London is one of Europe’s leading air and rail hubs, and there are also many motorways leading into the city from across the UK.

By air

The best way to get to London is by air. Few destinations in the world have so many flight routes and direct connections to every regional European airport, as well as to the vast majority of the world’s major cities.

London is also the largest hub for several low-cost airlines, such as Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air, so flights from European destinations in particular are often very cheap.

There are six international airports in the London area. For information on the distance from the airport to the city centre, transport into the city or accommodation nearby, click on the airport name below.

• London Heathrow LHR
• London City LCY
• London Gatwick LGW
• London Stansted STN
• London Luton LTN
• London Southend SEN

Where and how can you buy flights to London?

Most flights are available from airlines based in London. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the main carriers flying to London from destinations outside Europe.

British Airwaysalso operates European routes, as do the aforementioned low-cost carriersRyanair, easyJet and Wizz Air, which together fly to hundreds of destinations.

However, the British capital is served by airlines from all over the world. Compare flight prices across all airlines using Skyscanner, for example. When choosing from a travel agent’s offers, always select the airline directly.

Compare flight prices to London

By Eurostar train from Europe

London also has a direct rail link to continental Europe via the high-speed Eurostar service, which runs through the 30km-long Eurotunnel beneath the English Channel.

Eurostar trains cover a distance of over 460 km in two and a quarter hours and depart every two hours from Paris , Brussels or Amsterdam.

One-way tickets start at57 eurwhen purchased at least three weeks in advance. As the departure date approaches, ticket prices rise to around140 eur.

The easiest way to buy tickets is on the Eurostar website, orvia the UK websitethetrainline.com, where ticket prices are identical to those on the Eurostar website.

High-speed trains to Europe depart from London St Pancras International station, and some services also stop at Stratford International station.

By train from British cities

The British rail network is one of the densest in the world, and you can travel by train from London to virtually every major city across the UK. The British rail sector is highly liberalised, with dozens of different companies operating here. 

However, when searching for connections and buying tickets, you don’t need to trawl through all the transport companies’ websites; simply use the popular British search engine thetrainline.com.

Ticket pricesare usually significantly higher than for buses, but the journey is generally faster and more comfortable. As with buses or flights, the earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper it is likely to be.

London does not have a single central main station, but dozens of terminus and through stations around the city centre.

When buying a ticket or searching for a connection, so be sure to check carefully which station your train is actually departing from.

Examples of destinations and the stations they depart from:

• Cambridge – Kings Cross, St Pancras and Liverpool Street stations
• Oxford – Paddington and Marylebone stations
• Manchester, Liverpool– Euston Station
• Birmingham– Euston or Marylebone stations
• Bristol, Cardiff, Newquay– Paddington Station
• Edinburgh – King’s Cross station 
• Glasgow, Aberdeen – Euston or King’s Cross stations 
• Brighton, Eastbourne– Victoria or Blackfriars stations
• Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth– Waterloo or Victoria stations
• Exeter– Waterloo or Paddington station

Buy a ticket on thetrainline.com

By coach from UK cities

Long-distance coach travel is quite popular in the UK and significantly cheaper than trains. There are three major operators on British roads: National Express, which offers connections to literally every corner of Britain;Megabus, which operates only on the main routes between the largest cities; and Flixbus.

On competing routes, Flixbus or Megabus usually offer cheaper tickets; however, if you book well in advance (at least a month ahead), National Express often has cheaper promotional fares.

• Search for connections and buy tickets on National Express
• Search for connections and buy tickets on Flixbus
• Search for a route and buy tickets on Megabus

Examples of prices on routes from London:

• Birmingham – promotional fares from 3,90 gbp, standard price around 10 gbp
• Bristol – special offer from 3,90 gbp, standard price around 9 gbp
• Manchester – special offer from 3,90 gbp, standard price around 12 gbp
• Southampton – special offer from 6,50 gbp, standard price around 8 gbp
• Newquay – usual price around 20 gbp
• Brighton – special offer from 5 gbp, usual price around 9 gbp

The vast majority of long-distance coach services depart from Victoria Station, where the Victoria, District and Circle Underground lines intersect.