Which "London" airport should i fly to?

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Discounting Heathrow and City Airports, which would you consider the most convenient to travel to central London from?

I was going to pay a visit next month but as i'm moving house at the same time i'll probably postpone my visit till the new year.

― leigh (leigh), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 08:27 (twenty-three years ago)

I have the option of Stanstead, Gatwick and Luton from Edinburgh - City Airport is easiest but it's murder trying to get a cheap flight on British European/Scotairways.

― leigh (leigh), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 08:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Depends where you want to go in London. Luton/Gatwick will offer you the greater number of jumping off points in CL without changing trains (they are both on the Thameslink line). Luton may well be the quickest into (useful) Central London (ie not The City or South London) and for Tube connections - its about 35mins by train. Gatwick is probably the easiest connection on to the train. Stanstead is a shed in the middle of nowhere.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 08:34 (twenty-three years ago)

'Central London' you say. Well Gatwick is clearly the best of the three. Gatwick Express goes straight into Victoria. Stansted usually has cheap flights but once you get there the train is a bit crappy and for the next two years there's no service at weekends. They claim the replacement bus will be super quick into Liverpool St but I don't believe a word of it. Don't know much about Luton but I don't think the train is as quick as good as the Gatwick Express.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 08:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think the Thameslink goes straight to Luton airport, it goes somewhere odd like 'Luton airport parkway', I think there's a bus or something that takes you on to the airport itself... anyway I would imagine this would add to the hassle / time taken.

― Emma, Wednesday, 9 October 2002 08:48 (twenty-three years ago)

When we went to Gatwick recently the train terminated at the next stop because they didn't have a driver so we had to wait fucking ages, so I really hate Gatwick. Once the journey got under way it was very pleasant though, because there were bunny rabbits hopping about next to the line. This was to Reading, not Central London.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 09:03 (twenty-three years ago)

How did the train stop without a driver? What voodoo is this?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 09:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Wha! Hang on, Stanstead has no connecting service back into London at weekends? Oh shit.

― Anna (Anna), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 10:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry Anna - only found this out yesterday. As I say, there is a bus that in theory should be almost as quick. It doesn't stop at Tottenham Hale though.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 10:09 (twenty-three years ago)

It's just on Sundays, actually (I know this doesn't help). The bad news is that my friend misled me about the time - they say you should allow 90mins for the bus service but maybe they're just playing safe.

From the website:

Every Sunday from 29th September
From Sunday 29 September through to Spring 2004, all Sunday train services to and from Stansted Airport will be substituted by an express coach service

The service alterations will allow Railtrack to commence work on the next phase of the West Anglia Route Modernisation (WARM) project, a £184 million scheme to completely replace the signalling on the West Anglia line out of London.

On each of the Sundays throughout this period, coaches will depart from Liverpool Street Station for Stansted Airport between 04.30 and 23.00 and from Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street Station between 05.00 and 00.00.

Coaches will depart Liverpool Street Station and Stansted Airport every 5 to 10 minutes throughout the day and will operate a non-stop service. Stansted Express regrets that it will be unable to serve Tottenham Hale Station on these Sundays. All customers should travel via Liverpool Street Station.

Passengers are advised to allow additional time when making their journeys. It is estimated that the journey time will be up to 90 minutes in each direction.

There is a separate coach service that has always run in parallel to the Stansted Express. I've never taken it. I think it goes to Victoria.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 10:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh that's okay. I just had nightmare visions of being stranded and having to kill my credit card by staying in an awful airport based hotel/ getting taxi to nearest point of civilisation.

― Anna (Anna), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 10:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I've flown into and out of luton a coupla times. yeah, thameslink. luton parkway<->king's cross. they say it's, like, twenty-five minutes. it might be. it kinda seems not that long. nine pounds and eighty pence each way on the train. yeah, there's a bus from the parkway to the airport. they're pretty frequent and free and easy to find and it's not a long ride.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 11:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Gatwick will give you the biggest choice: its both on Thameslink and the fast line to Victoria (abt 35 mins) - but I've been led to believe the Parkway is k-reliable - and Thameslink will get you into Kings Cross quicker.

I think conclusion is stay away for Stansted.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 11:31 (twenty-three years ago)

My mum is now in trouble as she told me I shouldn't get the Thameslink to Luton airport as it would all go HORRIBLY WRONG so I won't get precious extra hours in bed tomorrow morning. Pah.

― Emma, Wednesday, 9 October 2002 11:38 (twenty-three years ago)

luton is cheapest on the train. stanstead and gatwick expresses are savage beasts re: train fares.

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 14:58 (twenty-three years ago)

I am going to Luton on the Thameslink tomorrow morning!!! When are you going Emma???

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 15:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I been to Gatwick and Stansted.. gettin' to the Gat seemed a lot easier. I liked Stansted, though, didn't seem shed-like at all to me.

― Mandee, Wednesday, 9 October 2002 16:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm biggin' up (did you see what I did there? sigh) Gatwick as it's more local to me, and SOUTH LONDON rox0rs you northern scum. It's also a proper airport, and as it is more used by proper airlines and not tinpot ones, there's a better atmosphere there too. And there are more planes taking off which you canw atch with glee!

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 16:53 (twenty-three years ago)

why does everyone still say "Railtrack"? They don't exist anymore. Or, at least, they don't own the infrastructure.

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 18:38 (twenty-three years ago)

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