London’s 6 Airports Compared: Cheapest & Fastest to the Centre (2026)

Which London airport is closest to central London? London City Airport (LCY), about 6 miles east of the centre, wins easily: the DLR reaches Bank in around 20 minutes for £3.90 (≈€5) at peak times. The cheapest long-haul gateway is Heathrow, where the Piccadilly line costs £5.90 (≈€7) to Zone 1, and the fastest airport train is the Heathrow Express at about 15 minutes to Paddington. Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and Southend are 28–42 miles out, so a fast train costs more and coaches take an hour or longer. In short: stay in the City, Canary Wharf or east London and pick City Airport; stay in the West End or west London and pick Heathrow; Gatwick suits Victoria, London Bridge and south London, Luton suits King’s Cross St Pancras, and Stansted and Southend suit Liverpool Street and Stratford. To compare pre-booked cars, see our Heathrow Airport transfers and Gatwick Airport transfers pages.

London airports compared: quick table

Airport	Distance to central London	Fastest to the centre	Cheapest to the centre	Taxi	Best for
London City (LCY)	About 6 miles east (Zone 3)	DLR to Bank, about 20 min, £3.90 peak / £3.30 off-peak (≈€5/€4)	Same – the DLR is both	Black cab on the meter from the rank	The City, Canary Wharf, east London, short business trips
Heathrow (LHR)	About 14 miles west	Heathrow Express to Paddington, about 15 min, £26 (≈€31); from £10 booked 30+ days ahead	Piccadilly line, about 50 min, £5.90 (≈€7)	Black cab around £61–£114 (≈€72–€135), TfL estimate	West End, Kensington, west London, long-haul flights
Luton (LTN)	About 28 miles north	DART shuttle (under 4 min) + Luton Airport Express to St Pancras, 22–32 min, from £10 advance	National Express coach from £7 (≈€8); Thameslink from £6.50 advance plus £4.90 DART	No metered London fare – agree the price first	King’s Cross St Pancras, Farringdon, north London
Gatwick (LGW)	About 30 miles south	Gatwick Express to Victoria, about 30 min, around £24 (≈€28)	National Express coach from £6 (≈€7); Southern/Thameslink around £10.70 off-peak with contactless	No metered London fare – agree the price first	Victoria, London Bridge, south London, Brighton line
Stansted (STN)	About 42 miles north-east	Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, about 48 min, from £9.90 advance (around £25 on the day)	National Express coach from £7 (≈€8)	No metered London fare – agree the price first	Liverpool Street, Stratford, Tottenham Hale, north-east London
Southend (SEN)	About 42 miles east	Greater Anglia train to Liverpool Street, about 52–53 min, every 20 min	Advance train fares from around £13.40 (≈€16)	A long, costly run – commonly reported at £100 or more	Essex, Stratford, easyJet flights from a small, quiet terminal

Fares are adult singles in pounds sterling (£) with approximate euro figures, checked in October 2026. Distances are TfL’s approximate figures. Advance fares are for a specific train and have limited availability; walk-up fares are higher.

Which London airport is closest to central London?

London City Airport is the only one inside the Tube and rail fare zones apart from Heathrow, and it is by far the closest to the financial district. Heathrow is next at about 14 miles, then Luton (about 28 miles) and Gatwick (about 30 miles), both with trains of around half an hour; Stansted and Southend are furthest at about 42 miles. What matters most is where you are staying: Luton is closer than Gatwick if your hotel is near St Pancras, while Gatwick is quicker for Victoria or London Bridge.

Heathrow: London’s main airport

Heathrow is the UK’s biggest airport and the base for most long-haul flights. It has three rail links into town, explained in full in our Heathrow to central London guide:

• Heathrow Express: non-stop to Paddington every 15 minutes, about 15 minutes from Terminals 2 & 3 and about 21 minutes from Terminal 5. £26 (≈€31) walk-up, from £10 when booked 30 or more days ahead; under-16s travel free in Standard with a paying adult.
• Elizabeth line: £15.50 (≈€18) to Zone 1, about 30–35 minutes to Tottenham Court Road, with no change for the West End, the City and Canary Wharf.
• Piccadilly line: £5.90 (≈€7), about 50 minutes, the cheapest rail option, and all night on Fridays and Saturdays (not from Terminal 4).
• Coach: National Express to Victoria from £11.20 (≈€13), around 40 minutes outside rush hour.

