Airports: to and from the UK's capital cities

This page is under construction. Please check back again shortly. Here is an update about the different methods of getting to and from airports in the UK's capital cities.

England

1. London Stanstead

Train:

Stansted Express The train terminal is underneath the terminal building. The Stansted Express runs between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport with a stop at Tottenham Hale in between and takes 46 minutes from London to Stansted, making the Stansted Express the fastest means of transport from Central London. Tickets range from £17 to £41 for an adult fare between London and Stansted and £8.50 to £20.50 for a child fare. There is a standard and first class; and the choice between a single and an open return ticket. Booking online will save you £1 on standard fares and up to £2 on first class fares. If you are flying with Ryanir, you can also buy a return ticket and save up to £4.50 per ticket on the plane into London; or byclicking here. clicking here.

KIDS GO FREE OFFER

With an accompanying adult that has paid the full fare, children aged 5 to 15 can travel free (NB: the child needs a 'Travel free' ticket as well as ID in order to travel). This offer applies to all services running between London Liverpool Street and Stansted only. Book by 9th Jan for travel before and on 11th Jan.

With a ticket, you can also grab a discount on entrance to Madame Tussaud's, London Zoo and London Dungeon. If West End theatre is more your thing, there are also discounts on Guys & Dolls, Chicago and Les Misérables (Valid until March 2009).2 for 1 OFFERS

Stansted Express passengers also get a free upgrade to a Business class room at the Radisson SAS Stansted Airport. Alternatively they also have a partnership with the Andaz Hotel (5 stars) in the City. By quoting 'Stansted Express' special offers are available. For all ticket pricesclick here.

National Express East Anglia Regular trains run to and from London Stratford via stations in the Lea Valley. Hourly off-peak service, Mondays to Saturdays only. Journey time one hour. Single Anytime fare to Stratford £17. Also calls at Stansted Mountfitchet, Bishop's Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Mill, Harlow Town, Roydon, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Enfield Lock, Angel Road, Northumberland Park and Tottenham Hale. For London Underground services, change at Tottenham Hale (Victoria Line) or Stratford (Circle and Jubilee lines, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground). National Express

Trains to eastern England and Birmingham CrossCountry Trains: Long-distance services link the airport with Cambridgeshire and the Midlands. Connections are available to the North and Scotland. Hourly daytime service, reduced on Sundays. Journey times (approx): Cambridge 35 min; Leicester 2 hr 30 min; Birmingham 3 hr 25 min. Fares vary, discounts for advance booking. Trains run to Audley End, Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Leicester and Birmingham. Change at Peterborough for Leeds, York, Newcastle and Scotland. Change at Leicester for Derby and Sheffield. Cross Country Trains

Bicycle: Stansted Express: Only fully-folded cycles which have been flat-packed may be taken on board. National Express East Anglia (other services): Cycles can be carried on most trains but there are restrictions on some peak-time services. CrossCountry Trains: Cycles are carried only when booked in advance.

Car: London Stansted is conveniently situated just off the M11 motorway ? use Junction 8a if approaching from the London direction or Junction 8 from the Cambridge side, then follow signs for the airport (there is also an AA Journey Planner on the website). Satellite navigation information : Postcode: CM24 1RW Latitude/longitude: N51:53:24 (51.889939); E0:15:42 (0.261739) Parking Information

Bus and Coach: Stansted Airport's bus and coach station is opposite the main terminal entrance. Coach tickets can be bought at the ticket desk in arrivals (open 06:00 to 01:00), in the coach station (24 hours, seven days a week) or on board. Please note that many coaches and buses are not wheelchair-accessible ? please contact the relevant operator for further information.

Stansted Flyer

This door-to-door coach service connects Stansted Airport to Essex towns including Southend, Basildon, Brentwood, Shenfield, Billericay, Romford, Dagenham and Grays. Flyer website or call +44 (0)1708 730 555.

Stansted Shuttle

Sky Transfers operates an hourly (24 hours a day) Stansted Airport door-to-door service using shared minibuses covering Essex and east London (including Canary Wharf, Docklands and Excel Exhibition Centre). Shuttle website or call 0844 482 1196 or 0870 027 5737. For more information: Travel by bus or coach

Taxi: Checker Cars, official BAA taxi partner at all UK airports, operates taxis to and from London Stansted Airport, and runs a reservation desk on the international arrivals concourse. There is also a courtesy telephone in the UK and Ireland baggage reclaim hall. To book in advance, contactChecker Cars or call 0800 747 737 (Freephone UK only) or +44 (0)1279 661111 Email: bookings@checkercars.com Payment can be made at the time of booking (by credit or debit card) or in cash to the driver. Fares are quoted before the journey. A taxi journey into London for one to four people costs about £99, depending on the exact destination. Wheelchair-accessible cars are available on request.

