If you’re visiting London, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the number of airports in the city – but whether you’ve already booked your flight or are trying to choose the best option, you’ll need to consider how to get to central London from London’s airports.
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With four of the UK’s five busiest airports located near the capital, I’ve broken down the different options if you’re travelling from Heathrow to central London, as well as from Gatwick, Luton, Stansted or London City airport, to make it easy to compare routes and prices.
While taxis and airport transfers are always an option, I’ve focused on the public transport routes in this post – London is well connected, and even if you’re travelling with kids, it’s easy to travel from the airport to central London by train or tube.
Driving in central London is best avoided if possible, thanks to the congestion charge, ULEZ and pricy parking, although there is plenty of choice of car hire at the various airports if you’re visiting attractions on the outskirts of London after your flight.
Equally, there are coaches from most airports: sometimes cheaper and a useful back-up option if there are train strikes, the journeys are usually much slower and rarely my preferred option.
How to get from Heathrow to central London
If you’re travelling from Heathrow airport to central London, there are several different options using public transport so there’s plenty of choice depending on your eventual destination.
Piccadilly Line – London Underground
The cheapest way to travel from Heathrow to central London is via the Piccadilly line on the London Underground.
There are separate stops for the airport’s different terminals: one branch travels to terminals 2 & 3 and terminal 5, the other branch travels to terminal 4, then terminals 2 & 3.
Tickets: For the cheapest ticket price, use either contactless payment (bank cards or using a phone) or an Oyster card – always use the same method to touch in and out of stations and the total daily cost is capped at a maximum fare (currently £14.10 for travel between zones 1 and 6).
Oyster cards are available to buy at the Heathrow airport tube stops, as well as in advance. There’s a £5 charge and you need to add a minimum of £10 pay as you go credit.
Paper travelcards cost around a third more: £20.30 for a day travelcard for zone 1-6.
Children under 11 travel free on Tfl services, while there’s a 50% discount for those aged 11-15 – Tfl staff need to add this to an Oyster card, which can’t be done in advance.
For more tips on using the London Underground with kids, check out this post
Elizabeth Line – London Underground
The new Elizabeth Line is the latest addition to the tube network for a faster but more expensive way to travel from Heathrow airport to central London.
The carriages are also more spacious and air conditioned, and if you’re travelling to a station on the Elizabeth line, it will also cut down journey times.
It’s worth noting that until new tunnels open in November 2022, you need to change trains and platforms at Paddington if you’re continuing further along the Elizabeth line into central London – currently this means a walk from one end of the station to the other.
The old Heathrow Connect trains no longer operate – these were rebranded as Tfl rail in 2018 and have now been effectively replaced by the Elizabeth line.
Tickets: While the Elizabeth Line normally costs the same as other tube fares, the journey to and from Heathrow is an exception, so you’ll pay around £11.50 for a single journey, compared to £5.50 on the Piccadilly line – if you’re going to be making more journeys during the day, the daily fare cap still applies though.
For the cheapest ticket price, use either contactless payment (bank cards or using a phone) or an Oyster card. Always use the same method to touch in and out of stations and the total daily cost is capped at a maximum fare (currently £14.10 for travel between zones 1 and 6).
Oyster cards are available to buy at the Heathrow airport tube stops, as well as in advance. There’s a £5 charge and you need to add a minimum of £10 pay as you go credit.
Paper travelcards cost around a third more: £20.30 for a day travelcard for zone 1-6.
Children under 11 travel free on Tfl services, while there’s a 50% discount for those aged 11-15 – Tfl staff need to add this to an Oyster card, which can’t be done in advance.
For more tips on using the London Underground with kids, check out this post
Heathrow Express trains
The Heathrow Express service is the fastest way to travel from the airport into central London, taking 15 minutes non-stop to Paddington, with trains running every 15 minutes.
Trains leave Heathrow Central (for Terminal 2 and 3) as well as Terminal 5 station. If you arrive at Terminal 4, you need to travel to Heathrow Central which is free – either get a free inter-terminal transfer ticket from one of the machines in the station for your journey, or use your Oyster/contactless payment card, which won’t be charged.
As the trains are designed for those travelling to and from the airport, they have plenty of luggage space (unlike the tube lines which are don’t exclusively serve the airport), plus there’s free WiFi/
It is also the most expensive public transport option though, unless you book well in advance.
Tickets: If you can book in advance, a one-way Express Saver purchased online or using the mobile app costs from £5.50. There’s limited availability and it must be booked at least 90 days before travel.
These tickets are non-exchangeable and non-refundable but are valid for a full day, so you’re not committed to a specific train, in case of any airport delays.
Otherwise a single ticket costs £25, whether it’s bought at the station or online. These are also valid for the full day of travel but are refundable if your plans change.
A return ticket costs £37, valid for travel out within five days, and return any day within one month. Also refundable.
Children aged 15 years and under travel free in Express Class when accompanied by a paying adult (or can travel unaccompanied if they have proof of air travel such as a valid flight booking or boarding pass).
