By Air
Most visitors arrive by air. London is served by six airports, of which Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) handle the bulk of long-haul traffic. Heathrow is closer to the city centre and better connected — the Heathrow Express takes 20 minutes to Paddington. Gatwick is cheaper on average and connects to central London in 30 minutes via the Gatwick Express to Victoria.
Manchester (MAN) is the main international gateway for the north of England and serves many transatlantic routes. Edinburgh (EDI) and Glasgow (GLA) are the principal Scottish airports. If you're coming from within Europe, a growing number of regional airports are also well connected.
Low-cost airlines — easyJet, Ryanair and others — operate extensive routes from across Europe to secondary airports including Stansted, Luton and Bristol.
By Rail (from Europe)
Eurostar trains run through the Channel Tunnel from Paris (around 2h 20min), Brussels (2h) and Amsterdam (around 3h 30min) directly to London St Pancras International. This is the most comfortable and central way to arrive from western Europe, and often competitive with flying once you factor in airport time.
By Ferry
Ferry services connect the UK to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Scandinavia. The main crossings are Dover–Calais and Dover–Dunkirk (around 90 minutes), served by P&O Ferries, DFDS and others. If you're bringing a car or travelling cheaply with flexibility, ferries are worth considering.
Entry Requirements
Since Brexit, non-British and non-Irish citizens need to check entry requirements carefully.
ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation): From April 2025, most visitors who do not need a visa — including EU, US, Canadian and Australian citizens — must apply for an ETA before travelling. The ETA costs £16, is valid for two years (or until your passport expires), and allows multiple visits of up to six months each. Apply through the official UK ETA app.
Visa: Citizens of countries not covered by the ETA scheme need a full visa. Check the UK government's official visa checker at gov.uk.
Irish citizens do not need an ETA or visa and may use the Common Travel Area freely.