# London Gatwick Airport (LGW) > London, GB · 47.5 km (29.5 mi) south of central London Web: https://airport.flights/airport/lgw JSON: https://airport.flights/api/airport/lgw.json ## Facts - **IATA**: LGW - **ICAO**: EGKK - **Timezone**: Europe/London - **Runways**: 2 - **Terminals**: 2 - **Passengers**: 41.0M/yr - **Worldwide rank**: #37 - **Hub for**: easyJet - **Official site**: https://www.gatwickairport.com/ ## Overview ## Welcome Flying through London Gatwick Airport often means navigating a space that feels like two distinct entities. In the North Terminal, there's a modern and organized vibe dominated by easyJet flights. Meanwhile, the South Terminal is a bustling blend of budget flyers and long-haul traffic, where rail links help ease the chaos. Frequent flyers often choose Gatwick over Heathrow for its budget-friendly options and efficient rail connections to central London and beyond. Independent lounges cater to leisure travelers, offering a respite in this busy hub. ## At a glance Handling over 41 million passengers a year, Gatwick is the second busiest airport in the UK after Heathrow. It features two terminals: the North Terminal and the South Terminal. Located approximately 47.5 km south of central London, Gatwick functions as a hub for easyJet and hosts a range of airlines including British Airways, Wizz Air, and Norwegian. The airport's two runways help manage the heavy flow of primarily leisure travelers. ## Terminals & layout The North Terminal is easyJet's domain, also serving airlines like Norwegian and WestJet. This terminal benefits from an efficient layout with better crowds and an automated people mover connecting it to the South Terminal in just a few minutes. By contrast, the South Terminal hosts British Airways, Wizz Air, and more, but is often described as more chaotic, especially during peak hours. Both terminals offer a range of facilities including dining and shopping options, but the South frequently runs short on seating space during busy periods. ## Getting to and from the city Gatwick's rail links make it a strong choice for connecting to central London. The Gatwick Express provides a direct service to Victoria Station in about 30-35 minutes for £19.90-£23.50 one-way, but savvy travelers often prefer cheaper Southern Railway or Thameslink service, costing around £10-£13 off-peak. Taxis and ride-sharing options like Uber and Bolt can cost between £35-£70 for a one-way trip to central London, taking about 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. National Express and Megabus also connect Gatwick to London and beyond, with fares starting around £8 when booked in advance. ## Traveller essentials Parking at Gatwick includes Long Stay options at £38/day per terminal, alongside various short-term and valet services. Security can be unpredictable, especially during peak travel times like summer holidays. Frequent travelers recommend arriving 2.5 to 3 hours early for international flights or purchasing Gatwick Premium Security for a quicker passage. Rail enthusiasts should check the National Rail Enquiries website before traveling, as engineering works can disrupt normal service. ## Dining & shopping highlights Diverse dining is available across Gatwick. In the North Terminal, check out Wagamama and Shake Shack. The South Terminal offers Jamie Oliver’s Diner and Nando’s. For shopping, World Duty Free, Boots, and Harrods are some key spots. Frequent travelers often save money by bringing their own meal deals from nearby supermarkets, using airport outlets mainly for coffee or snacks, as on-site dining can be pricey. ## Lounges Gatwick has a robust selection of lounges. The North Terminal hosts the Plaza Premium Lounge, while the South Terminal offers lounges like No1 Lounge, available for £40, and the British Airways Lounge. These provide a quieter way to wait for flights, something frequent travelers advise during peak travel times. Booking in advance for lounges can offer a pseudo-business-class experience, especially on weekday afternoons. ## Insider tips - **Insider:** For cheaper rail travel, use Southern or Thameslink instead of the Gatwick Express and save around £10 each way. - **Time:** Allocate 10 extra minutes for the North Terminal’s automated people mover during peak times. - **Avoid:** EasyJet and Wizz at LGW often enforce baggage size at the gate, so pay for extra baggage in advance. - **Quiet:** North Terminal provides a hidden seating area near easyJet gates with available power outlets, ideal for quiet work. - **Local:** Transportation to central London could be disrupted by weekend rail works; check National Rail Enquiries for updates. - **Money:** Food prices inside Gatwick can be high; consider eating at nearby supermarkets to save. - **Time:** For early flights from North Terminal, consider staying at the Sofitel Gatwick, directly connected to the terminal. ## Terminals (2) - **North