Travel to London center from the many airports
Air travel remains a popular way to travel to London. The metropolis has no less than six commercial airports, five of which are flown from the Netherlands. In this blog an overview of the London airports, which airlines fly to them from the Netherlands and the transport options to central London.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Number of passengers per year: 78 million
Distance to center: 23 kilometers
Flights: British Airways (Schiphol, Brussels and Düsseldorf), KLM (Schiphol), Brussels Airlines (Brussels), Eurowings (Düsseldorf).
London Heathrow is London's largest airport and is mainly used by Dutch passengers to transfer to an intercontinental British Airways flight. For passengers who do have London as their final destination, there are several options to reach the city.
The fastest option is the Heathrow Expresss, which takes you from the airport to Paddington station in 15 minutes. However, it is also an expensive option if you only buy tickets on the spot. A one-way ticket costs £27 and a return ticket £42. Those who buy tickets online within 14 days before departure can save money. It only gets really cheap if you book more than 90 days in advance. One-way tickets are then available from just over 5 pounds. The Heathrow Expresss leaves every 15 minutes from terminals 2, 3 and 5.
A cheaper way to reach Paddington station by train is the TFL Train (former Heathrow Connect). This is a local train that takes two to three times longer compared to the Heathrow Expresss, but with a fixed price of 10 pounds is also a lot cheaper. The TFL train stops at terminals 2, 3 and 4 and departs every 30 minutes. Travelers from terminal 5, British Airways' home base, can reach the TFL train by boarding the free transfer train to terminals 2 and 3. This makes the trip take about 6 minutes longer.
The third option by rail is the Piccadilly line subway. This stops at terminals 1, 2, 3 and alternately with terminals 4 or 5 as the end terminals. A single ticket has a fixed price of 3 to 5 pounds, making it usually the cheapest option. However, this is also the least comfortable option: chances are you will have to stand during the journey due to crowds. On the other hand, one advantage of this subway is that it leaves every 10 minutes and also runs all night on Fridays and Saturdays.
An alternative to rail is the cab. A cab to Central London costs at least 40 pounds and takes from three quarters of an hour to an hour, depending on traffic. Should you wish to book a private transfer, we can also do that for you. For this please contact with us to fully customize your transfer.
London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
Source: London Gatwick Airport
Number of passengers per year: 35 million
Distance to center: 48 kilometers
Flights: Easyjet (Schiphol Airport), British Airways (Schiphol Airport)
London Gatwick is London's second airport and, in terms of passengers, is a mix of destination traffic and travelers transferring on a British Airways long-haul flight. The best known, most comfortable and fastest way to get to central London from this airport is the Gatwick Express, which takes 30 minutes to reach Victoria Station in the city center. From that station it is possible to transfer to various subway lines. Priced at 18 pounds for a one-way ticket, it is not the cheapest option, but those who book a few weeks in advance will only lose 12 pounds.
In addition, there are several other regional train connections available starting at £12 (€15). No idea which train is best suited for your business trip? We are happy to help you find the best connecting train to your travel needs and final destination.
A cab to downtown is a lot more expensive than traveling by public transportation, but perhaps you find this a nicer option because it allows you to be dropped off directly at your hotel or business appointment? We will gladly take care of it then before you can assume that a private transfer is waiting for you at the airport. So that you don't have the inconvenience of looking for a cab yourself and the transfer can be paid directly in advance. So no unexpected costs!
London City Airport (LCY)
Source: London City Airport
Number of passengers per year: 5 million
Distance to center: 11 kilometers
Flights: British Airways (Rotterdam Airport, Schiphol, Düsseldorf), KLM (Schiphol, Rotterdam The Hague Airport)
London City Airport is the second smallest of all London airports, but it is closest to the city center, making it popular with business travelers. The cheapest way to travel further is to take Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Bank Station (travel time 20 minutes) and transfer to the subway there. A ticket costs 5 pounds and is valid for both the DLR and the subway. An alternative is the cab. For that you pay around 30 pounds and it takes about half an hour to reach the center.
London Stansted Airport (STN)
Source: London Stansted Airport.
Number of passengers per year: 24 million
Distance to center: 68 kilometers
Flights: Easyjet (Schiphol Airport), Ryanair (Eindhoven)
Due to the large presence of budget airlines, a ticket to London Stansted Airport is often inexpensive. On the other hand, this airport is also the farthest from the city center. The easiest and fastest way to travel on to London is with the Stansted Express. This train leaves every 30 minutes during the day and takes just over three quarters of an hour to reach the centrally located Liverpool Street Station, where you can change to various subway lines. Those who buy a ticket just before departure will lose 10 pounds (starting price). As with Heathrow, it pays to buy a ticket on the website several months in advance. Then the price is 7 pounds. A cab is quite expensive because of the distance to the city center and you are over an hour away.
London Luton Airport (LTN)
Source: London Luton Airport
Number of passengers per year: 16 million
Distance to center: 47 kilometers
Flights: Easyjet (Schiphol Airport)
Like Stansted, London Luton Airport is also popular with budget airlines. There is no train station at the terminal itself, but there is one about two kilometers from the airport. A shuttle bus provides transportation between station and terminal. A train ticket from Luton Parkway Station to the city center costs 17 pounds and that includes the shuttle bus. In central London, the train stops at several stations, including Saint Pancras, Farringdon and City Thameslink. From there, with the exception of Farringdon, it is easy to transfer to the subway network. Travel time including the shuttle is about fifty minutes, depending on where you get off. A cab, with a journey time of one hour, takes a little longer and costs about 80 pounds, but then, of course, you are immediately at your final destination.
London Southend Airport (SEN)
Number of passengers per year: –
Distance to center: 68 kilometers
Flights: –
London Southend Airport currently has no passenger scheduled service at all. Due to the corona crisis, the airport has decided to withdraw because there is more than enough capacity available at the five other London airports. These airports are also closer to the London city center.
Travel Well!
Jetty ter Haar,
Manager of Operations Rotterdam
Update: This blog first appeared on Jan. 9, 2019 and was updated with new information on Dec. 2, 2021.
