Personally, I prefer Gatwick, which is south of London, while Heathrow is west.
Here’s why: Gatwick is a smaller airport, and much easier in terms of transfers if you’re flying through, and it’s easy to reach central London via train (Gatwick Express to Victoria Station, or slower trains to other stations).
Recently, I had to fly through Heathrow to make connections, and it’s a very difficult airport if you’re a transit passenger. For example, if you arrive there from the US, and intend to fly on to somewhere else, you’ll be forced to go through the Flight Connections Centre at Terminal Two, where you can wait as long as an hour to get through just that section, in addition to time walking through endless corridors ad being shuttled between terminals in buses. While I was returning from Paris, my flight took about 90 minutes, yet it took more time to get from my arrival point to my departure point—- and I literally ran when I could! When I got to Los Angeles, my luggage remained behind in Heathrow.
If I could, I’d avoid Heathrow, and much prefer Gatwick.

    Where in london are you trying to get to? That makes all the difference in the world in which airport I would suggest.
cheers
howie

I have to agree with Basie.  I’d prefer any London airport over Heathrow.  I’ve only used Heathrow and Gatwick though.

You can use the tube to travel direct from Heathrow to Central London.  If using Gatwick, you can use the trains suggested by Basie.  I’ve done both, and they are about equal (maybe 30 mins to get into central London).

This site should put things into&nbsperspective for you:  http://www.londontoolkit.com/mnu/london_airports.htm 

thanks a lot…the site helso the train is the best method from heathrow to central london?

b.t.w. central…i mean “hyde Park”

I tend to prefer flying into Heathrow – especially if your accomodation is located on or near the Piccadilly Tube line (which runs directly to Heathrow).  If you buy a day pass on the tube (cheaper after morning rush hour – 9:30am), you can get into town from the airport, and use local buses, as well as well as the tube for the rest of the day, for around 5 pounds total.  And a trip on the tube from Heathrow to, say Piccadilly Circus, takes approximately 1 hour at non-peak periods.

I would fly into heathrow since you can just grab the tube and depending on where around hyde park exactly your going it maybe just a one seat ride or at worst a quick transfer.
cheers
howie

This is a little off subject but I will be landing at Gatwick Airport at 7:20A.M. on March 20th and my flight for Shannon doesn’t leave until like 2:00P.M. Is there anything for me to do at the airport while I wait? I’m sure I’ll have a couple of pints and a couple of meals but is there ANYTHING? I think that I’ll be too tired from the jetlag and lack of sleep from the plane to go and explore London at that point (especially because I come back to london for 5 days like a week after I arrive in Europe). Thank you all!

I like Gatwick better as well.  Easy to walk-around, and a nice Coffee Shop upstairs…  LHR is too huge and crowded!

There isnt anything around the airport besides the shops inside the depatures hall of the airport. The nearest town with anything would be brighton which is about 30 minutes south by train. Brighton is right on the coast and when warm is a nice seaside city.
cheers
howie

I wouldn’t go to London, since you’ll be back soon after. It’s not really a long enough layover anyway.  A friend of mine frequents Gatwick alot more than I do when travelling back and forth between Canada and France.  They love a small little town very close to Gatwick ( you can take the local bus), and they spend all there layover time there every trip.  I can’t think of the name, but i’ll have to find out.