In short: London has five main airports, and the best way into the city is different at each one. Heathrow is served by the Elizabeth line, the Heathrow Express and the Tube. Gatwick has the Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern. Stansted has the Stansted Express and 24-hour coaches. Luton uses the DART shuttle plus a train to St Pancras. London City is the closest, with the DLR at the door. This hub gives the quick comparison, then links to a full 2026 guide for each airport, with times, prices and a fixed-price private-driver option for arrivals with luggage or a family. Last updated: September 2026.
London is served by five main airports spread around the city, from Heathrow in the west to London City in the Docklands. Each has its own mix of trains, coaches and taxis, and the smart choice at one is rarely the smart choice at another. This page compares them at a glance and then points you to a full, honest guide for the airport you are flying into, so you can plan the trip into town before you land.
The five airports compared
All figures are a rough 2026 guide for a one-way trip into central London. Fares change, so treat them as a starting point and check the live price before you travel.
| Airport | Distance | Fastest way in | Cheapest way in | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | 15 mi west | Heathrow Express, 15 min to Paddington | Tube, about £5.90 | Heathrow guide |
| Gatwick | 28 mi south | Gatwick Express, 30 min to Victoria | Coach, from about £7 | Gatwick guide |
| Stansted | 40 mi north-east | Stansted Express, 47 min to Liverpool Street | Coach, from about £10 | Stansted guide |
| Luton | 35 mi north | DART + train, 45 to 55 min to St Pancras | Coach, from about £11 | Luton guide |
| London City | 7 mi east | DLR, 22 min to Bank | DLR, about £3.30 | London City guide |
Travelling in comfort? Arrange a chauffeur-driven airport pick-up with Chauffeurz.
Heathrow
The biggest and best connected, about 15 miles west with five terminals. The Elizabeth line is the best all-round value into the centre, the Heathrow Express is fastest to Paddington at 15 minutes, and the Piccadilly line Tube is the cheapest. Read the full Heathrow to central London guide for times, prices and which option suits your trip.
Gatwick
About 28 miles south, with excellent rail links from under the South Terminal. The Gatwick Express reaches Victoria in 30 minutes, Thameslink runs straight through central London to London Bridge, Farringdon and St Pancras, and Southern is a cheaper route to Victoria. See the full Gatwick to central London guide.
Stansted
The furthest of the main airports, about 40 miles north-east, and a hub for early and late flights. The Stansted Express reaches Liverpool Street in about 47 minutes, and the 24-hour coaches are the cheapest way in. Read the full Stansted to central London guide.
Luton
About 35 miles north. The quick route is the Luton DART shuttle to Luton Airport Parkway, then a Thameslink or East Midlands Railway train to St Pancras, around 45 to 55 minutes door to door. Coaches to Victoria are the budget option. See the full Luton to central London guide.
London City
The closest airport, about 7 miles east in the Docklands, and the business traveller's choice. The DLR is at the terminal door and reaches Bank in about 22 minutes, and even a taxi is reasonable at this distance. Read the full London City Airport to central London guide.
The smaller airports, and when you would use one
Five airports cover almost every visitor to London. Four more turn up in flight searches, and they are worth a paragraph each, because two of them are not really passenger airports at all.
London Southend
Forty miles east in Essex, and the smallest of the airports selling scheduled seats. It is quiet, you can be through security in minutes, and the train from Liverpool Street to Southend Airport takes about 55 minutes and stops at a platform beside the terminal. The catch is the route map, which is thin and seasonal, so check that your airline still flies there this year before you plan around it.
Birmingham
Not a London airport in any honest sense, but it appears in searches because fares are often lower and the train is genuinely easy. Birmingham International station sits beside the terminal, joined by a short automated link, and the train from Euston takes about 1 hour 25. If the fare difference is large and you are not in a hurry it is a fair trade, but remember you are landing in a different city.
Farnborough and Biggin Hill
Both are private aviation airfields rather than airports. Farnborough is about 35 miles southwest in Hampshire, Biggin Hill about 15 miles southeast in Bromley, and neither sells scheduled tickets to the public. If you are flying into one of them you are on a business jet, your handler arranges the arrival, and the only thing you need is a car waiting on the apron side, because there is no taxi rank.
A private driver from any airport
Whichever airport you land at, there is a case for a private driver booked before you fly, especially after a long-haul flight, with children or older parents, with a lot of luggage, or late at night. The driver tracks your flight, waits inside the terminal with your name on a board, helps with the bags, and takes you straight to your door at a fixed price agreed in advance, with no meter and no surge. It is the calmest way to start a trip, and it is where Chauffeurz fits, a London private-driver service licensed by Transport for London that covers all five airports. Travelling on by rail or by sea from here? See getting between London's stations and how to reach the UK cruise ports.
Book a fixed-price airport transfer
Which airport is best for the centre?
A quick orientation
- Closest and cheapest ride in: London City, 7 miles out, DLR from about £3.30.
- Best connections and most options: Heathrow, with the Elizabeth line, Express and Tube.
- Straight through central London by train: Gatwick on Thameslink.
- Budget flights, cheapest overall: often Stansted or Luton, though they are the furthest out.
Once you know how you are getting in, plan the rest of the trip with our guide to London in 3 days and the best day trips from London.
Frequent questions
Which London airport is closest to the city centre?
London City Airport, about 7 miles east in the Docklands, with the DLR at the terminal door reaching Bank in about 22 minutes.
Which London airport is cheapest to get into the city from?
London City is the cheapest ride at about £3.30 on the DLR, but that reflects its short distance. From the others, the cheapest options are the coaches from Stansted (from about £10) and Luton (from about £11), or the Tube from Heathrow at about £5.90.
What is the fastest airport train into central London?
The Heathrow Express reaches Paddington in 15 minutes, the fastest dedicated airport train. The DLR from London City reaches Bank in about 22 minutes, and the Gatwick Express reaches Victoria in about 30 minutes.
Can one private driver cover all five London airports?
Yes. A London private-driver service such as Chauffeurz covers Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City, meeting you inside the terminal and charging a fixed price agreed before you travel.
Written by Clara Whitby, The Londonologist. Welcome2London is a local London guide, researching sights, routes and prices from primary sources so visitors plan with confidence. More from Clara.
Chauffeurz is a London private-driver service operated by the same team as Welcome2London. We recommend it because we know the service, and we only point you to it where a private driver genuinely helps.
Clara Whitby is Welcome2London’s AI travel curator, known to readers as The Londonologist. She was created by our editorial team to help first time visitors plan London and the rest of the UK with confidence: where to stay, how to get around, what is worth your money and what you can happily skip. Every guide she presents is researched from official sources and checked by the Welcome2London team before it goes live.
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