Travel news for all modes of transport

Useful Contact Numbers:

National Rail: www.nationalrail.co.uk, tel 0845 748 4950

London Underground: www.thetube.com, tel +44 (0)20 7222 1234

Stansted Express: www.stanstedexpress.com, tel 0845 600 7245

National Express East Anglia: www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com, tel 0845 600 7245

Cross Country Trains: crosscountrytrains.co.uk, tel 0871 244 2389

2.London Heathrow

Train: The tube is the cheapest way to reach the heart of London and takes about an hour. The advantage is that you can stop anywhere in London.More

The fastest option, Heathrow Express, runs to and from London Paddington every 15 minutes, and the journey takes 15 minutes. Heathrow Express trains stop at Heathrow Central (for Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and Heathrow Terminal 5. Passengers using Terminal 4 can transfer free to or from Heathrow Central using the Heathrow Connect shuttle. Paddington station is close to Hyde Park and Oxford Street. From Paddington you can catch trains to the South and West of England, or take the London Underground's District, Circle, Bakerloo and Hammersmith & City lines.

Trains run between 05:10 and 23:25 from Paddington, and between 05:07 and 23:42 from Heathrow. Tickets can be bought on the internet, at the station or on board the train. The standard single fare is £16.50 and standard return costs £32. From London, trains call at Heathrow Central (for Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and Heathrow Terminal 4. Passengers travelling via Terminal 5 can use Heathrow Express trains for a free transfer to or from Heathrow Central. Ensure you buy your ticket at the station before boarding the train. A penalty fare zone operates between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington.

More information or call 0845 600 1515 (UK only).

Modern and air-conditioned, the Heathrow Connect stopping service to London Paddington runs every 30 minutes, and the journey takes 26 minutes. Modern, air-conditioned trains run every 30 minutes (travel to Terminal 4 or 5 takes a few minutes more)

More information

Coach and bus: Railair coaches Not travelling into London Direct luxury Railair coaches and buses connect Heathrow to the national rail network. You can buy a combined coach and train ticket to cover your whole journey. Railair coaches run between Heathrow and Reading, Woking or Watford Junction from early morning until late at night. There's also a 24-hour bus service, number 285, to Feltham rail station. You don't have to be a rail passenger to use these services. All services call at the central bus station, which is a few minutes' walk from Terminals 1, 2 and 3 via underground walkways. The bus station is open 24 hours a day and the travel centre is open from 06:00 to 22:30. Baggage trolleys are available and there is a lift to the underground level.

Woking and Reading services also call at Terminal 5 and a limited number of services run to Terminal 4, your operator can advise. Passengers using these terminals can also transfer free to or from Heathrow Central (for the bus station) by Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect train.

Further information

National Rail Enquiries: 0845 748 4950 orclick here

Reading RailAir: 0118 957 9425 orclick here

Watford Railair: 0844 801 7261 orclick here

Woking Railair: 0870 575 7747 orclick here

285 bus to Feltham: +44 (0)20 7222 1234 orclick here

For information on local buses, as well as timetables,click here

Group Travel:

If you are dropping off or collecting a group from Heathrow Airport, this step-by-step guide will help you and your customers travel smoothly through the airport.

Taxis:

The journey to central London costs between £40 and £70 and takes between 30 minutes and one hour. Journeys which are both inside London and within 20 miles of the airport are priced using the taxi meter. The fare for travel outside London should be agreed beforehand with the driver. Heathrow Airport is 15 miles west of central London and easily accessible from the M4 and M25 motorways.

More information

For information about travel by motorbike click here

For information about travel by bicycle click here Heathrow can be reached by bike via a network of cycle paths. If you want to ride into central London you can plan a cycle-only route using the journey planner. It's possible to use the Grand Union Canal towpath for much of the ride to Paddington (which takes just over 90 minutes).

For travel updates surrounding transport to Heathrow, click here

3. London Gatwick

Gatwick Airport is 30 minutes from central London via the non-stop Gatwick Express rail service, and has national rail links to destinations around Britain. The rail station is linked directly to the South Terminal, and is a few minutes from the North Terminal by free transit train. Rail information and ticket desks are located in the station and in the arrivals areas of both terminals.