Terminal** — easyJet, Norwegian, WestJet, Emirates The North Terminal is known for its modern design and extensive shopping options. - **South Terminal** — British Airways, Wizz Air, Vueling, TAP Air Portugal The South Terminal features a direct train link to London and a variety of amenities. ## Dining (21) - **Caffè Nero** — $ - **Costa Coffee** — $ - **Frankie & Benny's** — $$ - **Garfunkel's** — $$ - **Giraffe** — South · $$ - **Jamie Oliver's Diner** — South · $$ - **Jamie Oliver's Italian** — $$ - **Joe & The Juice** — $$ - **Leon** — $$ - **McDonald's** — $ - **Nando's** — South · $$ - **Pret A Manger** — $ - **Shake Shack** — North · $$ - **Starbucks** — $ - **The Beehive** — $ - **The Flying Horse** — North · $ - **The Nicholas Culpeper** — North · $$ - **Wagamama** — North · $$ - **Wasabi** — $$ - **Wetherspoon Red Lion** — South · $ - **Yo Sushi** — North · $$ ## Lounges (7) - **Aspire Lounge** — South · North Terminal, Priority Pass + paid entry - **BA Lounge** — South · North Terminal, British Airways premium and status - **Clubrooms** — North Terminal, prebooked premium lounge - **My Lounge** — South · North Terminal, Priority Pass + paid entry - **No1 Lounge** — South · North Terminal, Priority Pass + paid entry · £40 - **Plaza Premium Lounge** — North · North Terminal, pay‑per‑use and cards - **The Gateway Lounge** — South Terminal, easyJet and partners ## Shops (18) - **Accessorize** - **Boots** - **Cath Kidston** - **Dixons Travel** - **FatFace** - **Harrods** - **JD Sports** - **Kurt Geiger** - **Lacoste** - **M&S Simply Food** - **MAC** - **Mulberry** - **Superdry** - **Swarovski** - **Victoria's Secret** - **WHSmith** - **WHSmith Books** - **World Duty Free** ## Parking (25) - **APH Gatwick** — Off airport parking · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Blue Badge Parking** — Accessible parking · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · next to terminal - **Long Stay Parking - North Terminal** — Long stay · £38/day, /parsingtext/hr · 10 min bus ride - **Long Stay Parking - South Terminal** — Long stay · £38/day, /parsingtext/hr · 10 min bus ride - **Maple Manor Parking** — Off airport parking · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Mid Stay Parking** — Long stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · 6 min walk to North Terminal - **Official Long Stay North** — Long stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Official Long Stay South** — Long stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **EV Charging** — Add-on · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Long Stay Parking** — Long stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · 5-10 minutes shuttle to terminal - **Premium Parking** — Short stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · next to terminal - **Premium Car Care** — Add-on · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Short Stay Parking** — Short stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · Next to terminal - **Valet Parking** — Valet · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · Two minute covered walk to the terminal - **Premium Mid Stay** — Long stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · next to terminal - **Premium Short Stay** — Short stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · next to terminal - **Premium Short Stay North** — Premium short stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Premium Short Stay South** — Premium short stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Premium Valet** — Valet · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr · next to terminal - **Purple Parking Gatwick** — Off airport parking · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Short Stay North** — Short stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Short Stay South** — Short stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Summer Special North** — Value long stay · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Valet Parking North** — Valet · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr - **Valet Parking South** — Valet · /parsingtext/day, /parsingtext/hr ## Ground transport (17) - **Addison Lee** — Private car · Roughly 60-90 min Gatwick–central London, depending on traffic and exact destination · Commonly quoted in the £80-140 range Gatwick–central London depending on vehicle class and time; fixed price agreed at booking · Pre-booked 24/7 service; same-day bookings often available but subject to fleet availability - **Bolt** — Rideshare · About 60-90 min Gatwick–central London depending on route and traffic · User reports generally in the £35-65 range Gatwick–central London, usually slightly under comparable Uber quotes at the same time · On-demand 24/7 but with noticeably fewer cars than Uber at some times of day - **Gatwick Express** — Train · 30-35 min · £19.90-23.50 one-way standard adult