To and from the airport:

Gatwick Airport

Train

Gatwick Express runs every 15 min, journey time 30-35 min. Gatwick Express is a brand name of Southern Railway, and used on certain trains. One way £19.90, round trip £33.20. 

Southern Railway runs every 15 min, journey time 35-40 min. All services between Gatwick and Victoria are operated by Southern Railway. Some trains operated by Southern carry ‘Express’ branding: premium fares are charged for these services. The time saving on the “Express” trains compared to the normal services is minimal, 30/35 minutes for ‘Express’ compared to 35/40 minutes for normal services. The normal services call at intermediate stations (usually East Croydon and Clapham Junction) whereas services branded ‘Express’ run non-stop. There is little differentiation in on-board comfort - the ‘Express’ trains use commuter type carriages, similar to all other trains serving Gatwick. During rush hour periods the ‘Express’ services continue onwards to/from Brighton and will be busy with commuters. For most of the day, both ‘express’ services and ‘ordinary’ services run at least every fifteen minutes.  One way £19.90 (valid on any train) or £14.40 (not valid on trains branded ‘Express’). 

Thameslink runs to London Bridge (28 mins), Blackfriars (36min), City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras International (for Kings Cross, 46min), Luton Airport and further north. Cheaper than any other rail option - £10 (they occasionally have advance tickets priced at half that), and note the bargain with Travelcard added on.

 

Bus

EasyBus runs every 15-20min, journey time 60-90min. To Earl's Court/West Brompton. Not recommendable as very unreliable. As of 2013, service is horrendous, and the company has no staff at Gatwick, so you're on your own. Factor in the cost of getting to the drop off location in London before booking. It is far from Victoria station.One way prices start from £2. 

National Express runs every 30min, journey time 75-110min. To London Victoria. One way prices start from £7. Book online.

 

Heathrow Airport

Trains

Heathrow express departs Direct from Terminals 1, 3 & 5, and via a connection from T4. Every 15 minutes. Oyster Cards not valid. The journey to Paddington station takes around 12-15 minutes, but it is by far the most expensive - in fact in 'per mile' terms, it has the dubious honour of being one of the most expensive train journeys in the world. It is by far the most pleasant and comfortable public transport option to and from the airport.

The train departs from Terminal 5 every 15 minutes, stops at Terminals 1 & 3 and then runs non-stop to London Paddington, Central London, where connections are available to the rest of London’s transport system. Journey time from Terminal 5 to London Paddington is 21 minutes, and from Terminals 1 & 3 it’s 15 minutes. The first train from Heathrow leaves at 05:42 (5:42 AM) and the last at 23:42 (11:42 PM).

Fares can be purchased in advance on the Internet, from the station or on-board the train and they vary in price depending on where you bought them. An Express Class Adult Single bought online costs £16.50, or £18.00 at the station (£32 Return, online or at station), with a £3 surcharge over the at-station price if you buy on-board. Child fares (5-15 years inclusive) are about half the adult fare. Under 5s travel free. 

London Travelcards and Oyster Cards are not valid on the Heathrow Express.

 

Heathrow connect departs from Terminals 1, 3 & 4, and via a connection from T5. Every 30 minutes. Oyster cards not valid to/from Heathrow. This service uses the same route to London Paddington as the Heathrow Express but is a slower, less frequent train which also serves intermediate local stations in West London. It’s cheaper than the Heathrow Express and it serves Terminal 4 directly, but passengers needing to get to Terminal 5 have to change to a connecting service at Terminals 1 & 3. The Heathrow Connect provides a convenient connection to London Underground’s Central Line at Ealing Broadway station. Somewhat sneakily, the Heathrow Connect is deliberately under-advertised in order to encourage travelers onto the considerably more expensive Heathrow Express.

Journey time from Terminal 4 to London Paddington is 33 minutes and 28 minutes from Terminals 1 & 3. The first train from Heathrow leaves at 05:23(5:23 AM) and the last at 00:01 (12:01 AM).

Fares must be purchased before boarding the train and can be bought at station ticket offices. A Heathrow to London Paddington Adult Single costs £8.50 (£16.50 Open Return). Child fares (5-15 years inclusive) are about half the adult fare. Under 5s travel free.

London Travelcards and Oyster Cards are not valid between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow Airport.

