From the airport to London centre
Every way into London from the airport, with the price, the journey time and the first and last departure, so a late landing holds no surprises.
Checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours can change; check the official site before you go.
⚡ In short
Most visitors land at Heathrow: the Elizabeth line runs direct to Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Liverpool Street in under 40 minutes, and the Piccadilly line is the cheaper, slower alternative. From Gatwick, Stansted and Luton a train takes you to the centre.
- London Heathrow Airport
- London Gatwick Airport
- London Stansted Airport
- London Luton Airport
- London City Airport
🕑 When do you land?
We count 30 minutes from landing to the platform or stop (passport, bags).
✈️ London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Heathrow is about 24 km west of the centre. The Elizabeth line is the best choice for most hotels: direct, one fare, under 40 minutes. The Piccadilly line is cheaper and runs all night on Fridays and Saturdays, but takes about 50 minutes. Heathrow Express is the fastest, but only goes to Paddington and costs the most.
| Option | Price | Time | How often | First – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🚆 Elizabeth line | £15.50 | – | Terminals 2 & 3: 6 trains an hour; Terminal 4: 4 an hour; Terminal 5: 2 an hour | 05:15 – 00:12 |
| 🚇 Piccadilly line (Underground) | £5.90 | 50 min | never more than a 10-minute wait | 05:12 – 23:45 |
| 🚆 Heathrow Express | £26 | 15 min | every 15 minutes | 05:15 – 00:03 |
| 🚌 Night bus N9 | – | – | – | runs overnight between 23:40 and 05:35 |
| 🚕 Taxi | £70–£120 per car | 30–60 min | 24/7 | 24/7 |
🚆 Elizabeth line
- 💶 Price: £15.50 · pay-as-you-go single between Heathrow and Zone 1 since 1 March 2026, by contactless card, phone or Oyster. Journeys to or from Heathrow that start, end or pass through Zone 1 are always charged at the peak rate.
- 🔁 How often: Terminals 2 & 3: 6 trains an hour; Terminal 4: 4 an hour; Terminal 5: 2 an hour
- 🕔 First – last: 05:15 – 00:12 · weekdays, towards central London: Terminals 2 & 3 05:21–00:12, Terminal 4 05:30–23:47, Terminal 5 05:15–00:07 (heathrow.com). Weekend times differ: check TfL on the day
- 🛫 Leaves from: The stations at Terminals 2 & 3, 4 and 5 (follow the signs for trains)
- 📍 Arrives at: Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, direct, no change. Under 40 minutes to central London
- 🎫 Ticket: Tap in and out with a contactless card, phone or Oyster, or buy a single at the station machines. Heathrow Express tickets are not valid.
- Tap the same card or phone in and out: mixing cards breaks the daily cap.
- Terminal 4 has fewer trains than Terminals 2 & 3.
🚇 Piccadilly line (Underground)
- 💶 Price: £5.90 · contactless card, phone or Oyster; the fare counts towards the daily cap (Zones 1–6 £16.30).
- ⏱️ Time: 50 min
- 🔁 How often: never more than a 10-minute wait
- 🕔 First – last: 05:12 – 23:45 · towards central London from Terminals 2 & 3 (heathrow.com; Sunday last train 23:28). Terminal 4 05:02–23:35, Terminal 5 05:22–23:42. Night Tube on Friday and Saturday nights, 6 trains an hour, not to Terminal 4
- 🛫 Leaves from: The stations at Terminals 2 & 3 (via the pedestrian subway), 4 (below Arrivals) and 5 (basement)
- 📍 Arrives at: Direct to South Kensington, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Holborn and King's Cross St Pancras. About 50 minutes to central London
- 🎫 Ticket: Tap in and out with a contactless card, phone or Oyster, or buy a single at the station machines.
- Good for hotels near South Kensington, Covent Garden and King's Cross; the Elizabeth line is quicker to the West End and the City.
