For most visitors, Heathrow is the easiest London airport, with the most flights and three rail links into the city. London City is the quickest and cheapest to reach if you are staying in the City or east London, while Gatwick, Stansted and Luton often have cheaper flights but longer and dearer transfers. Southend suits people staying in east London who find a good fare there.
London has six airports that call themselves London airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City and Southend. Only Heathrow and City are inside Greater London. The others are in the surrounding counties, between about half an hour and an hour from the centre by train.
The cheapest flight is not always the cheapest trip. A low fare into a distant airport can be cancelled out by an expensive train, a taxi at midnight or a hotel before a dawn departure. This guide compares the six airports on distance, transfer cost and convenience, and shows which one works best for different parts of the city and different kinds of traveller.
The six airports at a glance
The table compares the main rail or DLR link from each airport. Fares are adult single fares for September 2026. Where we could not confirm a ticket price from an official source, we say so rather than guess.
| Airport | Where it is | Main link to London | Typical time | Adult fare | Oyster / contactless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | West, inside Greater London | Elizabeth line to Paddington and on through central London | 28 minutes to Paddington | £14.60 to Paddington; £15.50 to other Zone 1 stations | Both |
| Gatwick | South, in West Sussex | Southern or Thameslink trains; Gatwick Express to Victoria | 30 to 45 minutes | £10.70 off-peak or £19.20 peak (Southern/Thameslink); £24.00 Gatwick Express | Both, between Gatwick and London |
| Stansted | North-east, in Essex | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street | 48 minutes | Check the operator's website; coaches from £10.50 | Contactless only; no Oyster |
| Luton | North, in Bedfordshire | Luton DART shuttle, then trains to St Pancras | From about 32 minutes including the DART | £12.30 off-peak or £16.60 peak by contactless to Luton Airport Parkway, plus the DART | Contactless only; no Oyster |
| London City | East, in the Royal Docks | DLR to Bank | About 23 minutes to Bank | £3.30 off-peak or £3.90 peak | Both |
| Southend | East, in Essex | Greater Anglia trains to Stratford and Liverpool Street | 52 minutes to Liverpool Street | Check National Rail; ticket needed | Neither |
Heathrow: the default choice for good reasons
Heathrow is London's largest airport and the one most long-haul travellers use. It is about 15 miles west of the centre and has four working terminals: 2, 3, 4 and 5. Our Heathrow arrivals guide covers the terminals, immigration and facilities.
Its rail links are the best of any London airport. The Elizabeth line reaches Paddington in 28 minutes and then runs under the West End and the City without a change. Heathrow Express is faster to Paddington but costs £26.00. The Piccadilly line is slow, at about 50 minutes to the West End, but costs only £5.90. Each option is weighed up in our comparison of every way from Heathrow into town.
Heathrow is the best fit if you are staying in west or central London, if you are flying long-haul, or if you want frequent flights and a wide choice of airlines. It is less convenient for east London and the Docklands, although the Elizabeth line has made even that journey straightforward.
Gatwick: south London and good-value trains off-peak
Gatwick lies south of London, beyond the edge of Greater London, and has two terminals, North and South. The railway station is at the South Terminal, with a free shuttle between the terminals that takes about 2 minutes. Our Gatwick guide explains the terminals and trains in detail.
There are three train services into London. Gatwick Express runs non-stop to Victoria in about 30 minutes, twice an hour, and costs £24.00 by contactless or Oyster. Southern trains also run to Victoria, and Thameslink trains run through London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras. On those two, the pay as you go fare is £10.70 off-peak but £19.20 at peak times.
A Gatwick arrival outside the rush hour costs far less. The Southern and Thameslink fare from Gatwick is £10.70 off-peak and £19.20 at peak times, and Gatwick Express is not included in daily caps at all. Landing mid-morning or early afternoon on a weekday, or at the weekend, can nearly halve the price of your train.
Gatwick is a good choice if you are staying south of the river, near Victoria or London Bridge, or along the Thameslink line through the City to King's Cross St Pancras. Many holiday and low-cost flights use it. Contactless and Oyster work between Gatwick and London, but not south of the airport.
