Hardly any other European capital has as many airports as London. Six airports relevant for scheduled air traffic are assigned to this. Three others have “London” in their name, but are primarily relevant to business aviation. If you choose the airport smartly when traveling to the capital of the United Kingdom, you can even save a lot of money.

The route mainly serves Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, City, Luton and Southend. However, their location is extremely different and the connection with public transport and their costs also differ greatly. The time factor also plays a role, because from London City Airport, for example, it is only a few minutes by DLR to the City of London. From Stansted it is at least 90 minutes by bus, depending on the traffic situation, it can be longer.

Oxford and Farnborough airports do not play a significant role in scheduled services. The former airport is located around 100 kilometers northwest of London. Farnborough is 50 kilometers southwest of the British capital and is mainly used for military purposes, but also for the air show. Both places are quite popular in commercial aviation. London Biggin Hill Airport, located just 20 kilometers southeast of the City of London, is the first choice for business aviation.

The airports in the capital of the United Kingdom that are relevant for regular scheduled services are briefly presented below. The focus is on city trips to London. Despite the distances, the airports can still have advantages if the destination is, for example, Southend on Sea and not the capital.

London City Airport (LCY)

This airport is the only one that is actually located in the urban area of ​​the British capital. London City Airport was built on a former dock and is connected to the city center with the Docklands Light Railway. The journey time is around a quarter of an hour. The Canary Wharf banking and office district, also with the DLR, can be reached particularly quickly. At this stop, among other things, there are also options for changing to the subway.

London City is the first choice for city trips due to the enormous time savings, because the tourist tickets are also valid from / to the airport. So no additional ticket is required. However, due to its short runway and the limited operating times due to its inner-city location, the airport is not blessed with such an extensive range of services as Gatwick, for example. For example, there are no non-stop flights to London City from Austria at all. Changes are possible in Zurich, Frankfurt or Luxembourg, for example. The airport is also by far the most expensive in terms of the fees to be paid. There are often very cheap tickets, but City tends to be more expensive. It is therefore a matter of weighing up whether short distances and a fast connection to the city center are more important than possible savings on ticket purchases that can arise when using another airport. By the way: The security check in City is carried out particularly efficiently and quickly. The small airport also advertises that you do not have to appear so late before departure at any other London airport.

Low-cost airlines are not at all present at London City Airport. This is primarily due to the fact that aircraft of the types A320 and Boeing 737 cannot be used from this airport. Furthermore, the fees that this airport charges are extremely high. However, this does not prevent British Airways and other providers from occasionally offering very cheap tickets.

London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

The second largest airport in the British capital is located around 40 kilometers south of London. The handling is divided into two terminals, which are connected by a train. The connection to the local public transport network is located below the South Terminal. Various cities in the United Kingdom, including London of course, can be easily reached by train. There are also numerous long-distance bus routes that complement the offer. If you want to travel to London, you are spoiled for choice between an expensive non-stop train and the normal regional train. The price difference is enormous, but both trains reach Victoria Station, which is ideal as a transfer point to the subway. Inner London tourist tickets are not valid to / from Gatwick Airport so an additional ticket must be purchased. Alternatively, an NFC-enabled debit or credit card can be placed at the barriers and used as a ticket.

Gatwick is served from many European airports and also has a long-haul service. Many charter connections are offered from this airport. One can observe great efficiency on the apron, because there is no other airport that handles so much traffic on just one runway.

Gatwick travelers should bear in mind, however, that it is a major airport and therefore it is very advisable to find out in advance from which terminal the return flight will depart. This can save a lot of time and possibly even anger. 

No clear statements can be made about the ticket prices for the Gatwick Express and the normal train, as a distinction is made between rush hour and off-peak. For more information, see the Side of the Gatwick Express and on the Airport homepage.

In Gatwick there are numerous low costers present. This airport is enjoying increasing popularity with low-cost airlines, so it is not surprising that the offers have been greatly expanded in recent years. The local population also enjoys flying from Gatwick.

London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

The UK's largest airport is about 20 kilometers west of the city center. This is also an important oneworld hub and main hub for British Airways. Virgin Atlantic is also located here. Numerous airlines use Heathrow. As a result, the airport is enormous and has the largest range of flights of all airports in Greater London. 

Due to its division into different terminals, it is very important that you inquire in advance from which the return flight will take place. Not only can this save a lot of time, but it can also save you a lot of trouble if you miss the flight or get stressed just about being able to “catch” it.