🚆 Heathrow Express
- 💶 Price: £26 · standard single (Premier £32). Advance singles from £10 when booked 30 or more days ahead, limited availability. Children 15 and under travel free in Standard with a paying adult. Not covered by contactless pay-as-you-go or the daily caps.
- ⏱️ Time: 15 min
- 🔁 How often: every 15 minutes
- 🕔 First – last: 05:15 – 00:03 · Mon–Fri from Terminals 2 & 3 about 05:15–00:03, last from Terminal 5 23:57 (timetable valid from May 2025); Sundays start about 05:30. Terminal 5 is 6 minutes further
- 🛫 Leaves from: The stations at Terminals 2 & 3 and 5; from Terminal 4 change at Terminals 2 & 3 (free, about 4 minutes)
- 📍 Arrives at: London Paddington, non-stop; then the Tube or Elizabeth line
- 🎫 Ticket: Online, in the app, at the station or at machines.
- The Elizabeth line takes longer but costs £10 less than the standard single.
🚌 Night bus N9
- 💶 Price: a TfL bus fare applies; pay with contactless, Oyster or Visitor Oyster (no cash).
- 🕔 Last departure: runs overnight between 23:40 and 05:35
- 🛫 Leaves from: Terminal 5 (outside Arrivals) and Heathrow Central Bus Station, between Terminals 2 & 3 (via the pedestrian subway)
- 📍 Arrives at: Hounslow, Hammersmith, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus, Charing Cross and Aldwych
- 🎫 Ticket: Tap a contactless card, phone, Oyster or Visitor Oyster when you board.
- Fills the gap after the Elizabeth line stops (about midnight) and before the Piccadilly line starts (about 05:00).
🚕 Taxi and ride apps
- 💶 Fare to the centre: £70–£120 · typical metered fare to central London (TfL fare card, 25 April 2026), minimum fare £4.40. From the Heathrow ranks add £1.60; drivers may add £6.00 for a terminal drop-off. No extra for luggage, extra passengers or paying by card. Higher tariffs apply on weekday evenings 20:00–22:00, weekends and 22:00–05:00.
- ⏱️ Time: 30–60 min
- 📍 Where: Black-cab ranks at each terminal (follow the Taxi signs); no booking needed. Drivers can agree a fare in advance; otherwise it cannot exceed the meter.
👥 Two or more? Train or taxi
Per group, one way. A taxi takes up to four people with luggage.
| 🚆 Elizabeth line | 🚇 Piccadilly line (Underground) | 🚆 Heathrow Express | 🚕 Taxi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £15.50 | £5.90 | £26 | £70–120 |
| 2 people | £31 | £11.80 | £52 | £70–120 |
| 3 people | £46.50 | £17.70 | £78 | £70–120 |
| 4 people | £62 | £23.60 | £104 | £70–120 |
🌙 Landing late at night
The last Elizabeth line train towards central London leaves Terminals 2 & 3 at about 00:12 on weekdays. The Piccadilly line runs all night on Friday and Saturday (not Terminal 4), and night bus N9 runs between 23:40 and 05:35. Otherwise take a black cab or minicab. Earliest in the morning: the Piccadilly line from about 05:02–05:22, the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express from about 05:15.
🛫 Going back to the airport
To Heathrow take the Elizabeth line from Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon or Liverpool Street (check the board: some trains go to Reading instead), the Piccadilly line from Green Park or King's Cross (last from Green Park 00:33 to Terminals 2 & 3, earlier for Terminal 4), or Heathrow Express from Paddington (first 04:34, last about 23:25).
✈️ London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
Gatwick is about 45 km south of the centre. Take a train from Gatwick Airport station (North Terminal passengers use a free two-minute shuttle): Gatwick Express runs non-stop to Victoria, and Thameslink and Southern serve more central stations. London takes 30 to 45 minutes. Contactless and Oyster pay-as-you-go are valid between Gatwick and London.
| Option | Price | Time | How often | First – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🚆 Gatwick Express | – | 30 min | – | – |
| 🚆 Thameslink | – | – | – | – |
| 🚕 Taxi | – | – | 24/7 | 24/7 |
🚆 Gatwick Express
- 💶 Price: booking online gives 10% off; children 5–15 pay £2 with an adult; 33% off for groups of 3 or more.
