Why fly from London?
London is the most connected city in Europe for weekend flights. Six airports — Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), Stansted (STN), Luton (LTN), City (LCY), and Southend (SEN) — give you access to virtually every destination on the continent.The key to cheap London flights is knowing which airport to use. Stansted and Luton are Ryanair and Wizz Air territory — that's where you'll find £19 return flights to Poland and Portugal. Gatwick is easyJet's biggest base. City Airport is small but fast — no queues, and you're in central London in 25 minutes. Heathrow is best for long-haul and full-service carriers.
Getting to the airports varies wildly in cost. The Heathrow Express is £25 but the Piccadilly Line is £5.50. Stansted Express is £19.40, but the National Express coach is £8. Factor airport transport into your weekend budget — sometimes a "cheaper" flight from a far-flung airport costs more door-to-door.
Best weekend routes from London
Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Barcelona — competition across all six airports pushes prices absurdly low
Paris (1h via Eurostar or City Airport), Amsterdam (1h15), Brussels (1h) — you can leave after work Friday
Malaga, Faro, Split, Dubrovnik — Gatwick and Stansted both compete on Mediterranean routes
Bratislava, Vilnius, Wrocław — Wizz Air from Luton, often under £30 return
When to fly from London
Summer (Jun–Aug): School holidays make everything pricier, especially Mediterranean routes. Fly midweek or try shoulder destinations — Ljubljana, Gothenburg, Bordeaux stay reasonable.
Autumn (Sep–Nov): Best deals of the year. Post-summer, pre-Christmas sweet spot. Porto, Lisbon, Rome weekends drop to £40–60 return from Stansted.
Winter (Dec–Feb): City break season. Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin are cheapest now. Skip Christmas and New Year week. January is the absolute cheapest month to fly from London.
Spring (Mar–May): Easter inflates prices for two weeks, then it settles. May bank holiday weekends are expensive but shoulder dates either side are bargains.
Sponsored
Airport insider tip
Always compare across all London airports. A flight from Stansted might be £40 cheaper than Gatwick, but if you live in south London, the train cost and 2-hour journey wipe out the saving. Weekendstop searches all London airports so you can compare apples to apples.
Frequently asked questions
Which London airport is cheapest for weekend flights?
Generally Stansted and Luton for budget airlines (Ryanair, Wizz Air), Gatwick for easyJet. But pricing depends on the route — always check all airports. Weekendstop lets you search from all London airports at once.
Can I do a weekend trip from London without flying?
Absolutely — Eurostar to Paris (2h15), Brussels (2h), or Amsterdam (3h45) from St Pancras. But flights are often cheaper. A Friday evening Ryanair to Barcelona is usually under £50 and takes 2 hours.
What is the best day to fly from London for a weekend?
Thursday evenings and Friday mornings are cheapest for outbound. Sunday afternoons beat Sunday evenings and Monday mornings on return flights. Avoid Friday evening departures if you can — that is when prices peak.
How far ahead should I book London weekend flights?
2–4 weeks for budget airlines, 4–8 weeks for peak routes (Barcelona, Lisbon in summer). Last-minute deals do exist — check Weekendstop the week of travel for unsold seats.