From Airports to London

This page offers you information on how to get around London as well as how to get from the 5 airports to London and Croydon.

 

London Transport's Journey Planner

Here is a very useful link to plan a journey around London: Journey Planner. Most of the information below can be checked here.

No tickets are sold on trains, underground trains, buses or trams. All tickets must be bought before boarding transport.

Before buying tickets for trains and tube - ask people at the (i) information points, ticket sellers, what the cheapest, most convenient transport for your journey is. Every day many stations and even tube lines are closed or not running properly. It always better to ask people at the ticket office in advance before going into train or underground how to get to the desired destination.

The locals strongly advise against driving in London. There are lots of road works all over the town and traffic congestion is terrible. Black Cabs are one of the best taxi services in the world. They are very comfortable, 6 people could get a ride in a single cab, however they are expensive. The starting fare for a single person during the day £2.20 at the start of the journey.

 

Gatwick Airport

The closest airport to Croydon is Gatwick Airport.

The best mode of transport from Gatwick Airport to central London is train. Trains towards Victoria and London Bridge run through East Croydon.
On the fast train it takes 15 minutes.

Single Standard train ticket prices:

  • Gatwick to East Croydon from £5.30
  • Gatwick to Victoria from £17.90
  • Gatwick to London Bridge from £9.40

According to the Journey Planner it takes approximately 15 minutes from 'station' Gatwick Airport to 'station' East Croydon.
There are many frequent trains towards central London.

The Gatwick Airport railway station is next to South Terminal and provides connections along the Brighton Main Line to London Victoria and London Bridge stations.

Gatwick Express to Victoria is the best-known service from the station, but other companies, including Southern, First Capital Connect and First Great Western, use the station as well.

The last train towards London Bridge is at 11.15 pm. There are some later trains running towards Victoria all night.

Taxi to East Croydon or London Bridge from Gatwick are £70 - £90.

 

City Airport

London City Airport is linked to London via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), that offers interchanges with London Underground, London Overground and Southeastern (train operating company). London City Airport DLR station adjoins the terminal building, with enclosed access to and from the elevated platforms.

The airport is served by London Buses services 473 and 474 running to local East London destinations. The airport has both a short-term and a long-term car park, both within walking distance of the terminal and a taxi rank outside the terminal door.

The journey from London City Airport (zone 3 of the London Underground map) to London Bridge Station (change at Canning Town to Jubilee line) with the DLR takes around 30 minutes.

 

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport has the following connections.

Heathrow Express provides a non-stop service directly to London's Paddington station. Trains leave every 15 minutes for the 15 minute journey (21 minutes to/from Terminal 5).
Single Standard train ticket price is £18.
Trains depart from Heathrow Terminal 5 station or Heathrow Central station (Terminals 1 & 3). A Heathrow Express transfer service operates between Terminal 4 and Heathrow Central to connect with services from London and Terminal 5.

Heathrow Connect is a stopping service to Paddington calling at up to
five National Rail stations en route. Trains leave every 30 minutes for the 27 minute journey. Heathrow Connect services terminate at Heathrow Central station (Terminals 1 & 3).

London Underground Piccadilly line serves three tube stations: Terminals 1, 2, 3; Terminal 4; Terminal 5. The standard journey time from Heathrow Terminals 1 & 3 tube station to Central London is around 40–50 minutes (when the trains run well, it could be considerably less).

Taxis are available at all terminals. It will cost about £90 to get to London Bridge from Heathrow.

Many buses and coaches operate from the large Heathrow airport central
bus station serving Terminals 1 and 3, and also from bus stations at Terminals 4 and 5. Services include the following:

  • Express bus services to Croydon London Buses route X26 departs two times an hour.
  • National Express to Victoria Coach Station in London. (stops at Victoria on the way to other destinations)

Night bus N9 operates to central London at night when the trains do not operate.

By car, Heathrow is accessible via the nearby M4 motorway and A4 road
(Terminals 1–3), the M25 motorway (Terminals 4 and 5), and the A30 road (Terminal 4). There are drop off and pick up areas at all terminals and short and long stay multi-storey car parks.
Additionally, there is the National Car Parks facility; these car parks are connected to the terminals by shuttle buses.

 

Luton Airport

Luton Airport has a direct train connection to London Bridge where people could change platforms to go to East Croydon.

There are no direct trains to Victoria, there is a train from Luton to London Bridge (Bedford service,
Single Standard train ticket price: £14). Many Luton trains go to London's St Pancras station.

Local buses connect Luton Airport with Luton town centre and other nearby places. Direct bus services to London are operated by both Green Line Coaches and EasyBus (with service to Victoria Coach Station).

 

Stansted Airport

Stansted Airport is very far from East Croydon.
There are no direct trains to Victoria or London Bridge from Stansted.

Stansted Airport railway station located underneath the terminal building links the airport to London's Liverpool Street Station. The Stansted Express train runs to and from Liverpool Street station in London every 15 minutes and the journey time is 45 minutes to one hour.
Single Standard train ticket price: £20.

Scheduled express bus or coach services run to and from Stratford (45 minutes), Victoria Coach Station (75 minutes), Liverpool Street Station (55 minutes). EasyBus and Terravision provide journeys between the airport and Central London.

Eurostar

To get from London St Pancras International Rail Station to East Croydon, take the First Capital Connect train towards Brighton Rail Station.
It covers zones 1 to 5 and takes in average 30 minutes.

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