Coaches from Heathrow to central London
Both National Express and Megabus run coaches from Heathrow airport to central London, with the cheapest tickets costing from around £5-6. It’s worth bearing in mind that traffic in central London can delay these journeys
Megabus has a direct service to Victoria with a journey time of 45 minutes, which runs around every 30 minutes at peak times. These depart from Terminals 2 & 3.
National Express also has several direct services to London, including Hammersmith and Earl’s Court (journey time of around 30 minutes) and to Victoria (around one hour), with departures from Terminals 2 & 3 and Terminal 5.
How to get from Gatwick to central London
Around 30 miles south of central London in west Sussex, there are a choice of train companies and routes to bring you from Gatwick airport to central London.
The airport’s station is at the South Terminal: if you’re flying into or out of the North Terminal, there’s a free airport shuttle linking the two.
Southern trains to London Victoria & London Bridge
Southern runs a train service from Gatwick to both Victoria and London Bridge stations in central London (stopping at Clapham Junction).
Trains to Victoria follow the same route as the Gatwick Express and take around 30-35 minutes. As this is a standard rail route, it does stop along the way and may be busier than the Gatwick Express, but isn’t significantly slower.
Direct trains to London Bridge also take around 30-40 minutes.
Tickets: You can check the cheapest tickets for trains from Gatwick airport using TheTrainline site, but fares to Victoria and London Bridge cost from around £12.50.
You can buy train tickets at the station, online or by using your contactless payment card at the ticket gates.
While children under 11 travel free on Tfl services in central London, they do need to pay for tickets on local rail services once they’re aged 5+, with child fares for kids aged 5-16.
Thameslink trains to London Bridge, Blackfriars & St Pancras
Thameslink trains also run to London Bridge station, as well as to Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras International.
A direct train to St Pancras is ideal if you’re planning to connect to the Eurostar, or staying in north London, to avoid taking busier tube trains through central London and needing to change at Victoria or London Bridge. The shortest journey time is around 45 minutes.
Blackfriars (along with London Bridge) is also a good option if you’re staying around Southwark to be near the attractions on the South Bank – trains take around 30 minutes to London Bridge (although some are slower), around 35 minutes to Blackfriars.
If you’re changing airports, it’s worth knowing there’s also a direct Thameslink train from Gatwick to Luton Airport.
Tickets: You can check the cheapest tickets for trains from Gatwick airport using TheTrainline site, but fares to London Bridge cost from around £12.50, from around £12.90 to Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras.
You can buy train tickets at the station, online or by using your contactless payment card at the ticket gates.
While children under 11 travel free on Tfl services in central London, they do need to pay for tickets on local rail services once they’re aged 5+, with child fares for kids aged 5-16.
Gatwick Express trains
The dedicated Gatwick Express trains to Victoria station take around 30 minutes, with around two every hour.
While it’s the same route as Southern trains, the dedicated airport trains are designed for passengers with lots of luggage so it’s often a more comfortable journey, and there are no stops along the way.
Anytime tickets are valid for the entire day (up to 4.29am the next morning)
Tickets: You can save around 10% if you book tickets for the Gatwick Express in advance, and there’s an app (albeit slightly glitchy) to download and access them.
Fares cost £18.50 if bought online in advance, but you can also buy at the airport. You can also use an Oyster card or contactless but it will cost more – around £20.60 rather than £18.50.
Two children under five travel free per paying adult, while child fares for kids aged 5-16 cost as little as £2.
Coaches from Gatwick to central London
National Express coaches run from Gatwick airport to central London, departing from both the North Terminal (outside International Arrivals) and the South Terminal (lower forecourt, stops one to five). There’s a free shuttle between terminals.
Coaches cost from around £10 and take around two hours 30 minutes, travelling via Heathrow and Hammersmith. It’s worth bearing in mind that traffic in central London can delay these journeys
How to get from Stansted to central London
If you’re travelling by train, there’s only one route from Stansted airport to central London, with journey times to Liverpool Street Station taking around 50 minutes.
Although it appears that two different operators run the same route (Greater Anglia trains and the Stansted Express), the Stansted Express is a sub-brand of Greater Anglia, so however you choose to book, it’ll be the same journey.
But do make sure you’re booking any tickets from the correct place – nearby Stansted Mountfitchet has its own rail station, separate to the airport’s own station.
If you have accidentally booked the wrong stop, there are trains from Stansted airport to Stansted Mountfitchet, which only take around six minutes, but it will cost more overall travelling this way as well as taking longer. Trains from Stansted Mountfitchet will also take you to Liverpool Street.
Stansted Express/Greater Anglia trains
Trains depart around every 30 minutes and take around 50 minutes to reach Liverpool Street.
Trains stop along the way, including at Tottenham Hale station which is on the Victoria line in Zone 3 if you’re switching to the Underground – while this might save you time, it probably won’t save money though as ticket prices are usually the same or similar for both stops.
There are open return tickets available, valid for one month from departure, plus you can take any train rather than a specified time, in case your flight is delayed or rearranged.
