Arriving in London
Students, if your school makes group arrangements in coordination with FIE, please follow your group’s instructions for arrival in London. If you are arriving independently, you must check in at Metrogate Residence upon your arrival.
You are required to inform FIE of your flight arrangements prior to your program. If your scheduled flight is delayed, please contact FIE at:
Foundation House: 011-44-207-591-7750
Metrogate: 011-44-207-823-7440
24-hour emergency number: 011-44-207-808-0131
From Heathrow Airport
By Tube
The least expensive and easiest route is to take the tube directly from the airport. Follow the signs in the terminal to the Underground and take the Piccadilly Line (dark blue) to Gloucester Road. This costs £3.60. From the Gloucester Road stop, walk or take a taxi to your residence. This is very easy if you are not carrying to many bags - another reason to pack light!
By Taxi
The most expensive route is to take a cab from Heathrow. A licensed black cab will cost between £30 and £40, depending on traffic. This is costly, but if you are sharing a cab with another student and have heavy luggage, you may find it worth it. Don’t take a cab without a meter unless you have called ahead to book a car service. We recommend Green Tomato Cars.
By Train
The Heathrow Express train runs every 15 minutes from the airport to Paddington Station. It costs £12 one-way.
By Shuttle Bus
Use the bus service Dot2Dot which will bus you from Heathrow to Metrogate. This costs approximately £20 and you can get group discounts if travelling with others.
Click here for the Heathrow Airport website.
From Gatwick Airport
By Train
Follow signs at the airport to the trains. Take the Gatwick Express train from the airport to Victoria train/tube station. A one-way ticket costs £16.90. Trains leave every 15 minutes. It is advisable to ask which platform you need to wait on, as Gatwick is a mainline station with trains to other destinations. From Victoria, either take the Circle or District underground train to Gloucester Road station (approx £4) and walk to Metrogate or take a taxi directly to Metrogate (approx £10).
By Shuttle Bus
Use the bus service Dot2Dot which will bus you from Gatwick to Metrogate. This costs approximately £25.
Although Gatwick is farther out than Heathrow, it is a very simple process to get into town. Do not take a cab from Gatwick unless you want to spend a fortune!
Click here for the Gatwick Airport website.