Last updated on January 13th, 2023
Gatwick airport (LGW) is pretty large, the third busiest in terms of passenger numbers in the UK, and is located south of London, around 30 miles / 48km from the centre of the UK capital. It’s not the most modern or attractive airport inside, but it is easy enough to get to from London and the south of England. The airport services a large number of destinations globally with both budget and global carriers.
Read on for Anxious Travelling’s guide to Gatwick Airport – our tips on getting to and from there and what to do once you’re there.
Travelling to Gatwick Airport
Gatwick airport is well connected by road and rail to London and southern England. For very early morning flights it could be tricky to arrive in time but there are several airport hotels for a variety of budgets located in or around the airport.
Before booking your flight to or from Gatwick Airport – find out how long as well as how much it will cost to get to and from there. Gatwick is not very close to London, and there are several other airports such as Luton, Stansted, Heathrow and London City airport that could be a better option.
You could even look at flying out of one airport and back to another, this can often be significantly cheaper and allows you to get flights at times more convenient for you. A lot of flights from Gatwick depart very early in the morning so you may need to stay the night before in an airport hotel.
Before booking, combine the cost of the flight plus transport and accommodation if required and try not to get dissuaded by a cheap flight price! It could well work out cheaper for a more expensive flight at a more convenient airport. Check out our guide for more tips and tricks for booking cheap flights.
Parking at Gatwick Airport
There are many parking options for Gatwick Airport – for peace of mind go with an official provider and the Gatwick airport website offers plenty of options. The Gatwick parking website also tells you whether you can walk or need a shuttle to the terminal and how frequent they are.
Bus to Gatwick Airport
National Express runs most coach services to Gatwick Airport. The company has frequent departures from the centrally located London Victoria Coach station every day. Coach tickets on National Express from London to Gatwick can be cheap costing from £8 for a single journey.
National Express also travels from elsewhere around the UK so check and see if they serve your location on their website. Prices can vary significantly depending on when you book and where you’re travelling from, if the price is high then compare against a train journey.
You can reserve seats on National Express which is usually the first few rows. The coaches are good quality featuring toilets and charging points. They are generally quiet with comfortable seats. It’s a nice way of getting to the airport and is often cheaper than the train.
If the National Express coach goes to Gatwick via Heathrow – it will be about an hour longer than one without it as the coach travels through several Heathrow terminals. So if you fall asleep on the coach – wake up seeing an airport and worry that you’ve missed your stop – you could well be at Heathrow!
Some National Express journeys involve a change – check for this when booking. Unless at a big coach station like Victoria then you may have to wait at a very dull and hard to find car park or similar to change coaches. If there’s a direct route and you can afford it, it’s worth doing that.
Coaches travel to both terminals, right outside the departures area, and are just a couple of minutes walk to the terminal entrance. You may need to take a lift to get to the correct departure floor when arriving at the airport. These lifts are spacious with room to accommodate a decent amount of people and luggage. If you accidentally get off at the wrong terminal, there’s a free monorail between terminals that takes minutes.
Coach tickets can be bought online in advance from the National Express website – and tickets do not need to be printed – you can show the driver your ticket on your phone when boarding. Tickets can also be purchased from terminals in many bus stations. You can now book National Express tickets via the Uber app in the UK and also from The Trainline.
A National Express coach from London Victoria to Gatwick will take from 1 to 2 hours depending on the time you leave, late at night and early in the morning coaches will get there quicker.
One final note if getting to Gatwick from London Victoria Coach Station. The Coach station is about a 10 minute walk from the train station, and it can be a bit confusing to make your way there. Give yourself about 20 minutes to walk from Victoria train and underground station to the coach station in case you get a bit lost.
Taxi to Gatwick Airport
An Uber from central London to Gatwick will cost around £70 to £100 and take about 80 minutes. If you cannot take the train and / or there are a few of you travelling this could be an option. A taxi from London Victoria to Gatwick takes between 1 and 2 hours depending on the time of day you leave. You can also hail a black cab which will cost you around £100 also – but do check with the driver when you get in for rough costs.
Train to Gatwick Airport
Gatwick has a train station located at the airport just a few minutes walk from arrivals. There are frequent trains servicing London and the south-east, making it easy to get to Gatwick by train from across the UK. It’s likely that taking the train to Gatwick airport will be your easiest and most stress free option. Before booking – do check train operators websites and Google for potential train disruption during your trip. Strikes and railway maintenance do happen, which would mean a coach would be your next best option.
