Reaching London

By Air
Most people travel to London by air. The two major international airports are Gatwick (LGW), 28 miles, 45km south of the city, and Heathrow (LHR), 14miles, 22km west of London. The airspace over Heathrow is the busiest in the world, and Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports for international passengers. Terminal 5 opened in 2008 to increase the capacity of this major international airport. The Heathrow Express offers a speedy rail connection into the city. The Underground Piccadilly Line is slightly slower, much cheaper and also links Heathrow with central London.

Gatwick is also a major international airport with two terminals; North and South. Gatwick can be reached by motorway, along the M23. The Gatwick Express train provides speedy connections to Victoria station in London, while regular trains are frequent but slower. Buses and coaches also link Gatwick with London.

The smaller airport of Stanstead is 30 miles, 48km north east of London and generally accommodates low cost national and European flights only. Luton airport is 35 miles, 56km north of London and generally serves European routes too.

By Rail
England has an excellent passenger train network, and although expensive it goes to every corner of the United Kingdom. The Intercity express trains are fast as they only stop at major cities. Eurostar trains also leave Paddington station in London and travel through the Channel Tunnel to Calais, Paris and Lille in France, and to Brussels in Belgium.