Heathrow wins for most central London destinations — the Elizabeth Line reaches Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street in ~30 minutes.
For most central London destinations — Westminster, Soho, Covent Garden, the West End — Heathrow is the best airport. The Elizabeth Line connects directly to central London stations (Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street, Paddington) in ~30–35 minutes for ~£12. London City Airport is also excellent for central London — the DLR to Bank takes ~25 minutes — but it serves far fewer routes. Gatwick, Stansted and Luton involve longer transfers of 40–90 minutes and are generally better for other parts of London.
Here is how the five London airports compare for reaching central London (Westminster, Soho, Covent Garden, the West End):
Central London is not one place. Here is the best airport for each central area:
Heathrow has three separate rail connections to central London. The Elizabeth Line is the best balance of speed and cost (~35 min, ~£12). The Heathrow Express is fastest (15 min to Paddington, ~£25). The Piccadilly Line is cheapest (~50–60 min, ~£5–6). No other London airport has this range of central London connections.
London City Airport is better if you are heading to the eastern edge of central London (Bank, Monument, Tower Hill) — the DLR takes ~25 minutes. Gatwick is competitive if your central London destination is near Victoria Station (Gatwick Express, ~30 min). Stansted and Luton are rarely the best choice for central London — their transfers take 50–90 minutes.
London City Airport (LCY) is closest at 10km. The DLR takes ~25 minutes to Bank. However, LCY serves limited routes (mostly European business destinations). Of the major airports serving all routes, Heathrow is closest at 24km.
The Elizabeth Line takes ~35 minutes to Tottenham Court Road and costs ~£12 off-peak. The Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes to Paddington and costs ~£25. The Piccadilly Line takes 50–60 minutes and costs ~£5–6.
Gatwick is reasonable for central London if you are staying near Victoria Station. The Gatwick Express takes ~30 minutes to Victoria for ~£20. However, from Victoria you may need a further Tube or taxi journey to reach Westminster, Soho or Covent Garden — adding 15–25 minutes.
Stansted is 55km from central London — the furthest of the five airports. The Stansted Express takes ~50 minutes to Liverpool Street for ~£17. From Liverpool Street, you will need a further Tube journey of 15–25 minutes to reach most central London destinations. Total door-to-door: 65–75 minutes.
Heathrow is the only London airport connected to the London Underground (Tube) network. The Piccadilly Line runs directly from all Heathrow terminals to central London. No other airport has a direct Tube connection.