If you have opened this article, then you have already wondered how to get to London from the airport. This article is devoted to this very issue – how to get from Gatwick Airport and other London airports to Central London.
If you are heading to another city, then you need to know that the airports are connected by intercity bus routes to many cities in the UK. In addition, many airports are connected by railways, which can be reached directly or by bus. So if you are traveling to a place other than London itself, then you do not necessarily need to end up in Central London. For more detailed information, go directly to the airports’ websites.
Before you travel, check the schedule of the public transport you plan to travel on, go to the website and make sure that there are no changes or unforeseen circumstances due to which this route or flight has been cancelled. It is also necessary to take into account the impossibility of predicting how much time will pass from the landing of the plane to leaving the airport – it can take 30 minutes, or maybe 3 hours, on average it takes about an hour.
Also note that December 25 is a holiday – Christmas, getting from or to the airport can be quite difficult, because… public transport is mostly closed on this day.
Buying a single ticket to travel in London is expensive. Here are some alternative payment options that can also be used for many airport transfers.
- Oyster card – This card is topped up before travel and is used on some trains, tubes and London buses. The card offers significant discounts compared to regular rates.
- A Travel Card is essentially an unlimited travel ticket for London transport, valid for a certain period of time. With this card you can travel much cheaper than if you buy a ticket for each trip.
- Contactless – instead of an Oyster card, you can now pay with a contactless bank card by holding it up to the reader. Fees are the same as an Oyster card, but your bank may charge extra if it is not a UK issued card.
How to get from Heathrow Airport to London?
London Heathrow Airport is the largest international airport in the city of London. It is considered the second busiest passenger airport in the world, and the first in Europe. Located 24 km west of central London. Heathrow is the largest airport in London and is rightfully considered the most “international”, since 190 thousand people fly into it to get to London. Therefore, when traveling or flying to London for work, you need to know how to get to the center of the capital.
How can you get to central London from the airport:
1) Subway
2) Regular buses
3) Trains
4) Taxes
How to get from Heathrow Airport to London by tube?
The airport and London are connected by the purple Picadilly Line. To get to the station, take the elevator down and follow the signs for Underground. The journey to the center takes 45 minutes. You can change to other lines at any station. Trains run daily from 5 am to midnight every 2-4 minutes. Single tickets are sold from vending machines.
Travel on the metro, buses, trains, and trams can be paid with an Oyster card or a regular bank card. At the entrance to the metro there are ticket offices and machines that sell Oyster cards. The card is refillable; you can deposit money at the “Underground” machines at the station. The cost of travel on the metro depends on the distance. London is divided into 9 tariff zones. Heathrow Airport is located in Zone 6.
Serving Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, the Piccadilly Line operates frequently between the airport and a number of central London locations, and also provides convenient links to other tube and rail services.
The journey to central London usually takes 50 minutes , and you won’t have to wait more than ten minutes for a train, even at off-peak times.
Standard operating hours are from 05:00 to 23:30 , although the line operates a “Night Metro” that operates all night on Friday and Saturday. Please note that Night Tube does not serve Terminal 4.
Piccadilly Line travel starts from £5.50 any time of day for travel to or from Heathrow, where the journey begins, ends or passes through Zone 1.
Single-trip tickets and Travelcards for zones 1–6 can be purchased from ticket machines at airport stations.
Where to take the Piccadilly Line tube at Heathrow
Heathrow has three London Underground stations: one each for Terminals 2 and 3, and one each for Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.
Heathrow Airport Terminals 2 and 3 station is located between the two terminals, which are a short walk away on the pedestrian tube. Heathrow Terminal 4 station is located below Terminal 4 Arrivals. Heathrow Terminal 5 tube station is located in the basement of the terminal building.
All stations are in Travelcard zone 6.
Piccadilly Line tube timetables to and from Heathrow
The first and last train departure times to and from Heathrow are listed below.
Train schedules and fares are subject to change. Please confirm your journey on the TfL website or call +44 (0)343 22 1234 before travelling.