Tickets: Advance tickets costing from £9.50 to Tottenham Hale, £9.70 to Liverpool Street but unless you’re booking well in advance, most tickets will cost from around £20.70 one-way to both Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale.
There are also non-refundable tickets which cost from around £12 – must be prebooked, with limited availability.
You can check the cheapest tickets for trains from Stansted airport using TheTrainline site to book a Greater Anglia service, but it’s often more straightforward to compare different options and find the cheapest rates if you search the Stansted Express site.
While children under 11 travel free on Tfl services in central London, they do need to pay for tickets on local rail services once they’re aged 5+, with a 50% discount on child fares for kids aged 5-16. There are also GroupSave and WebDuo offers for extra discounts if your group qualifies.
Coaches from Stansted airport to central London
There are two coach companies running from Stansted to different stations in central London. It’s worth bearing in mind that traffic in central London can delay these journeys.
National Express has several different routes, including the quickest journey to London Stratford. There’s also a coach to Victoria bus station via north London, Baker Street and Marble Arch, and another to Liverpool Street and the east end.
Fares start from around £11, and the quickest journey time is 50 minutes to Stratford. The routes to Stratford and Liverpool Street are the most regular.
Or Airport Bus Express has coaches to Liverpool Street and Stratford, with tickets costing from £6 if bought in advance, but there are currently very limited services late at night and in the early hours.
How to get from Luton airport to central London
If you’re travelling by train, there’s only one route from Luton to central London, with Thameslink services from Luton Airport Parkway.
There’s a shuttle bus to take you from the airport itself to the train station, so you need to factor in at least another 10 minutes to actually reach Luton Airport Parkway.
If you book train tickets from Luton airport, the shuttle bus is included in the fare, otherwise you need to pay for that separately using contactless (priced £2.40 for a single fare, 50% discount for kids).
Thameslink trains
Thameslink trains run around every 20 minutes on average at peak times, with the route travelling to St Pancras, Farringdon and Blackfriars (and onwards to Gatwick)
The journey to St Pancras takes between around 25 and 40 minutes (excluding the shuttle bus journey).
The journey to Farringdon and Blackfriars takes around 40-50 minutes.
Tickets: You can check the cheapest tickets for trains from Luton airport using TheTrainline site, with fares to St Pancras costing from as little as £3 if you book in advance.
The majority of tickets to St Pancras, Farringdon and Blackfriars cost from around £16.50 though.
You can buy train tickets at the station, online or by using your contactless payment card at the ticket gates.
While children under 11 travel free on Tfl services in central London, they do need to pay for tickets on local rail services once they’re aged 5+, with child fares for kids aged 5-16.
Coaches from Luton airport to central London
There are two coach companies running services from Luton to central London. It’s worth bearing in mind that traffic in central London can delay these journeys.
National Express runs coaches 24 hours per day with four departures per hour in daytimes, both travelling through Baker Street and north London. The first route goes to Victoria Coach Station, also via Marble Arch, while the second goes to Paddington Station.
Tickets cost from £5, with a journey time of around 1 hour 20 to Paddington, 1 hour 45 to Victoria, and 50 minutes to Golders Green (on the Northern line in Zone 3)
Green Line coach service also runs an hourly service between 4am and midnight from Victoria Coach Station via Marble Arch, Baker Street and stops in north London. Journey time is around 1 hour 20 minutes.
How to get from London City airport to central London
The closest airport to the centre of London, London City airport is also the smallest – excluding London Southend airport (officially one of the capital’s six airports, London Southend is 40 miles away in Essex, so rarely the most useful option for visitors to London).
As London City airport is constantly growing, there’s an increasing chance you might find yourself landing here, but the good news is that if you’re travelling from London City airport to central London, it’s one of the easiest journeys to make as it’s already on the Tfl network.
DLR (Docklands Light Railway)
The airport is on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway), which is part of the Tfl network so it’s very easy to connect to tube trains and other parts of the London underground, and you won’t need a separate ticket.
The London City Airport DLR station is in Zone 3 and trains depart every eight to 15 minutes. The Citymapper app is a good way to compare different routes, but it’s a 30-minute journey to Bank and a similar time to Tower Gateway, or less than 20 minutes to Stratford International.
Alternatively, there is a bus route which covers London City Airport. The 473 runs towards Stratford International as well, which takes just under 30 minutes, but realistically, it’s unlikely to be a better option than the DLR.
Tickets: For the cheapest ticket price, use either contactless payment (bank cards or using a phone) or an Oyster card – always use the same method to touch in and out of stations and the total daily cost is capped at a maximum fare (currently £9 for travel between zones 1 and 3).
Oyster cards are available to buy at the DLR counter near the airport terminal building, as well as in advance. There’s a £5 charge and you need to add a minimum of £10 pay as you go credit.
Paper travelcards cost around a third more: £14.40 for a day travelcard for zone 1-3.
Children under 11 travel free on Tfl services, while there’s a 50% discount for those aged 11-15 – Tfl staff need to add this to an Oyster card, which can’t be done in advance.
For more tips on using the London Underground with kids, check out this post
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission
Images courtesy of Depositphotos
