Travel

Historic City Of London

Getting Into/Around London:
Travelling in London is made easier with a system of cards which provides discounts on London Underground, rail and bus services and some river services.

London Travelcard:
The London Travelcard is a transport pass which includes unlimited travel on the London Underground, Rail and bus services in addition to providing discounts on some river services. The London Travelcard is for most short term visitors to London. You can purchase Travelcards for 1,3 or 7 days (there are also monthly and annual tickets). London public transport is divided up into six circular zones radiating out from the centre. You pay more, the more zones you need. Most visitors will only need Zones 1/2 where all the attractions are. (Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6). Alternatively you can purchase Travelcard tickets here on-line, and either collect the Travelcards in London or have them sent to your home, wherever you live.
London OysterCards:
The Oyster card is a permanent reusable electronic ticket which is topped up from time to time by its owner. However, if you are staying around more than just a day or so, the Oyster Card is probably a better buy. If you're going to be doing a lot of travelling by public transport, Travelcards have to be on an Oyster. Pay-as-you-go on Oyster is much cheaper than paying in cash for each journey.The Oystercard official site is: http://sales.oystercard.com/

1.London By Air:
London has some five airports that all serve London, of which the most well known and well used is Heathrow Airport.Others are London Gatwick Airport, London Stansted Airport and London Luton Airport which cater mostly to low-cost short-haul flights. London City Airport is the smallest and most central airport in London City.
A.London Heathrow Airport:
The airport is located towards the southern end of the London Borough of Hillingdon, 24 km (15 miles) west of Central London, England. It is one of two international London airports to be located within the boundary of the Greater London Area, the other being London City Airport. The airport is the United Kingdom's busiest airport, as well as being Europe's busiest airport for passenger traffic (see Busiest airport claims section below) and the airport with the highest international passenger traffic in the world. The airport is owned and operated by BAA Limited, which is owned by the Spanish Ferrovial Group. The airport is also a primary hub of British Airways and a major hub for rivals bmi and Virgin Atlantic. Heathrow has two parallel main runways running east-west and four terminals. A new terminal, Terminal 5, is under construction and will open in March 2008. Getting into London from Heathrow,15 miles west of the city,is easy.The fastest route is on the Heathrow Express Train, which runs non-stop between Heathrow and Paddington Station. The trip takes fifteen minutes and leaves every 15 minutes from all 4 terminals. You can connect at Paddington to tube lines and other trains. Heading back out, most major airlines offer check-in at Paddington, including baggage check. You can also catch the Piccadilly underground from Heathrow to central London. If you feel like getting acquainted with the city above ground, buses run from outside all 4 Heathrow terminals to several destinations in the city. Taxis are plentiful at Heathrow Airport. Depending on your time of arrival, it takes approximately one hour to reach central London.
B.London Gatwick Airport:
It is located in Crawley, West Sussex (originally Charlwood, Surrey) 2.7 nm (5 km or 3 miles) north of the town centre, 24.7 nm (46 km or 28 miles) south of London and 21.6 nm (40 km or 25 miles) north of Brighton. is London's second largest airport and the second busiest airport in the UK after Heathrow. It is also the world's busiest single runway airport, and the world's 22nd busiest airport (7th in terms of international passengers) in terms of passengers per year. Gatwick has two runways and there are two terminals at Gatwick; North and South.The Gatwick Airport Transit provides free transportation between the North and South Terminals. The Gatwick Express Train runs between the airport's South Terminal and Victoria Train Station in central London. Thameslink offer trains to King's Cross Station and run every fifteen minutes (Mon-Sat) from 9am to 8.45pm, and thereafter every 30 minutes (plus all day Sun). Note that there are no trains in the early hours of the morning. Flightline 777 buses depart Gatwick hourly for Victoria Station.
C.London Stansted Airport:
It is located in the Uttlesford District of the English county of Essex about 30 miles (48 km) north-east of London. It is about 2 miles (3 km) outside Bishop's Stortford and 6 miles (10 km) outside Harlow. It is the third largest airport serving the London area after Heathrow and Gatwick; and is one of London's five international airports along with Luton and London City Airports, with a single runway and hub for a number of major European low-cost airlines. Stansted has one terminal. Trains run directly to Liverpool Street Station in London every 30m 5am-11pm. It takes 45 minutes.
D.London Luton Airport:
It is an international airport located on the edge of the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of London. The airport is 2 miles (3 km) from junction 10a of the M1 motorway. It is the fourth largest airport serving the London area after Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted and is one of London's five international airports along with London City Airport. The airport possesses a single runway, running roughly east to west and all the airport facilities lie to the north of the runway. The Silverjet facility is in the old Main Terminal and utilises the space of most of the old Departure Lounge Area. It has been completely refurbished to the standards of Silverjet. Shortly after its launch, Silverjet announced plans to open a private terminal facility at its base in London Luton Airport. After arrival at Luton Airport, one can catch one of the Thameslink trains to King's Cross Station. Local buses connect Luton Airport with Luton town centre and other local places. Direct bus services to London are operated by both Green Line Coaches and easyBus (with service to London Victoria). National Express coaches link the airport to other towns in the midlands and north of England.

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