Trains leave every 15 minutes, except between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. when they run every hour. Tickets cost £10.20 single, £20.40 return (valid for one month).

Connex South Central also runs a service between Gatwick and Victoria, with trains running approximately every 15 minutes during the day and every hour between 1 a.m. and 4a.m.

The journey time is slightly longer than the Gatwick Express, but tickets are cheaper, costing £8.20 single, £16.40 return (valid for one month). A day return costs £8.30 (after 9:30 a.m.). If you are staying in the Bloomsbury or the City area, the Thameslink service may be more convenient. Frequency and journey times vary. Tickets (to Kings Cross) cost £9.50 single, £19 return.

The cheapest option would be the Jetlink 777 (020-8668-7261 or 01737-2424111) coach service to Victoria Coach Station. The journey time is about 90 minutes and the services run from 5 a.m.- 8 p.m. daily, every one or two hours. Tickets cost £8 single, £12 return (valid for three months).

Berkeleys Hotel Connections (see Heathrow) also operate a service out of Gatwick. The fares are £18 per person each way (£16 if booked on the Internet). A taxi to Gatwick from Central London will set you back around £90 and takes at least one hour.

London City Airport

London City Airport, located just 6 miles from the city core, is perhaps the easiest to get to and from for most people staying in central London. A taxi between the airport and the City of London (the traditional financial district) would take about 30 minutes cost about £24. A taxi to/from Canary Wharf in east London (the new financial district) would take less than 20 minutes and cost about £13. And a taxi to/from ExCel (the new conference and exhibition center) would take only about five minutes and cost £7.

London City Airport operates frequent shuttle buses to several stations that connect into London's public transport system. The shuttle goes to/from Liverpool Street Station in central London (on the Central, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines of the London Underground), Canary Wharf (on the Jubilee line of the Underground, and the Docklands Light Rail line) and to Canning Town Station (Jubilee line and the Docklands Light Rail). The shuttle costs £6 each way to/from Liverpool Street, £3 to/from Canary Wharf, and £2 to/from Canning Town.

For more detailed information, travelers can check the London City Airport Web site: http://www.londoncityairport.com/

Luton Airport

A new railway station at Luton Airport allows people to travel direct to central London on the Thameslink service (national rail inquiries at 08457-484950). Trains leave every 5 to 10 minutes and the journey takes 30 to 40 minutes. Tickets cost £9 single. The Green Line coach service (020-8668-7261) runs from Luton to Victoria Station at 40 minutes past each hour.

The trip takes 90 minutes and costs £7.20 single, £11.80 return (valid for three months). A taxi from Luton airport into central London takes at least one hour and costs around £65.

Stansted Airport

The quickest way to Stansted is on the Stansted Express train (08457- 484950) to Liverpool Street Station; the journey time is 40 to 45 minutes. Trains leave every 15 and 30 minutes depending on the time of day. Tickets cost £11 single, £12.80 day return (after 9:30 a.m., Monday-Friday), £16.10 return within five days and £22 open return.

Jetlink 777 buses run to Victoria Coach Station; the trip takes 1 hour and 40 minutes, with stops at Hendon Central, Finchley Road and Marble Arch tube stations. Tickets cost £9 single, £13 return (valid for three months).

A taxi from central London to Stansted will cost around £80 and takes about one hour.

Useful Links for London airport

Airport Parking Shop - Compare prices and book airport parking at Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted and London City Airport.

Airport Parking Quote - Pre-book airport parking at all the UK's major airports. Compare prices with 3 suppliers. We also offer hotel and parking packages at most airports.

Airport Parking Directory - Airport Parking Directory offers an unbiased listing of Airport Parking providers, plus guides on the best way to travel to and from the airport (Manchester).