Train v Plane

Deciding whether to fly or get the train will depend a whole lot on the length of journey and the frequency of services. A few of the most important points to consider when deciding which mode of transport to take are listed below. To compare journey times and prices you can look at thetrainline for rail services and the website of your chosen airline for flights. In general flying from most cities in England to London will be slower in real terms than taking the train. An exception to this is if you're flying to London City, which is a small airport very close to central London and on the doorstep of Canary Wharf. As a small airport it is very possible to be on the DLR or a taxi to The City within 10 minutes of landing and when departing from London City you can arrive at the airport 20 minutes before your flight with many airlines (check with your airline to make sure). When travelling from London to Scotland this is where flying can start to save time, going to Glasgow and Edinburgh you're likely to save a bit of time by flying although in real terms the difference is small so you may want to still consider the train to avoid the hassles of airport security. Heading further north to the likes of Aberdeen you will save significant amount of time by flying.

When deciding whether to take the train or the plane take into account the following:

• Journey time to airport or station (the journey to the airport is often longer than that to the train station, if you're flying to the so-called 'London' Stansted or Luton you have a long train ride to look forward to when you land if you're going into central London)
• Time to allow for check-in and security (most airports recommend arriving at least an hour before the flight departs, with increased security rules it may take longer)
• Time to collect luggage if you plan to check any items in
• Frequency of services, which mode of transport has a service running at a time to suit you?
• Extras needed to get to final destination can add extra costs (e.g. taxis, Heathrow Express, etc)

• GNER (Train)
  • Tube from Liverpool Street to King's Cross (H&C, Met or Circle Line)
  • GNER train from London to Newcastle
  • Metro from Central Station to Monument
• British Airways (from Heathrow)
  • Tube from Liverpool Street to Paddington (H&C or Circle Line)
  • Heathrow Express from Paddington to Heathrow Central
  • Walk from station to Terminal 1
  • Time in airport (baggage drop, security, etc)
  • Time in flight
  • Wait for luggage
  • Metro from Airport to Monument
• Eastern Airways (from London City)
  • Tube from Liverpool Street to Bank (Central Line)
  • DLR from Bank to London City Airport
  • Time in airport (check-in, security, etc)
  • Time in flight
  • Wait for luggage
  • Metro from Airport to Monument
• easyJet (from Stansted)
  • Stansted Express from Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport
  • Time in airport (check-in, security, etc)
  • Time in flight
  • Wait for luggage
  • Metro from Airport to Monument