Train:

Gatwick Express Gatwick Express is the fastest rail link between the airport and central London. Non-stop trains run to and from London Victoria every 15 minutes and the journey takes 30 minutes (35 minutes on Sundays). A standard single ticket costs £16.90 and a standard return is £28.80. Tickets can be bought on board at no extra cost.

For details of special offers and to book in advance, click here or call: +44 (0)845 850 1530 (UK only).

The following services call at Gatwick Airport station. You should buy tickets before boarding the train.

First Capital Connect Trains run every 15 minutes to Brighton (via Mid Sussex) and to Bedford via East Croydon, London Bridge, St Pancras International and Luton. There are services to King's Lynn, Peterborough and Cambridge from St Pancras International.More

Southern Railway Northbound trains run to London Victoria via East Croydon and Clapham Junction, and to London Bridge via East Croydon. Southbound services run to Brighton, Eastbourne, Portsmouth and Southampton.More

Southeastern Trains run to Redhill, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.More

First Great Western Services run to Redhill, Guilford and Reading. Money-saving fares are available.More

CrossCountry Services run to Birmingham, and provide links to Northern England and Scotland.More

For details about rail travel see also Gatwick Airport website

Coaches

Frequent daily coach services connect Gatwick to more than 400 UK towns and cities. Direct services run to destinations including Heathrow, central London, Bristol, Brighton, Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge and Norwich. Most services operate from the upper South Terminal forecourt. Some also call at the North Terminal (on the lower level outside International Arrivals).

National Express Operates the majority of nationwide services from Gatwick and drops passengers off right outside Departures at the North Terminal. Journey time: approximately 90 minutes. First departure from Victoria: 03:30. Last departure from Gatwick: 22:15. Single tickets: from £6.60. There are National Express ticket desks in the North and South Terminals. Tickets for most services can be booked in advance with the coach operator. More Most coach services are not wheelchair accessible but will carry wheelchairs for passengers who can board the vehicle unaided.

easyBus A low-cost high frequency airport transfer service non-stop from London and Gatwick Airport. Travellers can book online for the best prices. Non stop coaches depart every 15 minutes at peak times from the North terminal and from Fulham Broadway Underground station offering convenient access to Central London and connections at Victoria Station. Buses depart between 06:00 and 23:00, seven days a week except Christmas Day.More

Oxford Bus (The Airline) Gatwick-Oxford link, running hourly during the day.More or call: +44 (0)1865 785400

Gatwick Flyer Operates direct services to Southend (from South Terminal only).More or call: +44 (0)1708 730 555

Local buses Local buses run direct between Gatwick and destinations including Crawley, Horley, Redhill and Horsham. Buses call at both terminals. The four main services running to and from Gatwick are as follows.

Fastway 10 Operating to City Place, Manor Royal Industrial Area, Crawley town centre, Southgate Avenue, Broadfield and Bewbush. Every 8 minutes (at most times). Daily 24 hour service. Timetable

Fastway 20 Operating to Horley town centre, Langshott, City Place, Gatwick Road, Three Bridges, Southgate Avenue and Broadfield. Every 20 minutes (at most times). Daily from early till late. Timetable

Route 100 Operating to Redhill, Horley town centre, Court Lodge, Salfords, East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, City Place(certain journeys), Manor Royal Industrial Area, Northgate, Crawley Town Centre and Maidenbower. Every 20 minutes (at most times). Daily from early till late. Timetable

Gatwick Direct 200

Operating (from Gatwick South only during daytimes) to City Place, Manor Royal Industrial Area, Langley Green, Ifield, Gossops Green, Bewbush, Faygate, Roffey, North Heath and Horsham. At least every 30 minutes as far as Bewbush and hourly to Horsham. Daily from early until late.Timetable

Local network bus map

Taxi:

Checker Cars, official BAA taxi partner at all UK airports, operates taxis to and from Gatwick. To book in advance, contact Checker Cars or call 0800 747 737 (Freephone UK only) or +44 (0)1279 661111 Email: bookings@checkercars.com Payment can be made at the time of booking (by credit or debit card) or in cash to the driver. Fares are quoted before the journey. A journey to central London takes approximately 65 minutes and costs around £77 (plus £8 congestion charge if your destination is within the charging zone). Wheelchair-accessible cars are available on request.

Car

Gatwick is 28 miles (45km) south of London, linked directly to the M23 at Junction 9 and to the A23 London-Brighton road. The M25 London orbital motorway is a ten-minute drive away (Junction 7), providing connections to the national road and motorway network.

If you are using a satellite navigation system here are some useful postcodes: South Terminal: RH6 0NP North Terminal: RH6 0PJ Use the airport's site AA Route Planner to find directions to and from the airport.

