London

Getting in

• Heathrow (LHR): Use the Elizabeth line for Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf and east London: direct and usually under 40–45 minutes to central London, about £13.90 by contactless/Oyster to Zone 1. Take the Piccadilly line for South Kensington, Earl’s Court, Leicester Square, Covent Garden or King’s Cross if price matters more than comfort: from £5.50, generally under an hour. Heathrow Express only makes sense for Paddington with a cheap advance fare; do not taxi into central London unless mobility, children or late-night circumstances demand it.
• Gatwick (LGW): Take Thameslink, not Gatwick Express, unless Victoria is exactly where you need to be. It runs directly to London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras; allow 30–50 minutes on the train and roughly £12–£20 depending on time and destination.
• Stansted (STN): Take the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street: about 48–50 minutes, every 15 minutes, with advance singles from around £9.45. It is the clean answer for the City, Shoreditch, Spitalfields and east London. Oyster is not valid to Stansted; coaches are cheaper but traffic-prone.
• Luton (LTN): Use rail plus the DART, not a road transfer. Luton Airport Express from St Pancras reaches Luton Airport Parkway in 22 minutes, then the DART takes about 4 minutes; allow 32–40 minutes station-to-terminal plus waiting. Buy a ticket to “Luton Airport” rather than Parkway so the DART is included; advance fares start around £10.
• London City (LCY): Take the DLR: roughly 20–25 minutes to Bank, then walk or change. It is exceptionally convenient for Canary Wharf, the City and east London.
• Southend (SEN): Rail reaches Liverpool Street, but expect an hour-plus journey before reaching a central hotel. Use it only when the airfare is compelling.
• St Pancras International (Eurostar): St Pancras sits beside King’s Cross and six Tube lines. For outbound Eurostar, arrive about 75 minutes before departure for security and border checks; gates close 30 minutes before departure.