Getting to the City
Airport system in London is the busiest in the world with six international airports and several smaller airports. 396 international destinations are connected with London’s airport system. The busiest is Heathrow Airport (LHR) located 26 kilometres south west of the city centre. Gatwick Airport (LGW) is the 2nd busiest and located 45 kilometres towards south.
Stansted Airport (STN) is 63 kilometres from city centre towards north. Luton Airport (LTN) is located towards North West from city centre at a distance of 55 kilometres. The City Airport (LCY) connecting New York and northern Europe is nearest to the city centre and located at a distance of 14 kilometres towards east. The sixth airport is Southend Airport (SEN) at a distance of 64 kilometres towards east of the city centre.
You can choose from a wide range of private transport and transfer services (including airport transfers) and book online from this Viator site.
Note- Since the currency accepted in London is British Pound Sterling (1 Pound is approximately 1.10 Euros, although conversion rate varies) all fares mentioned below are in Pound (£).
From Heathrow (LHR)
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express railway is the fastest way to reach London Paddington station. It takes only 15 minutes from terminal 2 and 3, and little more from terminal 4. A single ticket costs 25 Pounds during peak time (06:30am to 09:30am and 04:00pm to 07:00pm) whereas during off-peak time it costs 22 Pounds. Tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines, at the stations, Heathrow Express app and online.
Advance online ticket booking can save you money. You can purchase ticket on board; it will cost extra 5 Pounds. Children below 15 years are free if accompanied by an adult, age proof might be requested. Passengers reaching terminal 5 can avail free transfer trains to reach terminal 4.
London Underground
You can conveniently reach London from Heathrow by underground or Tube rail. Piccadilly line train will take an hour to reach city centre and you do not have to wait for more than 10 minutes to catch a train. There are three Tube stations at the airport, one for terminal 2 and 3 and other two are for terminal 4 and 5 respectively.
The first tube train departs for London central at 05:02am from terminal 4 and the last one departs from terminal 2 and 3 at 11:45pm. Check the timings for Friday to Sunday as it varies. For travel to zone 1 (Central London) the fare is 6 Pounds by cash and for zone 1 to 6 for unlimited rides in a day the fare is 18.10 Pounds.
TfL Railways Overground
Another convenient way to reach London Paddington is TfL Railways or the London Overground local trains. You can catch trains from terminal 4 as well as terminal 2 and 3; it will take around 40 minutes to reach Paddington. Individual tickets as well as Travelcards for 1 to 6 zones are available, you can also use Oyster prepaid cards or contactless payment cards to travel. You need to detrain at Ealing Broadway to reach the central district, and it takes around 30 minutes.
The first train from terminal 4 leaves at 05:21am on weekdays, at 05:22am on Saturdays and at 06:01am on Sundays. The last train departs on weekdays and Saturdays from terminal 4 at 12:07am and on Sundays at 12:01am. Service frequency is 10 minutes while on Sundays it is 15 minutes. It costs 10.20 Pounds to reach Paddington during peak hours and 10.10 Pounds during off-peak time. For Ealing Broadway the ticket price is 7.30 Pounds during peak and 6 Pounds during off-peak hours.
National Express Coach
National Express Coach is a bus service connecting Heathrow with the various parts of the city. The buses are available almost all day from terminal 2, 3, 4 and terminal 5. The fare starts from 10 Pounds and it varies depending upon your destination. Book online from nationalexpress.com in advance and it will cost you lesser.
Taxis and Transfers
You will find the famous London black taxies outside the gate of each terminal. Taxi takes an hour to reach central district and it costs approximately 45 to 70 Pounds depending upon your destination. You can also book private airport transfers like WeKnowLondon or minicabit. They can be booked online. WeKnowLondon services are available outside terminals from 5:30am till midnight. Minicabit service is available 24 hours and the price starts from 38 Pounds to reach London Broadway (central district), it will take around half an hour. Note that payment for minicabit can be done through card only.
