London has five airports and Europe's fiercest budget competition, so the cheap Maghreb and Mediterranean fares are everywhere — the only real skill is picking the right airport and not overpaying to get into town.
“London” means up to five airports, and which one you fly from decides your fare and your transfer. Heathrow (LHR) carries the full-service long-haul; Gatwick (LGW) mixes easyJet, BA and leisure; Stansted (STN) and Luton (LTN) are Ryanair and easyJet country, the cheapest for Europe and the Maghreb; City (LCY) is the compact business airport. Always search “London (All Airports)” — the same route can be half the price one airport over.
The tracked fares below are real prices aifly has observed leaving London, cheapest first. The city’s standout strength is the Maghreb — an unusually deep map across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia — plus the Caucasus, Turkey and Cape Verde. Learn the season, pick the airport, set an alert, and book to the target.
When fares from London actually drop
The cheapest windows are the classic shoulders — March–April and October–November — plus the deep-winter lull of January–February. Stansted-style budget routes bottom out around October; the full-service fares from Heathrow are cheapest in November and the new year. Avoid the summer holidays, Easter and the Christmas peak, all dear in both directions. On the Maghreb and Mediterranean leisure routes, the off-season discount is steep.
Lead time beats day-of-week. Ryanair and easyJet short-haul fares price best 4–8 weeks out and reward jumping on the recurring seat sales; long-haul from Heathrow rewards booking 2–3 months ahead with a fare alert. For a flexible trip, moving out of the school holidays does most of the work.
Which airlines keep London cheap
Ryanair and easyJet set the floor on the European and Maghreb map — Ryanair from Stansted and Luton, easyJet from Gatwick, Luton and Southend — and between them they cover almost everything. The North African carriers (Royal Air Maroc, Air Algérie, Tunisair) compete on Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, often with a checked bag included at deal prices, which can beat the no-bag budget fare on a luggage-heavy trip.
For longer hauls and the Caucasus, Wizz Air and the flag carriers add competition, and the Gulf carriers connect to Africa and Asia via their hubs with a bag. Bag math: Ryanair and easyJet both sell a strict no-bag base fare — add the hold-bag fee before comparing, especially against a bag-inclusive Maghreb carrier.
Getting to and from London's airports
Every London airport sells you a fast, pricey express train and a cheaper, slightly slower alternative — and the cheaper one is almost always the smart buy. From Heathrow, skip the Heathrow Express (£25) and take the Elizabeth Line (around £12–13, ~35 min to central London). From Gatwick, Thameslink trains undercut the Gatwick Express for a similar journey. From Stansted and Luton, the Stansted Express and the Luton train/shuttle get you in, but the National Express and Green Line coaches are cheaper if you’re not in a rush.
The trap is the Stansted/Luton distance: both are well outside London, so a “£20 to Marrakech” headline needs the transfer time and cost added before it beats a Gatwick departure. Check which airport you’re actually leaving from — they are not interchangeable, and crossing London between them is slow and expensive.
Cheapest destinations from London right now
Good-price round-trip targets from aifly’s own tracked fares — “good price” means book at or below this; nothing here is invented or scraped from third parties. The live deal page for each route shows the current fare.
| Destination | Good price | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Fes | €26 incl. bag | Morocco's craft and spiritual capital — the world's largest car-free medina, a deeper alternative to Marrakech. |
| Tangier | €27 incl. bag | Morocco's reinvented northern port, gateway to Chefchaouen and the Rif, with a buzzing modern seafront. |
| Rabat | €27 incl. bag | Morocco's calm capital — a beautiful medina and UNESCO kasbah you can explore without the tour-group traffic. |
| Antalya | €28 | Turkey's Mediterranean resort capital — beaches, Roman ruins and the Taurus mountains as a backdrop. |
| Istanbul | €62 | Two continents, layered empires and relentless food — one of the best-value city breaks anywhere from London. |
| Armenia | €71 | Yerevan and the Caucasus beyond — ancient monasteries and mountain drama at value-for-money prices. |
| Essaouira | €98 incl. bag | Morocco's windswept Atlantic port — 18th-century ramparts, fresh seafood and a cooler pace than Marrakech. |
| Tetouan | €130 incl. bag | A whitewashed Andalusian-Moroccan town below the Rif — a UNESCO medina and a quieter, authentic north. |
| Boa Vista | €145 incl. bag | Cape Verde's dune-and-beach island — Atlantic sun, wind and turtles, built for switch-off resort weeks. |
| Algiers | €147 | A dramatic white capital above the Mediterranean, heavy with colonial architecture and free of crowds. |
| Marrakech | €154 | The medina, the souks and the Atlas foothills an hour away — chaotic, photogenic and reliably warm. |
| Casablanca | €154 | Morocco's commercial heart and Africa's air crossroads — the ocean-front Hassan II Mosque is the standout. |
| Tunis | €158 incl. bag | Layered Mediterranean capital — the medina, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said's blue-and-white cliffs all close by. |
| Sal | €167 incl. bag | Cape Verde's flat, arid beach island — constant Atlantic sun and kitesurf wind, the easiest winter-sun escape. |
| Izmir | €171 | Turkey's most liveable Aegean city, with Ephesus on the doorstep — a calmer, smarter first-Turkey pick. |
| Praia | €196 incl. bag | Cape Verde's hilly capital on Santiago — the real, lived-in islands of markets and morna, not the resort strip. |
| Dakar | €245 incl. bag | West Africa's Atlantic capital — Gorée Island, a serious music scene and a fast-changing skyline. |
| Georgia | €273 | Tbilisi's sulphur baths, wine country and Caucasus drama — a top-value adventure within reach. |
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest month to fly from London?
March–April and October–November (the shoulders) plus the January–February winter lull are cheapest. Budget routes from Stansted bottom out around October; Heathrow long-haul is cheapest in November and the new year. Avoid school holidays and the Christmas peak.
Which London airport is cheapest to fly from?
For Europe and the Maghreb, Stansted and Luton (Ryanair/easyJet) usually have the lowest fares, with Gatwick close behind. Heathrow carries the full-service long-haul. Always compare all five via a 'London (All Airports)' search.
Which airline is cheapest from London?
Ryanair and easyJet set the floor on European and Maghreb routes. The North African carriers compete on Morocco/Algeria/Tunisia, often with a bag included. For long-haul, the Gulf carriers connect with a bag. Add a hold bag to the budget fares before comparing.
How do I get from a London airport to the city cheaply?
Take the cheaper train, not the express: the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow (~£12–13), Thameslink from Gatwick, and the coach from Stansted/Luton if you're not rushing. The premium 'Express' services cost roughly double for a similar journey.
Where can I fly cheaply from London right now?
The table above lists aifly's tracked good-price targets, cheapest first — London's standout is the Maghreb (Fes, Tangier, Marrakech, Casablanca, Algiers, Tunis), plus the Caucasus, Turkey and Cape Verde.
Are the prices on this page guaranteed?
No — they're tracked good-price benchmarks (book at or below). Live fares move daily across London's airports; the deal page for each route shows the current price. Treat the targets as your buy signal.
Seasons, carriers and airport details verified June 2026 and can change — confirm current conditions before you book.