Black cabs wait outside every terminal. TfL’s own estimate for Heathrow to central London is £61–£114 (≈€72–€135) for a 30–60 minute trip, plus a Heathrow rank extra. Compare pre-booked operators on our London Heathrow Airport transfers page.

Gatwick: Gatwick Express vs Southern and Thameslink

Gatwick, about 30 miles south of London, is the second-busiest London airport and handles a large share of short-haul and holiday flights. The station is in the South Terminal, about five minutes’ walk from arrivals; from the North Terminal, take the free shuttle (about two minutes).

• Gatwick Express: non-stop to Victoria in about 30 minutes, twice an hour according to the airport. The on-the-day single is around £24 (≈€28); booking online or in the app saves 10%.
• Southern: to Victoria via Clapham Junction in about 35 minutes, on cheaper standard tickets.
• Thameslink: to London Bridge (about 28 minutes), Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras International (about 44 minutes) – often the better choice for the City or King’s Cross.
• Contactless and Oyster: valid between Gatwick and London. Pay-as-you-go fares on Southern and Thameslink are around £10.70 (≈€13) off-peak and around £19.20 (≈€22) at peak times; the Gatwick Express charges more.
• Coach: National Express to Victoria Coach Station from £6 (≈€7), with the first departure around 01:00; allow 65 minutes or more depending on traffic.

For most travellers, the Gatwick Express buys little extra speed over Southern to Victoria, so Gatwick is often the second-cheapest London airport by train. More drivers are listed on our Gatwick Airport transfers page.

Stansted: Stansted Express and coaches

Stansted, about 42 miles north-east, is mainly a low-cost airport. The Stansted Express runs to London Liverpool Street every 15 minutes during the day, taking about 48 minutes, with a stop at Tottenham Hale (about 35 minutes) for the Victoria line. Advance singles start from £9.90 (≈€12); on-the-day Anytime singles are around £25. The first train from the airport is around 05:30 and the last at 00:30. Oyster and contactless are not valid on this route: the operator warns of a £100 penalty fare for tapping in, so buy a ticket before you board.

National Express coaches leave from the coach station outside the terminal for Stratford, Liverpool Street and Victoria, from £7 (≈€8) booked in advance. The fastest services take about 45 minutes to east London, but the run to Victoria often takes 75–95 minutes. Coaches run almost around the clock, which helps with very early flights. See London Stansted Airport transfers for pre-booked cars.

Luton: DART shuttle plus train to St Pancras

Luton is about 28 miles north of London. The Luton DART, an automated shuttle, links the terminal with Luton Airport Parkway station in under four minutes, 24 hours a day. A stand-alone DART ticket costs £4.90 (≈€6), but if you buy a rail ticket to “Luton Airport” rather than to the Parkway station, the DART is included.

• Luton Airport Express (East Midlands Railway): non-stop to St Pancras in 22–32 minutes, up to two trains an hour, advance fares from £10.
• Thameslink: up to eight trains an hour to St Pancras (24–45 minutes), Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars and London Bridge, with advance fares from £6.50 plus the DART; the airport says Thameslink runs through the night.
• Coach: National Express from £7 (≈€8), up to 47 services a day; Victoria takes 60–90 minutes.

Door to door, Luton is often quicker than Stansted and comparable with Gatwick if you are heading to north or central London. See London Luton Airport transfers for local operators.

London City Airport to central London

London City Airport sits in the Docklands, about 6 miles east of the centre in Zone 3. The DLR station is attached to the terminal, and trains run every 8 minutes on weekdays and every 10 minutes at weekends, reaching Bank in about 20 minutes. Canary Wharf and Stratford are also a short ride away, and you can change for the Elizabeth line at Custom House. With contactless or Oyster, a single to Zone 1 costs £3.90 (≈€5) at peak times and £3.30 (≈€4) off-peak, the lowest airport fare in London. Black cabs and pre-booked minicabs collect outside the terminal. The airport mainly serves short-haul UK and European routes, so most long-haul passengers will not have the option.

