Transport from Gatwick Airport to central London and many other English cities is available by train, bus and car.
| Travel time | Price | frequency | online tickets | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | 33-40 minutes | from 11,30 gbp | 3-10 minutes | thetrainline.com |
| Bus | 90-120 minutes | from 7 gbp | 20-30 minutes | nationalexpress.com |
Train to London (fast, comfortable)
The fastest and most convenient transport to London, and indeed the south of England, is by train.
The station is located at the South Terminal and tickets can be purchased online via thetrainline.com. The ticket will arrive in your email and you just show it on your mobile phone to any checks on the train.
To get to the North Terminal, you must use the free automatic train (about 4 minutes travel time), whose station is just a few meters from the train station.
Buy a ticket - Thetrainline.com
The express services will get you to Victoria Central Station in just half an hour. Trains run very frequently (3 to 20 minute intervals) throughout the 24 hours of the day.
The cheapest "Advanced Single" tickets cost from 11,30 gbp you must use for the specific train that is marked on the ticket. Conversely, tickets marked as "Anytime Day Single" from 13,20 gbp can be used for any train on the route.
Ticket prices are similar on all three main lines:
- Victoria: journey time 33 minutes
- St. Pancras/Kings Cross, North London: journey takes about 50 to 75 minutes
- London Bridge: journey time is 40 to 60 minutes
Trains should always be your first choice if it's not purely about price.
Buses to London (cheap)
For the cheapest way to get to London, use buses, which have the advantage of stopping outside both terminals in addition to the price compared to the train.
Only National Express buses (often in Greenline livery) run from Gatwick to London, about 1-2 times an hour.
The journey to Victoria station takes between 90 and 120 minutes, depending on traffic.
Tickets cost between 7 gbp to 10 gbp depending on availability and buses stop at Victoria, Hammersmith and Earl's Court stations.
Buy a ticket - Nationalexpress.com
To Heathrow, Stansted and Luton airports
Transferring from Gatwick to another airport?
Heathrow
- There is a direct service about once an hour, with a journey time of 90-120 minutes. Buses depart from all terminals and are operated by National Express and Megabus. The cheaper Megabus offers tickets from 16.50, while National Express runs for around 20 gbp.
- The cheapest option is to use the National Express bus (from 4 gbp to 8 gbp if bought in advance) to the Earl's Court/West Brompton terminus, from where the Piccadilly Line Tube will take you directly to Heathrow Airport for 1,90 gbp off-peak or 3,30 gbp at peak times.
Stansted
There are currently no direct services between Gatwick and Stansted. The quickest connection is by train from Gatwick to Blackfriars station in central London (from 12,50 gbp), from where you can take the District or Circle Line to Liverpool Street station (2,50 gbp).
From here there are direct Stansted Express trains from 9,70 gbp. The journey will take around 2 hours in total.
Luton
The quickest connection is a direct train to Luton Parkway station, from where a free shuttle bus runs to the airport. In total, the train journey takes around 120 minutes and costs from 27,90 gbp.
To the South of England
Travelling to the south of England to cities such as Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Hastings and more is quick and easy from Gatwick, in many cases shorter than to London itself. There is a railway station at the South Terminal, trains run frequently (intervals from 5 to 30 minutes) and for the cheapest ticket book online, for example at thetrainline.com.
Cheaper but slower services to destinations such as Brighton, Southampton and Borunemouth are also offered by National Express coaches.
- Buy a bus ticket: nationalexpress.com
- Buy a train ticket: thetrainline.com
Airport hotels and nearby communities
If you choose to stay at one of the airport hotels, official airport buses, known as Gatwick Hoppa, run to selected ones. There is a flat one-way fare of £3 on all routes.
There are then several regular intercity services around the wider area - map of local connections.
Car Hire
If London Airport serves as your starting point for travelling around the English countryside, then hiring a car is definitely the best option. There are dozens of car rental companies at the airport, which you can compare and book at rentalcars.com, for example.
Prices range from 100 gbp to 200 gbp per week, depending on the size of the car or the rental company you choose.
If you're only heading into central London, definitely don't rent a car.
Taxi
Taxis run strictly on a metered basis, so the price to central London varies greatly depending on the total journey time and the specific destination. In general, expect a price between 60 gbp and 75 gbp.
