stut

This seems to be the most asked question on this forum, so maybe we can club together, and get a definitive thread together for advice on each of the options for the London airports, possibly to be made sticky. It's also very handy for me, as I could do with one site with all the links

• To/From London Heathrow (LHR)
• To/From London Gatwick (LGW)
• To/From London Stansted (STN)
• To/From London Luton (LTN)
• To/From London City (LCY)
• To/From Southampton (SOU)

For inter-airport transfer:

• Heathrow to Gatwick transport options: a pictorial guide
• London Heathrow (LHR) to/from London Gatwick (LGW)

The timings on this thread are approximate, and based on either timetables or bitter experience. Please do your own research and allow plenty time if heading to the airport. London is a huge, crowded city, with legendary congestion, and a public transport network still suffering from decades of underinvestment, and getting busier by the day.

Don't let this put you off, though! It all kind of works, just about. I fly from here pretty much weekly, and have yet to miss a flight, whether I go by train, bus, Tube or taxi. It's all part of The London Experience...

stut

Have added some links at the top to make it easier than scrolling through.

Oddly, I can't see this on the UK/IE forum page. Maybe posting on it will work, let's try...

[edit] Aha, it did!

Excellent, thanks Wingnut. Just one more thing - you may want to use LTN and MSE in the titles instead of LUT and MSF...

Wingnut

LOL. Good catch.

Wingnut

I have a new recommendation for a cheap minicab service.

I used www.swisscottagecars.com for my last pair of trips. I had a mailing through the post from them and to be honest I assumed they were the same folk as Airport Direct. But they're not - they're £2 cheaper! £28 central London to LHR, and £34 LHR to central London (including parking and 40mins waiting time from wheels down).

They were only 5mins late for a 6am pick up (which is not only with the bounds of acceptability, but also much better than Airports Direct managed when I last used them). Also, and what impressed me most, was that I emerged from customs at 9.30pm on a Sunday night, off a transatlantic flight that had been scheduled to land at 9.55pm. And when I walked through (only 15 minutes at most after the plane landed) the guy was there waiting for me, holding his sign.

I'll be using them in the future. Cars new enough, drivers pleasant, all properly licensed.

aisleorwindow

Thanks to all for the information on this thread.
My question for regular HEX users:
Is First Class worth it for a 15 minute ride? I am flying for business so could probably get away with expensing either way, but I don't want to waste the company's money.

Also, thanks for the "bmi" discount code - seems to work well! ^

stut

Unless you're travelling at a particularly busy time, need to ensure you are absolutely first in the taxi queue at Paddington, and have to spend the 15 minutes intensely working your laptop, with nobody looking at it and vast elbow room...

I would say 'no'. It's 2+1 seating instead of 2+2, and you can buy tickets on board at no premium, plus you can sit at the very front of the train, which is the best end to go to the main concourse at Paddington. I'd do it on a freebie, but wouldn't waste someone's money on it.

staylor9

We arrived in London the morning of November 10th and used the Southern Railway instead of GEX. There was only a 2 minute (scheduled )difference in arrival time into Victoria and I couldn't validate the extra 6 pounds per person for that small of a difference. Ironically, the GEX in front of our train actually broke down, so our journey was rather delayed since we had to switch tracks, but man, was I happy I hadn't spent the extra money at that point. Definitely take the advice of what I read in some other posts though that when you go to buy your ticket for the Southern Railway that you don't buy it off the main screen and instead search by destination and you'll get a lower fare option.

SmilingBoy

Fantastic Collection! Thanks. One question:

Does this work in both directions? I will take the tube from Heathrow to Tower Hill, so I can change to the District Line easily at Hammersmith and Barons Court, right? Any preference for either one of them?

YVR Cockroach

Yes, works for both directions. Some change at Acton Town for the District Line eastbound if travelling during the morning rush hour and wanting a seat.

pedroQ

A quick note on trains at Heathrow now that Terminal 5 is open:

Since the opening of Terminal 5, the following changes apply to Heathrow Express and Connect trains:

Heathrow Express trains now no longer call at Terminal 4 - from Terminals 1,2,3 they now continue directly to Terminal 5. There is a shuttle train every 15 minutes from T1,2,3 to T4 and vice versa - do check the indicators on the platforms at T1,2,3 as trains may leave from either platform.

Heathrow Connect trains do not call at Terminal 5 but do now run through to Terminal 4 after T1,2,3 - you will need to change trains at T1,2,3 if you are headed to T5 - normally no change of platform is needed. (They now form part of the T1,2,3-T4 shuttle service.)

stut

Thanks - I've updated the Heathrow section with T5 information for the Express, Connect and Tube.

I've also updated the sections on RailAir Watford (canned), Gatwick Express (now part of Southern, major rush-hour changes from December 2008), Gatwick-Watford (curtailed at East Croydon from December 2008) and CrossCountry Trains (curtailed at Reading from December 2008).

I've changed references to 'one railway' as they are now 'National Express East Anglia' (it's hard to keep up!), and note that easyBus now server Stansted and Gatwick.

stut

Also sorted out the 'other trains' service from Stansted, and updated Central Trains to East Midlands Trains (or CrossCountry, depending on the route).

Also, mentioned Stansted to Stratford direct services, and that Northbound services from Stansted now are operated by CrossCountry, and bound for Birmingham via Peterborough and Leicester.

Virgin Cross Country is now CrossCountry Trains, GNER is now NXEC (National Express East Coast), Midland Mainline is East Midlands Trains, Silverlink is split between London Midland and London Overground, and the North London Line is now part of London Overground.

stut

Final addition is the point about First Capital Connect and "London Terminals" fares. You cannot use tickets from the South beyond City Thameslink, and you cannot use tickets from the North beyond Farringdon, without buying a specific, and more expensive ticket. "London Terminals" is no longer good enough, and, as these stations are all barriered, you're liable to a Penalty Fare of £20 if you try.

jason8612

Found a few offers for 28GBP from Mayfair to LHR.
urbancab.co.uk
ukairportcars.co.uk
netairportcars.co.uk

Anyone used them? Any reviews?

BlueHorizonUK

I have used http://www.justairports.com/ in the past and they are good, so is http://www.mobocars.com/