Don't forget to have a look at the section about Parking. Gatwick Airport

For travel updates surrounding the airport, click here

Ireland

Belfast

Belfast International Airport is located centrally within Northern Ireland and is also convenient to the border regions of the Republic of Ireland. Belfast city centre is just 20 minutes away by car, whilst the historical city of Londonderry in the North West is approx 1hr 25 minutes away by car.

Car hire is advisable for visitors who wish to travel around Northern Ireland, and there are five car hire desks located in the arrivals hall, all of which are open for all inbound flights. Belfast International Airport is situated just 18 miles north-west of Belfast and is easily accessed via a network of main roads and motorways.

From Belfast: Take the M2 northbound, turn off at Junction 5 and take the A57 for 7 miles until you reach the airport. From the north/north west/north east: Take the M2 southbound to junction 5, then the A57 for 7 miles until you reach the airport. From the south and west: Take the M1 motorway northbound, turn off at the Moira junction and proceed via the A26 and Nutts Corner to Belfast International Airport.

For traffic information log on to the Roads Service website:www.trafficwatchni.com

To/from Londonderry

Coach

Airporter operate an hourly coach service to/from the North and North East. For current schedule information and fares contact Airporter on 028 7126 9996 or log on towww.airporter.co.uk

Services to/from Belfast, Lisburn and Londonderry operate from the nearby town of Antrim, just six miles from Belfast International Airport. Passengers travelling to Dublin can connect with the high speed Enterprise train, which departs from Belfast Central Station.

International Airport Taxi Company

The International Airport Taxi Company, official taxi operator for the airport, are available for hire outside the right hand door of the airport Exit lobby. Only taxis approved by BIA are permitted to use the taxi rank. A list of sample fares is displayed in the exit hall of the terminal building. The fare to Belfast City Centre is approximately £25.00. A taxi share scheme to Belfast is available for those who wish to use it. For bookings, contact the Belfast International Airport Taxi Company on +44 (0)28 9448 4353.

Five car hire companies have outlets at Belfast International Airport, the majority of which are based in the arrivals hall. All are manned to meet arriving scheduled flights, and Car Hire may be booked in advance.

For more detailed information, seewww.belfastairport.com

Scotland

Edinburgh

Edinburgh's main rail stations, Waverley and Haymarket, are in the city centre. Rail passengers can get between airport and station by: Taxi or bus

The Airlink 100 service calls at Waverley and Haymarket stations (near Princes Street and the main rail and bus stations). Frequency: Every 10 minutes (early services every 20 minutes). Journey time: 25 minutes (Waverley Bridge). Fare: Single £3, return £5 (reductions for children). Calls at: Stand 19. Buy tickets at the airport information desk, at the bus stop, from the driver ornline. Additionally,Edinburgh Shuttle buses can pick up or drop off at the stations. Journey times are 25 to 30 minutes in normal traffic. Edinburgh Shuttle's seven-seat executive minibuses run every 15 to 30 minutes, picking up or dropping off anywhere within the city zones, including residential addresses, hotels, businesses and conference venues). The single fare is £9 and there are reduced rates for passengers travelling together to the same destination. Services run every 15 minutes and drivers aim to make no more than three stops on any trip. The spacious seven-seat mini-coaches have plenty of room for passengers' bags and there are no extra baggage charges (subject to a maximum weight of 25kg).

Vehicles arrive and depart at the coach park, to the east of the terminal building outside UK Arrivals. Passengers without reservations are accepted subject to availability. For more information or to book, call 0845 500 5000 or visit the website.

A night bus, theN22, also runs between Waverley station and the airport.This service runs from the airport via South Gyle to the city centre and on to Ocean Terminal in Leith between 00:47 and 04:13, seven nights a week. Frequency: Every 30 minutes. Journey time: 28 minutes (Waverley Steps). Fare: £2.50 flat fare (unlimited travel for one night). Calls at: Stand 19.

Alternatively, the AirDirect 747 bus links the airport with Inverkeithing rail station in Fife. Combined train and bus tickets are available to or from any rail station in Scotland.

For more details see Edinburgh Airport

Buses to Edinburgh and other local destinations stop on the terminal forecourt, outside the main entrance.

Other bus services:

Service 35

This Lothian Buses service runs to the city centre and on to Ocean Terminal, with stops including RBS World Headquarters, the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Buses run every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every 30 minutes evenings and Sundays. Journey time: About an hour depending on traffic (Holyrood). Fare: Single £1.10, day ticket £2.50 (reductions for children). Calls at: Stand 21.

