Monday June 27, 2011 at 3:05PM from Sabine K.
Getting to and from the airport, Heathrow Airport

London is served by five main airports, from the UK's main gateway at London Heathrow to London City Airport in the Docklands. Credit cards are widely accepted in the city, but it’s not a bad idea to visit an exchange booth or an ATM machine to withdraw some pounds before leaving the airport.

If you arrive into Heathrow, the cheapest way to reach the city is to take the underground tube from the airport. A single fare will cost you £4.50 to Zone 1, or £2.40 with an Oyster card off-peak. (That’s approx. US$7 or US$3.70 at the September 2010 exchange rate of 1 GBP to US$1.55). Alternatively, you can catch the 15-minute Heathrow Express train into Paddington station, but it's more expensive at £32 for a standard return fare.

From Stansted Airport, the quickest way into London is via the Stansted Express train. You can reach Liverpool Street station in 45 minutes at £26.70 for a standard return fare. A cheaper option is National Express coach to Victoria station, costing £17 for a standard return fare, but it will take twice as long.

The Gatwick Express runs into Victoria station from Gatwick Airport in 30 minutes and costs £25.80 for a standard return. Luton Airport operates a shuttle bus service to the nearby rail station, which connects to London’s city via over ground train services. London City Airport has its own DLR station next door to the actual airport terminal and has connections to the Underground.

Tags: transfer, public_transport