Getting to Central London from Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow is located to the west of London. The following transit options are described in order from least to most expensive.

London Underground (Tube) - Transport for London (TfL)

The least expensive mode of transit into town is via the London Underground (aka the "Tube") . A "single" ticket (i.e. one-way) will range in price depending on the time of day. Travel time is approximately 1 hour to Central London. 

* Do not purchase a one-time, "single" (i.e. one-way) ride on the London Underground - this is the most expensive ticket.   Instead buy an Oyster card - see below.

Heathrow Connect

Heathrow Connect is a train service from Heathrow Airport to Paddington train station - this train makes seven stops between the airport and Paddington.  From Paddington, you can take the Underground or Uber to complete your journey to your accommodation.  A "single" ticket (i.e. one-way) for the Heathrow Connect bought at the station will cost £10.30 and a "return" (i.e. round-trip) will cost £20.70.  

Heathrow Express

Heathrow Express is a direct train from Heathrow Airport to Paddington train station - the journey is 15 minutes door to door.   It's the quickest and easiest way to get to central London, but is more expensive than the London Underground or Heathrow Connect.  From Paddington, you can take the Underground or Uber to complete your journey to your accommodation. A "single" ticket (i.e. one-way) for the Heathrow Express bought at the station will cost £22 and a "return" (i.e. round-trip) will cost £36. However, if you purchase tickets online at least 15 days in advance of the date of travel, the cost is reduced.

Taxi

A Black Cab (i.e. taxi) (hailed curbside at the airport) will be your most expensive option for transit to London. If you wish to take a taxi into town and plan to have internet access on your mobile phone, look into Uber, MyTaxi or Gett. Also Google search for discount codes for these web-based taxi services. 

Getting to Central London from Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport is located to the south of London. The following transit options are described in order from least to most expensive.

Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express is a direct train from Gatwick Airport to Victoria train station in central London - the journey is 30 minutes door to door. From Victoria, you can take the Underground, taxi or Uber to complete your journey to your accommodation.  

A "single" ticket (i.e. one-way) bought at the station will cost £19.90 and a "return" (i.e. round-trip) will cost £35.50.  It's a little cheaper if you buy online in advance. 

Taxi

A Black Cab (i.e. taxi)  (hailed curbside at the airport) will be your most expensive option for transit to London. If you wish to take a taxi into town and plan to have internet access on your mobile phone, look into Uber, MyTaxi or Gett. Also Google search for discount codes for these web-based taxi services.  NOTE: we don't recommend getting a taxi to or from Gatwick - we've never done it as Gatwick is quite a long way from central London and traffic is slow and so the journey will be expensive.

Oyster Cards

If you plan to use the Underground or bus system (which is GREAT!) during your visit to London, probably the easiest (and best value) way of paying for travel is with an Oyster card which you can buy at most Underground stations.  You can use an Oyster card in 2 ways, depending on how long you are staying.  

(1) If you are staying less than a week, the easiest thing to do is add cash onto your Oyster card by "topping up" at a machine in an Underground station and then "pay as you go" for each journey you take.  You have to tap/scan your card at the barrier to enter or exit the Underground, or whenever you get on a bus, and the fare for your journey will be deducted.  Also check out the Visitor Oyster card- you need to pay for this in advance of your arrival to London (TfL will mail the card to you pre-loaded with funds for travel) and the visitor card entitles you to discounts at restaurants and area attractions.

(2) If you are staying a week consider buying a weekly pass to add to your Oyster card. This will be better value if you think you are likely to use the tube/bus every day and/or at least 3 times a day.  If you buy a weekly pass you will need to select it for the zones you need (the London transport system is divided into zones 1-6 - zone 1 is central London, zone 6 is the furthest out).  If you are staying in central London the weekly pass is £34.10 and will cover zones 1 and 2.  NOTE - you will also need to "top up" your Oyster card with cash if you want to travel outside zone 2 (e.g. to Heathrow which is in zone 6 - £10 should be enough).

This doesn't sound particularly straightforward, but it really is.  We promise.  You can visit the Transport For London site for more information.

If this is all too much, speak to one of the members of staff at the Underground station.  If you understand their response, you deserve a medal. 

Visit here for a detailed map of the London Underground. 

Citymapper

If you plan to have internet access on your mobile phone, be sure to download the Citymapper App. It is indispensable for navigating your way around London. It gives best routes to take and real-time arrival times for buses and underground trains. It will even tell you which end of a train to board if you need to transfer mid-route to another train to maximize your travel time within stations