Air
London has two main airports, Heathrow and Gatwick. Heathrow is on the western outskirts of London and handles most scheduled worldwide flights. There are several ways into the city centre. The Heathrow Express is a fast, frequent train service that takes travellers into London’s Paddington station in 15 minutes; a single fare is £13. Underground, or subway, trains run every five minutes into the city, but they stop many times and the journey time is 50-60 minutes. The fare is about £5. London taxis (black cabs) can be found outside all four terminals. The journey time by road into central London is about an hour and the fare about £45-50. Gatwick, which handles scheduled and charter flights, is about 28 miles south of London. The fastest and most convenient way into the city is by Gatwick Express fast train to Victoria Station. The journey time is 30-35 minutes and the fare £14.
Train
London is connected to the European mainland by the 31-mile Channel Tunnel rail route. There’s a direct service from France which runs straight into Waterloo station in London. Tickets must be bought in advance. London is also easily accessible by rail from every other part of the United Kingdom. Tickets can be bought on the day, but it’s cheaper to do it in advance.
Road
If you’re driving from mainland Europe, it’s possible to bring the car on a train through the Channel Tunnel (www.eurotunnel.com). There are also a number of ferry companies offering a slower, but cheaper option.