The Trainline app is probably the easiest way to view train times, prices and book them. If you select the option for an e-ticket you will receive a ticket you can show to the train conductor on your phone and scan at the barriers to get into and out of train stations. Use an e-ticket if possible. If you can’t for any reason then you will need to collect your ticket from a train station. Any train station with a ticket machine will do and the Trainline app will show you your nearest. When you locate a machine, you select collect tickets, type in your reference code and insert a debit or credit card (it does not have to be the card you bought the ticket with) to collect. Often these machines are quite slow and it takes a while to input the information.There can also be a bit of a queue to collect tickets, especially in touristy areas, so give yourself a bit of time to collect these if you can.
Train prices vary significantly – it can cost as little as £13 from London to Gatwick, but at different times and from different locations can cost a lot more. Book your train early if you can. Trains are often delayed or cancelled at short notice so work out a backup plan in case this happens. This is why travelling via London is recommended. As long as you’re in London there will be several alternative train routes, coach travel or a taxi as a last resort to get to the airport.
Travelling from Gatwick Airport
Being such a large airport not too far away from the capital city – you can get from London to pretty much anywhere in the UK without not too much difficulty. There are a range of options – but a coach or train is going to be your best bet.
Bus from Gatwick Airport to London
The coach is a good option to get from Gatwick into London, but not as simple as the train. It’s quite cheap, less susceptible to delays or cancellations than trains and is simple and stress free to get from the airport.
If you’re getting a bus from Gatwick Airport, then National Express is pretty much the only provider. National Express is a reputable coach company, it is simple to purchase tickets and they offer a lot of destinations. Buses from London Gatwick to London depart about every hour – until around midnight, with the first buses leaving just before 4am so it is likely you won’t have to wait a long time for your coach. If you’re not travelling to London, check on the National Express website to see if there’s a direct service to your destination. If not it’s likely you’ll need to go to London to get a train or bus to your final destination.
You get the National Express coach at Gatwick from either the North or South terminal. The bus departs first from the South Terminal – if you’re anxious about getting a seat with your travelling partner or boarding sooner – then go to the South terminal via Gatwick’s free monorail and board from there.
At the South Terminal the National Express Coach departs from the lower forecourt from steps 1 to 5. A Google Maps link is below for the exact location. There are plenty of signs at arrivals for caches – and look for the National Express signs.
At the North Terminal the National Express Coach departs from the lower level outside international arrivals, there is a Google Maps link below. If using that Map – the bus leaves from the road directly outside the front of the terminal. There will be signs for National Express bus stops. The location for National Express at the North Terminal is below.
Flights can be delayed and sometimes can take a while to get through border control. Try and book a bus which gives you a decent amount of time to get through the airport – an hour or so to be safe. You can also buy flexible tickets in case of delay when purchasing your bus ticket but these will cost quite a bit more. Tickets can be bought easily online or at the ticket office inside international arrivals at the north terminal. You do not need to print your tickets – they will get emailed to you and you can show them to the driver on your phone. A ticket to London Victoria from Gatwick will cost around £10.
Once at Victoria Coach station, if you wish to get elsewhere in the UK then there are many coach services available with either National Express, Megabus or Flixbus. Victoria Coach station is a short walk from Victoria Train station, where there are trains across the UK or tube connections to other train stations to get elsewhere. Victoria Coach station is dated and can be a bit cramped and crowded with not a lot of seating available. It’s not a great place to spend much time in.
Although the travelling experience on National Express is good, if there is an issue their customer service is often poor with staff at the airport or contacting online and via social media not being very helpful.
Taxi from Gatwick Airport
You can get taxis from Gatwick Airport but don’t expect them to be cheap. If you are in a group travelling it could end up not costing much more than a bus or train and is a lot simpler.
You can get Uber from Gatwick Airport but do check when booking where the pickup point will be, it might be a little walk and it can be quite difficult to find depending on what pick up point is suggested. An Uber from Gatwick to London Victoria will cost from £60 to £100 and will take around 70 minutes without traffic delays.
There are many airport pickup services from Gatwick. An official one is available on the website with a simple quote and book functionality. A Google search will reveal many more. Do check reviews before booking as quality does vary.
If you’re in a hurry then a taxi may not be quicker to get into London than a train. The Gatwick Express train only takes 30 minutes to get to the centrally located London Victoria.
Train From Gatwick Airport
The train is probably the most stress free way of getting from Gatwick Airport to London – as trains are very frequent and not too busy.
