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Across 9 cities · curated by one editor

LHR · Airport & transit · 2026

Getting into London

Six commercial airports, none in central London. Heathrow is the main hub (T2/T3 = oneworld, T4 = SkyTeam, T5 = BA). Each airport has its own rail/transit profile — pick the right one before booking.

Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), Stansted (STN), Luton (LTN), London City (LCY), Southend (SEN)Live arrivals →

Your options, ranked

First option = the editor’s default sane choice for the average traveller.

  1. 1Heathrow Express → Paddington

    Cost
    £25 single off-peak (advance), up to £37 walk-up.
    Door-to-centre
    15 minutes (T2/T3); 21 minutes (T5).
    Best for
    Speed-priority arrivals to West London or onward GWR rail.

    Faster than the Underground but ~5× the price. Book online for cheaper advance fares.

  2. 2Elizabeth Line (purple) — Heathrow → central

    Cost
    £12.80 (peak) / £11.30 (off-peak) with contactless to central; capped at £15.50/day.
    Door-to-centre
    33-43 minutes to Paddington / Bond Street / Liverpool Street.
    Best for
    Default sane choice for most LHR arrivals.

    Stops at all Heathrow terminals. Tap any contactless card or phone — no ticket needed.

  3. 3Gatwick Express → Victoria

    Cost
    £22.20 advance, £25.50 walk-up.
    Door-to-centre
    30 minutes.
    Best for
    LGW arrivals to central / South London.

    Slower Thameslink trains run the same route for ~£11. Worth it if you've got the extra 15 minutes.

  4. 4Stansted Express → Liverpool Street

    Cost
    £23.40 advance; £26.40 walk-up.
    Door-to-centre
    47-57 minutes.
    Best for
    STN arrivals — the bus options are 90+ min.

  5. 5DLR (London City Airport)

    Cost
    Pay-as-you-go contactless, ~£3.40 to Bank.
    Door-to-centre
    20 minutes to Bank; 30 to central.
    Best for
    LCY arrivals — by far the cheapest + fastest in London.

  6. 6Black cab / Uber (any airport)

    Cost
    LHR: £55-90 to central; LGW: £85-130; STN: £110-170; LCY: £35-55.
    Door-to-centre
    Highly traffic-dependent — 45 min to 2+ hours.
    Best for
    Late arrivals, groups, lots of luggage.

Gotchas — what most people get wrong

  • Don't buy paper tickets for the Tube / Elizabeth Line — contactless is cheaper and auto-caps daily/weekly. Get an Oyster only if you don't have a contactless card.

  • Two travellers tapping one Apple Pay device = the second tap rejects. One device or card per traveller.

  • Stansted and Luton are >40 miles from central London. Don't choose them assuming 'London airport' = close.

  • London City Airport is the closest to central but only handles small jets — most travellers fly into LHR or LGW instead.

Last reviewed . Prices drift — check the airport site for live fares before travel day.

See also: visa & entry · currency & payments · weather & climate.