First and last trains to central London
| Station | First flight | Last flight |
|---|---|---|
| Terminals 2 and 3 | 05:12 | 23:45 (23:28 on Sundays) |
| Terminal 4 | 05:02 (05:06 on Saturdays, 05:47 on Sundays) | 23:35 (23:37 on Fridays, 23:38 on Saturdays, 22:37 on Sundays) |
| Terminal 5 | 05:22 | 23:42 (23:25 on Sundays) |
First and last trains from central London (departure times indicated from Green Park).
| Station | First train | Last train |
|---|---|---|
| Terminals 2 and 3 | 05:48 | 00:33 (23:40 on Sundays) |
| Terminal 4 | 05:54 (05:45 on Saturdays, 07:00 on Sundays) | 23:18 (23:12 on Fridays and Saturdays, 22:42 on Sundays) |
| Terminal 5 | 05:48 | 00:23 (23:27 on Sundays) |
Night tube services to and from Heathrow
The Night Tube Piccadilly Line runs six trains per hour between Heathrow Airport and central London on Friday and Saturday evenings.
For more information about traveling at night, visit the TfL website .
If you are traveling outside Piccadilly Line opening hours, the N9 night bus runs every 30 minutes into central London from Terminal 5 and Heathrow Central Bus Station.
How to get from Heathrow Airport to London by bus?
City buses run from Terminal 5 of the airport from 05:30 to 21:40. The fare depends on the number of zones crossed. For example, the cost of travel to Trafalgar Square is £1.40 when paying with an Oyster card and £2.40 when buying a ticket in cash.
The bus stop at Terminal 5 is on the arrivals level of the terminal building above the London Underground station.
Local bus services to London from Heathrow Airport
From Heathrow Airport it is easy to get into the city by bus. Contactless cards and Oyster cards are accepted on all routes and tickets are sold. City routes from Terminal 5:
- No. 285 Hayes and Harlington Station;
- No.423 Hanslow to Hatton Cross;
- #482 Southall – Hatton Cross, Hounslow, Southall;
- No. 490 Richmond Station – Hatton Cross, Feltham, Twickenham.
Routes around London from Heathrow Airport
From Terminal 5 you can get to the London suburbs:
- No. 7 Britwell – Langley, Slough;
- No. 8 Slough – Stayes, Egham, Englefield Green, Windsor;
- #442 Englefield Green – Stanwell Moor, Ashford, Staines, Egham;
- No. 703 Bracknell – Colnbrook, Langley, Slough, Windsor, Legoland, Winkfield, Ascot.
Heathrow Central Bus Station
A major bus station at Heathrow Airport, which serves Terminals 2 and 3. City, suburban and intercity buses depart from here. Serves more than 1,600 flights daily. The central bus station is open 24 hours a day. It is connected to terminals 2 and 3 by underground passages.
City routes from Central Station from Heathrow Airport
- No.105 Greenford Station – Southall Station
- No. 111 Kingston – Hounslow, Hampton Station, Hampton Court Palace;
- #278 Ruislip – Hayes and Harlington;
- No. 285 Kingston – Hatton Cross, Feltham, Hanworth, Teddington;
- A 10 Uxbridge Station – West Drayton, Hillingdon;
- U 3 Uxbridge – Harmondsworth, West Drayton, Yeavesley, Hillingdon Hospital, Brunel University.
Routes from Central Station from Heathrow Airport to outside London
There are regular buses from Central Station to the London suburbs. There is an information desk at the station where you can find out information about intercity and suburban routes.
- No. 4 Maidenhead – Langley, Slough, Kippenham;
- #102 High Wycombe – Uxbridge, Denham, Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, Holspur;
- No. 555 Whiteley Village – Hatton Cross, Stanwell, Ashforth, Sunbury, Chapperton, Walton-on-Thames;
- No. 724 Harlow – Uxbridge, Denham, Watford, Hatfyd, Welwyn Garden City, Ware.
Express routes from Heathrow Airport
Buses run from Central Station on an express schedule, they are marked with the prefix “X”:
- X26 West Croydon Bus Station – Hatton Cross Station, Kingston, Worcester Park Station;
- X140 Harrow Bus Station – Hayes and Harlington Station, Northall Station.
Overnight route from Heathrow Airport
Public transport at Heathrow Airport operates 24 hours a day. There are night buses from Central Station, marked “N”. Night schedule from 23:40 to 05:35.
