Getting to and from Heathrow and Gatwick

Heathrow

This is one of the most common questions Ed gets – what’s the best way to get to the airport?! If you can choose to fly into Heathrow or Gatwick, Heathrow is much more convenient to the city, but there are good options from either place.

Traveling in from Heathrow – You have three main options.

1. The Heathrow Express – This is a fast train that will take you from Heathrow to Paddington Station in just 15 minutes. You can buy a ticket at the airport (people will be calling out to you at a couple of points as you walk along). It’s not cheap – about 25 pounds one way, 37 pounds return – but it’s convenient. Once you get to Paddington, you can either take the Underground to your destination or grab a cab or Uber (note that in rush hour time, your car journey could be lengthy). If you buy an Express ticet make sure you don't get on the local train, ask an attendent if you're not sure. All Passington trains go from the same platform which is on the left as you approach the station along the walkway.

2. The Underground – The Piccadilly line takes you in to the city directly from Heathrow. Pros are that it’s a lot less expensive, and it’s easy to access from the airport. The major con is time. It will take you about an hour to reach central London. It can also be a pain if you have lots of bags.

3. Uber or a Taxi – Uber is allowed to do pick-ups at Heathrow, but you have to meet at a specific location. If you’re flying into Heathrow on Delta, the pick-up point is on level 3 of the parking garage. Your app will specify where to go. This is a good option if you’re arriving when it’s not rush hour and/or have tons of bags.

Traveling to Heathrow – The same options apply as above.

1. Heathrow Express – Travel to Paddington Station via the Hammersmith & City, Bakerloo, and District or Circle lines. You can purchase a ticket at the station if you don’t already have one. Trains leave roughly every 15 minutes.

2. The Underground – You’ll again be using The Piccadilly line and be sure to leave plenty of time, as it will take about an hour to get there. If you do choose this option, be sure to know your terminal before boarding the Underground train, as some trains go only to terminal 4 – or go there first – and you have to wait 15 or so minutes for the train to depart again.

3. Uber or a Taxi – Unpredictable on how long the journey will take so not usually my first choice. We once got stuck in the middle of a massive bike race and eventually had to ditch our Uber and leg it to the Underground. Very nearly missed our flight.

Gatwick

Gatwick is nearly 30 miles outside of London, so getting into the city takes more time. The best choice is the Gatwick Express, which takes you from Gatwick (or vice versa) to Victoria Station. From there, you can take the Underground (Victoria line) or get an Uber or cab. One way is around 20 pounds, return something like 35.

You can also take the Thameslink train into or out of the following stations: Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras International, London Bridge. One-way tickets are around 10 pounds, and travel times vary from about 35 minutes to an hour+ depending on your time and point of departure. There is no Underground service to Gatwick. Of course, you can always take an Uber or cab…same issues as noted above with traffic.