London which airport

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No Saved Flights. But depending on traffic, journey times can be anywhere between 30 minutes and one hour and prices can be steep. Taxis can usually take five passengers, with some larger vehicles able to accommodate six, plus wheelchairs and buggies. Ride-share services such as Uber and business-travel oriented Addison Lee or minicabs -- as pre-booked cabs are known in the UK -- can be scheduled for private trips and will likely cost less than an on-the-spot taxi, but still be pretty pricey.

While Heathrow can at times feel like a shopping mall with an airport attached, it's unquestionably the best-served airport in London. Every major airline flies here and the facilities are largely excellent. Non-European Union arrivals should prepare for long queues at immigration.

Gatwick LGW. At around 25 miles from the city center, Gatwick is more mockney than cockney. Spread over two terminals North and South , which have been mercifully refurbished in recent years, Gatwick handled a massive That hefty distance from the city center means it can be both costly and time-consuming to get to and from Gatwick if you don't book transport in advance. Thanks to the UK's somewhat opaque rail ticketing system, it's all too easy for first-time visitors to wind up with the wrong ticket and on the wrong train.

Gatwick's train station is served by Gatwick Express , Southern and Thameslink trains. Gatwick's the most convenient airport if you're traveling to south coast destinations such as Brighton. The Gatwick Express, like the Heathrow Express, is similarly a bit pricey. Be aware that boarding a Gatwick Express train with a Southern or Thameslink ticket can leave you liable to a penalty fare.

This train line is also regularly hit by disruption, thanks to aging tracks and signals, industrial action and generally poor service. Southern is statistically the UK's worst train operator. Still, if you're traveling to and from south London, or even southern England, it's super convenient. Gatwick Airport train station is cramped and queues can get very long, so buy online and print tickets at home if you can.

If all that seems stressful and even for Londoners, it truly is , Gatwick offers its own taxi service to central London, with journey times taking up to 90 minutes. Again, traveling by taxi or minicab, whatever kind, is naturally going to be pricier than public transport.

Coaches run from Victoria coach station to Gatwick and are much more affordable than the train. National Express is also an option, with kiosks in both the North and South terminals. For the brave or just the foolhardy , Gatwick has impressive cycle access. It's on National Cycle Route 21 , which runs from Greenwich in south London, and has bike parking as well as bike lifts for getting in and out of the South terminal.

Ideal if you're off on a two-wheeled trip. Gatwick's security tends to be swifter than Heathrow's and immigration lines tend to move fast thanks to automatic gates. Its restaurants have also improved markedly in recent years. However, the overabundance of shops, much like Heathrow, means spaces to sit and relax before take-off are at a premium.

Stansted STN. With more scheduled flights to Europe than any other UK airport, Stansted is hugely popular with those taking budget flights to and from the continent. Originally a World War II airfield, it has a two-mile long runway designed to accommodate US Air Force Flying Fortresses, although today's planes are a lot smaller and far less menacing molten in-flight Ryanair toasted sandwiches notwithstanding.

Thirty miles equidistant between Cambridge and London and set in leafy Essex countryside, Stansted is easiest to reach from the east of the city.

Stansted is one of London's best spots for budget flights. The Stansted Express train service runs every quarter of an hour and takes 45 minutes to and from Liverpool Street in London's financial district.

The airport itself is huge. Make sure you know which terminal your flight is departing from as this could be detrimental to your stress levels. The airport has the luxuries of any other megalopolis central airport. Waiting queues can last from 45 minutes to 2 hours and this is considered normal. I feel compelled to advise that border agents do not care how long the wait is, as they are notoriously understaffed and overworked.

At the end of the day, you want to get into the UK and not into the boxed off area where they place you if they find an issue. The fare will be higher than traveling within central London as you will be traveling across multiple fare zones and there is no flat rate coming from the airport. London City Airport is the only true airport within the city limits of London.

Based near Canary Wharf, the airport serves mainly the business crowd. As a result, it is incredibly easy to get to and exceptionally efficient. In terms of airline selections, there are really no budget airlines to choose from and the airlines based at London City are quite expensive.

The airport is served by the Docklands Light Railway DLR which is a comfortable way to get to and from the airport to wherever you need to go in the city. Additionally, the people who usually utilize London City are experienced travelers so the atmosphere is quite calm.

Stansted is, perhaps, the best of the budget airline airports the others being Luton and Southend. The airport has recently streamlined itself which has increased efficiency.

First, you can expect to find popular budget airlines at Stansted, like Ryanair, EasyJet, and WOW air, with lots of destinations to choose from. However, transport to and from Stansted is limited and time consuming. Though there is only one terminal, the airport can be pretty stressful as many customers are battling with airline representatives over the fine print charges that come with budget airlines. As a result, you may find airline representatives at Stansted apathetic if your carry on bag is too heavy or too big.

In terms of airline selection, a handful of airlines operate out of Southend, including Easyjet, and Flybe budget regional airline. As this small airport has its own train station, it has a rail connection to Liverpool Street Station in London, via Greater Anglia trains, which usually takes around 50 minutes.