From Gatwick (LGW)
Gatwick Express
There are nonstop train services from Gatwick airport to Victoria station at an interval of 15 minutes. It takes around half an hour to reach and costs around 18 Pounds. You will get 10% discount booking it online.
Southern Trains
You can reach London Victoria by Southern Trains from the airport. It will take around 35 minutes to reach with a service frequency of 15 minutes. Tickets cost around 12 Pounds.
Thameslink Railway
There is another railway service that connects Gatwick with London Bridge…Thameslink Railway. Service is available in every 15 minutes and it takes around 40 minutes to reach. It costs around 12 Pounds to reach London Bridge station.
National Express (Bus Service)
National Express bus service will take around 1 and half to 2 hours’ time to reach London Victoria from the Gatwick airport. It will costs around 8 Pounds and can be booked online. The service is available 24/7.
easyBus
The easyBus service is the cheapest way to reach the city from the airport. Costs only 2 Pounds for a ticket. It takes around 2 hours to reach the city.
Taxi
Taxis might take an hour to reach London Central depending upon the rush. Taxis are available at both the terminals. It will cost around 90 Pounds to reach central London. For advance booking you can call +44 (0) 1293 567700 or else log on to www.gatwickairport.com.
From Other Airports
Stansted Airport (STN)
Stansted Express trains connect to London central and take only 47 minutes. You will get a train at every 15 minutes and it costs 7 Pounds if booked in advance. The train service of Trainline not only connects the airport to London, but many other parts of UK as well. The station at the airport is just 2 minutes walk from the terminal. It costs around 26 Pound to reach London Bridge and takes around 1 hour and 25 minutes.
You can also reach the city centre by National Express bus service which is available 24/7 and takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. If booked in advance you can get your ticket at the lowest price of 5 Pounds. You can book a taxi by calling +44 (0) 1279 661 111 (outside UK) or 0800 747 737 (inside UK) or else can book a minicabit. It costs around 83 Pounds by minicabit and takes 1 hour 20 minutes to reach London Victoria. Other taxis cost over 100 Pounds. There are rental cars as well.
Luton airport (LTN)
Train is one good option to reach City Thameslink and London Blackfriars stations and from there you can take a subway train to reach your desired destination. It takes around 25 to 30 minutes to get into the city. The frequency is 10 minutes on an average during peak time. There are night trains as well. It costs around 18 Pounds.
Bus bays and Coach pickup points are just outside the arrival hall. You will find National Express service at the bus bay area. They operate two routes… route A1 goes to London Victoria coach station and route A2 goes up to Paddington station via Baker Street. It takes around 50 minutes. The service frequency is 15 minutes and is available 24/7.The fare of National Express starts from 12 Pounds. Route number 757 of Green Line Coach Service also connects central London with the airport. The fare is 11 Pounds.
There are regular taxis available at the taxi rank outside the terminal building. It takes around 1 hour 30 minutes to reach central area of London by regular taxi and costs around 70 pounds. Car rentals are also available at the airport.
City airport (LCY)
There are 4 options to get into the city from City Airport… Docklands Light Railways (DLR), Buses, Black Taxis and Car hire. DLR is excellent and takes around 35 minutes… service frequency is 7 to 10 minutes. You will get trains from 5:30am until midnight on weekdays while Sunday service is available from 7:00am to 11:30pm. It costs around 5 to 6 Pounds depending on your destination.
National Express does not serve the City airport but you can catch their bus from Canary Wharf located close to the airport. You can also get regular buses from there (route number 473 and 474) to reach Woolwich and Silver Town and then take a connecting transport to reach central London. Usual black taxis are available outside the terminal… fare will be around 25 Pounds to reach London Central taking around an hour to reach. You can also hire private taxis or cars from various companies.
Southend airport (SEN)
Train is the easiest option to get into the city centre from this airport. You will find trains in every 7 and half minutes during peak time. It will take around 55 minutes and will cost around 17 Pounds (Fare is more during Peak hours). There is one bus route (No. X 30) that goes to Southend Central station taking 11 minutes; from there you can reach central London by train and it takes another one hour.
