London is constantly moving and the transport facilities of this world famous city are plentiful. London is served by five airports of which Heathrow, with its five terminals, is the largest. The others are Stansted, Gatwick, Luton and London City.
An extensive network of the familiar red double-decker buses along with night buses take passengers to all parts of the city. Every day around four million people use these buses.
The London underground is the oldest in the world and the first line was opened in 1863. Since then it has become an essential link in London's transportation network. Its twelve different lines transport around three million passengers around the city every day.
The completely restored Docklands area on the banks of the river Thames has its own transport link via the Docklands Light Railway. This is a rail line that connects this rejuvenated area with the rest of the city.
Many underground stations are connected with a railway station from which trains depart to the whole of Great Britain and abroad.
Numerous black cabs, London landmarks just as famous as the red buses, can be found throughout the city. Taxi drivers have to study for four years to obtain the highly sought-after licence and it's only granted to those who know each and every street in Central London.
Some people are brave enough to cycle through London. An effort has been made to start creating more cycle lanes, but the huge volume of cars means that cycling through Central London remains a rather risky business. It is possible to rent bicycles in the city and for a more relaxing time on your bike you could choose to cycle along the Thames where a beautiful path has been laid out.
London Heathrow Airport
London's main airport is Heathrow, located 14 miles west of Central London. About 90 airlines use this airport and fly to a total of 180 destinations in 90 countries. Heathrow transports around 68 million passengers per year and approximately 50 international hotels are based on site or nearby.
Two Piccadilly tube lines have Heathrow as their final destination so it is very easy to travel from Central London to the airport via the underground. One of the trains heads for the terminals 1, 2 and 3 while the other serves terminals 4 and 5. The trip to Central London takes about 40 minutes.
