By air
London is served by six airports. The two principal ones for most visitors are Heathrow and Gatwick.
Heathrow (LHR) is the largest, 15 miles west of the city. The Elizabeth line (Crossrail) now connects Heathrow directly to Paddington in about 25 minutes, then continues through central London to Liverpool Street — a significant improvement over the old Piccadilly line route, which takes 50 minutes to central stations. The Heathrow Express (a premium express service, not included in standard Tube fares) does the same Paddington run in 15 minutes but charges accordingly. The Piccadilly line is the cheapest option at standard Tube fares. A taxi to central London costs £45–65 depending on traffic and destination.
Gatwick (LGW) is 30 miles south. The Gatwick Express runs nonstop to Victoria in 30 minutes (£20–35 depending on booking). Southern and Thameslink train services are slower but cheaper and continue to London Bridge, City Thameslink, and Blackfriars. A taxi runs to around £90–120.
Stansted (STN), 35 miles northeast, is used mainly by budget carriers (Ryanair and easyJet have significant operations). The Stansted Express reaches Liverpool Street in 47 minutes.
London City (LCY) is the most convenient for the business centre: 10 minutes on the DLR to Canary Wharf.
Luton (LTN) and Southend (SEN) are the outermost airports, used almost exclusively by low-cost carriers. Both require rail connections of 45–60 minutes.
By rail from Europe
Eurostar trains arrive at St Pancras International from Paris (2h15), Brussels (2h), and Amsterdam (3h55), with direct services also from Rotterdam and various French cities. St Pancras connects directly to the Underground.
By ferry
Cross-Channel ferry services from Calais and Dunkirk arrive at Dover, from where there are direct trains to London St Pancras (1h) and London Victoria (1h40). Ferries from the Hook of Holland and Zeebrugge arrive at Harwich, with trains to London Liverpool Street.
By coach
National Express and FlixBus run long-distance coach services to Victoria Coach Station from across the UK and from several European cities. Considerably slower than rail but cheaper.