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Heathrow Airport

A Brief History of Heathrow

Heathrow’s origins date back to 1946 when it opened as London Airport, initially serving military purposes during World War II. In 1966, it was officially renamed Heathrow, after the small hamlet that previously occupied the site. Since then, Heathrow has expanded significantly, undergoing numerous developments to accommodate growing passenger demand.

Today, Heathrow boasts five terminals (though Terminal 1 is closed), with Terminals 2 and 5 being the most modern and frequently used. The airport handles over 80 million passengers annually, serving more than 200 destinations in over 80 countries. Its role as a major hub for long-haul flights, combined with its proximity to Central London, makes it one of the most vital airports globally.

Getting to Heathrow

Heathrow is well-connected to London and its surroundings, with several convenient transportation options to suit all budgets:

  • London Underground (The Tube): The Piccadilly Line connects Heathrow directly to Central London, with stations at all active terminals (Terminals 2 & 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5). The journey to central stations like Piccadilly Circus takes about 50 minutes and costs around £6 for a single trip.

London Stansted Airport

London Stansted Airport is for those who fly with low-cost companies the most famous airport. Among London's airports are the only in third place after Heathrow and Gatvick. It is also the most remote of these and is almost 5 mil outside central London, which explains that it used most of the budget-airlines.

The airport has been growing rapidly in recent years as it has been the main base in London including for the 2 big discount airlines Ryanair and Easyjet.

It is most common to take trains or buses to the airport. Because of the distance to the center it can be very expensive taxi. Please note that there may be some problem to get transport on the late flight time to Stansted but it takes care of itself pretty much.