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Travel to London
Flying to London
A huge range of airlines operate direct flights to London from around the globe. Among the airlines offering connections from other cities within the UK are British Airways, easyJet, Flybe and Ryanair. Airlines running direct flights from the USA include American Airlines, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Delta, Norwegian, United, US Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
The city is a year-round destination, with the peak period for fares between June and September. If you're looking for cheap flights to London, you can often find lower fares in mid-autumn and spring.
From Edinburgh - 1 hour 30 minutes; New York - 7 hours; Los Angeles - 10 hours 30 minutes; Toronto - 7 hours; Sydney - 23 hours (including stopover).
City Airports:
London City Airport (LCY)
Telephone:+44 20 7646 0000
Website:www.londoncityairport.com
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Website:www.londoncityairport.com
Location:
London City Airport is located 11km (7 miles) east of the City of London.
Money:
Bureaux de change and ATMs are located within the terminal building, both before and after the security screening area.
Luggage:
There is a left-luggage service available at the airport, along with a lost property service (tel: +44 20 7646 0000) that can help with misplaced items in the terminal area.
London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
Telephone:+44 844 892 0322
Website:www.gatwickairport.com
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Website:www.gatwickairport.com
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London Gatwick Airport is located 45km (29.5 miles) south of Central London.
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Bureaux de change facilities and ATMs are available in the arrivals and departures areas of both terminals, open 24 hours.
Luggage:
Left-luggage facilities are available in both terminals. A lost property service is also in operation; items are logged onto a database at lostproperty.org. Luggage trolleys are available for a refundable £1 deposit.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Telephone:+44 844 335 1801
Website:www.heathrow.com
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Website:www.heathrow.com
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London Heathrow Airport is located 24km (15 miles) west of central London.
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There are numerous ATMs and bureaux de change facilities in all terminals (both pre- and post-security).
Luggage:
Left-luggage offices (tel: +44 20 8759 3344) can be found in each terminal, while lost property can be reclaimed from the Airport Lost Property Office (tel: +44 844 824 3115 (within UK) or +44 20 3761 1800 (international)) in Terminal 3. Baggage trolleys are available free of charge in baggage reclaim and other key areas.
London Luton Airport (LTN)
Telephone:+44 1582 405 100.
Website:www.london-luton.co.uk
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Website:www.london-luton.co.uk
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London Luton Airport is located 51km (32 miles) north of central London.
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ATMs can be found in the check-in area, in the departures area and at the Onwards Travel Centre. Bureaux de change facilities are also located throughout the terminal building.
Luggage:
There is a left-luggage desk in the check-in area. Contact the lost property office (tel: +44 1582 395 219) for items lost or found within the airport. Luggage trolleys are available for a £2 fee.
London Stansted Airport (STN)
Telephone:+44 844 335 1803.
Website:www.stanstedairport.com
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Website:www.stanstedairport.com
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London Stansted Airport is located 48km (30 miles) northeast of central London, in Essex.
Money:
ATMs and bureaux de change are located both pre- and post security.
Luggage:
There is a left-luggage facility and lost property service (tel: +44 844 824 3109) at the airport desk in the international arrivals hall.
Travel by road
Summary:
Traffic drives on the left in the UK and drivers must be at least 17 years old. Speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas.
Overseas driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for up to one year. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed.
Breakdown service, traffic updates and general motoring information are available from the AA (tel: +44 121 275 3746; www.theaa.com) and the RAC (tel: +44 844 891 3111; www.rac.co.uk).
Emergency breakdown service:
AA (tel: 0800 887 766, in the UK); RAC (tel: 0800 828 282, in the UK).
Routes:
The M25 encircles Greater London. The M1, M11, M20, M23, M3, M4 and M40 radiate from London to the rest of Britain.
The M1 goes north to Leeds, the M11 northeast to Cambridge and East Anglia, the M20 southeast to Folkestone (from where the A20 continues to Dover), the M23 goes south to Gatwick airport (and continues as the A23 to Brighton), the M3 southwest to Southampton, the M4 west to Heathrow airport and Bristol, and the M40 northwest to Oxford and Birmingham.
Motorists can travel by train through the Channel Tunnel from Calais, France to Folkestone in southeast England, with Eurotunnel (tel: +44 844 335 3535; www.eurotunnel.com).
Driving times:
From Edinburgh - 7 hours 15 minutes; Birmingham - 2 hours 50 minutes; Manchester - 4 hours 15 minutes; Cardiff - 3 hours 15 minutes.
Coaches:
National and international services use Victoria coach station, a short walk from Victoria railway station, at 164 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1.
National Express (tel: +44 871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com) operates services throughout the UK, and has stops throughout London, as does Megabus (tel: +44 141 352 4444; http://uk.megabus.com).
Eurolines (tel: +44 871 781 8177; www.eurolines.co.uk) has departures to over 500 European destinations.
Travel by rail
Services:
The UK's rail network has a mixed reputation, but is generally efficient, if subject to delays and cancellations.
London’s main stations are Victoria (southwest), Paddington (west), Euston and Kings Cross (north), Liverpool Street (east), Waterloo (south) and Charing Cross (central), and they connect with different regions of the country. Buy tickets at the station (from ticket desks or machines) before boarding, but for longer journeys, book online in advance for cheaper fares. Do note that London’s main stations become very crowded during rush hour (Monday to Friday 0800-0930 and 1700-1830).
Operators:
Rail services in the UK are co-ordinated by a number of independent operators. Railway information is available 24 hours from National Rail Enquiries (tel: +44 3457 484 950; www.nationalrail.co.uk).
Eurostar (tel: 03432 186 168, in the UK only +44 1233 617 575; www.eurostar.com) connects London St Pancras International with Avignon, Brussels, Lille, Paris Gare du Nord and Disneyland Paris via the Channel Tunnel.
ScotRail (tel: +44 345 811 0141; www.scotrail.co.uk) runs overnight sleeper trains from Euston to Scotland’s main cities.
Journey times:
From Edinburgh - 4 hours 20 minutes; Cardiff - 2 hours 5 minutes; Manchester - 2 hours 10 minutes; Birmingham - 1 hour 50 minutes; Paris - 2 hours 15 minutes.
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