Travel Information

London is served by five Airports. If you are taking an intercontinental flight to UK then you will be probably arriving at London Heathrow or Gatwick. When searching for flights you can select LON as the destination airport code which includes all London airports. There are a lot of transportation options from the airports and we list below the most commonly used. For more information about the airport and transportation have a look at the BAA site.

If you plan to do some traveling in London you can also buy a Travelcard which allows you to use all undergrounds and buses in London (prices vary depending on zone and number of days).

The Transport of London office has a variety of useful maps including underground, buses and main attractions.

London Heathrow Airport

Many airlines fly to London Heathrow (LHR). This is the nearest airport to London.

A fast train service, the Heathrow Express, connects the airport with London Paddington station. The Heathrow Express takes about 15 minutes to reach London Paddington (7/8 minutes more from Terminal 4) and departures every 15 minutes. The round trip is £28. From Paddington take the Circle Line to High Street Kensington (hotels A or B) or Gloucester Road (hotel C). Taxis are also available outside the station.

For a cheaper option, you can take the London Underground straight from Heathrow. The Picadilly line has stations at all Heathrow terminals and will take you to Gloucester Road in about 1 hour and you shouldn't have to wait more than about 10 minutes for a train. From Goucester Road take the Circle Line if you are going to hotels A or B.

For more information look at the airport travel information.

London Gatwick Airport

London Gatwick (LGW) is located to the south of London. The Gatwick Express is the best option here and takes 30 minutes to get to Victoria station (£26.80 round trip). From Victoria station you can take a taxi or the Circle Line to Gloucester Road (3 stops) or Kensington High Street (4 stops). See airport travel information

London Stansted

Many cheap flight companies travel between Continental Europe and London Stansted (STN). From the airport you can take either the Stansted Express train to London Liverpool Street for £23.50 round trip (which is on the other side of London from Kensington) or the bus to Victoria Station (£14 round trip). These can be booked in advanced. See airport travel information for more information on the services.

Train

If you are coming from continental Europe you might want to travel by Eurostar. This train arrives at Waterloo from where you want to take the Jubilee line to Westmister or the Bakerloo or Northern line to Embankment and change to the Circle line.

Tube Map

Click on the image below to download a PDF version of the London Underground system.

Passport and Visa Requirements

Most foreign nationals entering the United Kingdom are generally required to present a passport and valid visa. Information regarding necessary travel documents for foreign nationals wishing to visit the UK can be found at the UK Visas web site. The navigation bar on the left side of the web page should help you to navigate this site for additional information.

Participants are advised to check with their local UK consulate or their travel agent regarding current visa requirements to enter the UK. Visitors are strongly encouraged to ensure they have the proper documentation to enter the UK as early as possible.