Most expats will arrive in London by air, either from abroad or after connecting in other U.K. cities such as Manchester or Glasgow. London is served by five main airports: London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, and London Stansted. Most expats will arrive at either Gatwick or Heathrow, but some European flights and low-budget carriers operate out of London City, London Luton, and London Stansted.
Both Gatwick and Heathrow have a high-speed train service, called the Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express, that goes to and from Victoria Station in central London. Heathrow is also on the Piccadilly Underground line, which runs through the heart of London. London City Airport is located on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). All of the airports have buses, trains, taxis, and car rental services available for the journey into London.
London is just seven hours by plane from New York City and is ideally located for exploring the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. You can be in Berlin in an hour and a half, Prague in two hours, Athens in three and a half hours, or Cairo in five hours.
Airport addresses and contact information are as follows:
London City Airport
City Aviation House
Royal Docks
London
E16 2PX
UNITED KINGDOM
+44 (0)20 7646 0088
www.londoncityairport.com
London Gatwick Airport
West Sussex
RH6 0NP
UNITED KINGDOM
+44 (0)870 000 2468 (general inquiries)
www.gatwickairport.com
London Heathrow Airport
234 Bath Road
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 5AP
UNITED KINGDOM
+44 (0)870 000 0123 (general inquiries)
www.heathrowairport.com
London Luton Airport
Navigation House
Airport Way
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU2 9LY
UNITED KINGDOM
+44 (0)1582 405100
www.london-luton.co.uk
London Stansted Airport
Enterprise House
Bassingbourn Road
Essex
CM24 1QW
UNITED KINGDOM
+44 (0)870 000 0303 (general inquiries)
www.standstedairport.com
The U.K. has an extensive domestic rail network that links London to several other U.K. cities and towns. Information regarding individual stations, including timetables and fares, can be found at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
London is also served by the Eurostar train, which operates daily services in and out of London from Paris and Brussels. Journey times are about two hours and twenty minutes from Paris and just under two hours from Brussels. Details about specific train journeys and ticket prices can be found at the Eurostar's official web site: www.eurostar.com. The Eurostar terminal is located at St. Pancras International rail station in central London.
St. Pancras International
Pancras Road
London
NW1 2QP
UNITED KINGDOM
+44 (0)20 7843 4250
www.stpancras.com