Shared taxi service is another good option to reach central London. First get to Shenfield by taxi marshal service which costs 15 Pounds per passenger and takes 30 minutes. From there you will get connecting transport for London city centre. For more information you can visit www.southendairport.com .
Public Transport
London is one of the busiest cities in the world. The local transport system is extensive and easy to use. There are 9 fare zones in London and the central London comes under zone 1 & 2 while Heathrow airport is in fare zone 6.
St Pancras station is one of the most important railway stations in London that connects other parts of Europe. Paris, Antwerp, Lille, Amsterdam, Schiphol, Rotterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt are connected by Eurostar and East Midlands trains to St Pancras, London. Heathrow Express connects Heathrow airport with St Pancras.
Transport for London or the TfL is responsible for the public transportation system in London, that includes Tube, TfL rail, DLR, London Overground, tram and bus services.
Bus Service
Red double-decker buses are an icon of London transportation system and also the most affordable option to travel around the city. They are quick, convenient and cheap. You can travel almost to any destination within the city periphery by buses. Sitting on the top deck will give you ample opportunities of sightseeing. You can’t however pay by cash; you need to use your Oyster card (or alternatively contactless payment card issued by UK banks).
The single minimum bus fare is 1.50 Pounds. Travelling by buses and trams all day around London will cost you only 4.50 Pounds using the same ticket or the contactless payment card. Most of the London bus routes operate for 24 hours. You will find a digital display inside the bus with the information of upcoming stoppages. When you find the bus approaching your stoppage, press the red button to make it stop at your destination. Apart from the heritage Routemaster buses, all 8,500 buses in London are low floor vehicles allowing passengers with wheelchairs and prams easy access. London buses are free for wheelchair users.
London Underground or Tube
The backbone of London’s transport is London Underground rail network or the Tube. It is also the first metro network in the world. The Tube is an integral part of all Londoners life. The Tube network’s 11 lines are divided into 9 zones. London Central or the central zone comes under zone 1. Underground trains operate from 5am until midnight on weekdays with reduced hours on Sundays.
Visitor Oyster card, Oyster card, Contactless payment card and Travelcard are accepted in Tubes. There are 5 Tube lines that operate 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays and these lines are Victoria, Central, Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly. Night Tube charge is standard off-peak rate. The service frequency is 5 minutes during peak time and 10 minutes during rest of the time including night services. With Oyster card or contact-less card a single ride costs only 2.40 Pounds. TravelCard (valid for one or more days) allows unlimited free travel in London tube.
Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a unique driverless light railway system. It serves southeast and eastern part of London. This railway system is also connected with city’s Tube network. DLR is the best option to access East London, dock areas, City airport and Emirates airline cable car. Travelcards, Contactless Payment Cards, Visitor Oyster cards and Oyster cards are accepted. The operative time of DLR is from 5:30am to 12:30am during weekdays and from 7:00am to 11:30pm on Sundays. The fare structure is same as Tube. Easy wheelchair access.
Overground Trains
Overground Train service in London not only connects different parts of city, it also travels beyond the Tube network. This local (suburban) train network (TfL Railway) connects with Tube network quite effectively. Like Tube it accepts major travel passes. Cards are accepted by most of national railways within the zone of 1-9 of the city.
Presently there are 6 lines that connect over two third part of the greater London. Fare depends on lines and time you travel. Travelcards are not accepted for Heathrow Express, Gatwick Express and Stansted Express.
London Trams
Tramlink was first introduced in the year 2000 in South London. It has 4 lines and connects Wimbledon and Beckenham. It is a very popular transport system among south Londoners. Tram ride is free for wheelchair users. Trams are available during day time with a frequency of maximum 10 minutes. Trams are step-free thus making it easily accessible for wheelchairs and Prams.
River Bus Services
A river cruise on Thames is an excellent way to enjoy London’s cityscape. There are frequent river bus routes. River bus trips offer onboard refreshments. There are five different routes. One day river roamer ticket will give you an opportunity to hop on and hop off and it costs 19 Pounds for an adult. Oyster card and Visitor Oyster cards are accepted. There is another ferry service known as Woolwich Ferry that connects Woolwich with North Woolwich.
