There are five main airports in London: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London City, London Luton and London Stansted.
Travelers flying direct from the US on major airlines typically fly to Heathrow, although some lower-cost transatlantic airlines like Norwegian now fly to Gatwick. Both Heathrow and Gatwick are located outside of London, but are conveniently linked to London via direct and dedicated trains (Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express, respectively).
London Stansted is the third largest airport but, like Luton, it is popular with low-cost airlines serving primarily Europe. Both Luton and Stansted are located outside of London and are linked to public transport, although Stansted is better connected by the Stansted Express train.
London City is within the city limits, but offers minimal flights, usually only to domestic or short-haul destinations. Here’s what you need to know about each of the five airports.
London Heathrow Airport
- Location: 15 miles west of central London
- Best if: you stay in central London or close to Paddington station as there are direct nonstop trains to the airport via the Heathrow Express
- Avoid if: n / a
- Distance to Houses of Parliament (Big Ben): Heathrow is an hour’s drive from central London, which in a licensed black taxi would cost around £ 80. There are several public transport options, including the Heathrow Express, a train direct that goes directly to Paddington in London; the Piccadilly line of the London Underground; TfL Rail; coaches; and ride-sharing apps like Uber.
London Heathrow (LHR) is London’s largest and busiest airport, as well as one of the busiest airports in the world, which means you can expect long lines at immigration. Most direct flights from the US land at Heathrow, and there are five terminals in total (via Terminal 1 is not in use). There are many ways to get from Heathrow to London, and what you choose will largely depend on where you are staying. These are the key options:
The Heathrow Express is often the fastest way to get to London, running nonstop trains to Paddington Station every 15 minutes. Travel time is 15 minutes from Terminals 2 and 3, and an additional 10 minutes from Terminals 4 or 5. Express Saver’s one-time fare is around £ 25.
London Underground is the most accessible rail route to London, and Piccadilly line trains run from all terminals and will take you to London in about an hour for around £ 6.
The TfL (Transport for London) Rail service also operates several trains to London, although these are not direct.
Coaches run all day to Victoria Station, which makes them a good option if you arrive very late when the trains and the tube are not running. Coaches are very affordable starting from a few pounds, but the trips are often very long and subject to terrible traffic.
Licensed black cabs are available at Heathrow, as is Ubers, which is always the cheapest option, although there may be a wait for an Uber. The costs largely depend on where you are going, but expect to pay around £ 80 for a black cab.
London Gatwick Airport
- Location: 30 miles south of central London
- Best if: you stay south of London or close to Victoria Station as there are direct nonstop trains to the airport via the Gatwick Express
- Avoid if: you stay north of London
- Distance to Houses of Parliament (Big Ben): Gatwick is an hour and a half drive from central London, which would cost around £ 100 by taxi. There are several public transport options, including the Gatwick Express, a nonstop train that goes directly to London Victoria station; coach trains; and ride-sharing apps like Uber.
London Gatwick (LGW) is London’s second busiest airport, although most major and US airlines do not fly directly to Gatwick. There are two terminals, North and South, and there are many ways to get from Gatwick to London, but here are the keys: Gatwick Express is the fastest way to get to London with a nonstop train service to Victoria Station every 15 minutes with a journey time of 30 minutes, which costs around £ 30. There are also trains, which may be more affordable, but take longer, and buses, which are a good option if you are traveling when the train lines are not running (from otherwise, they take a long time due to the ever-present traffic).
Metered taxis (there are no black cabs in Gatwick) and Uber are also an option, but are prohibitively expensive at around £ 100.
London Stansted Airport
- Location: 35 miles northeast of central London
- Best if: you stay north of London or close to Liverpool Street station as there are direct nonstop trains to the airport via the Stansted Express
- Avoid if: you stay in South London
- Distance to the Houses of Parliament (Big Ben): Stansted is an hour and a half drive from central London, which in a metered taxi would cost around £ 100. There are several public transport options including the Stansted Express, a non-stop train that goes directly to Liverpool Street station in London; coach trains; and ride-sharing apps like Uber.
London Stansted Airport (STN) is London’s third largest airport and is an important base for European low-cost airlines. There is only one terminal, and there are several ways to get from Stansted to London. One of the best and fastest options is the Stansted Express, which will get you to London’s Liverpool Street station in around 50 minutes, costing around £ 30. There are also several companies offering 24-hour buses to / from from Stansted. Coaches are cheap but time consuming. Metered taxis and Uber are available, but are pricey at around £ 100.
London Luton Airport
- Location: 35 miles north of central London
- Better if: you’re staying in North London
- Avoid it if: you stay south of London.
Distance to Houses of Parliament (Big Ben): Luton is an hour’s drive from central London, which would cost around £ 80 by taxi. There are several public transport options, including trains and buses.
London Luton Airport (LLA) is a major hub for low-cost (mainly European) airlines, so it is very busy. There is only one terminal. There are a few options for transport from Luton to London – Taxis will be expensive from Luton, but there are several other public transport alternatives – a train is most likely your best option as there is an airport shuttle bus linked to the train Luton Airport Parkway station, where you can catch the East Midlands Trains or Thameslink trains to London, which take around 45 minutes to get to central London and cost around £ 15.
If you are late when the trains are not running, you can hop on a bus that takes you to Victoria Station in central London (but depending on traffic this could be a very long journey).
London city airport
- Location: 6 miles east of central London
- Better if: you can actually find a flight that goes there. It is also ideal for Canary Wharf.
- Avoid if: n / a
- Distance to the Houses of Parliament (Big Ben): The city’s airport is a half hour drive from central London and would cost around £ 45 in a black cab. There is also fast and affordable public transport, as the City is close to the DLR (Docklands Light Railway), which links to London’s underground, rail and bus network.
London City Airport (LCY) is the most central airport in London, and as it is so small (with only one runway) it is not only easily accessible but also quick and easy to navigate with short lines and fewer crowds. The problem is that there are few flights. There are several options for getting from the city to London: black taxis and Uber will be relatively affordable compared to the other airports, and public transport is very straightforward: the airport has its own stop on the DLR, which takes you directly to the tube. and it costs the same as the tube.
London buses are another affordable option, and the airport is connected by buses number 473 and 474.
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