travel via plane

On the inside?

JK, but I really don't understand what information you're looking for

I am staying near the city center, so which is best airport to fly into and is Ryanair a reliable airline to select

With Ryanair, just be careful of all the terms and conditions or you could end up paying a lot more. They’re a discount carrier that makes their money from fees. Which airport in London are you flying to?

If you are flying from Dublin to London then you have several choices for Airlines; such as Aerlingus, RyanAir, British Airways. Ryan Air will fly into Stansted which is about 1 hours drive outside of London. I have flown with Ryan Air on this route (DUB- STN) and its fine. Just remember the rules about luggage. Although they have very discounted tickets, when you add up the cost of luggage, seats assignments, priority boarding etc - then Aer Lingus and British Airways can cost about the same and these airlines will put your at Heathrow. It just all depends on where you are going in England.

Margaret

The best way to travel between Dublin and London is not by plane.

"You can buy a cheap SailRail ticket between any rail station in Britain & any rail station in Ireland, train & ferry on one ticket. Swap a stressful flight for a relaxed train ride along the beautiful Welsh coast, then by cruise ferry across the Irish Sea. See the journey in pictures below & watch the video. It reduces your CO2 emission by up to 73%.
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source: https://www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm

Fly. The last option takes forever and a day.

As noted Ryan Air is a budget airline. Restrictive luggage limits etc. Read the fine print and as advised you’ll arrive at Stansted.

Depending on your budget and patience it’s a fine option.

Personally I like either Aer Lingus or BA cuz I have little tolerance for getting into and enjoying London so I Book the Heathrow Express in advance and take the 15 minute train from Heathrow to Paddington and walk to my accommodation. I book the flight early as well.

Again will all depend on how you like to travel and your budget.

Also don't overlook the possibility of flying from London City Airport which has the shortest travel time to get to from much of London.

You have such a wide range of options:
If you are looking for economical, a random day in July shows fares as low as:
£15 (Ryanair to Southend), about an hour by train from London
£18 (Ryanair to Luton), about 40 minutes by train from London
£18 (Ryanair to Stansted), about an hour by train from London
£23 (Ryanair to Gatwick), about 1/2 hour by train from London
£27 (AerLingus to Gatwick), about 1/2 hour by train from London
£41 (AerLingus to Heathrow), about 20 minutes by train from London
£55 (BA to Heathrow), about 20 minutes by train from London

But, for £45 you can fly directly into London City with AerLingus (or with BA for around £60)

I used Skyscanner to do the comparisons of times, airports and flights.

When you compare prices, remember to include the price (and time) for transportation from airport to hotel. That will make London City Airport look much better :-)

Best source for comparing flights: www.skyscanner.com

Ryanair is Europe's biggest airline by passenger volume (Lufthansa may be a little bigger if all its subsidiaries are added in.) It provides value for money, but read all its regulations carefully. Even the older international airlines such as Aer Lingus operate in similar fashion these days.

Pricing and schedules are my top two priorities; destination airport rates as a distant third.

London City Airport.

Five minute walk from gate to DLR if you don't have checked luggage. Fifteen to twenty minutes to Piccadilly Circus or areas near.

"Pricing and schedules are my top two priorities; destination airport rates as a distant third."

For many trips, that's true for me as well. But when dealing with the London airports, some of them can take so much more time and/or money to reach, they negate any savings.

I agree with flying from Dublin to London City, unless it's MUCH more expensive than other options for your travel date.

Aer Lingus and BA from Dublin to LHR. Aer Lingus operates out of Terminal 2 and BA operates out of Terminal 5 (if that information helps planning and connections). I have also flown RyanAir from Dublin to London Stansted Airport with no trouble. As mentioned earlier you just have to be aware of the additional fees added which are reasonably spelled out on the online booking sight.

On another positive note for RyanAir (which normally gets their share of negative notes), I flew them recently during the winter months. I had booked the Stansted Express to the airport but all of the trains were cancelled the morning I travelled due to a snow storm that impacted the area. I contacted RyanAir who rebooked my flight for the next day without hassle or added fees. I also got one more night at the Astor House (Rick Steves London selection in South Kensington) so the delay was well worth the trouble.

Since London City airport is an option for this trip, that’s what I would suggest. Why make yourself suffer through Heathrow when it’s not necessary?