London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [215]
Central London and its surrounding districts are divided into 32 boroughs—33, counting the City of London. More useful for finding your way around, however, are the subdivisions of London into postal districts. Throughout the guide we’ve given the full postal code for some listings. The first one or two letters give the location: N means north, NW means northwest, and so on. Don’t expect the numbering to be logical, however. You won’t, for example, find W2 next to W3. The general rule is that the lower numbers, such as W1 or SW1, are closest to Buckingham Palace, but it is not consistent—SE17 is closer to the city center than E4, for example.
AIR TRAVEL
Flying time to London is about 6½ hours from New York, 7½ hours from Chicago, 11 hours from San Francisco, and 21½ hours from Sydney.
For flights out of London, the general rule is that you arrive one hour before your scheduled departure time for domestic flights and two hours before international flights for off-peak travel.
Airline Security Issues Transportation Security Administration (www.tsa.gov).
AIRPORTS
International flights to London arrive at either Heathrow Airport (LHR), 15 mi west of London, or at Gatwick Airport (LGW), 27 mi south of the capital. Most flights from the United States go to Heathrow, which is the busiest and is divided into five terminals, with Terminals 3, 4, and 5 handling transatlantic flights. Gatwick is London’s second gateway. It has grown from a European airport into an airport that also serves dozens of U.S. destinations. A smaller third airport, Stansted (STN), is 35 mi northeast of the city. It handles mainly European and domestic traffic, although there’s also scheduled service from New York. Two smaller airports, Luton (LTN), 30 mi north of town, and business-oriented London City (in East London E16) mainly handle flights to Europe.
Airport Information Gatwick Airport (0844/335–1802 | www.gatwickairport.com). Heathrow Airport (0844/335–1801 | www.heathrowairport.com). London City Airport (020/7646–0088 | www.londoncityairport.com). Luton Airport (01582/405–100 | www.london-luton.co.uk). Stansted Airport (0844/355–1803 | www.stanstedairport.com).
Ground Transportation
London has excellent if pricey bus and train connections between its airports and Central London. If you’re arriving at Heathrow, you can pick up a map and fare schedule at the Transport for London (TfL) Information Centre located in the underground station serving Terminals 1, 2, and 3. Train service can be quick, but the downside (for trains from all airports) is that you must get yourself and your luggage to the train via a series of escalators and connecting trams. Airport link buses (generally National Express Airport buses) may ease the luggage factor and drop you closer to central hotels, but they’re subject to London traffic, which can be horrendous and make the trip drag on for hours. Taxis can be more convenient than buses, but beware that prices can go through the roof. Airport Travel Line has additional transfer information and takes advance booking for transfers between airports and into London. The BAA (British Airport Authority) Web site is a useful resource, giving all transport options from Gatwick, Heathrow, and Stansted.
From Heathrow To Central London
Travel Mode
Time
Cost
Taxi
1 hour+
£50+
Heathrow Express Train
15 min
£16.50 (£32 round-trip) and £26 for first class
Underground
50 min
£4.50 one-way (less with Oyster card)
National Express Bus
1 hour
£4 one-way
Hotel by Bus
1 hour+
£22 one-way
Heathrow by Bus: National Express buses take one hour to reach the city center (Victoria) and costs £5 one-way and £10 round-trip. A rival service, easyBus, offers buses from as little as £2. The National Express Hotel Hoppa service runs from all airports to around 20 hotels located near the airport (£4). Alternatively, nearly every hotel in London itself is served by the Hotel By Bus service. Fares to Central London average around £22. SkyShuttle also offers a shared minibus service between Heathrow