The airports mainly serving international travellers are:
• Heathrow - west of London providing access into Central London via the Piccadilly Underground (UG) line. The Heathrow Express and Heathrow Direct (5 minutes longer, but relatively cheaper) Rail service terminates at Paddington Station.
• Gatwick - south of London is served by Main Line (Thameslink) rail services into London Bridge, King’s Cross/ St Pancras, and the Gatwick Express rail service into Victoria.
(Please note that both the Heathrow and Gatwick Express services are the more expensive routes into London, however check the websites – www.heathrowexpress.com and www.gatwickexpress.com for deals, i.e. advanced booking, travel for 2 or on weekends, etc.). Airports serving European and British visitors are served by:
• Stansted Airport - east of London accessed by the main Line rail service and Stansted Express into Liverpool Street Station.
• Luton Airport is north of London and is accessed by a 5-minute, regular bus service from the airport to the Main Line rail station travelling to Kings Cross/St Pancras in the north of London and Blackfriars in the south via the Thameslink Main Line train service.
• City Airport is in Docklands, East London and goes to Canary Wharf, Bank and Tower Hill, and south of the river to Greenwich.
• In the north of London are Euston and King’s Cross serving Scotland; St Pancras (the Eurostar service), Liverpool Street station serving the east of England (including Cambridge).
• In west London is Paddington, serving western England (including Oxford) and Wales.
• Stations in Central London (near the River Thames) are –
Victoria – serving South-West England (including Bath) Charing Cross and Cannon Street serving South-East England, and Blackfriars serving a smaller area north and south of London. South of the river is London Bridge and Waterloo (this service goes to South- West England (including Windsor).
• There are other smaller stations serving areas closer to London.
This service has a vast network of connecting lines and stations, and is the quickest way to get around London, but can get busy at commuting times and also you miss some of the important sites and scenery while travelling around London. Having said that, some of the stations are ‘sights’ in themselves – to name a few, Baker Street has original 1920s features, you will find Platform 9 ½ from Harry Potter at Kings Cross, Canary Wharf reminds you of scenes from Blade Runner.
The only airports served by the UG are Heathrow via the Piccadilly line, and City Airport via the Docklands Light Railway. Once arriving in Central London, you can use the appropriate UG line to get to your hotel (this will be shown in the details of each recommended hotel), and from there around the city.
The platforms are signposted North/South, East/West, however you need to know the direction you want to travel as trains can go in opposite directions from different sides of the platform. You will find the final destination of the train on the front of the arriving trains and on the message board on the platform. This will indicate whether you are going in the right direction or not. (It can be confusing at first so take your time. Step to the side if you need to consult your map and certainly ask for help-however, not from busy commuters who are rushing from A to B).
The most economical way to travel into London is to purchase an Oyster card. However, you can also buy single or return journey tickets at the ticket office or machine (it only takes credit cards and £ sterling cash).
You can buy an Oyster card before you come to London online using the TFL website. You can also buy an Oyster card at the Underground ticket office at Heathrow and at the concierge outlets at Gatwick Airport North and South terminals. N.B. If you are using a non-sterling credit card you may incur additional charges. This may also apply to buses. Small maps of the UG system can be picked up before entering the UG. The individual lines are colour-coded and show the termini of each line, the connecting stations and the relevant zones.
Tap your Oyster card on the yellow circle ‘reader’ on the top of the turnstile, and quickly pass through before the ‘gates’ close. If you have a lot of luggage or need assistance, there are always staff on hand to let you through a wider turnstile (have your Oyster card in your hand to show to the guard).
You do not need to use your Oyster card for any changes of platforms or trains, except at a few stations when you have to exit the station and enter another. For example, at Paddington when you are interchanging between the Bakerloo and Circle or District Lines or Canary Wharf where you change between the DLR and Jubilee UG line.
ALWAYS BE SURE TO TAP ON THE ‘READER’ WHEN ENTERING OR LEAVING A STATION. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR A SINGLE JOURNEY AND NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ‘CAPPED CHARGE’, I.E. YOU CAN TRAVEL ANYWHERE ON THE LINE, AT ANY TIME FOR A CAPPED PRICE, CURRENTLY £8.10 PER DAY FOR CENTRAL LONDON (ZONES 1-2). AFTER YOU REACH THE DAILY CAP, ALL OTHER JOURNEYS ARE FREE UNTIL 4.30 AM THE FOLLOWING DAY. THERE IS A HIGHER CAP IF YOU TRAVEL OUTSIDE ZONES 1-2, THE CAPS ARE £9.60 FOR ZONES 1-3, £11.70 FOR ZONES 1-4, £13.90 FOR ZONES 1-5 AND £14.90 FOR ZONES 1-6. NB. HEATHROW AIRPORT IS IN ZONE 6, SO THE DAILY CAP FROM HEATHROW IS £14.90. (THESE PRICES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
You can also reach your hotel by using a taxi. They are a costly way to travel but may be a more convenient option if you have luggage or children, are tired from an international flight and want to take time to ‘get your bearings’ before venturing out into the UG system.
Please note that taxis take only a maximum of 4 people, and your luggage has to fit into the taxi, i.e. there is no trunk. Thus you will need to estimate how much room you’ll need. The direction of the taxi ‘ranks’ are signposted at your arriving station. Payment can now be by credit card (in most taxis), but it’s advisable to have ready cash – probably £30 – as sometimes credit card terminals in the taxi aren’t working. Tipping in London is usually 12% of the fare, and £1 for each item of luggage the driver helps you with. Uber is generally available. Prices can be variable.
A great way to see London is to travel by bus and walking in this great city full of world-beating sites, olde-world pubs, tiny lanes and byways, street markets, green parks – large and small, the beautiful River Thames, and of course, people watching. You can use your credit card instead of the Oyster Card to make a single journey on the bus at any time of the day across all zones at a cost currently of £1.75. You can buy a paper all day bus pass from underground stations and mainline rail stations. Thist is currently capped at £5.90. You can transfer to buses across the whole of London for an unlimited number of times from 4.30 am until 4.29 am the following day. The buses are CASHLESS. You cannot use any currency on the buses.