- ⏱️ Time: 30 min
- 🛫 Leaves from: Gatwick Airport station, South Terminal
- 📍 Arrives at: London Victoria, non-stop
- 🎫 Ticket: At the station, online or in the app. Contactless and Oyster pay-as-you-go are accepted between Gatwick and London.
- Often only 10–15 minutes faster than the stopping trains.
🚆 Thameslink
- 💶 Price: contactless and Oyster pay-as-you-go are valid between Gatwick and London.
- 🛫 Leaves from: Gatwick Airport station, South Terminal
- 📍 Arrives at: London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International
- 🎫 Ticket: Tap in and out with contactless or Oyster; valid to and from London only.
- Serves the City and King's Cross without a change.
🚕 Taxi and ride apps
- 📍 Where: The airport links to Airport Cars Gatwick for booking a taxi. Gatwick is outside Greater London, so the TfL meter tariff does not apply: agree the fare first.
🛫 Going back to the airport
Take Gatwick Express or Southern from Victoria, or Thameslink from St Pancras, Farringdon, Blackfriars or London Bridge. Contactless pay-as-you-go works to the airport.
✈️ London Stansted Airport (STN)
Stansted is about 55 km north-east of the centre. The Stansted Express to Liverpool Street takes about 48 minutes and runs every 15 minutes. The National Express coach is cheaper and runs around the clock, but takes longer.
| Option | Price | Time | How often | First – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🚆 Stansted Express | from £9.90 | 48 min | every 15 minutes | 05:30 – 00:30 |
| 🚌 National Express coach · A8 / A9 | from £7 | – | A8 up to every 30 minutes; A9 up to every 20 minutes | runs 24 hours a day |
| 🚕 Taxi | – | – | 24/7 | 24/7 |
🚆 Stansted Express
- 💶 Price: from £9.90 · advance single (returns from £19.80); booking ahead is cheaper than buying on the day. Contactless cards and mobile wallets are accepted; Oyster is not valid to or from the airport. You need a valid ticket before boarding.
- ⏱️ Time: 48 min
- 🔁 How often: every 15 minutes
- 🕔 First – last: 05:30 – 00:30 · from the airport to Liverpool Street; first at 05:55 Tuesday–Thursday. Times can differ on public holidays
- 🛫 Leaves from: Stansted Airport station, under the terminal
- 📍 Arrives at: London Liverpool Street (48–50 minutes); Tottenham Hale (35–36 minutes, Victoria line); Stratford (about 1 hour)
- 🎫 Ticket: Online, in the app, at the machines, or by contactless where accepted.
- Change at Tottenham Hale for the Victoria line.
🚌 National Express coach · A8 / A9
- 💶 Price: from £7 · advertised one-way fare to Liverpool Street; prices vary by time and availability.
- 🔁 How often: A8 up to every 30 minutes; A9 up to every 20 minutes
- 🕔 Last departure: runs 24 hours a day
- 🛫 Leaves from: Stansted coach station
- 📍 Arrives at: A8: Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale and Victoria; A9: Liverpool Street and Stratford
- 🎫 Ticket: Online, in the app or at the National Express desk.
- Good for night arrivals and low budgets.
🚕 Taxi and ride apps
- 📍 Where: Taxi rank and pre-booked minicabs at the terminal. Stansted is outside Greater London, so the TfL meter tariff does not apply: agree the fare first.
🌙 Landing late at night
The Stansted Express runs until about 00:30 from the airport, and National Express coaches run 24 hours. Earliest in the morning: the Stansted Express at about 05:30.
🛫 Going back to the airport
Take the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street (also Tottenham Hale and Stratford): the last train from Liverpool Street is 23:21 and the first leaves between 03:40 and 04:40. National Express runs from Victoria or Liverpool Street.
