LONDON CONNECTIONS - London 2015 - page 722

Other Airports: There's a slim chance you might use London City Airport (airport
code: LCY, tel. [phone], www.londoncityairport.com ). To get into London, take
the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to the Bank Tube station, which is one stop east
of St. Paul's on the Central Line (less than £ 5 one-way, covered by Travelcard, a bit
cheaper with an Oyster card, 22 minutes, www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr ) . Some easyJet flights land
even farther out, at Southend Airport (airport code: SEN, tel. [phone],
www.southendairport.com ). Trains connect this airport to London's Liverpool Street Sta-
tion ( £ 15 one-way, 3-8/hour, 55 minutes, www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk ).
CONNECTING LONDON'S AIRPORTS BY BUS
A handy National Express bus runs between Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton air-
ports—easier than having to cut through the center of London—although traffic can be bad
and can increase travel times (tel. [phone], www.nationalexpress.com ) .
From Heathrow Airport to: Gatwick Airport (1-6/hour, about 1.25 hours—but al-
low at least three hours between flights, £ 25), Stansted Airport (1-2/hour, about 1.5
hours, £ 27), Luton Airport (roughly hourly, 1-1.5 hours, £ 23).
DISCOUNTED FLIGHTS FROM LONDON
London is the hub for many cheap, no-frills airlines, which affordably connect the city with
other destinations in the British Isles and throughout Europe. A visit to www.kayak.com
or similar search engines sorts the numerous options offered by the many discount airlines,
enabling you to see the best schedules for your trip and find the best deal. Book in advance
for the best deals. Although you can book right up until the flight departs, the cheap seats
will have sold out long before, leaving the most expensive seats for latecomers.
Be aware of the potential drawbacks of flying on the cheap: nonrefundable and non-
changeable tickets, rigid baggage restrictions (and fees if you have more than what's of-
ficially allowed), use of airports far outside town, tight schedules that can mean more
delays, little in the way of customer assistance if problems arise, and, of course, no frills.
To avoid unpleasant surprises, read the small print—especially baggage policies—before
you book.
EasyJet flies from Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, and Southend. Prices are based on de-
mand, so the least popular routes make for the cheapest fares, especially if you book
early ( www.easyjet.com ). Ryanair flies from London (mostly Stansted airport, though
also Gatwick and Luton) to often-obscure airports near dozens of European cities
( www.ryanair.com ). While their fares can be shockingly low, Ryanair is notorious for
charging additional fees for nearly everything.