It’s easy to get the train from Gatwick Airport to London and elsewhere. Trains to London leave very frequently from the train station that is located inside the South terminal – near the departures area. It’s a short walk from arrivals but can be a little crowded to get to with a lot of passengers going the other way. There is an Express service into London that leaves up to every 30 minutes that gets you to London Victoria in 30 minutes and costs around £20. But you can save 10% by booking on their website. There are many other train services into London, leaving up to every 10 minutes and costing around £13. Use The Trainline app to check timetables and destinations – as trains stop at several different London stations.
If you’re getting a train from Gatwick airport to elsewhere in the UK use The Trainline app to easily see the best options, prices and book a ticket to your destination. Try to book a train with as few changes as possible incase of delays, which do happen a lot in the UK. To prevent yourself from becoming stranded or having a very long wait instead of a delay. It’s a good idea to look for changes at stations where there will be several other trains going towards your destination, so a London change would be a good idea.
Gatwick Airport Hotels
If you have an early flight, then it could be worthwhile getting a hotel at Gatwick airport to save a really early start and stressful travel to the airport. There are several options, some are a few miles from the airport but tend to offer free and frequent shuttle buses. There are also a couple of options right outside or even in the airport itself. Have a look online from prices, but Gatwick airport hotels tend to be between £50 – £100 a night. Book ahead if possible. It’s easy to travel between terminals in Gatwick on the monorail service, so you don’t need to worry too much about staying in a hotel that’s not at the same terminal as your departure terminal. To reduce anxiety we’d recommend booking a hotel on the airport grounds where a shuttle service isn’t needed if possible. The Premier Inn at the North Terminal has never disappointed in my experience with comfortable beds, easy check-in experience and just seconds away from the terminal.
If you’re staying at an airport hotel on a budget – then the Marks & Spencers inside arrivals at both terminals offer very good food and drink options and a decent range of ready to eat foods. Marks and Spencer is open from 7am to 11pm.
There is a hotel called YotelAir located inside arrivals at the south terminal – right by the monorail station where you can book a hotel room in the airport by the hour. You can check prices and facilities here but it is often cheaper to book the Premier Inn right next to the North Terminal with bigger rooms and better facilities for a longer time.
Inside Gatwick Airport
For food and drink options at Gatwick airport, there is a decent amount of choice for a variety of price-points. For any other entertainment however there is not a lot of options.
Terminals
Gatwick is split into North and South Terminals – so when checking out options for what to do, you have to check that it relates to your terminal. If you’ve arrived at the wrong terminal for your flight, then there is a very quick and free monorail service between terminals (or inter-terminal shuttle as Gatwick refer to it) that can be found near the train station in the South Terminal. At the North Terminal, follow signs to Aouth Terminal to the shuttle. The shuttle journey only takes a few minutes and leaves very frequently. The shuttle is driverless so you can get quite a nice view if travelling with children or just a big kid yourself standing right at the very front or back of the shuttle.
When to arrive at Gatwick Airport
If you’re travelling long-haul, then arrive around three hours before departure and two hours before for short haul. If your flight is at a busy time, from 6am to 8am – then you may want to get there a bit sooner to be safe. Check how busy the airport could be by checking departure times on the airport website. If there’s dozens of flights all leaving within 15 minutes or so of yours then it could be quite crowded. Also check social media posts for Gatwick or Gatwick security before arriving to see if people are complaining about any issues. If there’s trouble it usually quickly surfaces on Twitter.
Entrance, Check in & security
Entering Gatwick airport isn’t a beautiful experience – there is a lot of grey concrete, and no modern design. Inside the airport it’s quite cluttered. However when arriving there are plenty of signposts for check in desks, and departures where you’ll then go through security. Have a look online before flying what terminal you’ll be going from (this should also be on your booking confirmation or ticket) and where the check in desks for you are if required. When you’re in Gatwick airport it can be quite busy, with lots of people going in all sorts of different directions – so it’s really useful to have a bit of an idea where you’ll be going beforehand.
Security is very organised. Before going through there is space to take items out of your bags, and there are plenty of plastic wallets around to place liquids. There are also bins where you can drop anything you can’t take through security. It can be busy but is generally ordered and there will be people organising the queues for the x-ray machines. If your bag needs a check after going through the x-ray machine this can take a long time, up to 15 minutes or so if it’s busy. Once through security you travel through the fairly substantial duty free to the departures area where food and drink plus shopping options can be found.
With how big the security area is, you may lose your travelling partner with all the queues so you might want to arrange to meet by the wall at the back of the security check or elsewhere.