bought at station; cheaper advance and railcard discounts sometimes available · Every 15 minutes - **Great Western Railway to Reading** — Train · Roughly 75-90 min when using direct or semi-direct services · Varies widely; often around £20-35 one-way Gatwick–Reading depending on time and advance purchase · Around hourly at best during the day; some gaps at off-peak times and late at night - **Local Taxis Gatwick** — Taxi · About 10-20 min for local destinations (Horley/Crawley) in normal traffic · Often £10-20 to nearby towns like Horley/Crawley when booked with local firms; longer trips vary widely · On-demand; availability varies by time of day with busier periods at shift changes and late-night arrivals - **Megabus** — Coach · Similar to other coaches on the same corridors; e.g., roughly 80-100 min to central London in normal traffic · Advance fares advertised from about £5-10 one-way on some Gatwick routes, dynamic pricing applies · Sparse compared to National Express; often a few departures per day on any given route, not 24/7 - **Metrobus Route 100** — Local bus · Roughly 20-30 min Gatwick–Crawley depending on traffic and exact stop · Local single fares typically in the £2-3 range within the Gatwick–Crawley area (subject to national £2 cap schemes when active) · Every 15-30 min daytime on weekdays; reduced evenings and Sundays - **Metrobus Route 20** — Local bus · About 10-15 min Gatwick–Horley; 25-35 min Gatwick–Crawley depending on stops · Similar to route 100, usually around £2-3 for local single journeys (subject to national fare caps) · Roughly every 20-30 min daytime; hourly or better on night services, with true 24-hour coverage on core sections - **National Express** — Bus · Typically 80-100 min Gatwick–Victoria, but can be longer in peak traffic · Around £8-£15 one-way Gatwick–Victoria when booked in advance; higher for flexible walk-up fares · Roughly every 30-60 min on core Gatwick–London routes; overnight service operates but less frequently - **National Express Coaches** — Coach · Example: Gatwick–Heathrow typically 75-90 min; Gatwick–Southampton around 2.5-3 hours, traffic dependent · Often £10-30 one-way depending on route and advance purchase; Heathrow–Gatwick can be under £30 · Inter-airport routes roughly every 60-90 min; other long-distance routes less frequent, often a few times per day - **RailAir Coach to Heathrow** — Coach · Scheduled around 75-90 min but can exceed 2 hours in heavy M25 traffic · Typically around £25-35 one-way between Gatwick and Heathrow when bought in advance; flexible tickets may be higher · Roughly every 60-90 min during the day; limited or no overnight service depending on schedule - **Inter-terminal Shuttle** — Shuttle · Few minutes · Free · Frequent - **Southern Railway to London Victoria** — Train · Roughly 32-40 min Gatwick–Victoria depending on stopping pattern · From about £10-13 one-way Gatwick–Victoria off-peak; higher for Anytime fares · Around every 15 min most of the day on the Gatwick–Victoria corridor - **Airport Cars Gatwick** — Taxi - **Thameslink to London Bridge and Bedford** — Train · Approx 28-35 min to London Bridge; 35-45 min to Blackfriars/St Pancras depending on stopping pattern · From around £10-12 Gatwick–central London off-peak with contactless; varies by station and time · Roughly every 10-15 min in daytime; reduced frequency late evening/overnight - **Trainline Advance Fares** — Train ticketing · Journey time depends on chosen operator: roughly 30-45 min to central London on typical Advance-eligible services · Advance fares Gatwick–London can be under £10 one-way when booked early; Trainline adds a small booking fee on many transactions · Advance tickets are tied to specific departures; underlying rail services run every 10-15 min on core Gatwick–London routes - **Uber** — Rideshare · Roughly 60-90 min Gatwick–central London, highly traffic dependent · Varies with surge; many reports in the £40-70 range Gatwick–central London depending on time and demand · On-demand 24/7, though wait times increase late at night and during high-demand periods ## Insider tips - _Insider_: For cheaper rail travel, use Southern or Thameslink instead of the Gatwick Express and save around £10 each way. - _Time_: Allocate 10 extra minutes for the North Terminal’s automated people mover during peak times. - _Avoid_: EasyJet and Wizz at LGW often enforce baggage size at the gate, so pay for extra baggage in advance. - _Quiet_: North Terminal provides a hidden seating area near easyJet gates with available power outlets, ideal for quiet work. - _Local_: Transportation to central London could be disrupted by weekend rail works; check National Rail Enquiries for updates. - _Money_: Food prices inside Gatwick can be high; consider eating at nearby supermarkets to save. - _Time_: For early flights from North Terminal, consider staying at the Sofitel Gatwick, directly connected to the terminal.