London Guide


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So you have chosen to come to London for your next, break away well here at i Hotels London we have outlined the best ways to get to London and for tips on how to get around London check our Getting around Londonpage.


By Plane


London is served by a total of five airports. Travelling from the city’s airports has made relatively easy by the large number of public transport links that have been put in place over recent years. In addition to London's five official airports, there are also a number of other regional UK airports that are easily accessible from London.


Since they offer a growing number of budget flights, choosing those airports can be cheaper and sometimes even faster, depending on where in London your destination is. If you need a direct transfer between London's airports, the easiest way is the direct inter-airport bus service operated by National Express. Buses between Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton run at least hourly, with Heathrow-Gatwick services taking 65 minutes minimum and Heathrow-Stansted services 90 minutes minimum and services between Stansted and Luton run only every two hours. So if you need to a quick transfer between each airport you might consider a taxi. Click here for more information on London’s Airports.


By Train


London is the hub of the British rail network, with every major city in mainland Britain frequently serving the capital, and most of the smaller, provincial cities also have a direct rail connection to London of some sort. London is also served by the international high speed train from Paris (2h 15min) and Brussels (1h 50 min) diving under the sea for 35 km (22mi) via the Channel Tunnel to come out in England. It terminates at St. Pancras International Station. 


For domestic train services, there are 13 main line National Rail stations. Clockwise from Paddington Station, the major National Rail stations are: Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, London Bridge,  Cannon Street,  Waterloo East , Charing Cross,  Blackfriars, Waterloo,  Victoria. For the areas of Britain and the rest of Europe that these stations serve check out the National Rail website.


By Bus


Most international and domestic long distance bus services arrive at and depart from a complex of stations close to Victoria rail station. All services are operated by National Express or Eurolines serve Victoria Coach Station. Services by other operators may also use this station or the Green Line Coach Station near Buckingham Palace Road. The following are the main coach operators in London and the UK: National Express, Eurolines, Megabus and Greyhound.


By car


London is the hub of the UK's road network and is easy to reach by car, even if driving into the centre of the city is definitely not recommended due to the large amount of congestion and the congestion charge that you will face. Once you do manage to get into finding a car parking space in the city is almost impossible and you do find the charges can be extremely expensive, however parking after 6:30pm is free during the week but makes the task of a space all the more difficult. The London is encircled by the M25 orbital motorway, from which nearly all the major trunk routes to Scotland, Wales and the rest of England radiate.


In addition to the M25, the A406 and A205 are two inner ring roads in London which skirt the central area:  The A406 or the North Circular Road is a trunk road linking West and East London, while the A205 or South Circular Road is a direct route which runs from Woolwich in the east to the junction of the A406, the M4 and the A4 at Gunnersbury in the west.