✈️ London Luton Airport (LTN)
Luton is about 50 km north of the centre. Take the DART shuttle (under 4 minutes) to Luton Airport Parkway, then a Thameslink or Luton Airport Express (East Midlands Railway) train to central London, 22 to 49 minutes. Buy a through ticket from the operator's fare finder.
| Option | Price | Time | How often | First – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🚆 DART + Thameslink / Luton Airport Express | from £6.50 | – | DART every 5 minutes at peak, every 8 off-peak and every 15 between 22:00 and 04:00 | Thameslink runs through the night from St Pancras and Blackfriars |
| 🚕 Taxi | – | – | 24/7 | 24/7 |
🚆 DART + Thameslink / Luton Airport Express
- 💶 Price: from £6.50 · advance train fare on Thameslink (from £10 on Luton Airport Express). A separate DART adult single is £4.90; check whether your through ticket includes it.
- 🔁 How often: DART every 5 minutes at peak, every 8 off-peak and every 15 between 22:00 and 04:00
- 🕔 Last departure: Thameslink runs through the night from St Pancras and Blackfriars · from Luton Airport Parkway: Luton Airport Express to St Pancras 05:45–23:51 on weekdays; Thameslink to Farringdon 05:11–00:26, to London Bridge 05:27–23:36
- 🛫 Leaves from: The DART station at the terminal (runs 24 hours)
- 📍 Arrives at: St Pancras International (22–32 minutes with Luton Airport Express, 24–45 with Thameslink), Farringdon 41, City Thameslink 43, Blackfriars 46, London Bridge 49 minutes (from Luton Airport Parkway, DART not included)
- 🎫 Ticket: A through ticket (destination Luton Airport, code LUA) from the operator's fare finder; or buy the DART separately.
- Thameslink is slower but runs through the night; Luton Airport Express is faster to St Pancras.
🚕 Taxi and ride apps
- 📍 Where: Taxi rank at the terminal. Luton is outside Greater London, so the TfL meter tariff does not apply: agree the fare first.
🌙 Landing late at night
The DART runs 24 hours and Thameslink runs through the night from St Pancras and Blackfriars. Earliest in the morning: Thameslink at City Thameslink about 05:08.
🛫 Going back to the airport
Take Thameslink or Luton Airport Express from St Pancras, Farringdon, Blackfriars or London Bridge to Luton Airport Parkway, then the DART.
✈️ London City Airport (LCY)
London City Airport is in the Docklands, about 11 km from the centre. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station is next to the terminal; trains run to Bank in the City, with a change at Canning Town for the Jubilee line.
| Option | Price | Time | How often | First – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🚇 Docklands Light Railway (DLR) | – | – | – | – |
| 🚕 Taxi | – | – | 24/7 | 24/7 |
🚇 Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
- 💶 Price: contactless card, phone or Oyster; the airport is in Zone 3 and Bank in Zone 1. Daily cap Zones 1–3 £10.50.
- 🛫 Leaves from: London City Airport DLR station (Zone 3), beside the terminal
- 📍 Arrives at: Bank in the City; change at Canning Town for the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf and Westminster
- 🎫 Ticket: Tap in and out with a contactless card, phone or Oyster.
- Under 7 minutes to Canning Town or Woolwich Arsenal, 17 minutes to Stratford International.
🚕 Taxi and ride apps
- 📍 Where: Black-cab rank outside the terminal; pre-booked minicabs collect at the short-stay car park. The TfL meter tariff applies; drivers may add £6.00 for drop-off at the terminal forecourt.
🌙 Landing late at night
The DLR does not run overnight, roughly 00:30 to 05:30. After that take a taxi or minicab.
🛫 Going back to the airport
Take the DLR from Bank or Canning Town to London City Airport station.
