Is it better to fly into Gatwick or Stansted?

Gatwick can be quicker to get to from London compared with Stansted. Where are you staying, one block off Holborn can mean anywhere in a large area. Gatwick is a much larger airport and maybe is more expensive to get to and further away. Security isn't really any different at either airport.



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London Heathrow Airport (LHR) London Heathrow Airport is one of the world's busiest airports and the biggest in the U.K. With four terminals in use, Heathrow services more than 80 airlines from around the world. If you're flying on a long-haul flight into London, chances are this is where you would likely land.

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Closest Airports to London by Travel Time
  • Heathrow Airport – 15 minutes by Heathrow Express train to London Paddington.
  • London City Airport – ~20 minutes to most destinations in London.
  • Gatwick Airport – 30 minutes by Gatwick Express to London Victoria.
  • Luton Airport – 35 minutes by train + shuttle bus to London St.


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Heathrow is much easier for car connections into London - maybe an hour nearer than Gatwick. Assuming you will be staying in central London, both airports offer a reasonably priced express train service connecting to central London stations.

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The Gatwick Express train is by far the most preferred method of transportation to get to and from central London and Gatwick Airport. Non-stop trains run every 15 minutes, and take about 30 minutes (or 35 minutes on Sundays) between both pick-up points.

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What is the nearest airport to London? The nearest airport to London is London City (LCY) Airport which is 7.7 miles away. Other nearby airports include London Heathrow (LHR) (14.4 miles), London Gatwick (LGW) (24.5 miles), London Luton (LTN) (28 miles) and London Stansted (STN) (31.4 miles).

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Heathrow, Gatwick and City are considered more premium passenger experiences, while Stansted, Luton, and Southend are very much budget terminals. Where you are going in central London (or coming from) should influence your choice of airport.

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Heathrow is the closest major airport to central London, with a 15-minute train ride taking passengers from Terminals 2 and 3 to London Paddington.

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Gatwick follows as the secondary and second busiest airport. Heathrow is larger and has better links in and out of the airport to Central London. Heathrow has five terminals and four runways.

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Wednesday and Thursday are also relatively cheap days to fly into London, but Friday is predictably the most expensive day to fly, and one of the busiest days for arrivals into London.

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The Stansted Express is the quickest way into central London, with trains to London Liverpool Street taking 47 minutes. National Express and Airport Bus Express offer coach services to London. Black cabs do not operate from Stansted, so book a licensed minicab instead.

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It is the only major London airport with significant runway capacity and offers a European route network which is unrivalled in the UK, providing London with more visitors from Europe than any other airport.

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The London Underground (aka 'the Tube') gets you from Heathrow to central London in under an hour, with trains running every 10 minutes. Heathrow has three underground stations, at Terminal 2/3 and at Terminal 4 and 5. Prices start from £5.50, making it one of the cheapest travel routes to London from Heathrow.

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It takes an average of 49m to travel from Gatwick Airport to London by train, over a distance of around 24 miles (39 km). There are normally 915 trains per day traveling from Gatwick Airport to London and tickets for this journey start from $14.98 when you book in advance.

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