London It is one of the most visited cities in the world, and millions of people circulate through its airports all the time. You may have heard of Heathrow or Gatwick, but in truth the English capital has more airports.
In total, London has six airports And today we are going to talk to you about all of them, what they are like, where they are and what means of transport link them to the center. Thus, you can choose which airport to use on your next trip.
Heathrow Airport
Let's start with the most popular of all: the Heathrow Airport is in the west center of the city, about 32 kilometers. It is one of the busiest in the world, it is estimated that about 190 thousand passengers arrive and depart per day and that it is the airport in the world that deals with the largest number of foreign passengers.
The airport it has four terminals with restaurants, shops, exchange houses, tourist information offices and luggage storage. The Arrivals area is located on the lower floor of Terminals 1, 3, 4 and 5 and on the first floor of Terminal 2. All arriving passengers go through passage control, baggage claim and customs. Already in the hall you have all the shops and facilities to start the trip.
The Departures area is on the first floor of Terminal 1, the fourth and fifth of Terminal 2 and in the basement of Terminal 3, the second floor of Terminal 4 and on the highest floor of Terminal 5. What means of transport link Heathrow Airport to London?
There are several options for Trains. There is the Heathrow Express It is the fastest way and leaves you in London Paddington in 15-20 minutes. The service starts working type 5 in the morning until 11:55 pm. Other services are provided TflRail arriving in Paddington but earlier at Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southal and, Hayes & Harlington. It stops inside the airport at Terminals 2, 3 and 4. To get to Terminal 5 there is another free train from Heathrow Central.
These Tfl trains take about 25 minutes and you can pay with a common ticket, the zone 6 card or the Oyster. Can you take the subway? Yes, With the Piccadilly Line and from there to the rest of London. It is much cheaper but it takes a little longer. The subway leaves the airport followed, from 5:10 am to 11:45 pm. It takes about 50 minutes and you can catch it at three stations inside the airport.
Another option is the National Express bus linking the airport with the Victoria Couch central bus station. It takes between 40 and 90 minutes and there are buses between 4:20 am and 10:20 pm. Easybus it also provides service between the airport and the center. The night bus, the N9, runs every 20 minutes and drops you at Trafalgar Square in 75 minutes. The price is 1 pounds. Obviously you can also take a taxi but it is expensive, between 50 and 45 pounds.
Gatwick Airport
It is south of London, 45 kilometers. It links London with 200 destinations in 90 countries and is used by 35 million people each year. It has two terminals, the North Terminal and the South Terminal. On the third floor of both is the Departures area. It is an airport with a simple design.
At Gatwick you can buy the Oyster Card. In general, this card is purchased in advance but you can also buy it here, in the North and South Terminal, when you leave Customs or at the airport train station.
There are different trains that connect Gatwick with London: is the Gatwick Express which is the fastest. It departs every 15 minutes from the South Terminal and takes you to London Victoria Station in half an hour with no intermediate stations. thameslink is another direct service that goes to Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St. Pancras International with four services per hour. Southern offers regular services to London Victoria via East Croydon and Clapham Junction.
By bus it is also possible with the services of National Express (Gatwick - Victoria Coach Station), every half hour. There are some services with intermediate stations. easyBus also has good frequency and it's cheaper, also running all night without intermediate stops. Calculate an hour of travel with this company.
Of course, you can also take a taxi and ask the driver for an estimate of the fare, but it is not as cheap as a train or bus.
Luton airport
It is north west london and it is one of the largest in the UK. It is the base of low-cost companies and is only 56 miles from central London. The best way to connect both points is by train because the airport has its own station.
El viaje takes about 21 minutes on East Midlands trains. thameslink It also operates here with services to Thameslink Farringdon, Blackfriars and St. Pancras International. Six trains depart every hour and one per hour at night. It takes about 40 minutes.
Another way to link the airport with London is by bus: National Express It has 75 services per day and the trip is an hour and a quarter, more or less. Stops are at St John's Wood, Finchley Road, Marylebone Portman Square, Golders Green, Victoria Rail Station, and Victoria Coach Station. easyBus It also operates with stops at Brent Cross, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Oxford Street / Marble Arch and London Victoria. The rate is from 2 pounds.
Another company is Terravision with low cost buses that depart every 20 minutes at point times and stop at Brent Cross, Baker Street and Marble Arch on their way to Victoria Coach Station. A standard ticket costs 15 pounds. Finally, GreenLine offers its service 757. Are you from a taxi? Well, they cost about 80 pounds ...
Stansted airport
It is to the northeast of London and is also used by many low cost companies. In fact, it is the third busiest airport in the UK and one of the fastest growing in Europe. It is about 60 kilometers from central London and links London with many European and Mediterranean destinations.
The airport is linked to London with trains and buses. The fastest medium is the Stansted Express, with services that depart from the station located below the terminal every 15 minutes. The trip is 47 minutes and 36 to Tottenham Hale, if you are looking to connect with Strafford and the Victoria Line of the tube. The service departs on the dot, and a quarter and a half to a quarter of every hour.
There are also buses, for example the National Express running all day linking the airport to Victoria bus station with stops at Golder's Green, Finchley Road, St John's Wood, Baker Street and Marble Arch. A second service stops at Liverpool Street via Strafford, Whitechapel, Shortich, Bethnal Green , Mile End and Bow. Rates start at £ 8.
easyBus is cheaper, operates every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week less Christmas. The trip takes an hour and a quarter direct to Baker Street with a fare from 2 pounds. You can book online and get better prices. Terravision It also operates here linking the airport with Central London with three possible services: direct to Victoria Coach Station, the route to Liverpool Street Station and the service to Stratford.
A taxi can cost 100 pounds. Black taxis do not operate here although from London to the airport you can take one. Taxis charge for night or weekend service.
City Airport
It is one of the most accessible airports in London because it is almost ten kilometers away nothing more. It is an airport widely used by business travelers and basically specializes in flights to New York. It is small and therefore much easier than the others. It has a single super complete terminal.
To this airport you can get there by metro, bus or taxi. The metro connects it very well with the city and has its own station on the Docklands Light Railway that takes you straight to the connecting stations (Canning Town, Stratford and Bank). The service runs every 15 minutes and has rates equal to those of the metro in general.
Local buses also link the airport: 473 and 474. For the short distance, taxis are widely used. For rates you can visit the airport website.
Southend airport
London's sixth airport, located 64 kilometers from London. You have two terminals and a good connection with the central area of the city. The train is basic so you can take advantage of services between the airport and London Liverpool Street Station, via Stratford, all day and every 10 minutes. Allow less than an hour to travel.
You can also do this trip by bus. Maybe you arrive at night and cannot take advantage of the train or your flight leaves very early in the morning. Then there is no other than the bus and in this sense it is National Express with its night bus service that leaves the airport at 11:45 pm and arrives at Victoria Bus Station via Stratford and London Liverpool Street Station at 1:25 am. In reverse there is a service at 3:15 am that arrives at the airport around 5:10 am.
The First Group X30 buses they also operate here linking two airports, the Southend with the Stansted via Chelmsford, more or less every half hour.
Well, so far then with the six London airports. Coming to the English capital from the rest of the world it is possible that you enter through Heathrow but if you plan to travel to other destinations within Europe then some of these names will jump.