When is the best time to fly to London?
Peak season
London’s peak tourist season coincides with the long annual European summer holidays from June through to August when temperatures are at their warmest and the sun doesn’t set until well into the night. While this is an ideal time for sightseeing and relaxing in London’s parks, hotel rates soar and many tourist attractions see long queues. The Christmas/New Year holiday is another busy period with merrymakers are enjoying London’s festivities and accommodation should be booked well in advance.
Off season
London’s off season is through the cold, rainy winter when accommodation prices are at their lowest. Some historic sights tend to close over this period, so if you want to experience everything London has to offer without the crowds, then visit in the spring or autumn. Not only is the weather still mild and the city’s famous theatre scene in full swing, but you will still find some good hotel deals and cheap flight tickets.
When is the best time to book a flight to London?
The cheapest flights to London are found between late October and the middle of December, together with January to midMarch when many airlines offer discounts. Between June and September prices are at their highest, peaking again just before Christmas, and at these times cheap flights to London are almost unheard of. For the best deals, always book as far ahead of your travel dates as possible.
How long is the flight to London?
Flights from Auckland to London 25 hours
Flights from Christchurch to London 29 hours
For flights to London from other New Zealand cities, your best option is to connect through either Auckland or Christchurch first.
Which airlines operate to London?
There are no direct flights to London from New Zealand but you can connect from Auckland through Los Angeles with Air New Zealand, through Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific, or through Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines. From Christchurch, the cheapest flights to London are often through Dubai with Emirates, while flight deals through Guangzhou with China Southern Airlines or Singapore with Singapore Airlines tend to be more expensive. No matter which side of the aeroplane you sit on, the views across London as you fly in are exceptional.
How to get from the airport to the city centre?
Flights from New Zealand to London land at the city’s busy Heathrow Airport, around 24 kilometres west of the city centre. The quickest option into town is with the Heathrow Express train which takes just 15 minutes from the airport to London Paddington station and departs every 15 minutes.
A cheaper but slower option is with the Heathrow Connect train that departs every 30 minutes and stops at stations throughout west London en route to London Paddington, taking around 40 minutes. No matter which terminal you arrive at, there is an Underground train station easily reached via a pedestrian subway and tickets can be bought at the station.
There are also National Express bus services that link London’s airport with more than 500 destinations across England, or you can catch a bus to one of London’s major railway hubs at Feltham, Reading, Woking and Watford Junction for onward travel by train.