Cheap Flights from London Heathrow (LHR) to New York (NYC)

If you're planning to fly from London Heathrow to New York, you have a wide range of carrier and destination options. If it's your first trip to New York, you might want to first see where each of the major airports is located before deciding on a carrier, as each carrier tends to fly to specific airports. LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy are the closest airports to the city, both located east of Manhattan (JFK is a bit farther out). Newark Liberty is located in New Jersey, across the Upper Bay to the west of the city (but still conveniently connected to it by rail and ferry transit). Each carrier out of Heathrow tends to fly to a specific airport, but there are some exceptions, especially if you're switching carriers at a stopover mid-flight. If you want non-stop service out of Heathrow look to Delta, United, Virgin Atlantic, American or British Airways. Other carriers will make at least one stop en route. A non-stop flight generally takes about eight hours.

Facilities at the New York Airports

Of the three major airports serving New York, John F. Kennedy is generally seen as the most desirable as far as amenities go. However, it's also usually the most busy, with lines for visitors entering the country that can take hours to get through. Newark and LaGuardia are much more basic in terms of amenities but tend to get you in and out faster. LaGuardia has a bit of a rough reputation, but the airport is in the midst of a $4 billion restoration project expected to be complete by 2021.

Of course, none of that matters much if you just want to grab your bags and get on to your destination. Surprisingly, arriving at Newark often gets you to Manhattan the fastest, as traffic from the other side and backups on the subway are generally much worse. It's also the best choice for those staying on the New Jersey side of the river, which tends to be quite a bit less expensive. JFK is located in Queens and is the fastest way to reach that particular borough, but you may encounter big delays getting to any other borough. For all other destinations, LaGuardia is actually the optimal choice in terms of travel time.

LaGuardia has connecting bus service that takes you to a nearby subway station fairly quickly. Both JFK Airport and Newark Liberty are connected directly to the city's light rail system. Of course, all three airports are also well supplied with the usual rental car chains, allowing you to pick up and drop off a vehicle directly on site.

Things to Do In New York

You could spend a full year in New York City and not run out of things to do. If it's your first visit, a good way to get acquainted is to take a tour bus around the city. Sure, it's touristy, but it's a very economical way to start learning your way around. Must-see attractions include the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the 9/11 Memorial, the American Museum of Natural History and Coney Island. As far as food goes, you almost can't go wrong anywhere in the city. Some things to put on your list are the city's distinctive pizza, a bagel with lox, a Reuben sandwich, a chopped cheese sandwich and a huge hot dog from a street vendor at the very least.