 

Metro

London Underground’s Piccadilly Line Direct to Central London, up to every 5 minutes (dependent on terminal). Oyster cards are valid. The Piccadilly Line runs direct from all the terminals to the very centre of London. It stops frequently and is comparatively slow. Trains depart Terminals 4 & 5 every 10 minutes and stop at Terminals 1 & 3 before continuing to London, thus making the frequency from Terminals 1 & 3 every 5 minutes. Trains to & from Terminal 5 do not stop at T4 and trains to & from T4 do not stop at T5. Be aware that if you are heading from Central London to Terminals 1 & 3 then it is normally quicker to wait for a train which terminates at T5 as the trains to T4 wait there for up to 7 minutes before continuing to Terminals 1 & 3. T5 trains go directly to Terminals 1 & 3 first, then continue to T5. The Tube closes during the night and first trains leave Heathrow at about 6AM, last trains are about midnight.

Be aware that during peak rush hour periods the Tube becomes extremely overcrowded - particularly in the central zones. Trains originally designated for Heathrow are sometimes rerouted down the Rayners Lane branch or terminate short at Acton Town or Northfields to deal with peak-hour congestion - the driver will normally make an announcement if this is going to happen. Therefore if you are using the Tube to travel to Heathrow during rush hour - bear this in mind and leave Central London in plenty of time. Be aware that delay and disruptions frequently happen in the Tube, especially during the weekends when there are scheduled engineering works. 

Tickets should be bought at the station and the cost of a Zone 1 - 6 (Central London - Heathrow) single is £5.50. Travelcards (day, or period tickets which allow unlimited travel on all of London’s public transport, not just The Tube) are available and will almost certainly provide better value if you plan on using London’s transport system more than a couple of times. The cheapest option for anyone spending much time in London will probably be to get an Oyster Card (a Transport for London travel smart-card), which is always cheaper than paying fares in cash. 

 

Bus

Every 30 minutes direct to London Victoria Coach Station, National Express run a direct coach service from Heathrow Central Bus Station to London Victoria Coach Station every 30 minutes. Journey time is 40 to 50 minutes and fares are available from £4 if bought on the internet. Tickets can also be bought from the National Express ticket office at Heathrow Bus Station. Some services operate via Terminals 4 & 5, but the service is more limited. Free transfer is available to Terminals 1 & 3 and the Central Bus Station from Terminals 4 & 5 via the Heathrow Express and Connect trains or the shuttle bus services.

 

Luton Airport

Train

Journey time: 20-55min and £13.50 one way. The airport has its own railway station "Luton Airport Parkway", and is served by trains 24 hours a day from Central London using "First Capital Connect Trains" and connects with St Pancras International. There are up to 10 trains an hour, depending on the time of day. All trains go to London St Pancras International, but many also continue on to Blackfriars, London Bridge and Elephant & Castle, Gatwick Airport and Brighton. The station is nearly 2km (1 mi) from the terminal building, there is a shuttle bus service running between the terminal and airport every 10 minutes, costing £1.50 each way. At rush hour times, this journey can take up to 25 minutes.

 

Bus

Green Line number 757 runs every 20min, journey time 90min. To Victoria via Brent Cross, Finchley Rd tube station, Baker St, Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner. £14 one way if bought from the driver. Service is run by Greenline and in conjunction with easyBus (but can be used by all travellers regardless of airline you travel with).

 

National Express runs every 20 min, journey time 90min. To Victoria via Golders Green and Marble Arch. From £1 (advance web purchase) one way. 

 

Stansted Airport

Train

The Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street. Every 15 min, journey time 45-60 min. One way £23.40, round trip £33.20. Cheaper if you book 7 days in advance or travel in a group. 

 

Bus

National Express runs every 15-30 min. Journey time to Stratford: 1 hour. To Victoria: 90 min. Folding bicycles only. To Stratford: £8 one way, £14 round trip. To Victoria: £10, £16. 

 

Terravision from £9 one way, £14 round trip (Liverpool St, Victoria). To Stratford: £6, £11. 

 

Southend Airport

By train a journey time of 55-65 min. The airport has its own railway station "Southend Airport", and is served from Liverpool Street, via Stratford by trains 17 hours a day. There are up to 8 trains an hour, depending on the time of day. 

 

 

More information to be found at: Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted & Southend