Airdirect 747 (Fife)

This Stagecoach service connects the airport with Inverkeithing rail station and Ferrytoll Park & Ride (for connections to megabus services). Frequency: Mon-Sat every 20 minutes (hourly on Sundays). Journey time: 25 minutes. Fare: £4.50 single or day return; discounts for children. Calls at: Stand 22.

More

Services 555 and 777 (West Lothian) E & M Horsburgh operates half-hourly buses to communities in West Lothian, including Livingston, Broxburn, East Calder and Mid Calder. Frequency: Every 30 minutes weekdays, hourly at weekends (555 and 777 alternate). Journey time: Depends on destination. Calls at: Stand 22. More

Long-distance coaches

Operators including National Express and Scottish Citylink run services to and from Edinburgh's main bus station in Elder Street. Some services also call at Waverley Bridge (for connections to the Airlink 100 airport service). Additionally, some long-distance buses and coaches call at Ferrytoll Park and Ride.

A few more useful addresses:

National Express website Megabus website

For general information on Scottish public transport, visit the Traveline Scotland website. Bus timetables are available at Edinburgh Airport from the Onward Travel desk in UK Arrivals and the information desk in International Arrivals.

Taxi:

There are separate taxi ranks for private airport taxis and for city "black cabs" outside the east (UK Arrivals) end of the terminal building. A third rank is available for advance-booked taxis on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park, directly opposite the terminal. A journey to the city centre typically takes about 25 minutes. Many taxis are wheelchair accessible. Taxi arrangements are managed by Onward Travel or call: +44 (0)131 333 2255.

Car:

Edinburgh Airport is about eight miles west of the city centre. The entrance is reached from the A8 Glasgow Road, and is close to the M8 and M9 motorways. The A8 airport junction is between the Gogar and Newbridge roundabouts. If you're approaching from Edinburgh, join the A8 from the city bypass and head towards Glasgow. If you're coming from the north or west, join the A8 at the Newbridge roundabout and head towards Edinburgh, then follow signs for the airport. The postcode to use for satellite navigation systems is EH12 9DN. Alternatively, get printable directions using the AA Route Planner

For travel updates surrounding the airport, see here

Wales

Cardiff

Car:

The airport is close to Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan, 12 miles west of Cardiff and 10 miles from junction 33 on the M4. Exit junction 33 on the M4 and follow the signs to Cardiff International Airport along the A4232, A4050 and A4226. For satellite navigation systems, our postcode is CF62 3BD.

Train:

A rail link connects Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station to Cardiff Central and Bridgend. Trains run hourly Monday to Saturday and two hourly on Sundays. There is a shuttle bus service (free to passengers in possession of a valid train ticket) which meets every train to carry passengers on the short journey to the airport terminal. The bus leaves ten minutes to the hour. Full facilities are available for passengers requiring special assistance. For further information call: 0845 748 49 50, or visit www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk

Bus:

Cardiff bus service X91 operates between Cardiff Central station and Cardiff International Airport hourly on?Mondays to Saturdays daytime and every two hours on Sundays.? ?Additionally, EST transport service 95 operates between Cardiff Central station and Cardiff International Airport via?Barry Monday to Saturday evenings. For details of timings please ring Traveline on 0871 200 22 33.?Day to go plus is valid for unlimited travel on day of purchase on all Cardiff bus services. X91 Fares between Cardiff (Central Station) and Cardiff International Airport are: Adult Single fare is £3.40, day to go plus* £3.50?Child Single fare is £2.20, day to go plus* £2.30.

More For general information about bus services, click here

Coach

The National Express coach service operates regular direct services to Cardiff Central bus station. For enquiries call: 08705 80 80 80 or visitwww.nationalexpress.com For up to date information on public transport throughout Wales call Traveline: 0871 200 22 33 (National call rate applies).

Taxi

Checker cars, the official taxi operator for the airport, offers a 24 hour service taking passengers to and from Cardiff International Airport. There is a taxi booking office located outside the arrivals hall. Checker cars operate a fixed fare system which is the same 24 hours a day. The approximate cost of a taxi from Cardiff Airport to Cardiff Central is £24. Passengers requiring assistance can be brought to the front of the terminal building when using Checker cars.Taxis are available on arrival at Cardiff International Airport or can be booked in advance either by calling 01446 711747 or by emailing: cardiff@checkercars.com

Car Hire

Car hire is available from Cardiff Airport from three leading car hire companies. You can book your car in advance online.