London On The Go
London airport arrivals
London is served by two major international airports: Heathrow, 15 miles (24 km) to the west (mainly scheduled flights); and Gatwick, 24 miles (40 km) to the south (scheduled and charter flights), with the smaller airports of Stansted and Luton to the north of London. The tiny London City Airport in Docklands is used by small aircraft connecting London with European cities.
London Heathrow airport
Heathrow airport can be a daunting place to arrive (the walk to the central building from an international gate can seem like miles). It's important to plan how you'll get from Heathrow to central London in advance.
The fastest connection is the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, which runs every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes. Paddington connects with several Underground (Tube) lines. The fare is £12 single (US$20) - possibly the world's costliest rail ticket per mile. More details from the Heathrow Airport website: www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/heathrow
Heathrow to Central London by Tube
There is also a direct Underground route (£3.60 single), on the Piccadilly Line, which reaches the West End in around 40 minutes. It goes directly to Kensington, Knightsbridge, Park Lane (Hyde Park Corner), Piccadilly, Covent Garden and King's Cross, and operates from 5am (6am on Sunday) until 11.40pm daily. Keep your ticket: you'll need it to exit the system. For Underground enquiries, tel: 7222 1234, www.tfl.gov.uk.
Buses from Heathrow to Central London
London Regional Transport (LRT) runs an Airbus service with red double-decker and single-decker buses picking up from terminals 1 to 4. The A2 goes to Euston and King's Cross via Marble Arch and Baker Street. Buses leave at half-hour intervals from 6.30am to 10.15pm daily, take up to an hour and stop near major hotels on the way. A single fare of around £10 can be bought from the driver. For 24-hour Airbus travel information, tel: 7222 1234. For information regarding bus and coach services tel: 0990-747 777.
Heathrow to Central London by taxi
Heathrow is also well-served for taxis. A ride into town in a familiar London “black cab” will cost from £30 plus tip, depending on destination.
Car hire at London Heathrow
If you want to hire a car, the following are the Heathrow offices of major car rental firms: Avis, tel: 8899 1000 Budget, tel: 0800-181 181 Europcar, tel: 8897 0811 Hertz, tel: 8897 2072.
London Gatwick airport
Gatwick Airport isn't on the Underground network, but it has extensive train and coach services into London running to and from Victoria bus and coach stations. The Gatwick Express leaves every 15 minutes from 5am to midnight then hourly through the night. It takes 30 minutes and costs £10.50 one-way. Children under four years old travel free; children aged 5-15 travel for half of the fare. Gatwick Express Information Line, tel: 008705-530 1530, or visit www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/gatwick
Connex South-Central also runs rail services direct from Gatwick to Victoria station. Journey time is 30 to 45 minutes; the fare is £8.20. Thameslink runs trains from four London stations: King's Cross, Farringdon, London Blackfriars and London Bridge. The journey time is up to 56 minutes and the fare is £9.80.
Buses from Gatwick to Central London
Jetlink (tel: 08705-747777) and National Express (tel: 0870-580 8080) bus services operate the 32-mile (51-km) journey between Heathrow and Gatwick (£12-£14 single), taking between 60 and 90 minutes.
Car hire at London Gatwick
Avis, tel: 01293-529 721 Budget, tel: 0800 181 181 Europcar, tel: 01293-531 062 Hertz, tel: 01293-530 555.