There are five major London airports, making air travel to and from London easy. The airports and their locations in the city are as follows:
London Heathrow Airport – Heathrow is located to the west of London. It is the major international airport in the city and is served by both short-haul and long-haul flights. To get from the airport to the city center, you can take the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground; the Heathrow Express or another train; a bus, a taxi, or a car service. More details can be found here.
London Gatwick Airport – Gatwick is located to the south of London. It is served by both short-haul and long-haul flights, and low-cost airlines like easyJet have flights to and from the airport. To get to the city from Gatwick, you can take the Gatwick Express or another train, bus, taxi, or car service.
London Stansted Airport – Stansted is located to the northeast of London, and is mostly served by low-cost airlines like Ryanair that travel on short-haul routes. You can get to the city by taking the Stansted Express train, a bus, a taxi, or a car service.
London City Airport – City Airport is the closest airport to the London city center. Located in east London, it mainly serves popular business routes. To get from City Airport to central London, you can take the DLR train, which connects to the London Underground. Alternately, you can take a bus, taxi, or car service.
London Luton Airport – Luton is located to the north of London. The airport is mainly served by low-cost airlines like easyJet, which is headquartered there. Most flights from Luton serve Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. To get from Luton to central London, you can take a shuttle to the train station at Luton Airport Parkway, where there are trains to the city center. Otherwise you can take a bus, taxi, or car service to get to London.
Transfer services are available between the London airports, either by bus, car service, train, or taxi. If you need to transfer from one airport to another, make sure you leave yourself a lot of extra time. Flight delays, train delays, and road traffic are all common in London, so it is always best to opt for a long layover if you have to change airports.