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Getting There
Air
Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest international airport. It is considered the hub of the aviation world and is the base for over 90 airlines. Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport are also major ports carrying similar airlines.
Heathrow International Airport ( LHR )
( +44 870 000 0123 / http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/heathrow/ )
Gatwick International Airport ( BAA )
( +44 870 000 2468 / http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/gatwick/ )
London Luton Airport ( LTN )
( +44 1582 405 100 / http://www.london-luton.co.uk/ )
London City Airport ( LCY )
( +44 20 7646 0000 / http://www.londoncityairport.com/ )
Stansted International Airport ( STN )
( +44 870 000 0303 / http://www.baa.com/main/airports/stansted/ )
You can also book a flight to London by contacting the following airlines directly:
Air Berlin ( +44 870 738 8880 / http://www.airberlin.com/ )
Air Canada ( +44 871 220 1111 / http://www.aircanada.com/uk/en/home.html/ )
Air France ( +44 870 142 4343 / http://www.airfrance.co.uk/ )
American Airlines ( +44 20 7365 0777 / http://www.americanairlines.co.uk/ )
British Airways ( +44 870 850 9850 / http://www.british-airways.com/ )
British European ( +44 13 9226 8528 / http://www.flybe.com/ )
British Midland ( +1 800 788 0555 / http://www.flybmi.com/ )
Condor ( +49 180 570 7202 / http://www7.condor.com/ )
Delta Airlines ( +44 845 600 0950 / http://www.delta.com/ )
Easy Jet ( +44 871 244 2366 / http://www.easyjet.com/ )
FlyBe ( +44 871 700 0535 / http://www.flybe.com/ )
Japan Airlines ( +44 845 774 7700 / http://www.japanair.com/ )
Lufthansa ( +44 870 837 7747 / http://www.lufthansa.com/ )
Ryan Air ( +44 871 246 0000 / http://www.ryanair.com/ )
United Airlines ( +44 845 844 4777 / http://www.unitedairlines.co.uk/ )
From the Airport
Airport Parking:
Purple Parking ( http://www.purpleparking.com/ ) offers airport parking for business and leisure travelers, as well as a "meet and greet" chauffeur service. Park & Ride ( +44 845 606 4446 ) connects various locations throughout the city.
Public Transport:
The London underground system is conveniently linked to Heathrow Airport, with stops at terminals 1-4. Tickets can be purchased at the terminals.
Taxi:
The following cab companies will take you from the airport to all city points:
London Black Cabs ( +44 795 769 6673 / http://www.londonblackcabs.co.uk/ )
London Taxi Cabs ( http://www.londontaxicabs.net/ )
Bus:
Use Megabus ( +44 0900 160 0900 / http://www.megabus.com/uk/ ) for discounted fares to destinations throughout England.
First Bus Service ( +44 20 7291 0505 / http://www.firstgroup.com/index.php/ ) provides transit to Acton, Greenford, Uxbridge, Northumberland Park, Alperton, Westbourne Park, Hackney, Rainham and Orpington.
Car Rentals:
Rental car companies are stationed at all of London's major airports and will rent you the car of your choice:
Auto Europe ( +44 1 888 223 5555 / http://www.autoeurope.com/ )
Thrifty ( http://www.thrifty.com/ )
Zipcar ( +44 207 960 6421 / http://www.zipcar.com/ )
Alamo ( http://www.alamo.com/ )
+44 129 356 7790 ( Gatwick Airport )
+44 208 745 2800 ( Heathrow Airport )
+44 208 472 4617 ( London City Airport )
Hertz ( http://www.hertz.com/ )
+44 870 846 0003 ( Gatwick Airport )
+44 870 846 0006 ( Heathrow Airport )
+44 870 850 2659 ( London City Airport )
Train
With the advent of the Channel Tunnel, London can now be accessed from the Continent by train. Eurostar ( +44 8705 186186, +44 1233 617575 / http://www.eurostar.com/ ) takes rail passengers from Brussels's Midi/Zuid or Paris's Gare du Nord to London's St. Pancras. There are also stops at Ashford, Calais-Fréthun and Lille, along with occasional seasonal stops at Euro Disneyland, the Alps and Avignon.
Getting Around
Public Transport
Underground:
London's Tube ( http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/ ) will get you anywhere you need to go. There are 12 underground Tube lines. Underground trains on all lines run every few minutes between 5:30a-12:30a Monday to Saturday, and between 7:30a-11:30p on Sundays.
While single fares are available on most forms of transit, visitors are advised to purchase a Travel Card or use Oyster to pay as you go. Oyster ( http://tfl.gov.uk/oyster/ ) is London's Smart Card; users can put Travel cards or bus pass season tickets on their Oyster cards, add cash to pay as you go, or have a combination of both. Oyster cards are reusable, and cash can be added to an already existing balance. Although Oyster is not valid on National Rail services, Oyster users still pay considerably less on the tube, bus, DLR and tram services. Visitors from within and outside of the UK should visit these sites to purchase their Travel Cards in advance: http://www.ticket-on-line.com/.
Bus:
The public bus system in London is one of the world's largest transportation services in the world. Over 6,500 buses carry around 5.4 million passengers every week. Routes 9 and 15 are especially good for sightseeing. The most convenient way to travel via the bus is to purchase a Bus Pass or Travel Card from an underground ticket office, travel information center, or ticket stop. Please remember that bus tickets used for travel in Central London ( zone 1 ) cannot be purchased on board. A valid ticket or Oyster Card is needed prior to boarding. Tickets are also available for purchase at bus stops.
Train
There are a number of overland rail lines that cover London. The North London Line provides the only east-west rail link bypassing the middle of town, linking stations in east London through north London over to Kew in the west.
The Docklands Light Railway ( +44 20 7222 1234 / http://www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr/ ) covers a large segment of east London and Docklands, intersecting with the Tube network at Bank, Tower Hill and Stratford. This line contains a useful link to Maritime Greenwich, and there is also a new link to the London City Airport. Services operate from 5:30a to 12:30a and tickets must be purchased prior to entering the system.
BritRail ( +44 845 711 4141, +44 845 748 4950 /
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ ) has stops in Kings Cross, Cambridge, and Euston or take the Network Rail.
First Capital Connect ( http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/ ) runs the Thameslink and East Coast Maine Line.
Tramlink ( +44 20 8681 8300 / http://www.tfl.gov.uk/trams/ ) runs approximately every 15 minutes and covers suburban south London linking Wimbledon, Croydon, New Addington and Beckenham.
National Rail ( +44 845 748 4950, +44 20 7278 5240 / http://nationalrail.co.uk/ ) operates in the same zone system as the London Underground, but is also able to reach areas outside of this region such as Hampton Court and Windsor. Oyster Card readers are not available at all stations and holders should check their validity prior to using National Rail services.
Boat
You can also get around with the London River Services ( http://www.tfl.gov.uk/river/ ), which provide a great way to view London day or night by traveling on the Thames river. Services head east towards Greenwich, The O2 and the Thames Barrier, and travel west towards Richmond and Hampton Court. Tickets can be purchased at one of several boarding piers, and, in some cases, on the boat. Travel Card holders can receive a one-third discount off most river services.
Coach
Coaches ( +44 870 608 2608 ) have the virtue of serving some locations that are inaccessible by other modes of transportation. They cater to many popular destinations including Oxford, Windsor ( for Windsor Castle and Legoland ), Leeds Castle, Lakeside Shopping Centre, and Southend-on-sea.
The London Travel Information Call Centre is open 24 hours, 7 days a week and offers a multitude of comprehensive travel information. It can be accessed by calling +44 20 722 1234.
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