Transatlantic flights almost always land at Heathrow, Europe’s busiest international airport (LHR; 17 miles west), or Gatwick, perhaps the most disliked (LGW; 31 miles south). With a few minor exceptions, the other four airports, Stansted (STN; 37 miles northeast), Luton (LTN; 34 miles northwest), London City (LCY; in London’s Docklands area), and Southend (SEN; 42 miles east) serve flights from Europe; they’re where cut-rate flyers and executive jets tend to go.

FINDING THE LOWEST AIRFARE: The central question is when are they? London is such a popular destination (it’s served by more flights from the United States than any other European city) that plenty of airlines vie to carry you across—although the ones that are not American-run are usually of higher quality. If you’re not redeeming frequent-flier miles (book very far ahead if you are), there are five rules to finding bargains:

1. Fly on days when traffic is lightest. Some airlines post calendars that show you when their best prices are, or test fare trends on a site such as Hopper.com.

2. Depart after dinner. This saves you from paying another hotel night, since you’ll arrive in the morning. You’re also likely to find lower fares, because business travelers like day flights.

3. Go off-season. London’s weather isn’t extreme, so there’s really not a no-go month. November through March yield the lowest airfares and hotel rates, although the late-December holidays and the last week of November (Thanksgiving in U.S.) can be busy, too. Summer prices (June–Sept) soar over a grand.

4. Search for fares for or on a weekend. Many major airlines post lower prices to fly then. You might also save money by booking your seat at 3am. That’s because unpaid-for reservations are flushed out of the system at midnight, and prices often sink when the system becomes aware of an increase in supply.

5. Try a bargain airline. Norwegian Air Shuttle (www.norwegian.com) is reliable.

6. Don’t buy last-minute. Desperation has a price.

Monitor airline newsletters, sale pages, Twitter accounts, and sites for sales. Both Airfarewatchdog.com and Yapta.com spit out emails when airfare drops.

Primary websites that collect quotes from a variety of sources (whether they be airlines or other websites) include Expedia.com, Kayak.com, Mobissimo.com, and Momondo.com. Always canvas multiple sites, because each has odd gaps in coverage because of how they obtain quotes. Always compare your best price with what the airline is offering, because that price might be lowest of all. Some sites have small booking fees of $5 to $10, and many force you to accept nonrefundable tickets for the cheapest prices. If you’re hitting a wall, search for transatlantic itineraries that allow for one or two stops, since routes that include stops in Reykjavik or Frankfurt (on Icelandair or Lufthansa, respectively) can produce hidden bargains. No matter which airline you go with, prepare yourself for added taxes and fees, which are usually $500 or higher round-trip from the USA—London’s airport fees are truly noxious.

Most times of the year, the least expensive way to reach London is with an air-hotel package, which combines discounted airfare with discounted nights in a hotel. Most air-hotel deals will allow you to fly back days after your hotel allotment runs out, and at no extra charge. Keep in mind that for those, solo travelers always pay a little more, typically $250.

Getting To and From the Airport

BY TRAIN —Always take the train. Every airport offers some kind of rail connection to the central city, and that’s the smartest option to take. Tickets can be bought at kiosks in the arrivals halls, at machines before the platform, or online ahead of time, when you’ll get a discount. You’ll rarely have to wait more than 20 minutes for the next train, and it’s not required to pre-book.

Heathrow Express trains (www.heathrowexpress.com; tel. 08456/00-15-15) zoom to Paddington every quarter-hour. First Class is a waste of money; Express Saver, the cheapest option (purchase online, on its app, or at vending machines, and buying round-trip is cheapest), is plenty plush. Weekend one-way tickets are just £5.50 if you book at least 90 days ahead. It uses commuter-style carriages and leaves half-hourly. Both trains arrive at Paddington, where you can hop the Tube system or a taxi (above Platform 12). New this year, there are now two lines on the London Underground (both cost £6 cash or £5.10 Oyster) that take you to the city. The classic one is the Piccadilly Line. It takes a slow 75 min., but the upside is that line cuts right through town so you don’t have to change for the Tube at Paddington the way you do if you take Heathrow Express. The new Elizabeth Line is quicker (30 min.) but when it reaches Paddington, you’ll have to haul your bags downstairs to join the rest of the Tube system. (Still, take it; it costs much less than Heathrow Express yet only takes 15 min. longer for the same destination.) Come December 2019, the Elizabeth Line will become a one-seat ride from Heathrow all the way to East London, making 6 stops as it crosses the central city, and it’ll be a dream. Bus option: If you need to go in the middle of the night and the Tube isn’t running, Night Bus N9 goes to and from Trafalgar Square and Heathrow, taking about 75 min.

Gatwick Express trains (www.gatwickexpress.com; tel. 084/5850-530) run from Victoria. On Thameslink & Great Northern (www.thameslinkrailway.com; tel. 0345/026-4700), you can get to Gatwick via Blackfriars, City Thameslink (near St Paul’s), Farringdon, or St Pancras stations four times an hour—service usually ends around 11:45pm, but check ahead, since timings change.

Stansted Express (www.stanstedexpress.com; tel. 0845/600-7245) runs from Liverpool Street station. Luton has rail service from St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, and Blackfriars stations by Thameslink & Great Northern (www.thameslinkrailway.com; tel. 0345/026-4700). The correct stop is Luton Airport Parkway Station, linked by a 10-min. shuttle (5am–midnight) to the terminals.

City Airport is linked so expediently and affordably by the Docklands Light Railway that it doesn’t support commuter rail or coach service. London Southend (www.southendairport.com) is so well-connected to a shiny new station by Greater Anglia rail from Liverpool Street that buses don’t bother to go there, so the train is the sole option.

BY BUSNational Express (www.nationalexpress.com; tel. 0871/781-8181) buses will take you from all airports (except Southend or City) for around £10 each. With extreme advance purchase, EasyBus (www.easybus.com) can be a few pounds cheaper (from Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton).

BY TAXI OR CAR SERVICE — Because of traffic and price, taking a metered taxi (£46–£100) to the city the way you might at home does not have our hearty recommendation. Uber drivers can only be hailed once you leave the terminal, and then they pick you up at the Short Stay Car Park. Door-to-door car service (£50–£60) can take 45 minutes to 2 hours, so the train-taxi or train-Tube combo is often faster (although on trains you’ll have to contend with your luggage). You can book cars ahead, which often saves about 25 percent off the price of a taxi: Check each airport’s website for a current list of the latest approved companies. Addison Lee (www.addisonlee.com; tel. 020/7407-9000) is an established minicab company, the website Minicabit.com surveys companies for the best prices, and Heathrow has a partnership with Green Tomato Cars (www.greentomatocars.com; tel. 020/8568-0022). Also try Airport Cars UK (www.airportcars-uk.com; tel. 0330/088-2222) and Carrot Cars (www.carrotcars.co.uk; tel. 020/7005-0557), which serve all airports. Also look into the app Splitcab (www.splitcab.co.uk), which matchmakes you with other people going in the same direction to cut costs; prices start around £12 from Heathrow to Central London.



Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.