1. By Ship: The most common method of travel was by ship. Transatlantic passenger liners offered regular service between New York and London. The journey typically took around 5-7 days. Some popular passenger liners of the time included the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and RMS Mauretania.
2. By Air: Commercial air travel was still in its early stages in the 1940s, but it was becoming increasingly popular. Pan American Airways and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) offered regular transatlantic flights between New York and London. However, air travel was expensive and not accessible to most people.
3. By Train: It was also possible to travel from New York to London by train. This involved taking a train from New York to Montreal, Canada, and then boarding a ship to cross the Atlantic. From there, passengers would take another train from Liverpool or Southampton to London. This journey could take several weeks.
In addition to these main methods of transportation, some people also traveled between New York and London by hitchhiking or stowing away on ships. These methods were often dangerous and not recommended, but they were sometimes used by people who couldn't afford regular passage or who wanted to avoid war-related restrictions on travel.