<>a>p>The city of London is one of the most popular capitals of the world and accordingly boasts 5 notable airports to help channel visitors into the UK. Central London is easily reached from each of the airports, as you can see from the brief overview below.
Heathrow Airport – Heathrow is located approximately 20km from the centre of London and benefits from its own London Underground station. The journey into the city centre takes up to 50 minutes however the cost is minimal at around $6 each way. Heathrow is by far the busiest of the 5 airports, with 5 terminals catering for 90 airlines that between them fly to over 170 worldwide destinations.
Gatwick Airport – Second only to Heathrow, Gatwick can be found 45km to the south of London’s centre. Better known for its frequent charter and discount flights, Gatwick is highly popular and as such it is well connected to London. By bus the journey takes an average of 90 minutes however trains regularly run from Gatwick to London Victoria as well.
Stansted Airport – Stansted is the definition of a budget airline hub but, despite the limited number of airlines, it is still London’s third busiest airport. It is located 48km northeast of the city center and there are convenient and reliable bus and train connections between the two. Stansted Bus and easyBus all would be your best options – they both send vehicles between the airport and Victoria Station, with the option to jump off at Marble Arch or Baker Street if you prefer.
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.
Alternatives to the 5 London Airports include the centrally located Birmingham Airport and Manchester Airport to the north. Both of these large international airports have very good transport links to London and the rest of the UK, meaning you can be anywhere within the country with just a few hours traveling.
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