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Getting There

London is a breeze to get to from the U.S., with all the major airlines offering direct flights several times a day. Of these, the two British airlines, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways offer regular deals. That said, all major American airlines also make the trip, so check fares on your preferred airline, too, whether it be American Airlines, United, Continental, Delta, or Northwest. Flights from the East Coast make the non-stop flight in about seven hours; flights from the Midwest and West typically require connecting in New York, Chicago, or DC.

Package Providers
For heavily discounted packages, we recommend Go-Today and Gate1Travel. You'll also find good deals through Virgin Vacations. For a more upscale air-and-hotel package, check Globus.

Getting Into & Around London
You’ll most likely fly into Heathrow Airport, which lies 15 miles west of the city center and has excellent bus and subway connections. The cheapest way to get into the city is the 50-minute ride on the Underground (Piccadilly line) subway (£3.80 one-way), but our preferred option is the speedy Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station (a 15-minute ride, every 15 minutes; £13 one-way, £25 round-trip). If you happen to fly into Gatwick, London's secondary airport, take the Gatwick Express train to Victoria Station; the trip takes about 30 minutes and trains depart every 15 minutes between 6am and midnight (£12 one-way; £23.50 return). Note that taking a cab from either airport is prohibitively expensive and you'll risk getting snarled in traffic.

As for getting around London itself, the city’s Underground subway is known colloquially as the tube and is extremely user-friendly; there’s an excellent aboveground bus network, too. Purchase a Travelcard to save on unlimited travel by tube and bus; it’s available from any tube station (£6 for a one-day card around central London; £15 for a three-day card).

For any additional tourism information once in London, visit the walk-in Britain and London Visitor Centre (1 Lower Regent St right, Piccadilly Circus).