Stansted: low fares, but check the full journey
Stansted is north-east of London in Essex, and it is the home of many low-cost airlines. The Stansted Express runs to Liverpool Street every 15 minutes and takes about 48 minutes, with some trains calling at Tottenham Hale, where you can change to the Victoria line, and at Stratford. The station is directly under the terminal.
Payment is the catch. Contactless cards and phones work on the Stansted Express, but Oyster does not work to or from Stansted Airport. Ticket prices were not available from an official source when we checked, so compare fares on the operator's website before you fly. National Express coaches run to London from £10.50, and the airport says coach services operate 24 hours a day. Our Stansted guide has the details.
Stansted works well for hotels near Liverpool Street, in the City or in north-east London. For the West End, add the Tube or Elizabeth line to your journey time.
Luton: fast to King's Cross, with an extra shuttle
Luton is north of London in Bedfordshire. The terminal is not on the railway, so you take the Luton DART, an automated shuttle, for about 4 minutes to Luton Airport Parkway station. The DART runs 24 hours a day. From Parkway, the Luton Airport Express runs non-stop to St Pancras in about 22 minutes, and Thameslink trains run to St Pancras, Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge, including through the night.
Contactless works on the train to Luton Airport Parkway (£16.60 peak or £12.30 off-peak from St Pancras), but Oyster does not. The DART is charged separately: a single costs £4.90, unless you buy a rail ticket to "Luton Airport" rather than "Luton Airport Parkway", in which case the shuttle is included. Our Luton guide walks through the options.
Luton is a sensible choice if you are staying around King's Cross and St Pancras, or anywhere on the Thameslink line through the City.
London City: the short hop for the City and Docklands
London City Airport is in the Royal Docks in east London. Its DLR station is next to the terminal and in fare Zone 3, so a trip from Bank takes about 23 minutes and costs £3.90 at peak times or £3.30 off-peak, with normal daily caps. No other London airport comes close on transfer cost.
The limits are the flights and the hours. City handles short-haul routes, and it has no flights overnight or on Saturday afternoons. If your airline flies there and the timing suits you, it is hard to beat. Our London City Airport guide covers the DLR, the terminal and the weekend gap.
Southend: small and simple, but outside the Oyster area
Southend is the furthest of the six from central London, on the Essex coast. It has its own station about 100 steps from the terminal, with Greater Anglia trains to Stratford in about 43 minutes and Liverpool Street in about 52 minutes. Oyster and contactless are not valid to the airport, because the pay as you go area ends at Shenfield, so you need a ticket.
easyJet is the airline the airport lists, flying mainly to European cities and holiday destinations. Southend suits travellers staying in east London who find a good fare there. Read our Southend Airport guide before you book, particularly the section on tickets.
Matching the airport to where you are staying
Where you sleep matters more than any other factor. A one-hour transfer at each end of a short trip is two hours of sightseeing lost, so start with your hotel and work backwards. If you haven't booked yet, our guide to the best areas to stay in London will help.
| If you are staying in or near... | Best airports | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Paddington, Bayswater, Notting Hill | Heathrow | Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express go straight to Paddington |
| South Kensington, Earl's Court, Knightsbridge | Heathrow | The Piccadilly line runs direct from the airport |
| West End (Soho, Covent Garden, Oxford Street) | Heathrow, then Gatwick or City | Elizabeth line to Bond Street or Tottenham Court Road |
| Victoria and Westminster | Gatwick | Gatwick Express and Southern trains terminate at Victoria |
| King's Cross and St Pancras | Luton or Gatwick | Direct trains to St Pancras from both |
| The City, Shoreditch, Liverpool Street | City, Stansted or Southend | DLR to Bank, or direct trains to Liverpool Street |
| Canary Wharf, Stratford, Greenwich | City | A short DLR ride, or a change at Canning Town |
| London Bridge, Borough, South Bank | Gatwick | Thameslink calls at London Bridge |
What the transfer costs for a couple or a family
Transfers are charged per person, so the difference between airports grows with the size of your group. These examples are one-way costs for two adults using contactless, based on the fares above.