Black Taxi
Black London taxis are also as famous as the red buses. Watch out for yellow taxi sign… if it is on then it is available for hire. You can hail a black cab on the streets. You will also find taxi ranks at all the important places. You can book a taxi over phone as well by calling 0343 222 4000. There is a minimum fare of 2.60 pounds.
Visit Black Taxi Fares for more detailed information on black cab fares. Note that an extra charge of 2 Pounds is added in case of online or telephone booking, and if hired from Heathrow airport’s taxi rank you will have to pay an excess fare of 2.80 Pounds. All black taxis are wheelchair accessible.
Emirates Airline Cable Car
Take a ride on Emirates Airline Cable Car to get a bird’s eye view of the city. It also connects Greenwich Peninsula with Royal Victoria Dock across river Thames. This is a 10-minute ride with a frequency of 30 seconds. Pay by visitor Oyster card. Wheelchair user and cyclists can access this service.
The fare is 3.50 Pounds for adults and 1.70 Pounds for Children. On weekdays the service is available from 07:00am, on Saturdays from 08:00am and on Sundays from 09:00am. The service closes at 10:00pm on Monday to Thursday and Sunday, at 11:00pm on Friday, Saturday and Bank holidays. This is the only urban cable car in United Kingdom.
Transport Passes
There are several types of passes… Railcard, Oyster Card, London Travelcard, London Pass etc.
Railcard
Railcard is a useful way of saving money while you travel in UK by train. Railcard is valid for British Railways. You can get up to 33% discounts on railway tickets with this card. This card is mainly useful for those who would stay relatively long in Britain (including in London). There are 7 types of Railcard available. 16-25 Railcard is basically a student friendly travel card. It is for the age group between 16 to 25 years and costs 30 Pounds for a year; one can buy a 3 years card for 70 Pounds.
Two Together Railcard is for two persons both over 16 years travelling together. Annual card costs 30 Pounds. The Network Railcard is useful for those above 16 travelling in south east London. It too costs 30 Pounds for a year. Presently 26-30 Railcard is available on a trial basis and as the name suggests this card is for the age group between 26 to 30 years and it costs the same.
Family and Friends Railcard allows up to 4 adults and 4 children to travel together with one single card. Children up to 15 years get 60% discount on rail tickets. Price is same as other Railcards. Senior Railcard is for a person over 60 years age. Price is same. Person with disability qualifies for a Disabled Persons Railcard. This card allows a friend to travel along with the card holder. The cost is 20 Pounds for a year. Note that only possessing these cards is not enough to travel; you will get discounts against these cards while buying rail tickets.
London Travelcard
Travelcard allows you unlimited travel without paying additional fares. It is applicable in London Underground railway network, red local bus of the city, railway networks in greater London, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), TfL Railway (local trains) and over ground railway networks. You also get 33% discounts on scheduled river cruises. This card is not accepted in Heathrow Express trains but accepted by underground, TfL rail service and red bus from Heathrow.
Apart from the London City airport other four airports are located outside the city periphery, thus Travelcard is not accepted while travelling to or from those airports. City airport is connected by DLR which is covered under this travel pass. There are 6 travel zones in London. Since most of the tourists attractions are located in Zone number 1 and 2, the best option for you is to buy Travelcards covering such zones although 1 day card is not available for zone 1-2 and zone 1-3. If you are staying for 5 days or more, a 7-day Travelcard is a perfect choice for above mentioned zones.
Here are the prices for different cards: 1 day card for zone 1-4 costs 12.70 Pounds. 1 day card for zone 1-5 (as well as zone 1-6) costs 18.10 pounds during peak hours (4:30am to 9:29am Monday to Friday) and 12.70 pounds during off-peak hours.
