Getting to London from All Three Major Airports (Gatwick to Central London)

From Gatwick to London
It's never difficult to get to the city centre from Gatwick Airport... Below are means of transportation and how you can use them.

1. Gatwick Express      

 This is personally my favourite not only because it's the fastest way but also because it gets into London's one of the largest and busiest train stations: Victoria Station✸. Non stop trains from the airport run every 15 minutes and it only takes 30 minutes to get into London's Victoria Station.  You can book your tickets in advance here Book Gatwick Express It's usually 18£ if you book online and 19.90 if you purchase it at the airport.
✸ Lines serving Victoria Underground:
         Circle,  District, Victoria
✸ A bus station, served by many routes, is outside the main entrance in Terminus Place.

2. Southern Trains 

Southern trains services operate four times an hour to Victoria via East Croydon and Clapham Junction (London's busiest train staion)  with a journey time to Victoria of around 35 minutes. Please book your tickets here Book Southern Trains

3. Thames Link 

Services to London Bridge and St Pancras International run four times an hour with a journey time of between 30 and 45 minutes. You can book your tickets here Thames Link

4. Coaches 

National Express goes directly to London Victoria operate once an hour with a journey time of 1.5 to 2 hours. This depends on the time of your journey. Please follow the signs for couches at the airport They depart from both South and North Terminals from the lower lever forecourt. Book your tickets in advance here National Express 

For cheap tickets please visit The Train Line 

Gatwick North Terminal. You need to get on the shuttle from North Terminal provided you're heading to the train station because the station is at  South Terminal. Photo taken by me. See it on my instagram account @denisethecure 

Getting to London from All Three Major Airports (Heathrow to Central London)

 From Heathrow To London 

Getting to London city centre from Heathrow Airport is not hard, all you need to do is to make up your mind and ride the tube or get on Heathrow Express, take a coach etc.

1. Heathrow Express.

If you are in a hurry, I'd recommend you to get on Heathrow Express. It is the fastest way to get in the city. It only takes 15 minutes from the airport to London Paddington Station and trains run every 15 minutes. If you book your tickets online in advance, it's possible that you may save up to 75% .

To book your tickets in advance, go to heathrowexpress.com

      2. Underground - Piccadilly Line (Blue)  

London Heathrow Airport has three underground stations, one for Terminal 2 and 3 (it's in between two stations), one at Terminal 4 and one at Terminal 5. It takes approximately 50 minutes to get in the city and trains run every ten minutes. You can see the ticket machines once you move through the passport control. If you purchase a travel card, make sure it is Zone 6. Or you can get OYSTER CARD which will enable you to use any means of transport in London. It makes things easier, I'd personally recommend you buy an OYSTER CARD.

 Follow the link to arrange your journey and for more info   London Piccadilly Line 

    3. Coaches from Heathrow 

There are frequent coach services from Heathrow not only to central London but also top UK destinations. You can catch coaches at the Terminals 2,3,4,5. Here is a link that will help you do more research and book your tickets Coach Services

Hope this helps :) :) 

       

Entering The UK - Birleşik Krallığa Giriş

If you are holding a EU passport;

You are supposed pass through the "EU CITIZENS" gates. and you are highly advised to remove your passport from its holder. Make sure you remove your sun glasses and hats if you are wearing one. If you are travelling with your family or with a group of friends, you may be asked to move through passport control together. Wait in line until the officer tells you to move forward to an unoccupied counter.

 Avrupa Birliği ülkelerine ait pasaport sahibiyseniz;

Sizin için ayrılmış olan "Avrupa Birliği Ülkeleri" kapılarına giden tabelaları  takip etmeniz gerekir. Size tavsiyem, pasaportunuzu kılıfından ve eğer takıyorsanız güneş gözlüğünüzü çıkartmanız.  Ailenizle seyahat ediyorsanız pasaport kontrolünden birlikte geçmenizi öneririm. Aynı şekilde arkadaş grubunuzla geziye çıktıysanız ikişer ya da üçer kişilik gruplar halinde geçebilirsiniz. Görevli polis memuru sizi boş olan bankoya yönlendirene kadar sırada bekleyiniz.

If you are a NON-EU Citizen;

On flight, you will be given a "LANDING CARD" and are asked to fill in this before you are at the passport control. Your passport, visa (if you need one) and landing card will be checked. You are most likely to be asked why you are visiting THE UK. You may also be asked to show your travel documents (travel itinerary, letters from schools, work permit etc.) Five or six years ago, I was asked to show my return ticket to Istanbul. 
Make sure you focus on the questions you are likely to be asked, you are not there to talk about your life story!! 

• Have a look at the attached LANDING CARD (Don't print this out!!!) 
• For further info, please go to UK Border Control 
• Leave a comment for any questions. :) :) 

Avrupa Birliği'ne üye olmayan bir ülkeye ait pasaport sahibiyseniz; 

Uçuş sırasında size "İNİŞ KARTI" verilecek, bunu uçuş sırasında doldurmanızı tavsiye ediyorum. Zira bazen pasaport kuyrukları çok sıkışık ve uzun oluyor, orada doldurmanız zor olabilir. İniş yaptığınız zaman, Avrupa Birliğine ait olmayan ülke pasaportları tabelalarını takip edin. Sıranın başında bir polis memuru iniş kartınızı sorabilir, ona "nazikçe" doldurduğunuz kartınızı gösterin ve sıraya girin. Bankoların önüne geldiğinizde polis memurunun yönlendirmesini bekleyin zira sizi boş olan bankoya o yönlendirecek. 

Pasaportunuz ve iniş kartınızı bankodaki görevliye verin ve ziyaret sebebinizi sorduğunda kısa ve öz şekilde cevap verin. Bazen seyehatinizin detaylarını sorabilirler o zamanda da otel rezervasyonu, tren bileti ve uçak biletlerinizi göstermeniz gerekebilir. 5-6 yıl once benden İstanbul'a dönüş biletimi göstermem istenmişti, hazırlıklı olmanızda fayda var. 

Lütfen sorulara odaklanın, hayat hikayenizi anlatmanıza gerek yok. Fazladan söyleyeceğiniz bir şey fazla soru sormalarına sebeb olabilir. Bunu da unutmayın :) :) 

• İniş Kartını örnek olarak ekledim, bir göz atabilirsiniz (Kesinlikle çıktısını almayın!!!)
• Daha fazla detay için Sınır Kontrolü nü ziyaret edebilirsiniz. 
• Daha fazla soru için yorum ekleyebilirsiniz :) :)