Sofitel London St James ★★★★★

London is served by a number of airports:
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR), located 14 miles (23 km) west of central London
- London Gatwick Airport (LGW), located 30 miles (48 km) south of central London
- London Stansted Airport (STN), located 30 mi (48 km) north-east of central London
- London Luton Airport (LTN), located 29 miles (47 km) north of central London
- London City Airport (LCY), located 6.9 miles (11 km) east of central London
- London Southend Airport (SEN), located 42 miles (68 km) from central London.

Between them, they receive flights from most capitals and major cities across Europe.

From London Heathrow to central London:
- By train: The Heathrow Express isn’t the cheapest but is certainly the fastest method, taking 15 minutes to London Paddington. Tickets are around £26 single (£21 in advance) or £39 return (£34 in advance). Regular train services also run, taking twice the time, for around £10.  The cheapest method is the Underground (tube) Piccadilly Line, taking closer to an hour.

From London Gatwick to central London:
- By train: The Gatwick Express to London Victoria runs regularly with a journey time of 30 minutes. Tickets are around £20 single (£10 for children) or £35 return (£18 for children); it is a little cheaper if booked in advance. For around £15 single, Southern Trains operate four times an hour to London Victoria, taking around 35 minutes.

- By bus: The National Express operates direct coach services to London Victoria once an hour with a journey time of around 90 minutes. Tickets are around £8 single, £15 return.
A low-cost, frequent and non-stop transfer service is also operated by EasyBus from North and South terminals to Earls Court/West Brompton. The journey takes about an hour.

From London City to central London:
- By train: There is a DLR train station in front of the airport; it is three stops to Canning Town where you can change for underground (metro) services. It is also possible to take bus number 474 to Canning Town.

- By taxi: London City airport is close to central London, therefore a cab will cost around £30.

From London Luton to central London:
- By train: A shuttle bus operates to Luton Airport Parkway Station. East Midlands Trains run to London St Pancras/ Kings Cross in about 25 minutes. Tickets are around £18 single and £30 return.

- By bus: The National Express to London Victoria (about 35 minutes) is around £10 single and £15 return. EasyBus run to Baker Street (60 minutes) which is often cheaper but prices vary.

From London Stansted to central London:
- By train: The Stansted Express runs to London Liverpool Street in about 50 minutes, for around £23 single and £33 return.

- By bus: The National Express to London Liverpool Street (about 75 minutes) is around £8 single and £15 return. EasyBus run to Baker Street (75 minutes) which is often cheaper but prices vary.

From within the UK trains can be found and booked via National Rail. From mainland Europe trains can be found and booked via Rail Europe. Together, the companies Eurostar and Thalys operate high speed train services from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France to London St Pancras International.

The nearest Underground station, known locally as The Tube, is Charring Cross, served by the Bakerloo (brown) and Northern lines (black). It is just a 6 minute walk to the hotel. Similarly, Piccadilly Ciricus, served by the Bakerloo (brown) and Picadilly lines (dark blue) is just 6 minutes walk away from the hotel, but it is significantly busier.

We recommend that you book activities online in advance in order to make the most of your time in London.

- "The view from the Shard" - fast-track tickets: Priority access for Europe’s tallest tower, with stunning views over London.
- Warner Bros Studios "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter": an afternoon at the Harry Potter Studios (departing from London).
- Dinner-cruise on the Thames: a delicious 4-course meal, live music & dancing, with views of London at night.