Cost of 7 days Travelcard are as follows… 34.10 Pounds for Zone 1-2; 40 pounds for zone 1-3, 49 Pounds for zone 1-4, 58.20 Pounds for zone 1-5 and 62.30 Pounds for zone 1-6. Monthly and yearly Travelcards are also available. There are various concessions available for senior travellers and children. You can get your Travelcard from the station ticket office, vending machines and online from www.tfl.gov.uk.
Oyster Card
Oyster card is one of the best possible ways to travel in London by public transport. It can be recharged along with London Travelcard’s various offers. It is a contactless smart card and you need to tap on and off at the card scanner during your journey. Once topped up with enough balance, you are eligible to travel by bus, tram, tube, DLR, TfL, London Overground, River Bus Services, National Railway services and Emirates Air Line Cable Car. This card allows you discounted fares for each journey compared to full fares by cash.
You need to sign up online to get your Oyster card and it will be delivered to your address or else you can choose to pick it up on your arrival at London. The pickup spots will be displayed as you sign up at www.tfl.gov.uk for an Oyster card. You can also download the Oyster app in your mobile phone to use it. While there are many designated places to top up but the best option is paying online. The app also shows you the nearest location for top up. The Oyster card is called Visitors Oyster Card for travellers from outside UK and has almost same features.
London Pass
London Pass is a great option for tourists to visit most attractions within London. It offers free entry to over 80+ attractions, fast track entry by avoiding long queues, free one day hop on hop off bus trip and you can also add up an Oyster travel card with your London pass to cover all your transport needs. You can apply online for your London pass through www.londonpass.com and there are options for shipping the card to your home address or else you can collect it upon your arrival at London.
Bus and Tram Pass
London Bus and Tram Pass are valid for travelling in London irrespective of any zones and issued for unlimited rides for a specified period. One day pass costs 5 Pounds and you are eligible to travel until 4:29am of the following day. A 7-day pass costs 21.20 Pounds, a pass valid for one month costs 81.50 Pounds and the yearly pass costs 848 Pounds. This pass is available from ticket machines at all types of transport stations.
Contactless Payment Card
Most UK banks issue credit/debit cards or prepaid cards (with a chip embedded) which can be used to travel in London. These cards are good for purchases of up to 30 pounds at a time (no need for a Pin or signature) and can be used in public transports similar to Oyster cards. They are valid in bus, Tube, tram, DLR, Overground, TfL, River Bus, National Railway and Emirates Air Line Cable Car.
Getting To Major Attractions
(All journeys are from city centre)
The geographical centre of London city is located at the south of Trafalgar Square. Charing Cross is the nearest underground station (roughly 250 metres from the centre).
Tower Bridge attracts tourists from all parts of the world. To get there you can either take a train from Charing Cross towards Hayes or from Embankment station (3 minute walk from Charing Cross) towards Liverpool Street. If y8ou board from Charing Cross you need to get down at London Bridge station but from there you need to walk for almost a kilometre. If you take a tube from Embankment station, you need to get down at Tower hill station and then walk for 600 metres. You can also take a bus (line 15) from Trafalgar Square (Stop F) towards Tower hill and get down at Tower of London (Stop TB).
Another great attraction of London is Big Ben and Westminster. Take a tube from Embankment station either towards Ealing Broadway or towards Richmond and get down at Westminster station. Journey time by tube is only a minute. If you enjoy walking you can walk down from Trafalgar Square to Big Ben… the distance is around 1 kilometre.
London Eye provides breathtaking view of cityscapes as well as skyline of London. Getting there by a tube is the easiest way. Take a tube train towards Kennington and get down at Waterloo Underground station and then walk for half a kilometre.
The changing of guards at the Buckingham Palace London attracts many tourists from around the world. You should ideally combine this visit along with Big Ben and Westminster. The guard changing ceremony takes place at 10:45am daily and lasts for 45 minutes. You can also walk down from Trafalgar square to Big Ben via Buckingham Palace.
Tower of London (the medieval fortress and the official Royal Palace of Her Majesty) is located on the northern bank of Thames River. Take a tube towards Upminster or Barking from Embankment Underground station and disembark at Tower Hill station and then walk for 400 metres. Tube journey time is only 9 minutes.
