If travelling from further afield, your best bet is to take a look on some of the travel websites such as Expedia, Opodo, Priceline and so on - it is probably best to check flights and travel websites such as these for your own country. These, of course, can also help with accommodation in London and things such as car rental!

London has five airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton Airport and London City Airport. If you're a long-haul traveller you will almost certainly land at either Heathrow or Gatwick. Many of the low-cost airlines operate from Stansted Airport, whilst some, such as Easyjet, run their flights from Luton Airport. The airport websites have full details about travel options from the airports to London, but here we'll present some of the best options.

Getting to London from Heathrow Airport
The most cost-effective way is by Underground. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 share a station, with another stop for Terminal 4. Both these stations are on the Piccadilly Line and your journey to central London will take approximately an hour. A single ticket from Heathrow (stations are in Zone 6) to central London (i.e. a stop in Zone 1) costs £3.80 (as of 2004).

Coaches take about an hour from Heathrow to Victoria Coach station. One-way tickets cost £10, a return is £15. See the National Express website for timings.

You can also take a Heathrow Express train to Paddington station. Tickets (as of 2004) cost £13 for a single, £25 for a return. Trains run every 15 minutes between 5am to midnight.

Getting to London from Gatwick Airport
Probably the easiest way of doing this is by taking the Gatwick Express train to Victoria Station. Tickets cost £11 for a single, £21.50 for a return (as of 2004). Trains run every 15 minutes between approximately 5.20am to 1am.

There are also (less frequent) coaches from both Gatwick terminals to Victoria Coach station in London. Coaches leave about every hour and take about 1 hour 30 minutes. See the National Express website for timings.

Getting to London from Luton Airport
Trains run from Luton Airport Parkway station (there's a free shuttle bus to there from the airport) to King's Cross St. Pancras station.

Getting to London from Stansted Airport
The easiest option is to take the Stansted Express train from the airport to either Tottenham Hale station or Liverpool Street stations. Trains run from 5.30am to 12.30am, with a frequency of 15 minutes (30 minutes early in the morning and late at night). Taking the train all the way to Liverpool Street station will land you directly in London; it might be more convenient to take a train only to Tottenham Hale station and change here for the Underground (Victoria Line) if this helps you reach your final destination.

You can also take a coach from Stansted Airport to Victoria Coach Station. A one-way ticket costs £10, a return is £15 - the journey takes 1 hour 30 mins (1 hour 45 mins during peak times). The coach makes some stops (such as at Liverpool Street station, Marble Arch and Hyde Park corner) along the way which may be more suitable for you. The best idea is to look at the National Express website for full timetable details.

Getting to London from London City Airport
There are shuttle buses (unfortunately not free!) from outside the terminal building to Canning Town (Unground: Jubilee Line), Canary Wharf (Underground: Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway) and Liverpool Street (Underground: Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Central Lines). Then carry on with your journey accordingly.

Getting to London by Train
London has six main rail termini to which you may well arrive - Euston, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo. Euston and King's Cross will probably be your arrival stations if arriving from north England; Liverpool Street from east England; Paddington from western England and Victoria from south England. Waterloo will also be your arrival point if arriving from south England, or from Europe on the Eurostar!

You can purchase train tickets for journeys within England online from websites such as QJump, and also check fares and timetables to help plan your journey.

Getting to London by Bus/Coach
Again, you might arrive in London by bus from elsewhere in Great Britain (take a look at the National Express website for fare and timetable details) or from Europe with companies such as Eurolines.

The main coach station in London is Victoria Coach Station (close to Victoria train station).