Flights to London
All direct flights to London. Compare airline offers departing from your airport and flying direct to London.
Great Britain is one of the easiest European destinations to reach by air. The country has an extensive airport network covering every corner of the territory, from London to the far north of Scotland, with dozens of airports welcoming scheduled carriers, budget airlines and charter operators. London alone has six airports, which makes selecting the right airport far from straightforward when planning a trip.
This guide examines all the major airports across Great Britain, transport links to city centres, airlines operating routes from Europe, and practical tips for saving money on airfares. Whether you want to land steps away from Trafalgar Square, dive straight into Scotland or explore Wales, there’s an airport and a flight to suit every need.
London has more airports than any other city in the world: six separate terminals serve the British capital, each with different characteristics, distances from the centre and types of flights. Choosing the right airport is not just about the flight price, but significantly affects the time and cost of getting to your final destination.
Heathrow is the UK’s principal airport and one of the world’s busiest. It sits about 25 km west of London’s city centre and has four operational terminals. It’s the main hub for British Airways and the primary operating base for Virgin Atlantic, with over 190 international destinations served. For travellers from Europe, Heathrow is the preferred arrival point for scheduled flights from major traditional carriers.
Gatwick is the UK’s second-busiest airport, handling over 45 million passengers annually despite having just a single runway. Located about 45 km south of central London, it has two terminals: North Terminal and South Terminal, connected by an automated shuttle. It’s the main base for easyJet in the British market and serves over 200 international destinations, with a wide choice of both budget and scheduled carriers.
Stansted sits about 60 km north-east of London in Essex and is the go-to airport for budget carriers connecting the British capital to Europe. It’s Ryanair‘s main UK hub, but also hosts easyJet and numerous other low-cost airlines on over 170 routes. Despite being the furthest of London’s major airports from the city centre, it paradoxically has the fastest rail connections relative to distance.
Luton is located about 50 km north of central London and is another important hub for budget carriers: easyJet, Wizz Air and Ryanair operate numerous European and North African routes from here. It’s generally the cheapest of London’s six airports, which makes it attractive for budget-conscious travellers.
London City is the closest airport to the city centre: located in the Docklands, just 7 km from the City of London and Canary Wharf. It’s a small airport mainly serving business travellers, with flights to major European capitals and a few intercontinental destinations. The DLR (Docklands Light Railway) connects the airport directly to Bank and Shadwell in under 20 minutes, making it by far the most convenient for those with appointments in the City or East London.
Southend is the smallest and least busy of London’s airports, situated about 60 km east of London along the Essex coast. It offers a limited number of destinations, mostly European, and is connected to Liverpool Street station by train in around 55 minutes. It’s a last-resort option for travellers hunting particularly good deals on specific routes.
Scotland has two major international airports and numerous regional terminals connecting the islands and more remote areas to the rest of the country.
Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s main airport and the UK’s sixth-busiest, handling around 14 million passengers annually. Located about 10 km west of the city centre, it offers direct flights to over 130 international destinations, including many European cities. It’s the preferred arrival point for visitors to the Scottish capital, the Eastern Highlands and Fife.
Glasgow Airport is located about 13 km west of the city centre and is Scotland’s second-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic, with connections to major European capitals and some intercontinental destinations.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is located about 50 km from Glasgow city centre, on the Ayrshire coast, and is used almost exclusively by Ryanair for budget routes. A direct train connects it to Glasgow Central Station in around 45 minutes. Despite the greater distance, the highly competitive fares on certain routes make it a viable option if you’re not in a rush to reach the city centre.
Manchester Airport is the UK’s third-busiest airport and the main hub for Northern England. Situated about 14 km south-west of the city centre, it offers over 225 destinations worldwide, including numerous intercontinental routes. It’s the ideal entry point for visiting Northern England, the Lake District, Yorkshire and the cities of Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle.
Birmingham Airport is the Midlands’ primary airport, situated about 13 km from the city centre. It offers a wide range of European and intercontinental destinations and is well connected to Birmingham International railway station via a shuttle service (Air-Rail Link), with direct trains to New Street in around 10 minutes. It also serves visitors heading to Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds.
