London Travel Guide > Airport Transport

London Airport transportation

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow airport is so large it is actually 4 separate airports, or terminals, with a fifth planned. Be sure you know which terminal your flight will land at or depart from.

Getting into/from London - quickly
The Paddington Line tube station serves Heathrow with the Heathrow Express, and the trip takes only 15 minutes, with pries starting at £15.50 one way for adults. Several airlines now offer you the option of checking in for your outbound flight at Paddington station before boarding the train to the airport. The Express serves all four Heathrow terminals. Book your London Heathrow Express tickets (only for non-UK residents - UK resident online booking service coming very soon!)   Heathrow Express offers a free shuttle between Terminals 1, 2, and 3.

An alternative is Heathrow Connect, a 25 minute train trip, with departures every half hour. Heathrow Connect stops at Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Southall, Hanwell, Hayes, and Harlington and Paddington Station. This is a more cost conscious option but it does take longer than Heathrow Express. Website: www.heathrowconnect.com

Getting into/from London - cheaply
Piccadilly line tube serves all 4 terminals, and is the way to go if you are budget-minded. The trip takes an hour, and tickets are available at the luggage area. You'll need the all-zone ticket (or the all-zone Travelcard).

Getting into/from London - mid-price
Several large hotel chains have a "presence" at Heathrow. You can get to these hotels by using the Hotel Hoppa Bus. Alternatively, National Express dot2dot http://www.dot2.com/ operate shuttles from both major London airports to hotels in the city, for about half the price of a taxi. Prices from 17.50 per person, with additional discounts for large groups.

Other Options
If budget isn't even a word you recognise, the simplest option for transportation into the city from Heathrow is one of the traditional black London taxis. Prices to the city centre run about £55. If you're only mildly aquainted with financial constraints, consider a minicab, which should cost about £35 for the same trip. Private Hire Comapanies often add a waiting time/Car park surcharge to fares and Black cabs charge more at night. See here for the difference between a minicab and the black taxis.

Gatwick Airport

Gatwick is smaller and better organised than Heathrow. There are two terminals, connected by a monorail service. It is also much easier to drive in and out of - especially for foreign visitors not used to driving on the left.

Getting into/from London - quickly
Gatwick Express runs very frequent shuttle trains to/from Victoria Station. 5AM to midnight trains run every 15 minutes. The trip takes about 30 minutes, and is quite reasonably priced (by UK standards!). You can buy tickets here for the London Gatwick Express (Note - this online booking link is only for non-UK residents - UK residents booking service coming very soon!). There are also Thameslink trains from London Bridge, Farringdon, and King's Cross for about £10.

Getting into/from London - cheaply
In this case, cheap transport isn't that big a savings. Connex South Central trains to/from Victoria are £8.20 one way. A better deal is the Flightline bus, with a ticket good for 3 months costing £7.50 single/£11 return. Flightline is on the web at www.speedlink.co.uk.

If you have money to burn, a black taxi costs £50 to/from central London, with a minicab kicking in at about £35 for the same trip. Alternatively, National Express dot2dot http://www.dot2.com/ operate shuttles from both major London airports to hotels in the city. Cost from Gatwick is £20 per person.

NOTE: All prices mentioned in this article were believed correct at the tme of publication, but, like all things in life, they may be subject to change!