From London's two largest airports, to the City.

London Heathrow (LHR) is the UK's largest airport and is more often than not the start and end point of my travels around the world. The next biggest London airport, London Gatwick, also offers a range of long-haul flights and both are a good distance outside of Central London. London has a number of other airports, including London Stansted (STN), London City (LCY), and London Luton (LTN), however, I will address these in a future article. This article will give you the best method of transport to get from these two airports to Central London, with public transport being the only viable option when travelling and commuting through London.

London Heathrow

Heathrow has five terminals and each has its own London Underground Station. There are three options to get from these terminals to the City. The first is the Heathrow express that calls at Terminal 2&3 and Terminal 5 and this will get you from Heathrow to London Paddington in as little as 15 minutes. However, with a cost of £25, this is a very expensive and extortionate service but if you are in rush it is certainly the fastest service.

The other two options come in the form of London Underground options. Before the opening of the Elizabeth line this year the Piccadilly line (blue) was the only tube connection to connect the airport with the underground system. This is still an option and for a cost of £5.50, you can get to the city centre within one hour. However, the introduction of the Elizabeth line has sped up the London underground journey to Central London. At the same cost, you can get to London Paddington within 25 minutes for £5.50. So by getting to Paddington ten minutes later, you can save yourself £19.50 by taking this new tube line and this is my favourite way of commuting to central London. If you are travelling further afield, this line can connect you to Reading, Liverpool Street, Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

An important money saving tip to be aware of with the London Underground: by using a contactless credit/debit card you will receive a reduced fare in comparison with buying a ticket from a machine. It is also important that you tap at both ends and not just on your way in, otherwise you will be charged the maximum fare of approximately £10.

Total Cost: £5.50 - £25

Estimated Journey time: 15 minutes to an hour

London Gatwick

The train is the fastest and most cost-effective way to get between London Gatwick and Central London. The train goes directly between London Victoria Station and London Gatwick and will connect you between the two in a little over thirty minutes. The cost of this train is £18.50 each way but as this is national rail, railcard discounts do apply. Booking in advance and buying a return ticket rather than two singles will certainly save you money. Tickets for this Gatwick express service can be bought on the Gatwick express website or through the Trainline, booking ahead of time can save you 10% and it could vary as to which website gives you the best deal.

Total Cost: From £18.50 each way (£13.50 with Railcard)

Estimated Journey Time: 35 minutes