London: Essentials

TO / FROM THE AIRPORT

Gatwick and Heathrow Express Trains
Gatwick (LGW): 845/850-1530, gatwickexpress.com
Heathrow (LHR): 845/600-1515, heathrowexpress.com
These two high-speed rail services connect the main airports with central London. Heathrow Express runs about every 15 minutes from 5 a.m. until 12 a.m. daily; £14 one way, £26 round trip; the journey lasts around 15 minutes and terminates at Paddington Station. Gatwick Express runs every 15 minutes or so from 5 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. daily; £12 one way, £23.50 round trip; the journey lasts half an hour and terminates at Victoria Station.

London Underground 20/7222-1234, tfl.gov.uk
At Heathrow, a slower but cheaper option is to hop on the London Underground's Piccadilly line. It costs £3.80 one way to get into central London. The downside is the duration (budget at least an hour for the journey) and current engineering works related to the construction of Heathrow's Terminal 5, which means that a free shuttle bus replaces the Tube at the line's final stop at Terminal 4. Bus 870/580-8080, nationalexpress.com National Express bus service runs from central London's Victoria Station to Heathrow, though it's not as handy as the express trains (see above). It leaves roughly every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily and costs £10 each way.

GETTING AROUND

Underground and Bus 20/7222-1234, tfl.gov.uk
The London Underground network comprises 12 lines; it runs from 5 a.m. until at least 12 a.m. The bus network runs 24 hours. London is divided into six zones; a one-way ticket within central London (Zones 1 and 2) costs £2.30. A one- or three-day Travelcard allows unlimited journeys after 9:30 a.m. on bus and Tube. One-day Travelcards cost £4.70, and the three-day version £15. Pick up Travelcards at any London Underground station.

London Rail 20/7222-1234, tfl.gov.uk
The overground rail network that connects London to the rest of England is also handy within the city limits, especially if you're exploring south of the river. Travelcards are also valid on these services within the same zones. Taxis 871/871-8710 The minimum fare for a ride in a black cab--a misnomer, since they're often wrapped in multicolored adverts--is £2.20; rates are then variable by mileage and speed, but expect a premium of 60p to £1 on nights and weekends.

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