Visits to Madame Tussauds, Regent Park and Sherlock Holmes Museum at Baker Street can be combined together. Take a tube towards Queen’s park and get down at Baker Street Station. From there Madam Tussauds is only a 1 minute walk.
Day Trips by Trains
A visit to The New Forest National Park would rejuvenate your senses with its lush green surroundings, grazing ponies, highland cattle and pigs. Take a train from Waterloo station towards Weymouth and get down at Totton (journey time is roughly 1 and half hours). From there take a Bluestar line 6 bus towards Lymington. You can also reach there by coach, bus service and car. For more information you can visit The New Forest Website. Train ticket costs around 44 pounds.
Dungeness is often referred as the only desert of Britain, and is actually the loneliest beach. Take a train from St Pancras International station towards Sandwich via Ashford and disembark at Dover Priory. From rail station bus stop (Stop S) take a line 102 bus towards Lydd and get down at The Pilot. Total journey time is around 2 hours 45 minutes. Train ticket costs around 45 pounds.
Cambridge, a smaller, quieter and some say prettier than Oxford is another great place for a day trip. King’s Cross to Cambridge is a 50 minute ride by train (towards Kings Lynn). A single journey ticket costs around 25 pounds.
Make a day trip to the Deal and see the beautiful Georgian town houses. Do not forget to visit the Deal Castle. Take a train from St Pancras International towards Sandwich via Ashford and get down at Deal. Journey time is around 1 hour 20 minutes and a single journey adult ticket costs around 45 pounds.
Hiring Bicycles
There is a public bicycle scheme to get a bike for hire. There are over 750 docking stations all around the city with over 11,000 bikes to hire from. This Santander Cycles commonly called Boris Bikes by Londoners can be hired for 24 hours. One time access fee for 24-hours is 2 pounds; however there are other time bound fees. You can make several journeys… first 30 minutes of each journey is free and is covered within the access fee, after which you pay 2 pounds for each additional 30 minutes of a journey. So if you make short journeys within 30 minutes each and return the bike to docking station, your total cost remains 2 pounds.
Car Rentals
The per day rent ranges from 16 Pounds to 40 Pounds depending upon the make & model. Here are some of the well-known car rental companies:
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car- (Website: www.enterprise.co.uk)
- Hertz- (Website: www.hertz.co.uk/p/car-hire/uk/london)
- Europcar- (Website: www.europcar.co.uk)
- Sixt Car Hire- (Website: www.sixt.co.uk)
Scooter/Motorbike Rentals
The starting rate is 50 Pounds per day on an average. Following are some of the well-known rental companies:
- London Motorcycles- (Website: www.londonmotorcycles.london)
- City Bike Service- (Website: www.citybikeservice.co.uk)
- About Town Motorcycle & Scooter Hire Ltd- (Website: www.abouttownbikehire.co.uk),
- Scootech City- (Website: www.scootech.co.uk)
London City Tours
Various city tours are available in London on tourist buses.
One day City Tour gives an opportunity to explore London with unlimited hop on hop off use in 24 hours. It has 7 routes along with 3 walking tours and one way river cruise. Tour price starts from 30.50 Pounds.
48 hour City Tour and 72 hours City Tour offer are same as above but one can enjoy these tours for two and three consecutive days respectively. The cost of 48 hour tour is 40 Pounds and of 72 hours is 50 Pounds.
Transport Tips
- All vehicles move along the left side of the road. Look at your right side first before crossing the road
- Download citymapper app in your mobile phone
- You can also call a Uber or Minicab instead of hiring a Black Taxi
- The transportation system in London has great wheelchair accessibility in general
- If your contactless debit or credit card is issued outside UK then check your bank’s charges before you use it in London
- There is no need to tip the drivers of black taxis
- If you want to stand on the escalator then stand on the right side, left side is for movers
- Do tap your travel passes during each journey or else you will attract a minimum fine of 8 Pounds.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.