London airport cost intelligence
Compare rail, coach, drop-off, parking pressure, private transfer estimates and luggage friction before a cheap flight becomes an expensive journey.
Choose your airport, group, luggage and comfort level.
Airport guides
Flight price is only one part of the decision. The pages below focus on airport-to-city cost, friction and hidden charges travellers usually discover too late.
Heathrow has the widest rail choice, but the cheapest, fastest and easiest option depends heavily on your terminal and final London stop.
Gatwick is easy by train when your route matches Victoria, London Bridge, Farringdon or Thameslink, but the North/South terminal split matters.
Stansted can look cheap until you add early-morning travel, coach time, drop-off fees and the buffer needed for London traffic.
Luton is not the same as Luton Airport Parkway. The DART connection is central to the real cost and timing.
London City can be the fastest London airport for the right destination, but its short drop-off window is unforgiving.
Southend has a station just 100 steps from the terminal, but Oyster/contactless does not cover the full journey beyond Shenfield.
At a glance
Every London airport compared side-by-side: cheapest train fare, taxi range, journey time and drop-off charges.
Decision guides
A comprehensive guide to drop-off fees at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton. Learn how to pay, what the deadlines are, and how to use free drop-off alternatives without getting fined.
Decision guideHeathrow Express tickets cost £26 on the day or from £10 booked 30 days ahead, and children 15 and under travel free. Every fare type compared, including Business First, Oyster rules and the cheaper Elizabeth line and Piccadilly line alternatives.
Decision guideHeathrow Express reaches Paddington in 15 minutes for £26, while the Elizabeth line takes about 30 minutes for £15.50 direct through central London. The Piccadilly line is cheapest at £5.90. Compare all three and pick the right train to Heathrow.
Decision guideThameslink is usually the cheaper Gatwick to London train and runs through the City; Gatwick Express is fastest to Victoria. Compare price, speed and stops to pick the cheaper Gatwick train.
Decision guideStansted Express is about £23 and takes 50 minutes to Liverpool Street; National Express coaches drop to around £10 and run 24/7. See which is cheaper and faster for your flight.
Decision guideThe Luton DART costs £4.90 between Luton Airport Parkway and the terminal. How through-tickets work, how to avoid paying twice, and when a taxi beats the train.
Decision guideThe Elizabeth line costs a flat £15.50 between Heathrow and central London, the same fare 24/7 with contactless or Oyster. Compare it with the £26 Heathrow Express and £5.90 Piccadilly line, with journey times and ticket rules for 2026.
Decision guideThe cheapest way to Heathrow from central London is the Piccadilly line at about £5.90. From further out, a coach often beats the train. Compare every option by price, speed and where you start, with the hidden drop-off and parking costs explained.
Decision guideThe cheapest way to Gatwick from London is the National Express coach from about £10, with Thameslink trains from £13.70. Compare coach, train, Gatwick Express and transfers by price, speed and where you start.
Decision guideThe cheapest way to Stansted from London is a coach from about £10, against £23 for the Stansted Express train. Compare coach, train and transfers by price, speed and which gets you there in time for an early flight.
Decision guideThe cheapest way to Luton Airport from London is a coach from about £11, or a Thameslink train from St Pancras including the £4.90 DART. Compare coach, train plus DART, and transfers by price and speed.
2026 drop-off charges
What it costs to drop someone at each London terminal, how to pay, and how to avoid the fee.
Popular fixed-fare routes
Door-to-door transfer costs and public transport comparisons for every local route currently covered by AirportCosts.
Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 47Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 65Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 70Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 55Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 35Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 35Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 35Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 55Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 45Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 70Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 45Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Compare public transport, luggage friction, drop-off charges and fixed-fare private transfer options for this route.
Fixed fare from GBP 40Route-specific pricing, comparisons and airport rules.Journey fit checks
AirportCosts is most useful when the cheap-looking route has hidden friction: a premium rail fare, a terminal shuttle, an early flight, or a drop-off fee that changes the real answer.
Check the final London stop, not just the airport train.
A fast airport rail link can lose its advantage when you still need a Tube change, taxi, hotel walk or terminal shuttle after the advertised journey ends.
Add charges travellers usually notice too late.
Drop-off zones, Luton DART tickets, Gatwick terminal changes and post-visit payment deadlines can turn the cheapest headline route into the wrong choice.
Price a fixed vehicle when the journey is fragile.
Private transfer value rises quickly with 3+ passengers, early departures, large bags, children, mobility needs or homes that sit far from a direct rail route.
