London has many airport possibilities. It’s one of the largest hubs in air travel in the world.
Heathrow is the principal airport. It has strong transportation links to the center of London and recently upped its game with the ‘Lizzy Line’ (the Elizabeth Line to those who don’t know!). A nearly straight shot into town and importantly a connection from East London to West London. Gatwick is reliably served by Victoria Station and the Gatwick express. Half an hour from Victoria to Gatwick. All of these transportation links are tappable one tap on your end.
Stanstead in the east of London is relatively easy to get to from Liverpool Street, taking the Stanstead Express. London City Airport, deep in the heart of the new modern London city, near the O2 is relatively easy to get… But I had never…big confession… been to Luton or experienced Luton before. Luton was one of those amusing jokes at comedy shows, known for its cheap flights, cheap packages and sure enough EasyJet and Ryan Air use Luton a lot.
But here’s the deal with Luton. The lines move fast. The immigration is smooth. The airport is padded out with lots of eateries, and you can connect to places that would not normally be connectable on the big airlines. Which means that you’re paying a lot less. In addition, you connect from the airport to the British Rail system by the Dart train. Tap again. And then a high speed train with no stops, all the way to St Pancras. Tap again. And from there, the city is yours. So I was kind of pleased, shocked, and amused by Luton.
If you’ve ever struggled to go from terminal five to terminal four or even terminal three at Heathrow, you will know that it is not a piece of cake. If you’ve ever struggled at Gatwick, you should know it is an ancient airport with bad infrastructure, and if the Gatwick express is not working, you are literally halfway to the coast on the southern shores of England. Good luck with that! So ironically, the minor airports that look like they should be the ones to avoid are often a great deal and smooth in and out. Good old Luton…Who would have thought.