Things to do
Apart from food, drink and shopping – there is not a lot to do at Gatwick airport.
Food & Drink
Food and drink options depend on what terminal you’re departing from. Gatwick’s website offers a good rundown of the available options.
The Wetherspoons offers good value and you can order via their app to your table to save queueing – however it does get very busy, and can be a bit rowdy at all hours, especially with lots of groups of stag or hen parties that often travel from the airport. You’re probably not going to get an amazing or cheap meal at the airport. If you’re on a budget or don’t have a lot of time or it’s very crowded, it might just be worth getting some food from the Marks & Spencers located in arrivals at each terminal before going through security.
If you’re a fan of Nandos – then the one located airside at South Terminal is one of only two in the country that do a Nando’s breakfast! It’s open from 4:30am every day.
There are multiple free chilled water refills stations located throughout the departures area of the airport, these are generally found near the toilets. So bring an empty bottle in your hand luggage.
Smoking area at Gatiwck Airport
There are smoking areas outside each terminal – these are clearly signposted nearby the entrance. There is no smoking area once you have gone through security, inside or outside.
Lounges
There are plenty of options for lounges at Gatwick with several in each terminal. If you have Priority Pass then have a look at options for you on their website, or check out the options on the Gatwick website. Opening times do change, and it can get quite busy so book ahead if possible. As Gatwick can be quite crowded, it can be very worthwhile booking a lounge for some peace and quiet and away from the groups of stag and hen parties. Gatwick airport lounges also offer you seats where you can have a nap and there are facilities to shower if you need to refresh. Lounges can be booked from £32.
Shopping
There is nothing too special about the shops at Gatwick airport, you’re unlikely to find anything too original but there are options for all budgets. Check the airport website for a list of available shops by terminal.
Getting away from the crowds
If it’s a bit busy at Gatwick Airport and you’re finding it stressful – take a walk to some departure gates where it will be quieter, there will be a lot more seating options and you’ll be able to find plugs to charge your devices. This is particularly useful if your flight is delayed where the main departure lounges can be very busy.
If you need a shower then there is one available before duty free in the South Terminal. These can also be found in the lounges or at a hotel.
Wifi at Gatwick Airport
There is fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the airport, – just find the Free Gatwick Wi-Fi when selecting your network and enter any email address to join. You can get faster WiFi by registering for a free account.
Boarding
Gatwick airport is very big and therefore it can be quite a long walk to your gate. It can easily take up to 15 minutes to walk to the gate, if you feel like that might be a challenge then do get in touch with special assistance. With the long walk to the gate and gates closing up to 30 minutes before departure – it’s best to start making a move when your gate is announced. If you get there a bit early, there are plentiful little coffee shops or vending machines as well as seating by the gates.
When walking to the gate you may be lucky enough to travel over a fairly newly built bridge which offers some nice views.
Boarding lounges tend to be quite spacious, there are toilets on the way but not in the boarding lounge themselves. If you’re boarding towards the back of a queue then you can end up queuing on some stairs for a while, if you’re claustrophobic for this then you may want to explore your airline’s priority boarding options.
Arriving at Gatwick Airport
When arriving at Gatwick it can be quite a long walk to get to security, potentially up to a 15 minute walk. At security there are ample e-gates, and if your passport accepts these then you should pass through into arrivals within minutes, there are not often long queues here. You will have to wait longer if you need to have your passport checked in person. Once through passport control then there is a large baggage reclaim area with screens showing which carousel luggage from flights will arrive from, and then you will be quickly in arrivals where you can continue onwards with your journey.
Top Tips & Tricks for Gatwick Airport
- Get there extra early at peak times – it can be busy.
- Check up recent posts mentioning Gatwick Airport on Twitter or the official account and see if there’s any issues which could impact your trip.
- Check departure boards online to see how busy it’s likely to be
- Pack food beforehand and an empty water bottle to use at the free refill – the food and drink options aren’t great or good value
- A Lounge is likely to be an economical option if you’re hungry or thirsty
- The train is the quickest and easiest option to get into London
- The airport does get a bit crowded and can be cramped. If so, go to a gate a distance from the lounge where it is quieter and you can charge devices.
- If you’re staying in an airport hotel on a budget, Marks & Spencers at arrivals has good food and drink options.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to Gatwick Airport. If you have, please let me know, it’s a great motivation to keep doing these guides. If you’ve enjoyed it though, most of all share with friends and on social media to help spread the word.
Where would you like to see covered next? Got any questions? Get in touch!