- N9 Aldwych – Hanslow, Isleworth Station, Hammersmith, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus, Charling Cross Station;
- N140 Harrow – Hayes Station and Harlington, Northolt, Harrow and Wealdstone.
How to get from Heathrow Airport to London by train?
There are two types of trains departing from Paddington Station to Heathrow Airport – Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express. Heathrow Express is twice as expensive as Heathrow Connect, but Heathrow Connect trains run less frequently and are slightly slower.
Heathrow Connect website – www.heathrowconnect.com
Heathrow Connect is an electric train that stops at 5 intermediate stations in London: Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes. Traveling by this train is convenient if you are traveling around West London.
From Paddington Station to Heathrow Central the journey takes approximately 25 minutes. To get to Terminals 4 or 5 you need to change trains at Heathrow Central, with Heathrow Connect trains sometimes running from Terminal 4 directly to Paddington.
Heathrow Express website – www.heathrowexpress.com
The Heathrow Express is a fast express train between Paddington Station and the airport.
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 can be reached by the Heathrow Express train and alight at Heathrow Central station. To get to Terminals 4 and 5, you must change trains at Heathrow Central Station.
From Paddington Station to Heathrow Central the journey takes around 15 minutes.
Be sure to check the Heathrow Express page for train schedules.
How to get from Heathrow Airport to London by taxi?
You can get there by taxi, in London they are called “black cabs” or the cheaper option “mini cab”. But minicabs must be ordered in advance, and black cabs can be found in the airport parking lot or simply stopped on the road.
How to get from Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport
Approximate road distance: 42 miles / 68 km.
Traveling between Heathrow and Gatwick by
National Express
Bus National Express buses (routes 025, 200, 201, 205 and 210) operate directly between Heathrow and Gatwick Airport all day, 7 days a week.
Travel time: 70 minutes
Prices from: £20
Tickets and information: 0871 781 8181 or NationalExpress.com.
Oxford Airline Bus Company
Airline buses (route numbers LGW and LHR), operated by the Oxford Bus Company, operate directly between Heathrow and Gatwick Airport all day, 7 days a week.
Journey time: 75 minutes
Prices from: £15
Tickets and information: 01865 785400 or airlines.oxfordbus.co.uk.
Travel between Heathrow and Gatwick by
Gatwick Express
The Gatwick Express service runs non-stop between London Victoria Airport and Gatwick Airport every 30 minutes.
Travel time from Victoria to Gatwick: 31 minutes.
Ticket prices from: £20.70
. Additional Information
Southern Rail
Southern Rail operates a number of stops between London Victoria Airport and Gatwick Airport at 15-minute intervals.
Travel time from Victoria to Gatwick: 33 minutes.
Ticket prices from: £18.30
. Additional Information
Thameslink
stops between London Blackfriars and Gatwick Airport every 30 minutes.
Travel time from Blackfriars to Gatwick: 35 minutes.
Ticket price: from £12.90
. Additional Information
How to get between Heathrow and London Victoria
To connect between Heathrow and Victoria, you have the following options:
Heathrow Express between Heathrow and Paddington, Tube between Paddington and Victoria.
Travel time: 45 minutes.
Price from: £27.50.
Elizabeth Line between Heathrow and Paddington, Underground between Paddington and Victoria.
Travel time: 60 minutes.
Price from: £12.80.
London Underground between Heathrow and Victoria.
Travel time: 60 minutes.
Prices from: £5.50.
For more information, visit the following links:
How to get from Heathrow Airport to Stansted Airport
Approximate road distance: 60 miles / 96 km.
Travel between Heathrow and Stansted by
National Express
Bus National Express buses (routes 250, 727 and 728) operate directly between Heathrow and Stansted Airport all day, 7 days a week.
Travel time: 80 minutes
Prices from: £19
Tickets and information: 0871 781 8181 or NationalExpress.com.
Travel between Heathrow and Stansted by
Stansted Express
Stansted Express services run between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport every 30 minutes.
Travel time from Liverpool Street to Stansted: 50 minutes.
Ticket price: from £20.70
. Additional Information
How to get between Heathrow and London Liverpool Street
To connect Heathrow and Liverpool Street, you have the following options:
Heathrow Express between Heathrow and Paddington, Underground between Paddington and Liverpool Street.