🗺️ Your first stop from here
📍 Arriving at London Paddington
- Diana Memorial Playground · 🚶 1.5 km · 19 min walk
- Hyde Park · 🚶 1.9 km · 24 min walk
- Kensington Palace · 🚶 1.9 km · 24 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 ~35 min by public transport
📍 Arriving at Bond Street
- Selfridges · 🚶 0.6 km · 7 min walk
- Liberty London · 🚶 0.6 km · 8 min walk
- Hamleys · 🚶 0.7 km · 8 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 15 min by walk / Tube (line Bakerloo: Charing Cross / Piccadilly Circus → Westminster (walk via Whitehall)) · 2.6 km · 33 min walk
📍 Arriving at Tottenham Court Road
- The British Museum · 🚶 0.4 km · 6 min walk
- Soho & Chinatown · 🚶 0.5 km · 6 min walk
- Covent Garden · 🚶 0.9 km · 11 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 15 min by walk / Tube (line Bakerloo: Charing Cross / Piccadilly Circus → Westminster (walk via Whitehall)) · 2.3 km · 28 min walk
📍 Arriving at London Liverpool Street
- Old Spitalfields Market · 🚶 0.6 km · 8 min walk
- Leadenhall Market · 🚶 0.8 km · 10 min walk
- Sky Garden · 🚶 1.0 km · 13 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 20 min by Tube (line District / Circle: Tower Hill → Westminster) · 4.4 km · 55 min walk
📍 Arriving at King's Cross St Pancras
- The British Library · 🚶 0.6 km · 7 min walk
- Wellcome Collection · 🚶 1.3 km · 17 min walk
- The British Museum · 🚶 1.9 km · 23 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 15 min by Tube (line Northern (Charing Cross branch) or Piccadilly: Euston / Russell Square → Charing Cross / Leicester Square) · 4.4 km · 55 min walk
📍 Arriving at Green Park
- Charbonnel et Walker (Royal Arcade) · 🚶 0.4 km · 5 min walk
- Fortnum & Mason · 🚶 0.6 km · 7 min walk
- Hamleys · 🚶 0.9 km · 11 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚶 1.9 km · 24 min walk
📍 Arriving at London Victoria
- Buckingham Palace · 🚶 0.9 km · 11 min walk
- St James's Park · 🚶 1.5 km · 19 min walk
- Tate Britain · 🚶 1.6 km · 20 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚶 1.9 km · 24 min walk
📍 Arriving at London Bridge
- Southwark Cathedral · 🚶 0.2 km · 2 min walk
- Borough Market · 🚶 0.2 km · 3 min walk
- The View from The Shard · 🚶 0.3 km · 4 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 8 min by Tube / walk (line Jubilee: Waterloo / Southwark → Westminster) · 3.2 km · 40 min walk
📍 Arriving at London St Pancras International
- The British Library · 🚶 0.5 km · 6 min walk
- Wellcome Collection · 🚶 1.2 km · 15 min walk
- The British Museum · 🚶 1.9 km · 24 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 15 min by Tube (line Northern (Charing Cross branch) or Piccadilly: Euston / Russell Square → Charing Cross / Leicester Square) · 4.4 km · 55 min walk
📍 Arriving at Bank
- Leadenhall Market · 🚶 0.6 km · 7 min walk
- Sky Garden · 🚶 0.6 km · 8 min walk
- St Paul's Cathedral · 🚶 0.9 km · 11 min walk
- Day 1 of our itinerary starts here: Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament · 🚇 20 min by Tube (line District / Circle: Tower Hill → Westminster) · 3.5 km · 44 min walk
💡 Good to know
Contactless and Oyster
Tap the same card or phone in and out on the Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line and Overground. Daily caps for adults in 2026: Zones 1–2 £8.90, Zones 1–3 £10.50, Zones 1–6 £16.30. Heathrow Express is not included in the caps. Official site ↗
Peak fares to Heathrow
Any Tube or Elizabeth line journey to or from Heathrow that starts, ends or passes through Zone 1 is charged at the peak rate.
Black cab extras
No extra for luggage, extra passengers or card payment. There is £1.60 for pick-ups at the Heathrow ranks, a £6.00 drop-off charge at the Heathrow terminals and the London City terminal, and £4.00 on Christmas and New Year nights. Official site ↗
Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.
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