Find out about the best London Airport Transfers from every airport in London. When you visit London, you will more than likely arrive via one of four main airports, or the Eurostar.
Transfer from the airport can sometimes be more expensive than the flight itself. Therefore, make sure you follow my guide for the best London Airport Transfer options.
You might ask yourself, which airport is closest to the city centre? Heathrow is the closest, and the others are roughly equal distance away in different directions. It doesn’t really matter, as whichever airport you arrive at, there is easy transport options from all of them to take you to the centre of London.
With all of my suggestions, average time from all airports is about an 60 – 70 minutes or so, so don’t worry too much about choosing any airport in particular.
Whichever airport you arrive at, I highly recommend you download the Trainline App, as it provides a timetable, what platform you need to go to, and cost of each journey. I also advise to download one of the many free London Tube Apps, as this makes planning your journey very easy.
London Gatwick (LGW)
Transfer from Gatwick Airport to central London is best via National Rail. Once in Central London, it is easy to then switch to the Tube or Bus to take you to your final destination.
The railway station is located in the South Terminal, LGW has two terminals, North and South. If you arrive in the North terminal, take the free shuttle bus to the South Terminal. The train station is well signposted, and is easily accessible from the Arrivals lounge.
You can buy train tickets at the station, or just use your contactless card if you have one (no need to queue).
There is direct trains to a number of central stations, including London Victoria, London Bridge, Clapham Junction, London St Pancras and Farringdon.
Trains run approximately every 20 to 25 minutes and take less than one hour, and will cost £10.00.
Be aware, the last train is usually about 12.30 am, and they start again at 6 am. So, if you arrive after this time, it’s actually quite difficult to get to London. I would advise planning your flight not to arrive later than this time, or your only option is a taxi, which is likely to cost about £60 or so.
London Heathrow (LHR)
Transfer using the London Underground
Transfer from Heathrow Airport to central London is best via the Underground. LHR is the easiest airport to travel to the City from, as you can enter the underground directly from the airport.
Heathrow Airport has 4 terminals (2,3,4 & 5. Terminal 1 closed in 2015). LHR is at the end of the Piccadilly underground line, and connects to all of the terminals, so it doesn’t matter where you arrive.
Signs to the Underground are well signposted throughout the airport.
You can buy tickets at the station, or just use your contactless card if you have one. The cost of your journey will depend on your final destination; if you are travelling to central London, it will cost you only £6.00. If you need to switch to a different underground line, the price will be the same, so don’t worry.
Transfer using Heathrow Express
If you are in a hurry a more expensive but faster option is the Heathrow Express. This is a direct train from Heathrow to Paddington Station. From there, you can then use the underground to go elsewhere in London as necessary
London Stansted (STN)
Transfer from Stansted Airport to central London is best via National Express Coach. There is 4 services, A6, A7, A8 and A9. One of them will likely take you close to your destination.
The services run every 20 minutes, and take between 60 and 80 minutes depending on your final destination and the traffic.
Check the National Express Website for their routes. You can pay as you board, or book in advance. Due to possible flight delays, I wouldn’t book in advance, you should be fine to just turn up for the next available service. Worst case, you need to wait 20 minutes for the next coach.
Alternatively, if you’re short on time is the Stansted Express Train. This is a faster, but more expensive option. It goes direct to London Liverpool Street station, and costs £19.40. You will then need to pay for any additional travel to take you to your final destination.
Luton (LTN)
Transfer from Luton Airport to central London is best via National Rail. There is a shuttle service that runs regularly from the airport to the train station (Luton Airport Parkway) and costs £2.40, and takes 10 minutes. The train service then runs through central London, stopping at London St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink and London Blackfriars.
Trains run every 10 minutes during peak hours, and take 30 – 40 minutes to central London. Tickets cost £11.00 and can be bought in advance or as you board.
Figure out which stop is best for you using the London Tube App you downloaded, and complete your journey as necessary, via another tube, or potentially bus.
Eurostar
It is possible to arrive in London directly from mainland Europe via the Eurostar, and this is a great alternative to flying. If you book in advance, you can often pick up some great deals, and a real advantage vs flying is that you arrive already in Central London.
The Eurostar now connects London St Pancras to France, The Netherlands and Belgium.
All routes to London will take you to London St Pancras, and once there, it’s easy to take either the tube, or bus to your final destination.
London Airport Transfer Summary
I really hope you find this guide useful. From all airports there is always more than one option, and I have recommended the best in terms of price and time taken. As a last resort, there is always taxi’s, if you happen to arrive very late and have missed the last train or bus.
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