London to New Delhi (LGW–DEL) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

British passport holders need a visa to enter India. The eVisa (indianvisaonline.gov.in) comes in three tourist tiers: 30 days ($25, double-entry, April to March pricing varies by season), 1 year ($40, multiple-entry), and 5 years ($80, multiple-entry). Each entry allows a maximum continuous stay of 90 days. Processing takes 3 to 5 working days. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the arrival date with at least two blank pages.

The eVisa application requires a passport photo page scan, a passport-style digital photo (white background, 2x2 inches, JPEG 10KB to 1MB), and the address of your first hotel in India. The photo requirements are strict, and applications are frequently rejected for non-compliant images. For the regular tourist visa (up to 10 years for UK nationals, $161.15), apply through VFS Global in London, Edinburgh, or Birmingham, with biometrics and 5 to 10 working days processing.

Direct flights from London Heathrow to Delhi run about 8 hours 15 minutes, to Mumbai about 9 hours, on Air India, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic. One-stop connections via the Gulf hubs (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi) serve dozens of Indian cities for 10 to 14 hours total. The Indian rupee (INR) trades at roughly 85 INR per $1. No mandatory vaccinations for direct UK arrivals. Yellow fever vaccination is required if arriving from an endemic country. Indian customs allows duty-free import of goods worth up to INR 50,000.

The Gatwick Express runs non-stop from London Victoria to the South Terminal in 30 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes (from £21.50 one-way; advance fares cheaper online). Thameslink trains from London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, and Farringdon are slower (35–45 min) but significantly cheaper; often £10–13 on Oyster or contactless. Southern trains also serve the route.National coaches (National Express, Megabus) connect Gatwick to Victoria Coach Station for £6–15. Taxis from central London cost £70–100+ depending on traffic. Driving via M23 and A23 takes 35–60 minutes; multi-storey car parks are directly connected to both terminals by a 2-minute monorail shuttle.

Airport Express Metro from T3 to New Delhi Railway Station (18–20 min, ₹60) runs 5am–11:30pm. T1 (domestic departures) has a free shuttle to T3 for the metro. Prepaid taxi booths in arrivals offer fixed fares; the New Delhi railway area is ₹400–600.Ola and Uber are reliable from DEL and often cheaper than prepaid taxis. Delhi traffic is severe; plan 60–90 minutes for surface transport during peak hours even though the airport is only 15 km from Connaught Place. NH-48 expressway provides the main access road.

Semi-arid climate with extreme seasonal variation. Summers (April–June) are extremely hot (38–46°C). Heat affects ground crew capacity but flights operate normally. Monsoon season (July–September) brings heavy rain and severe thunderstorms that frequently cause delays and diversions. Dust storms (andhi) precede monsoon onset in May–June and reduce visibility to near zero within minutes.

Dense fog is the most disruptive winter condition. December and January bring persistent cold fog (5–10°C with near-zero visibility) that can shut down operations for hours each morning. Delhi is one of the foggiest major airports in Asia during this period. Autumn (October–November) and spring (February–March) are the most flight-stable windows.