Transfers & transports
How to move around town & airport transfer options
The four airports of London are very busy, so I recommend to decide -and book if possible- the transfer that best suits your needs:
FROM STANSTED AIRPORT
The fastest way: Stansted Express train
This train has two stops near central London: Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street Station, and each of them has good connections with the Underground and buses. It takes 36 minutes to get to Tottenham Hale and 47 to arrive at Liverpool Street Station. It departs every 15 minutes, 7 days a week. The price goes from € 27.80 per person.
The cheapest way: bus
This bus connects Stansted airport with different spots of the city center and ends at London Victoria coach station. It departs every 15 minutes, all day every day, and it takes a little bit more than an hour to get to the final stop, depending on the traffic. The price goes from € 14.19 per person.
The most comfortable door-to-door option: Private Transfer
If you book this service you'll have a driver waiting for you at the Arrivals Hall to take you directly to your accomodation. The price depends on how many people there's in the group and the luggage, but calculate around € 124.59 per group up to 2 persons. It takes around one hour to get to your destination, depending on your hotel location.
The other door-to-door option: Shared transfer
The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 35.49 per person, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes.
FROM GATWICK AIRPORT
The fastest way: Gatwick Express
It departs every 15 minutes and it takes 30 minutes to get to London Victoria Station in the city center, which has good transport connection. The price goes from € 26.02 per person.
The cheapest way: Bus transfer
National Express buses leave every day, every 15 minutes and get to London Victoria coach station in approximately 1.20 hours. The price goes from € 11.83 per person.
The most comfortable door-to-door option: Private Transfer
If you book this service you'll have a driver waiting for you at the Arrivals Hall to take you directly to your accomodation. The price depends on how many people there's in the group and the luggage, but calculate around € 166 per group up to 3 people. It takes around two hours to get to your destination, depending on your hotel location.
The other door-to-door option: Shared transfer
The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 94.62 for 2 passengers, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes.
FROM HEATHROW AIRPORT
The fastest way: Heathrow Express train
This train takes 15 minutes to get to Paddington station. The price goes from € 26.02 per person.
The most comfortable door-to-door option: Private Transfer
If you book this service you'll have a driver waiting for you at the Arrivals Hall to take you directly to your accomodation. The price depends on how many people there's in the group and the luggage, but calculate around € 41.40 per person. It takes around one hour to get to your destination, depending on your hotel location.
The other door-to-door option: Shared transfer
The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 53.64 for 2 passengers, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes.
FROM LUTON AIRPORT
The cheapest way: Bus transfer
The National Express bus leaves every day, every 15 minutes and it gets to London Victoria coach station in approximately 1 hour. It has more stops on the way, such as Baker Street and Golders Green. The price goes from € 14.19 per person.
The best door-to-door option: Shared transfer
The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 39.42 per person, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes.
It’s pretty easy to move around London, you just have to choose your way!
The fastest way: public transport
The Underground, Overground and buses are part of the public transport system. The price of the first two depend on the zones you travel between: there are 6 zones in total and the city center is on the 1st one, generally being more expensive the more zones you cross. Buses have a flat fare of £1.50, no matter what distance you travel.
To get on the public transport you can either buy an Oyster card or use your Contactless bank card. In both cases, you have to touch in and out of the tube and it will deduce the fare of the distance you've traveled and just touch in when you get on the bus. As for the Oyster, you have to buy it in one of the stations (it costs £5 and it's refundable in some spots) and top it up with as much money as you think you're going to use. Another option is to buy the Oyster Travelcards: a Day travelcard provides unlimited trips for the day. A 1 day Travelcard costs £13.10 for zones 1-2, a 7 day Travelcard costs £35.10 for zones 1-2, and the prices increase the more zones you add.
If you're using your Contactless card, keep in mind that you can be charged transaction fees for non-UK cards and pounds will be converted into your local currency.
You can choose to add an Oyster card to your London Pass!
The most comfy & Panoramic way: Hop On- Hop Off buses
Perfect option for those who don’t like crowded tubes or buses. There are different companies that provide this service:
- The Original London: they offer 24, 48 or 72-hour passes, with 6 different routes and stops on the main sights. You can also choose one of 3 walking tours and a cruise along the River Thames. The price goes from €40.22 per person for one day.
- Big bus: it offers three different options. The Classic ticket is valid for 1 day, the Premium is valid for 2 days and the Deluxe is valid for 3 days. All of them include a Thames river cruise (the classic only one way, the others with return option) and a free walking tour. They have 4 different routes. The prices go from €46.13 per person for the Classic ticket, € 53.23 for the Premium ticket and € 59.14 for the Deluxe ticket.
- Golden Tours: they offer a 24 hour tour and a 72 hour tour with over 70 stops along the city. You can choose to include a boat tour and a walking tour. The price goes from €40.22 per person for one day.
Have you just started to plan your trip? Too many things to decide? Too long do it all by yourself? Special needs or wishes? Then, you should plan your trip with a local to get tailored travel plans & advices.
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