London

London attracts so many visitors from around the world that it needs to have five airports to accommodate them all. What follows is a brief overview of each of those airports and details of how you can travel between them and Central London.

Heathrow Airport - Heathrow is London's largest airport and is the world's busiest for international passengers. It has five terminals and acts as a regional base to more than 90 airlines, which fly to over 150 destinations worldwide. It is located 22km west of Central London. The cheapest way to get to Central London from Heathrow is by using the London Underground. The journey takes less than an hour - though it will depend on your final destination - and costs around $6.

Gatwick Airport - Gatwick, located 45km south of the city center, is London's second-largest airport. It is the main hub for discount and charter airlines. The journey from Gatwick Airport to central London, takes anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. To avoid potential traffic problems, you might want to consider a train instead, which will take you directly from the airport to Victoria Station.

Stansted Airport - This popular airport is very much a budget airline destination however it is still the third busiest of the London airports. The transport links to the city centre are understandably very good and the 48km journey can be made in a variety of ways. Companies such as easyBus, Terravision and Stansted Bus run frequent services to many London sites including Baker Street, Marble Arch and Victoria Train Station.

Luton Airport - Luton Airport is located 56km north of London. It is a small airport (it has just a single runway airport) and it is predominantly used only by budget airlines flying to various destinations around Europe. As the airport is relatively far from central London, and involves going through busy areas, getting there by care or bus requires time and planning. There is a train station near to the airport though, which will get you to the city center in less than an hour.

London City Airport - Although this small inner-city airport only offers a single runway it is highly popular with business travelers destined for the financial district of London. Located close to Canary Wharf the London City Airport is just 11km from the city centre and is well connected via the Docklands Light Railway and a plethora of bus services. It is worth mentioning that planes landing here must be able to perform short take-offs and equally short landings.

International airports outside London include Birmingham and Manchester, both of which offer an alternative to the airports of London. Birmingham airport is central to the UK while Manchester is located in the north. Both have outstanding transport links to all the major cities of the UK, including of course London.

London

London Attractions

London Attractions