Which London airport to choose: Heathrow or Gatwick? How many airports are in London?

London is the largest center of air transportation in the world. For example, last year it flew from here and landed over one hundred and eighty million people. But not everyone knows how many airports in London. It turns out there are six, although not many of them have heard about some of them, since they do not serve ordinary passenger flights.

Heathrow

This world-famous transport air hub provides transportation on long-distance, European and domestic flights. This airport in London is considered the busiest in Europe. Its average patency is more than seventy million passengers a year. Two take-off and runways, five terminals, the last of which cost more than four billion euros was opened in 2008, are on the western border of the English capital - in London's Hillingdon. This area is connected to the city center by railway special message "Heathrow Express", and also "Heathrow Connect" - local railway branch. In addition, the capital can be reached on the London Underground along the Piccadilly line. Bypass and two high-speed highways - M25 and M4.

Heathrow Airport (London) serves long-distance, as well as European and domestic flights. Among all six air transport hubs, it is the largest. However, the busiest airport is Heathrow. London, more precisely its central areas, is located twenty-two kilometers to the east. The site on which this airport was built was supposed to be part of the forest park area of the English capital.

This airport in London is the third largest in terms of passenger traffic density. It is on it that the main load on servicing international flights lies.

Gatwick Airport (London)

It is located at some distance from the border of the city, in the county of Sussex. Gatwick has only one runway. Its two terminals serve an average of thirty million passengers annually. From this airport are carried out both internal, and near, and long-distance flights. It is connected with the capital by the railway lines "Gatwick Express", as well as "Temzlink" and "Southern". Directly there is a motorway M23. From London Gatwick Airport, lying about forty kilometers away, you can drive a maximum of half an hour.

Gatwick is considered the twenty fifth in the world by the number of passengers passing through it for a year, and by the number of transported foreigners it is in fifth place. This London airport belongs to the international class with the highest employment in the presence of a single runway.

The management of this air hub is handled by a large VAA company, which is part of a consortium of international class. At the moment she owns all the British airports, including Gatwick airport.

London takes most of its guests through these transport gates. In addition, Gatwick is also used as a base for charter flights. On its only lane are the planes of many international and local airlines.

Stansted

Stansted is the most remote from the British capital airport. It is located in the county of Essex, fifty kilometers north of central London. Just like Gatwick, it has one runway and one terminal. Stansted serves about twenty million people a year. From here, mostly short or domestic flights are made. This London airport is connected to it by the Stansted Express railway line and the M11 motorway.

The Stansted Terminal has three satellites. The two with the main are connected by a bridge, and the third has a transit system. The building was built by Foster Associates. A special feature of its design is a "floating" roof, fixed on the frame by pipes creating a stylized image of a flying swan. Within each structure are communications, providing air conditioning, telephone and power supply. The layout of the terminal is designed so that the arriving passengers move freely to the parking lot. At the same time, the mourners do not have the opportunity to observe the departure. This is due to the security requirements that the airport assumes.

London, Luton

It is located about fifty kilometers northwest of the capital, which is connected by the M1 highway and the railway line. The trains of Fest Capital Connect depart from the nearby Luton Airpot Parkway station. This London airport is equipped with only one terminal. In addition, it has a rather short streak, so it, like Stansted, mainly serves short economy-class flights with tourists. Interestingly, in Luton, the maximum number of taxis per unit of population.

London City and Biggin Hill

London City Airport serves business flights on short distances and only inside England. It is located about ten kilometers east of the City in the business district. The railway branch allows you to reach it from the center of the British capital in less than twenty-five minutes.

Biggin Hill, built in the southeast, does not serve conventional flights.

What to choose - Heathrow or Gatwick?

Both of these London airports have an international class. They make the most pleasant impression in terms of the variety of services offered. A huge number of bars, restaurants, including for even the most demanding passengers, and for non-selective tourists, beauty salons, game rooms, sometimes very impressive stores - all this is in Heathrow and Gatwick. Near to both airports hotels with the most different price level are constructed.

From Moscow to Heathrow

Many passengers flying from Moscow prefer to land at Heathrow. This is explained by the presence of a nearby London metro line. So you can save enough, because trains in the UK are somewhat expensive. From here to the hotels and major stations - Paddington, Victoria and Kings Cross - laid three routes of special buses. In addition, such popularity of Heathrow is due to a more diverse choice of goods in his stores.

In this case, those who arrive or fly away from this air port, it is better to see the airport scheme in advance and understand the intricacies of moving in it. Heathrow has one drawback: many complain that it is very difficult to understand it. This airport in London is huge, and information for foreigners is sometimes not enough.

Advantages of Gatwick

The main destinations for this air transport hub and at the same time the most loaded are the destinations in the United States, Canada, as well as in the Caribbean. In addition, Gatwick is used as a base for charter flights in the European direction. More than twenty-three thousand employees create maximum comfort for passengers, using the most modern equipment and technological innovations for this.

Gatwick Terminals

Terminals at Gatwick Airport offer a huge selection of cozy cafes and restaurants, modern bars, business centers, as well as souvenir and newspaper kiosks, duty-free shops and currency exchange offices. Between its terminals the light metro trailers run. At the same time travel time does not exceed just two minutes, and the intervals between trains - from three to six minutes.

The choice of the airport of arrival depends also on the direction in which further transit from London is carried out.