advertisement


Heathrow or Gatwick or Stanstead?

Problem with City is if your flight is just a bit delayed or something. The place is cramped and facilities are minimal.
 
Actually, Luton is great if you're on public transport, except it's a bit of a building site ATM. I wouldn't drive there though.

I think the choice depends on the times you want to go and come back. IIRC, Ryanair take the early and late slots, and anyway, my days of flying Ryanair are long gone. Never again.
 
Heathrow it is for me then. Now I’ll have to try and fugue out whether I’m better on the tube or Heathrow Express.

I’m sure to have questions like what is an Oyster but perhaps that’s best in a new thread.

.sjb
 
I agree driving to Luton is a PiTA even though it is 20 mins from home. Bonkers drop and collection costs. Public transport links are good though, Bedpan line gives very good London access.
 
Sloop John B said:
Heathrow it is for me then. Now I’ll have to try and fugue out whether I’m better on the tube or Heathrow Express.

I’m sure to have questions like what is an Oyster but perhaps that’s best in a new thread.

.sjb
Click to expand...

You do not need an Oyster card. If your party each has a phone - just use that to pay for journeys, contactless. Dead easy. And if you take multiple journeys the system will work out the daily max and stop charging you when the limit has been reached.
If you are a family party with kids - that is more difficult and you end up going to a window to buy multiple tickets.
 
Rodrat said:
I agree driving to Luton is a PiTA even though it is 20 mins from home. Bonkers drop and collection costs. Public transport links are good though, Bedpan line gives very good London access.
Click to expand...

yes about 25 mins from me - easy drive, but drop off etc is mad


JensenHealey said:
You do not need an Oyster card.
Click to expand...

indeed no longer needed - contactless card and/or phone......
 
There certainly used to be regular Dublin flights from City (as I've used them) and if that's still the case then it's by a huge margin the best option for central London.
 
London city airport to Aldgate east.
Shows DLR to Canning town,tube to West Ham,then change tube to Aldgate east .With contactless where do have to touch in and out?Is that one journey?
 
A few years ago I dropped my partner at Gatwick, and arranged to meet her on her return the following week. On that day I was also to meet my daughter at Stansted, and deposit my son at Heathrow, so not a day I was particularly relishing. Having successfully completed the Stansted and Heathrow missions, I arrived at Gatwick in good time. All seemed to be going well.

Her flight was slightly delayed, which meant that I had to go around the charged pick-up area a couple of times, before taking up residence in the short stay cp opposite the terminal. Eventually she phoned and said she was outside the terminal, and I told her that I was in the multi-storey car park opposite her. She said she couldn't see one, so I drove around the pick-up once more. No sign of her. I called again. She couldn't see me either.

'Which airport are you at', she asked. 'Gatwick', I replied.

'I'm at Luton', came the reply.

And so it came to pass that I visited 4 of London's 5 airports in one day.
 
Last time we left from Heathrow and came back to Gatwick, train up from Gatwick was a long, slow journey.

City is great if the times and logistics fit.

Stansted can get packed at times which makes it a pain on arrival, avoid peaks if poss.

Daughter used to use Stansted as an unaccompanied minor; she was often at the pick up point before the plane was scheduled to land and the short term car park was free.

It's different now!
 
to me it depends on which part of London you want to get with your luggage - KingsX/St Pancras - then Luton. Liverpool Street and its environs - Stansted, GAtwick is good as it connects with South London, and KingsX/St Pancras. Heathrow is excellent for Paddington, S. Ken etc.....

I'd avoid the tube at all cost with luggage.

In the summer we will be arriving back into Paddington and need to get to KingsX - it'll be a taxi job.
 
gintonic said:
In the summer we will be arriving back into Paddington and need to get to KingsX - it'll be a taxi job.
Click to expand...
TBH I'd use the underground for that journey. But just make sure you use the correct one of Paddington's three disparate underground stations. You'd want the Circle/Hammersmith & City platforms that are parallel with the mainline platforms (and just happen to be opposite my office). The trains are huge and relatively easy with luggage.
 
I live 20 miles from Luton and would never use it again based on a sample size of 1. I'd rather drive round the M25 to Heathrow and that's saying something.
My experiences of London Airports are as follows, rated in order of choice, and purely my opinion, YMMV.
  1. Heathrow. Used to be a pain, but BA from T5 never feels crowded and the transport options are great.
  2. City. Very handy if you live nearby or work centrally. I missed a flight there once and finding something to do for 3 hours was hard work. Great for city breaks and views. Closed on Sunday mornings to keep the locals happy. Use the DLR to connect to the Jubilee line at Canning Town and be in the West End in minutes.
  3. Gatwick. Useful when we lived in Kent but felt like a cramped dingy hell-hole stuck in the 70s. Admittedly I haven't used it in a decade.
  4. Stansted. Admittedly I haven't been there in 20 years but it felt clean and modern at the time. A pain to get to, though.
  5. Luton. A building site full of lowest common denominator airlines, staff, and passengers. Enough said.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top