A booking confirmation says London. The ticket says STN. Those are two very different journeys, and the gap between them is about 39 miles.
London spreads its air traffic across six airports, scattered from the Royal Docks to the Essex coast. Book an airport transfer to the wrong one, or the right airport but the wrong terminal, and the mistake is expensive rather than inconvenient.
This guide covers all six London airports: where they are, what they are used for, and what changes when booking a transfer to each. It draws on years of running these routes at Camberley Cars.
How Many Airports Does London Have?
Six airports carry the London name: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City, and Southend. Together they form the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers.
Only two of them, Heathrow and London City, sit inside the Greater London boundary. The rest are in Sussex, Essex, and Bedfordshire, which is why a transfer from one side of the capital to the other can take longer than the flight to Amsterdam.
Four of the six London airports are not in London at all.
Heathrow and Gatwick: The Two Largest
Heathrow sits around 15 miles west of central London. It is the busiest airport in the country by a wide margin, handling more passengers than the next two combined. It has four active terminals spread across a large site, served by the Elizabeth line, the Piccadilly line, and the Heathrow Express.
Gatwick lies about 28 miles south, with two terminals, North and South, linked by a free shuttle. It carries a mix of long-haul and low-cost airlines, connecting to London by the Gatwick Express, Thameslink, and Southern services.
Both are large enough that the terminal matters as much as the airport when you book.
Stansted and Luton: The Budget Hubs
Stansted, roughly 39 miles northeast of London in Essex, and Luton, about 34 miles north in Bedfordshire, host most of the UK’s low-cost carriers. If a flight looks unusually cheap, it often departs from one of these two.
Stansted runs a single terminal and the Stansted Express into Liverpool Street. Luton connects by Thameslink to a station outside the airport. A short automated shuttle known as the DART goes into the terminal itself, so allow for that extra leg when timing a train journey.
For travellers outside London, both usually mean a long motorway run rather than a quick hop.
London City and Southend: The Smaller Two
London City is the closest airport to the centre at around nine miles, sitting in the Royal Docks with a direct DLR link. Its short runway limits it to smaller aircraft, which is why it leans heavily towards business travel and short-haul European routes.
Southend is the smallest of the six, about 40 miles east, with its own railway station beside the terminal and a shorter route list than the others.
| Airport | From central London | Rail link | Typically used for |
| London City | Around 9 miles | DLR | Business and short-haul Europe |
| Heathrow | Around 15 miles | Elizabeth line, Piccadilly, Heathrow Express | Long-haul and major carriers |
| Gatwick | Around 28 miles | Gatwick Express, Thameslink, Southern | Long-haul and low-cost mix |
| Luton | Around 34 miles | Thameslink plus the DART shuttle | Low-cost European flights |
| Stansted | Around 39 miles | Stansted Express | Low-cost European flights |
| Southend | Around 40 miles | Own station beside the terminal | Smallest, limited routes |
Distances are from the centre of London and change considerably depending on where you start.
Which London Airport Is Easiest to Reach?
That depends entirely on where your journey begins, not on which airport is closest to Trafalgar Square. From central London, City and Heathrow are simplest. From the west or southwest, the picture reverses.
Travelling from the Surrey belt, Heathrow is a straightforward run up the M3 and M25 in around 40 to 45 minutes, and Gatwick around an hour. Stansted and Southend sit on the far side of London, which usually means going right round the M25 and a journey of roughly two hours.
The nearest airport to London is rarely the nearest airport to you.
Also Read: Airport Transfers Explained: UK, Holiday and Overseas Travel
What Changes When Booking a Transfer
Give the terminal, not just the airport name. Heathrow’s four terminals are spread across a large site, so a driver taking you to Terminal 2 when your flight leaves from Terminal 5 has cost you a shuttle ride and twenty minutes.
Two other details are worth settling at the booking stage. Most major UK airports now charge a forecourt drop-off fee, which a proper fixed-fare quote already accounts for, and flight tracking matters on the return so a delay does not leave you without a car.
Ask any driver who works these runs: the airport is the easy part of the instruction, and the terminal is the part that gets missed.
Airport Transfers from Camberley and the Surrey Belt
For travellers west of London, the practical routes are the four airports reachable without crossing the capital. Camberley Cars runs fixed-fare transfers from Camberley, Frimley, Farnborough, Yateley, Blackwater, and Sandhurst to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, and Stansted, with flight tracking on arrivals.
For London City or Southend, both sitting on the far eastern side, an operator based nearer those airports will usually serve you better, as will a local firm if your journey starts outside this Surrey belt.
FAQs
How many airports does London have?
London has six airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City, and Southend. Together they handle more passengers than any other airport system in the world. Only Heathrow and London City sit within the Greater London boundary, while Gatwick is in Sussex, Stansted and Southend are in Essex, and Luton is in Bedfordshire, despite all six carrying the London name.
Which London airport is closest to central London?
London City Airport is the closest, at around nine miles from the centre, with a direct DLR link reaching central London in roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Heathrow is next at about 15 miles. The closest airport to the centre is not necessarily the closest to you, though, since travellers west of London often reach Heathrow far more easily.
Which London airports are used for budget flights?
Stansted and Luton host most of the UK’s low-cost carriers, so an unusually cheap fare often departs from one of them. Stansted sits about 39 miles northeast of London and Luton about 34 miles north. Both are well connected by rail but involve a long motorway journey for anyone travelling from the south or west.
Do I need to give the terminal when booking an airport transfer?
Yes, always. Heathrow has four active terminals spread across a large site, and Gatwick has two linked by a shuttle. Arriving at the wrong terminal costs time you may not have before check-in closes. Check the terminal on your booking confirmation, since airlines occasionally change them, and pass it to the operator when you book.
How long does it take to reach Heathrow from Surrey?
From the Surrey belt, Heathrow is usually around 40 to 45 minutes via the M3 and M25 in clear traffic, with Gatwick nearer an hour. Allow more at peak times and for early-morning departures, when the drop-off lanes at the larger terminals queue. A pre-booked fixed fare holds regardless of how the traffic behaves.
The Bottom Line
London’s six airports are spread across four counties, so the name on a booking tells you far less than the airport code does. Heathrow and Gatwick handle the bulk of traffic, Stansted and Luton cover budget flights, and London City and Southend serve smaller markets from the east. Always confirm the terminal as well as the airport before booking a transfer. Camberley Cars covers the four western and northern airports with fixed-fare transfers across the Surrey belt.
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