Bangkok: hop on the boat to explore the impressive and affordable sightseeing that Bangkok has to offer ⛴🍜⛩
December 14, 2018
Things to do in London: visit a theatre and (free!) museums 🖼
January 9, 2019
Which London airport is closest to the city?
Which airport to choose in London? Which London airport is closest to the city? It’s good to know what London airport is best to fly into✈. Be prepared and know what airport is closest to London city centre. Or, as a matter of budget💸, has the cheapest transfer options to the city centre. When you know your airport in London, you can look at the transfer options to the city centre and the best location for your hotel. Also, the price of the transport 💰 by train or tube can differ much between airports. There might be cheap flights, but these might not always be the best considering location🚩 and the cost and time of transfer🚐.
Also make sure to check out my blog post about what to do in London ♥!
London City (LCY) 🏙: 20 minutes to Bank DLR Station by DLR
Which airport is closest to London? London City (LCY) airport, as the name does assume, is! Tickets to London City airport tend to be more expensive for this airport. Big pro: with the DLR service you can take the train into the city centre 🚅. Without changing trains, from London City airport you can get to Bank DLR Station in 20 minutes! If you want you travel time to your hotel to be as lowest as possible it’s advisable to look around Bank DLR for an hotel. These 20 minutes will cost you £2.80 off peak £3.30 peak (2018). Check the up-to-date prices at this website.Other destinations in London centre are of course reachable by public transport too from London City airport, it will take you probably two changes of train, at least one from DLR to subway (London Underground), with a travel time of about 45 minutes ⏱.
London Heathrow (LHR): 45 minutes to Piccadilly Circus by subway
Take a train to Heathrow? No need, just hop on the London Underground 🚇.London Heathrow (LHR) is not a very fancy airport in itself, but I really like that London Heathrow airport is connected to the London Underground. The blue Piccadilly line takes you to the city centre in 45 minutes.
To optimize you time in London when flying to London Heathrow airport, look for a hotel close to Green Park 🏞, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square. The 45 minutes in the tube will cost you £3.10 off peak or £5.10 peak (2018) 💷.
London Gatwick (LGW): trains to Gatwick – 30 minutes to London Victoria by train 🚆
London Gatwick (LGW), the main base of Easyjet, has a train station. Good to know which trains to Gatwick there are and how to take the train to Gatwick airport. It is 45 minutes by train from Gatwick to London city, to be precise: to Blackfriars station using the Thameslink train. This is without changing trains from London Gatwick airport. Prices for this train are £14.70 peak or £8.30 off peak (2018).Another train station in the city centre that you can reach directly from by Thameslink from London Gatwick airport is the main train station London St Pancras international. This will take you one hour by train🕐. Prices for this ride are £14.70 peak or £8.30 off peak (2018).
Other options from London Gatwick airport are the Southern train that will take you to Station London Victoria in 45 minutes (same price as above) and the Gatwick Express, a non-stop train between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport that only takes 30 minutes. There are different types of tickets available for the Gatwick Express https://www.gatwickexpress.com/tickets . An ‘anytime single’ ticket is £17,80 (2018).
Make sure to check the services of the trains from London Gatwick airport at the website of National Rail and of the Gatwick Express ℹ.
London Luton (LTN): train to Luton airport – shuttle + train = 60 minutes to St Pancras
Arriving at London Luton (LTN) will probably be with EasyJet or Wizz Air, as these are the two biggest airlines here. Go from Luton to London by train. London Luton (LTN) has a close by train station called Luton Airport Parkway railway station.From the London Luton airport you need to take a shuttlebus to the railway station (about 10 minutes). Then take the Thameslink train to London St Pancras, this will take about 30 to 40 minutes. Total travel time from London Luton (LTN) to Station London St Pancras International will be around one hour 🏙.
The price of the shuttlebus is £2.30 (cash only!) when your train ticket is to Luton Airport Parkway (LTN). The price of the shuttlebus 🚐 is included in a train ticket to Luton Airport (LUA), a single ticket will cost you £12.70 (2018).
For the most up to date information please visit the website of London Luton and the website of Thameslinkℹ.
London Stansted (STN): train to Stansted – Stansted Express train 45 minutes to London Liverpool Street
London Stansted (STN), the base of Ryanair, is located in Essex. London Stansted (STN) has its own train station, called Stansted Airport railway station. It’s very easy and convenient to take the train from and to Stansted, with the Stansted airport train.The Stansted Express train (Greater Anglia) takes you from London Stansted airport in 45 minutes to London Liverpool Street (single £17.00, return £29.00). You can hop on the London Underground from Liverpool Street in central London for the Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan line. Or hop off the Stansted Express after 30 minutes, at Tottenham Hale (single £16.20, return £26.90), for the Victoria line of the London Underground.
Check the website of the Stansted Express for the most up to date information and to buy tickets 🎫.
London Southend (SEN): one hour to Liverpool Street, pre-book for only £5.00! 💷
London Southend (SEN) is located far east from London city. Luckily London Southend airport (SEN) has its own train station called… Southend Airport 😉.The train service of Greater Anglia will take you from London Southend airport (SEN) to London Liverpool Street Station in just over one hour. When you book in advance the train will only cost you £5.00! 💸 Regular fare is £16.70 or £16.90.
Make sure to check times, prices and availability on the website of the National Rail. 🛤
Consider taking a train instead of flying to London 🚄
Airlines have often very low prices for flights to London. Sounds great, right? Please keep in mind that flying is very bad for the environment 🌳.If you have the possibility to go to London by train, you should also consider this.
Travel times between flying and taking a train don’t even differ that much when you start counting leaving your home and checking in to your hotel ⏲.
All you need to know in one table!
All you need to know about which airport has what travel time to the city centre by what mode of transportation and the prices.
|
Airport |
Time |
To |
Mode of transportation |
Single fare |
|
London City (LCY) |
20 minutes |
Bank DLR Station |
DLR |
£2.80 off peak £3.30 peak |
|
London Heathrow (LHR) |
45 minutes |
Piccadilly Circus |
London Underground |
£3.10 off peak or £5.10 peak |
|
London Gatwick (LGW) |
30 minutes |
London Victoria |
Thameslink train |
£14.70 peak or £8.30 off peak |
|
London Luton (LTN) |
60 minutes |
St Pancras International |
shuttlebus + Thameslink train |
£12.70 |
|
London Stansted (STN) |
45 minutes |
London Liverpool Street |
Stansted Express train |
£17.00 |
|
London Southend (SEN) |
60 minutes |
London Liverpool Street |
Greater Anglia train |
pre-book for only £5.00! regular £16.70 or £16.90 |