The connection to the city center is extremely extensive in Heathrow. Only City Airport can trump this - in terms of travel time and costs. Bus, train and even a subway line are available. However, Heathrow is not included in the inner zones of the tourist cards, so an additional ticket is required. Alternatively, a debit or credit card can be placed at the barrier on the Piccadilly Line and used as a ticket.

By far the most expensive but also the fastest way to get from Heathrow to the city center is the Heathrow Express. This goes non-stop to Paddington Station for 22 British pounds. There are options for changing to the subway. Other train lines are cheaper. The cheapest way, but with the longest travel time, is the tube: 5,70 pounds sterling.

Anyone who feels hopelessly lost in large supermarkets should avoid the large Heathrow Airport. The ways are very long and sometimes a little confusing. One of the largest airports in the world. If you prefer short distances, you should rather switch to one of the other airports in the British capital.

Low-cost airlines are active in Heathrow, but on a very small scale. This has to do with the fact that the slots at this airport are in great demand and the top dogs British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are omnipresent. The costs that the airlines have to pay are also high and only topped by London City.

London Stansted Airport (STN)

One airline is omnipresent at this airport: Ryanair. It is the main base of the Irish low-cost airline, which literally regards it as their "property". The lowcoster and its daughters fly to Stansted-Airport from many European cities. Other lowcosters such as Jet2 or Easyjet also use this airport. In summer there is also an extensive charter offer, while in winter Gatwick is more popular.

Stansted Airport is neither beautiful nor designed in any way for comfort. The flair corresponds to a large warehouse, which is divided up by means of partitions so that passengers can pass all of the shops if possible.

The third largest airport in the British capital is located around 55 kilometers northeast of the city center and is connected to the rail and long-distance bus routes by means of the Stansted Express. The ticket prices for the train are exorbitantly high if you want a flexible ticket. If you get stuck on a certain train and buy your ticket on the Internet in good time, there are sometimes offers between seven and ten pounds. The long-distance buses that leave in front of the terminal are much cheaper. The travel time is at least 90 minutes. Tickets can be bought on the Internet, but also at the bus operators' stalls. These are not located in the terminal, but directly at the stops.

There are often very cheap tickets to London Stansted due to the fierce competition that low-cost airlines are facing. However, the time required to get to the city center and back to the airport is enormous. When using the Stansted Express, the ticket costs can quickly become significantly more expensive than the flight ticket itself. Therefore, it should be carefully calculated whether the alleged low-cost flight ticket is not the bottom line in terms of additional costs when using another airport, e.g. London City.

The British authorities also use Stansted for a very special purpose. This airport also specializes in the fact that intercepted aircraft or when the crew issues a hijacking alarm have to land here. Special units are available on site. Even in the event of a bomb threat, the planes are usually diverted to Stansted, because here you are perfectly equipped and have the necessary experts available around the clock.

London Luton Airport (LTN)

This airport is located about 50 kilometers northwest of the British capital. The home base carriers Easyjet and Wizzair UK are dominant here. Other low-cost airlines also like to use Luton as an alternative for Stansted. The terminal is neither beautiful nor comfortable, but at best functional. Again and again, Luton collects the red lantern in passenger surveys.

If you don't want to go to London but to another city in the UK, this airport can be advantageous in several ways. There are many cheap flight connections that you can use as a connection at your own risk, but due to the motorway connection, continuing your journey with a rental car or long-distance bus is also a good option. The range of bus connections from Luton is quite extensive.

Luton is also quite well connected to the British capital by rail. However, this has a small flaw, because first a shuttle bus, which runs every ten minutes, has to be taken to get to the train station at all. This should be taken into account especially on the return flight so as not to miss the flight. The inner zone tourist cards are not valid from Stansted or Luton. The cost of the train is by no means cheap at around 22,10 British pounds (standard ticket). The journey time from the train station is around 40 minutes. Long-distance buses are much cheaper, but also involve longer travel times. Tickets are available from the providers on the Internet or from the sales offices at the bus station.

London Southend Airport (SEN)

The airport, which is located near the coastal town of Sothend on Sea, has only been the official sixth airport in London for a few years. The operator is the Stobart Group, which also offers various connections from this airport with its in-house airline. In recent years there has also been a very aggressive approach with regard to the costs that the airlines have to pay. As a result, lowcosters like Easyjet in particular have settled here.

Southend is about 60 kilometers east of the British capital, making it even further away than Stansted. The journey time to Liverpool Station is around 52 minutes. The tourist tickets for the inner and outer zones are also not valid, so an additional ticket is required. However, the train station is located directly opposite the Southend Airport terminal. In the best case scenario, a ticket costs £ 17,80 each way. Alternatively, various long-distance bus offers are also available. However, these are associated with a significantly longer journey time.