What is more efficient when connecting through London Southend (SEN): LHR or LGW?
I live 10 minutes away from Antwerp International Airport. It is the only airport where I ever cycled to. They even facilitate that with proper bicycle parking space. It is international since it has two connections: London City Airport (LCY) and London Southend (SEN). I know that in theory it is possible to fly through London from Antwerp, but in terms of efficiency what would be the best airport to reach from London Southend, is it Heathrow or is it Gatwick?
With efficiency I mean, the one with most direct connections and also the most frequent connections, limiting the risk of missing a flight due to delays in public transport. I would probably have to buy two tickets, so I can't afford to miss a flight.
Best Answer
At Southend Airport, you main public transport option is the train station basically outside the terminal. From there, there's a train every 20 minutes for most of the day to London, with stops at Stratford and Liverpool Street, journey time just over an hour.
For Heathrow Airport, you've two options. One is train to Stratford, Central Line to Lancaster Gate, 5 minute walk to Paddington Station (this is much quicker than train to Liverpool Street then Circle Line / H&C Line direct to Paddington), then Heathrow Express on to Heathrow Airport. This would be 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45, depending on connections and walking speed, cost of about 40 quid without any discounts or railcards. Otherwise, train to Stratford, Central Line to Holborn, and Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. This will be about 2 hour 10 minutes, but only about £17 before any railcard discounts.
For Gatwick Airport, you'd take the train to Stratford, change onto the Jubilee Line, ride that to London Bridge, then take the FCC service to Gatwick Airport. Typical journey time of 1 hour 45 to 2 hours, depending on connections - SEN to London is every 20 minutes, London to LGW is every 15, so timings vary. Cost is £26.70 with no railcard for a single journey.
Heathrow is quicker if you spend more, and generally the HEX is quite a bit more reliable than the FCC services to Gatwick. If you care about cost, Heathrow by tube is quite a bit cheaper than Gatwick by train, and not very much slower than many Gatwick services.
For exact timings and costings, pick your favourite UK rail or tube journey planner!
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Is it better to fly to Heathrow or Gatwick?
Heathrow is larger and has better links in and out of the airport to Central London. 3. Heathrow has five terminals and four runways. Meanwhile, Gatwick has two terminals and two runways.Which is easier to get to Heathrow or Gatwick?
I find getting from Gatwick to central London is quicker and easier than Heathrow. The trains ride can be as quick as 30 minutes and services leave every few minutes.Is London Gatwick a good airport?
It is the primary airport used by EasyJet for transportation to and from London, so if you're traveling on a budget, this may be the best airport for you. Gatwick is generally less crowded than Heathrow so there is a reduced risk for long border control queues.How big is Gatwick compared to Heathrow?
Size. Measuring the airports in terms of size also gives a clear winner. According to CAA statistics, in 2018 Heathrow Airport carried a total of 80,124,537 passengers across 477,604 aircraft movements. Gatwick had just over half of this figure at 46,086,089 passengers with 283,919 aircraft movements.Connection in London Heathrow
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