Southend: the quiet sixth London airport

London Southend Airport, about 42 miles east, has its own station about 100 metres from the terminal doors. Greater Anglia trains run every 20 minutes to Stratford (about 43–46 minutes) and Liverpool Street (about 52–53 minutes), with advance singles from around £13.40 (≈€16). Oyster is not valid. Flights are mainly easyJet, with around 27 routes. The main line is due to close for engineering works for around ten days from Christmas Day 2026, so check rail-replacement arrangements if you fly over the holidays.

Cheapest London airport to get to the centre

Ranked by the lowest regular fare into central London:

1. London City: £3.30–£3.90 on the DLR.
2. Heathrow: £5.90 on the Piccadilly line.
3. Gatwick: coaches from £6; trains around £10.70 off-peak with contactless.
4. Luton: coaches from £7; trains from £6.50 advance plus the £4.90 DART.
5. Stansted: coaches from £7; trains from £9.90 advance.
6. Southend: trains from around £13.40 advance.

Walk-up rail fares from the outer airports cost several times the advance price, so book ahead.

Stansted vs Luton vs Gatwick

The three main low-cost airports compare like this:

• Speed by train: Gatwick (about 30 minutes to Victoria) and Luton (22–32 minutes to St Pancras plus the DART) are faster than Stansted (about 48 minutes to Liverpool Street).
• Late arrivals: Luton has the DART 24 hours and overnight Thameslink trains; Stansted’s last train leaves at 00:30, after which you need a coach, taxi or pre-booked car; at Gatwick, check the overnight rail timetable for your date or use the coach.
• Pay as you go: contactless works from Gatwick but not on the Stansted Express.
• Where you are staying: Stansted lands you in the north-east of the city, Luton in the north, Gatwick in the south. Pick the airport that matches your hotel and the “far” one may turn out to be the quickest.

Which London airport to choose if…

• You are staying in the City or Canary Wharf: London City, or Stansted/Southend to Liverpool Street and Stratford.
• You are staying in the West End, Kensington or Paddington: Heathrow.
• You are staying near King’s Cross St Pancras or Farringdon: Luton, or Gatwick on Thameslink.
• You are staying near Victoria, Westminster or London Bridge: Gatwick.
• You are joining a cruise at Southampton: Heathrow is closest; see our Southampton cruise port guide.
• You are on a tight budget: London City or Heathrow by Tube, or any airport by advance coach.

Taxis and Uber from London airports

London black cabs are metered and regulated by Transport for London, and must accept contactless and card payments without a surcharge. TfL publishes an estimate only for Heathrow. For journeys to or from Luton, Gatwick and Stansted, TfL says the fare is agreed between passenger and driver before the trip, so ask for the total before you set off. Uber and other apps operate at the London airports, but pick-ups are usually in car parks rather than at the terminal door, and prices rise with demand. Private hire cars entering central London between 07:00 and 18:00 also pay the £18 Congestion Charge, which is usually passed on in the fare. Black cabs are exempt. Read more in our Uber vs taxi guide.

Pre-booked private transfers from London airports

From the outer airports, a taxi or app ride into London is a long and expensive trip, so a car or minibus booked in advance is often the simpler option when:

• you are a family or group of four or more, where one vehicle replaces several train fares;
• you land after the last train, or very early in the morning;
• you need child seats fitted before you arrive;
• you have heavy luggage, golf bags or reduced mobility;
• you want a fixed price with a driver who follows your flight if it is delayed.

Companies listed on intransfers.com include Addison Lee, Green Tomato Cars, Airport Pickups London (APL Cars) and Heathrow Minibus Service across London, plus Stansted Travel Services, Circle Cars Luton and Clocktower Cars Gatwick near the airports in their names. Compare more operators on our Heathrow transfers, Stansted transfers, Luton transfers and London transfers pages, and book directly with the company. Ask whether the quote includes the Congestion Charge, airport parking and waiting time.

Tips for flying into London

• Book the train when you book the flight: advance fares on the Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton expresses are a fraction of the walk-up price.
• Contactless where it works: Heathrow, London City and Gatwick accept pay as you go; Stansted and Southend need a ticket.
• Night arrivals: check last trains before you fly; our late-night arrivals guide covers the options after midnight.
• Licensed drivers only: take a black cab from the rank or a car you have booked. Anyone offering a ride in the arrivals hall is not licensed to do so – see our airport taxi scams guide.
• Engineering works: weekend and holiday closures are common on UK railways, especially around Christmas; check National Rail before travelling.