| Two adults, one way | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| London City to Bank by DLR | £6.60 off-peak, £7.80 peak |
| Heathrow to Zone 1 by Piccadilly line | £11.80 |
| Heathrow to Paddington by Elizabeth line | £29.20 |
| Gatwick to London by Southern or Thameslink | £21.40 off-peak, £38.40 peak |
| Gatwick to Victoria by Gatwick Express | £48.00 |
| Luton to St Pancras by train plus separate DART tickets | £34.40 off-peak, £43.00 peak |
| Heathrow to Paddington by Heathrow Express | £52.00 |
Children change the picture. On TfL services, including the Elizabeth line, the Tube and the DLR, children aged 5 to 10 travel free with a fare-paying adult. On Heathrow Express, children aged 15 and under travel free. On National Rail, children aged 5 to 15 usually get half-price Advance and Off-Peak tickets. Our guide to children's fares in London explains the details, and our breakdown of what a London trip costs puts transfers into the wider budget.
Add the transfer to the flight price before you book. A flight into Luton or Stansted that is £20 cheaper per person may cost more in the end once two train fares, the DART or a late-night taxi are added. Do the sum for the whole group and both directions.
Late arrivals, early departures and connections
Flight times can decide the airport for you. London City closes overnight, and so does the terminal at Southend. At Heathrow, the Piccadilly line runs all night on Friday and Saturday nights, and the N9 night bus runs every night. At Gatwick and Luton, Thameslink trains run through the night, and the Luton DART never stops. At Stansted, the airport says coaches run 24 hours a day. Our guide to late-night and early-morning airport transport has the details for each airport.
If you have to change airports, allow plenty of time. The most common connection is between Heathrow and Gatwick, which takes about an hour by coach and around an hour and a half by train. Our guide to transferring between Heathrow and Gatwick explains the options. For a dawn flight from any airport, a night at one of the airport hotels may cost less than an early taxi.
Paying for the journey
At Heathrow, Gatwick and City, the same contactless card or Oyster card you use in London works for the airport journey. At Stansted and Luton, only contactless works. At Southend, you need a ticket. Whichever airport you use, touch in and out with the same card or device, and check whether your bank charges fees on foreign payments. Our explainer on Oyster, contactless and daily caps covers the rules.
For every airport guide in one place, see our London airports section.
Frequently asked questions
Which London airport is closest to central London?
London City Airport is the closest. Its DLR station is in fare Zone 3, and a direct train reaches Bank, in the City, in about 23 minutes. Heathrow is the closest of the large airports, about 15 miles west, with the Elizabeth line reaching Paddington in 28 minutes.
Is Gatwick or Heathrow better for central London?
For the West End, Paddington and west London, Heathrow is usually better, because the Elizabeth line runs straight through central London. For Victoria, London Bridge and south London, Gatwick can be as quick. Gatwick trains are much cheaper off-peak, at £10.70 on Southern or Thameslink.
What is the cheapest London airport to get to?
London City Airport has the cheapest transfer: £3.30 off-peak or £3.90 at peak times from Bank by DLR with contactless or Oyster. From Heathrow, the Piccadilly line costs £5.90. The other airports cost more by train, although coaches to Stansted start from £10.50.
Can I use Oyster at every London airport?
No. Oyster works at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City. At Stansted and Luton only contactless bank cards and phones work, not Oyster. At Southend neither works, because the pay as you go area ends at Shenfield, so you need a train ticket.
Which London airport is best for long-haul flights?
Heathrow handles most long-haul flights to and from London, and Gatwick also has some. The smaller airports mainly serve UK and European routes. If you have a choice, compare the full journey, including the transfer at each end, not just the flight time.
Sources
- Transport for London - Getting to and from Heathrow on the Elizabeth line (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Single fare finder (checked September 2026)
- Gatwick Airport - Train (checked September 2026)
- London Stansted Airport - By train (checked September 2026)
- London Luton Airport - Luton DART (checked September 2026)
- London Southend Airport - By Tube and train (checked September 2026)
- Heathrow Express - Fares and timetable (checked September 2026)