Travel time: 47 minutes.
Price from: £27.50.
Elizabeth Line between Heathrow and Liverpool Street.
Travel time: 55 minutes.
Price from: £12.80.
London Underground between Heathrow and Liverpool Street.
Travel time: 74 minutes.
Prices from: £5.50.
For more information, visit the following links:
How to get from Heathrow Airport to London City Airport
Approximate road distance: 26 miles / 42 km.
Traveling between Heathrow and London City Airport by train
To travel between Heathrow and London City Airport, you have the following options:
Heathrow Express between Heathrow and Paddington, Elizabeth Line between Paddington and Woolwich, then DLR to London City Airport.
Travel time: 71 minutes.
Price from: £27.90.
Elizabeth Line between Heathrow and Woolwich, then DLR to London City Airport.
Travel time: 81 minutes.
Prices from: £12.80.
London Underground between Heathrow and Canning Town, then DLR to London City Airport.
Travel time: 86 minutes.
Prices from: £5.50.
For more information, visit the following links:
How to get from Heathrow Airport to Luton Airport
East Midlands Rail
The East Midlands Rail service runs between London St Pancras Station and Luton Airport Boulevard every 30 minutes.
Travel time from St Pancras to Luton Airport Boulevard: 22 minutes.
Price from: £16.50.
Additional Information.
Thameslink
Thameslink services run between London St Pancras Station and Luton Airport Boulevard every 15 minutes.
Travel time from St Pancras to Luton Airport Boulevard: 30–44 minutes.
Price from: £16.50
. Additional Information
How to get between Heathrow and London St Pancras
To provide services between Heathrow and St Pancras, your options include:
Heathrow Express between Heathrow and Paddington, Underground between Paddington and St Pancras.
Travel time: 42 minutes.
Prices from: £27.50.
Elizabeth Line between Heathrow and St Pancras. You can also change at Farrringdon for the Thameslink train to Luton.
Travel time: 63 minutes.
Price from: £12.80.
London Underground between Heathrow and St Pancras.
Travel time: 66 minutes.
Price from: £5.50.
For more information, visit the following links:
How to get from Gatwick Airport to London?
Gatwick Airport is located 45 km from central London. There are several modern ways to get from the airport to the city, which we will describe in detail in this article.
You will find out how to get cheaply from Gatwick to London, how much public transport costs, where to catch the bus and how the train works. There are trains, buses and taxis from Gatwick Airport to London.
There are two ways to get on the rails – take a regular train or take a high-speed train. The fast train from Gatwick takes around 35 minutes to the city and costs £17.80.
| Transport | Schedule | Travel time | Fare price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatwick Express Train | Gatwick Express runs from 04:35 to 01:35 | Approximately 35 minutes drive | Fares from £17 |
| National Express and EasyBus shuttle | National Express and EasyBus operate 24 hours a day | Travel time 1 hour 30 minutes | National Express costs £8, EasyBus costs £5.95 |
| Train Southern | Southern trains operate 24 hours a day | Travel time approximately 50 minutes | The Southern fare costs £15. |
| Taxi from Gatwick airport | taxi operates 24 hours a day | the journey will take approximately 1 hour, excluding traffic jams | A car will cost from 188 euros, a minibus 324 euros |
A regular train will take a tourist to the city in 50 minutes, the fare is 15.4 pounds. The bus takes you into the city in approximately 1 hour 30 minutes and tickets cost £8. A taxi will cost an independent tourist 146 pounds, the approximate travel time is 1 hour.
How to get from Gatwick Airport to London by bus?
From Gatwick Airport you can travel by National Express and EasyBus.
National Express website – www.nationalexpress.com
Easybus website – www.easybus.co.uk/london-gatwick
Most buses stop at the South Terminal, but some also pass through Gatwick’s North Terminal. Both terminals are equipped with National Express ticket offices.
How to get from Gatwick Airport to London by train?
There are three trains from Gatwick: Gatwick Express – www.gatwickexpress.com, Southern – www.southernrailway.com and First Capital Connect – www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk.
Apart from the Gatwick Express, all trains run approximately every hour.