Northern England is also served by Newcastle Airport12 (useful for Northumberland and the Scottish Borders) and Leeds Bradford Airport13. In the South West, Bristol Airport14 is the key airport for visitors to Bath, Cornwall and Devon, with numerous European routes operated by easyJet and Ryanair. Southampton Airport15 serves the south coast and the Channel Islands.
Cardiff Airport16 is Wales‘s main airport, located about 19 km south-west of Cardiff city centre. It offers a more limited range of routes than England’s major airports, but covers the main European destinations. Alternatively, many travellers heading to Wales use Bristol Airport, which has better international connections and is reachable from Cardiff by train in around an hour.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
You have plenty of options for flying to Great Britain from Europe, catering to every type of traveller, from budget carriers to airlines offering generous legroom.
British Airways is the country’s national airline, with hubs at Heathrow and Gatwick. It offers flights to all major European capitals with a traditional level of service, checked baggage included in standard fares and lounge access for Executive Club members. It’s the preferred choice for business travellers or those wanting a more refined experience.
easyJet is the UK’s leading budget airline, with an extensive network of routes from across Europe to London Gatwick, Luton and Stansted, as well as to Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It offers competitive fares with cabin baggage included in the base price; checked baggage is charged separately.
Ryanair is the most popular budget carrier on European routes to Great Britain. It operates mainly from Stansted but also from Luton, Gatwick and major regional British airports. Base fares are often the lowest on the market, but it’s important to factor in additional charges for baggage, seat selection and other extras.
Wizz Air mainly serves Luton with routes to Eastern Europe and some Italian cities. ITA Airways (formerly Alitalia) operates direct flights from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa to London Heathrow. Vueling connects some Italian cities to London via Barcelona. KLM, Air France and Lufthansa offer connections through Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt respectively.
From across Europe, direct routes to Great Britain are numerous and cover a wide range of departing airports. Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa are the two main hubs, with daily flights to London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton operated by ITA Airways, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair. Flight times are approximately 2 hours 20-30 minutes.
Milan Bergamo (Orio al Serio), Venice, Bologna, Naples, Bari, Catania and Palermo also have direct flights to one or more London airports, mainly with Ryanair and easyJet. For direct flights to Scotland, Ryanair operates routes from some European cities to Glasgow Prestwick and Edinburgh. If you want to fly directly to Manchester, you’ll find options from Rome, Milan and some southern European cities with easyJet and British Airways.
Prices vary considerably depending on the season, how far in advance you book and how flexible your dates are. As a general rule, booking 6-8 weeks ahead for peak periods (June-August, Christmas, Easter) gets you the best fares. March, April, October and November are the cheapest months with fewer crowds at major attractions.
When choosing your arrival airport, consider not only the flight price but also the cost and time of transfers to your final destination. A budget flight to Stansted might work out more expensive overall — in both time and money — than a scheduled flight to Heathrow, depending on where you’re headed in London. It’s always worth calculating the total cost of your trip, including transfers, before finalising your booking.
If you’re travelling with hand baggage only, budget airlines are almost always the best choice. If you need checked baggage, compare the total fares carefully: Ryanair and easyJet baggage surcharges can approach British Airways fares during peak seasons.
For travellers departing from continental Europe, the train is an increasingly popular alternative to flying. Eurostar connects Paris to London St Pancras in around 2 hours and 20 minutes, Brussels in around 2 hours and Amsterdam in around 3 hours and 40 minutes, passing through the Channel Tunnel. Trains operate from early morning until evening and offer a direct city-centre-to-city-centre connection that eliminates airport downtime. Competitive fares — especially when booking in advance — make Eurostar a genuine alternative to flying for travellers from France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Ferries represent another option, particularly for those travelling by car. The main ports connecting with the continent are Dover (for the English Channel to Calais and Dunkirk), Harwich (for Belgium and the Netherlands), Portsmouth and Plymouth (for Brittany and Spain). The shortest crossing, Dover-Calais, takes around 90 minutes with P&O Ferries or DFDS. The alternative is Eurotunnel (Le Shuttle), which transports cars directly through the tunnel in around 35 minutes between Folkestone and Coquelles, near Calais.
Hotel 
Budget accommodations 
Apartments 
Family Hotel 
Luxury Hotel