LONDON CONNECTIONS - London 2015 - page 720

taking the Tube ( £ 18/person, progressive discounts for groups of two or more, 1 child
under age 10 travels free with 2 adults, runs daily 4:00-18:00, book at least 24 hours
in advance, office open daily 7:00-20:00, tel. [phone], www.heathrowshuttle.com ,
[e-mail] ). Another option is Just Airports, which offers a private car
service between five London airports and the city center (from £ 32/car; see website for
specific quote, tel. [phone], www.justairports.com ) .
By Train: Two different trains run between Heathrow Airport and London's Padding-
ton Station. At Paddington Station, you're in the thick of the Tube system, with easy ac-
cess to any of my recommended neighborhoods—my Paddington hotels are just outside
the front door, and Notting Hill Gate is just two Tube stops away. The Heathrow Con-
nect train is the slightly slower, much cheaper option, serving T-1/T-2/T-3 at a single sta-
tion called Heathrow Central; use free transfers to get from either T-4 or T-5 to Heath-
row Central ( £ 10 one-way, £ 20 round-trip, 2/hour Mon-Sat, 1-2/hour Sun, 40 minutes, tel.
0845-678-6975, www.heathrowconnect.com ).
The Heathrow Express train is fast and runs more frequently, but it's pricey ( £ 21
one-way, £ 34 round-trip, £ 5 more if you buy your ticket on board, 4/hour; 15 minutes
to downtown from Heathrow Central station serving T-1/T-2/T-3, 21 minutes from T-5;
transfer by free spur train from T-4 to Heathrow Central; covered by BritRail pass, daily
5:10-23:48, tel. [phone], www.heathrowexpress.co.uk ). At the airport, you can use
the Heathrow Express as a free transfer between terminals.
By Taxi: Taxis from the airport cost £ 45-75 to west and central London (one hour).
For four people traveling together, this can be a reasonable option. Hotels can often line
up a cab back to the airport for about £ 40.
GATWICK AIRPORT
More and more flights land at Gatwick Airport, which is halfway between London and the
south coast (airport code: LGW, tel. [phone], www.gatwickairport.com ). Gatwick
has two terminals, North and South, which are easily connected by a free monorail (two-
minute trip, runs 24 hours daily). Note that boarding passes say “Gatwick N” or “Gatwick
S” to indicate your terminal. British Airways flights generally use Gatwick North. The
Gatwick Express trains (described next) stop only at Gatwick South. Schedules in each
terminal show only arrivals and departures from that terminal.
Getting to London: Gatwick Express trains are clearly the best way into London
from this airport. They shuttle conveniently between Gatwick South and London's Victor-
ia Station, with many of my recommended hotels close by ( £ 20 one-way, £ 35 round-trip,
at least 10 percent cheaper if purchased online, 4/hour, 30 minutes, runs 5:00-24:00 daily,
a few trains as early as 3:30, tel. [phone], www.gatwickexpress.com ) . If you buy