The cheapest option to get from Gatwick Airport is First Capital Connect.
The Gatwick Express train runs to Victoria Station and runs every 15 minutes and takes half an hour.
The Southern train runs to Victoria and London Bridge stations, the train passes every 20 minutes during the day, every hour at night, the journey takes 40 minutes.
The First Capital Connect train runs to City, London Bridge, Blackfriars, St Pancras (King’s Cross), Farringdon and Luton Airport. The train passes every 15 minutes and the journey to London takes 40 minutes.
How to get from Gatwick Airport to London by taxi?
A taxi from Gatwick to London will cost a tourist 188 euros, the travel time excluding traffic jams will be about 1 hour.
A taxi will be an ideal transfer option if you are traveling with children or a large group. It is possible to book a minibus for 7 passengers, which will cost 324 euros.
- Schedule: taxi operates 24 hours a day
- Route: Gatwick to London or anywhere
- Travel time: the journey will take approximately 1 hour, excluding traffic jams
- Price: the car will cost from 188 euros
How to get from Luton Airport to London?
London Luton Airport – Luton Airport is located in north-east London, 55 km from the center. Luton Airport has one terminal. Luton is primarily used by low-cost airlines to fly to various European cities.
Luton Airport website – www.london-luton.co.uk
You can get from Luton Airport to central London by train, bus or taxi.
Buses stop right outside the airport terminal, and Luton Airport Parkway train station, which serves Luton Airport, is a fair distance away and can be reached by bus.
How to get from London Luton Airport to London by bus?
From Luton Airport to central London you can take special EasyBus and Green Line buses.
EasyBus services run to Luton Airport from Earl’s Court (West Cromwell Road) stop D and also from Victoria Bus Station. Buses run every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. The route from Earl’s Court is direct and takes about an hour. The route from Victoria Bus Station stops at Park Lane Bus Stop 14A, Marble Arch, Baker Street/Gloucester Place, Finchley Rd Station, Brent Cross Shopping Centre. It takes 1 hour 20 minutes to get to the airport.
Tickets for these buses can only be purchased at special EasyBus ticket sales counters, which are located at the final stops or can be purchased online.
Easybus website – www.easybus.co.uk
The Green Line bus number 757 runs every 15 minutes from Victoria Bus Station, making several stops along the way. It takes 1 hour 10 minutes to get to the airport.
Green Line website – www.greenline.co.uk
How to get from Luton Airport to London by train?
The London Luton Airport website offers detailed information on train services between Luton Airport and London.
It is important to consider that there is no railway station on the airport territory. You need to get to Luton Airport Parkway train station. It is located 1.5 kilometers from Luton Airport. For the convenience of passengers, special shuttle buses depart every 10 minutes from the airport to the station, from five in the morning until midnight. Travel is free if you show your airline or train ticket. If you haven’t saved your flight ticket, it would be wiser to buy a train ticket directly at the airport (this is possible), otherwise a ten-minute shuttle ride will cost you from £2.10.
Luton is connected to central London via Thameslink (journey time approximately 40 minutes). You can buy tickets online from Thameslink . The cost varies and depends on the type of ticket; exact prices can be found on the website. Thameslink is convenient for those who need to travel to the St Pancras International station area.
There is also a regular train service between Luton and London; travel time by regular train is approximately 30 minutes.
Tickets can also be purchased online from the East Midlands Trains website or the airport website . East Midlands Trains depart from Luton Airport Parkway station to London St Pancras every hour. There is an intermediate stop at Black Friars station – convenient if your hotel is located in the very center of the city or in the City. In general, the journey to London takes about half an hour.
Check both sites, ticket prices may vary.
How to get from Luton Airport to London by taxi?
We recommend that you pre-order a transfer from a reliable KiwiTaxi company using the form below. You can select a car of a suitable class and capacity in advance. The cost of such a service is from 93 euros (£83), for a company of 3-4 people, which is not so expensive, considering all the amenities. The cost of transfer from Luton Airport in London is fixed at the time of pre-order and does not increase under any circumstances: not when the driver is waiting for a passenger, not if you need to make a stop at a cafe, not because of traffic jams. The driver meets you at the airport, as close to the arrivals area as the rules allow.