The Smartest Way to Navigate London

The smartest way to travel is not always the cheapest. It's not even always the safest. But there is little point in taking a trip to an exotic, inspiring, or simply very different place to home if you aren't going to sink your teeth into everything it has to offer. London has much, much more to offer, of course, than the runways and baggage collection points of its busy airports. But if you are smart, you can ensure that even the necessary transit to and from the airport to your accommodation and back again can be enjoyable. Whether you take a tube, the bus or a Gatwick airport taxi, your journey never has to be merely a means to an end.

Live it Up Until the Last Minute

As a bustling metropolis (and the capital of the UK) London has a number of airports across the city. But whether you are heading in to London from Heathrow or Gatwick airport, taxi services offer a very convenient option, while bus and tube trips will save you money. But perhaps you could coordinate one or the other, or even a combination of any, so as to guarantee that you make the most of your first or last minutes in the capital. Too many people spend time worrying about missing their flight and waste great swathes of their valuable holiday time. There is so much to see and do in London that it is much smarter to worry about making sure you have set aside enough time to explore the streets of Soho, the War Museum, or the delights of Harrods right up to the time your transport to the airport is set to depart.

Keep One Eye OpenVictoria Station, Euston Station, Piccadilly Square - the sheer density of stations, stops, and drop-off points around the city makes it possible for you to be sightseeing anywhere in the city right up to the point you need to head off to Heathrow or Gatwick Airport. Taxis can be hailed from any street corner (black cabs, that is, not mini cabs) so you won't have to worry that you won't find one at the last minute. Alternatively, a private pre-booked shuttle will usually be able to pick you up at any point in the city. Even as you're making your way out to the airport, keep an eager eye open to enjoy the Victorian architecture and cobbled streets of old London town.

Eschew Stress

After a few days or longer of enjoying the iconic sights of Big Ben, the Natural History Museum, a show on the South Bank, Buckingham Palace, Notting Hill Gate and the Houses of Parliament, it's easy to collapse in a heap as you make your way out to Heathrow or Gatwick airport. Taxi rides don’t have to be just a means to an end, however. If you have a little time, ask your driver to create a mini-tour itinerary and take you past some of the places in the city you may have missed. It's a little harder to do this on the tube, but even a well-planned bus trip can afford you some bonus sights of the capital on the way to the airport. It's all in the planning!

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re looking for a Gatwick airport taxi, Shuttle Direct provide pre-booked shuttles to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.