Travelling into Central London from London Heathrow Airport
It is an easy journey from London Heathrow Airport to John Street, Bloomsbury, as the local tube (subway) station, Russell Square, is on the line that runs directly to the airport. Take the Piccadilly line (dark blue on the tube map) from inside the airport to Russell Square tube station (50 minute journey depending on the the time of day). From Russell Square tube it’s a 7 minute walk to the apartment. If you’re in a hurry, the more expensive route is the Heathrow Express train to Paddington (15 minutes) and then a taxi from Paddington (allow 20 minutes and up to £20).

Travelling into Central London from London Gatwick Airport
Take the ThamesLink train from inside the airport to Farringdon station in London. The journey takes around 45 minutes. You can either walk from Farringdon station (15 minutes) or take a taxi.

Travelling into Central London from London Stansted Airport
Take the Stansted Express train from inside the airport to Liverpool Street Station. Then take the tube (Central line – red line on the tube map) to Chancery Lane tube station (three short stops). John Street is a 6 minute walk.

Travelling into Central London from London City Airport
Take the DLR train (Docklands Light Railway) to Bank station. Then take the tube (Central line) to Chancery Lane station (two stops), John Street is a 6 minute walk from Chancery Lane.

Travelling into Central London from Luton Airport
Take the airport’s complimentary bus to Luton Parkway railway station. Take the train to London Kings Cross-St Pancras station. You can either walk (15 mins) or take a taxi.

Travelling to London by Rail

Eurostar train services from Paris, Lille and Brussels arrive in London at St Pancras International Station and this is a 15 minute walk north of John Street. Kings Cross (trains from Edinburgh, Newcastle, Durham, York, Leeds, Grantham and Cambridge) is a 15 minute walk away. Euston Station is a 20 minute walk (trains from Glasgow, the Lake District, Manchester, Birmingham). It is a short bus ride from London Bridge Station (bus 17 from the bus station at London Bridge). It is a short bus ride from Waterloo station (bus 243 to Theobalds Rd). Paddington Station (trains from Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bath and Oxford) is a tube ride away; take the circle line (yellow on the tube map) to Kings Cross-St Pancras station. We will send you more detailed directions and a map of the local area when you book. Just let us know on the booking form which airport or station you expect to arrive at.

We do not recommend driving in central London. Parking is dreadful and the traffic is worse. Many people who live in central London have either sold their car or only use it for long journeys out of town. If you want to live like a Londoner, arrive by train, buy an Oystercard (see below) and take the tubes and buses.

Getting Around London

You can walk to many of London’s tourist sites and attractions from John Street, but as London’s sites are spread out from the Tower of London in the east to Buckingham Palace and Westminster to the west, you will find yourself using buses and tubes at some point, wherever you choose to stay. John Street is 7 minutes walk from Russell Square tube and 6 minutes walk from Chancery Lane tube station. Or you can take buses from Theobalds Rd at the end of John Street.

You can see a map of the tube network here
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf

For more details of buses, tubes and getting around London, see the Transport For London website which has a useful journey planner

http://www.tfl.gov.uk

Travelling on the London Underground (Tube) & Buses & Oystercards

While you can pay by cash to use the tubes (but not the buses), it is far cheaper to buy an Oystercard (£10 deposit, deposit returned when you leave London by returning card to ticket machine at a tube station). You charge up the Oystercard with cash either at a tube station or a newsagent (look for the light blue Oystercard logo in the shop window). You then ‘touch in’ and ‘touch out’ at the barriers at tube stations and on buses. Having an Oystercard halves tube fares in zone 1. If you use your Oystercard for several journeys in one day, the journeys gradually become cheaper until you are travelling for free.

Children under 11 travel free on the underground and buses (just ask the station assistant at the ticket barriers to let your children through or use the extra-wide barrier). Children age 11-16 require an Oyster photocard to travel free on the buses and to get reduced fares on the tube. See here for details:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1020.aspx