If you wait until you get into the city, commission costs will be higher. You cannot necessarily just hop on another flight if your flight is delayed. If you must be in London on a certain day, plan to leave two days earlier, just to be sure. Charlotte has the benefit of a second carrier flying directly to London. US Airways began non-stop, daily flights to London Gatwick as of June 12, 1999.
Public transportation is prima in Europe, and London is no exception.
London, however, in my opinion, is best toured initially by bus, enabling people-watching and seeing London from a large perspective before actually visiting the individual museums or attractions. Check into unlimited travel passes for both bus and tube, with varying prices, travel zones and time frames, available at Victoria Station-definitely a great value. London offers far too much to conquer in any one trip. So, you need a good plan of attack. Free for all its visitors, though, is London's cosmopolitan flair, its regal architecture, its pristine gardens, and its traditions handed down through the centuries, including the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace.