Gatwick is about 45 kilometres south of London, but by train you’re in the city in half an hour to 45 minutes. I’ve flown in and out of Gatwick many times, and for most people the train is the right way to get from Gatwick to London. The airport has two terminals, the North Terminal and the South Terminal, and all trains leave from the station in the South Terminal.
Planning a last minute trip to London? 🇬🇧
Here are my favourite places to stay & things to do in the British capital.
🛌 Places to Stay:
1. The Savoy is one of the city's best and most well-known luxury hotels
2. Sea Containers and Canopy by Hilton are both incredible hotels, but the price isn't too bad
3. Park Plaza Westminster Bridge is a good, family-friendly hotel near the London Eye
4. Zedwell Piccadilly Circus is a cheap, no-thrills hotel in the heart of London
🎟️ Top Activities & Tours:
1. Visit the impressive Harry Potter Studios (remember to book tickets well in advance, as they always sell out)
2. Experience a musical in the West End (see showtimes and buy tickets here)
3. Take a boat trip on the Thames and see London from the riverside
4. Visit the iconic London Eye and the impressive Tower of London
The hard part is choosing between the regular Thameslink and Southern trains, the more expensive Gatwick Express, the coach and a taxi. It mostly depends on where you’re staying and when you land. Here you’ll find all the options with fares and journey times, where to get off and how to travel on straight from the airport.
Contents
At a glance
- Thameslink and Southern: £10.70 off-peak and £19.20 at peak times, 30 to 45 minutes to central London, several departures an hour.
- Gatwick Express: £24 with contactless, about 30 minutes direct to Victoria, two departures an hour.
- National Express: From £6, at least 1 hour 40 minutes to Victoria Coach Station, with departures through the night too.
- Taxi: A fixed price when you book with the airport’s official company, and allow up to 1 hour 45 minutes to King’s Cross.
- Uber: The fare is shown in the app before you book, and the car picks you up at a signposted pick-up point.
Finding your transport at the airport
The first thing you need to know is which terminal you’re landing at. The railway station is in the South Terminal, about a five-minute walk from both arrivals and departures. If you land at the North Terminal, take the free shuttle train between the terminals. It leaves from the upper level of the North Terminal, runs every few minutes around the clock, and the ride takes about two minutes. It’s signposted in both terminals.
At the station there are ticket machines and a ticket office that’s open 24 hours a day, and there’s step-free access to every platform. If you’ve bought your ticket online, you scan the barcode at the ticket gates. If you’d like an Oyster card, you can buy one at Your Service Centre in the check-in area of the South Terminal. The airport has all the train information on its train page.
The National Express coaches stop on the lower level outside International Arrivals in the North Terminal, at stops 4 and 5, and on the lower forecourt of the South Terminal, at stops 1 to 5. The ticket desks are in the arrivals halls. The taxi company Airport Cars Gatwick has booking desks in both terminals, and Uber picks up at its own signposted pick-up points. The coaches are listed on the airport’s coach and bus page.
1. Thameslink and Southern trains to central London
The regular trains are my first choice from Gatwick. Two companies run into London. Thameslink runs right through the city with direct trains to London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International, while Southern runs to Victoria via Clapham Junction, among other stops. You pay less than half of what the Gatwick Express costs, and you can pick the station closest to your hotel.
The airport says 30 to 45 minutes into London, depending on the train and the station. To St Pancras International the journey takes 44 to 53 minutes with Thameslink. Counting all the operators, a train leaves for central London every four minutes on average, so you’ll rarely have to wait long. The trains have luggage racks, but they also carry commuters, so they can get crowded on weekday mornings.
The thing to watch is the direction. Trains south towards Brighton leave from the same platforms, so look for London Victoria, London Bridge or St Pancras on the screen before you get on. You can check the departures with Thameslink and Southern.
Fares and tickets
With contactless or Oyster the journey costs £10.70 off-peak and £19.20 at peak times, which towards London means Monday to Friday from 06:30 to 09:30. You pay the same fare to Victoria, London Bridge and St Pancras. So if you land on a weekday morning, it pays to have a coffee at the airport and take a train after 09:30. You can check the fares yourself with TfL’s fare finder.
If you’re travelling with children, the Kids for £2 offer is a good deal. Up to four children aged 5 to 15 travel for £2 each off-peak when they’re with an adult holding a valid ticket. It only applies when the adult has bought a ticket, not when the adult pays by contactless. Children under 5 travel free with a paying adult.
You can buy tickets from the machines, at the ticket office or online from the train companies. If you want your ticket ready on your phone before you land, you can buy train tickets from Omio here. Watch out for tickets marked Thameslink Only, as they aren’t valid to Victoria. If there are three to nine adults in your group, GroupSave saves you a third on off-peak tickets.
Pay by card or Oyster
Between Gatwick and London you can pay with a contactless card, your phone or Oyster. You touch your card on the yellow reader at the ticket gates when you enter the station and again when you leave the station in London. If you forget to touch out, you’re charged a maximum fare, which from Gatwick is £21.20 at peak times and £12.80 off-peak. Use the same card or the same phone for the whole journey, and keep your other cards away from the reader so it doesn’t charge the wrong one.
Many contactless cards issued outside the UK work, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, but your bank may charge a fee for payments in pounds. Contactless only works towards London, not south towards Brighton. You’ll find the rules at Transport for London.
Where to get off
Victoria: The end of the line for Southern and the Gatwick Express. From here the Victoria line runs to Green Park by Mayfair and to Oxford Circus on the edge of Soho, and there are lots of hotels within walking distance. If you’d like to stay right by the station, you can see hotels near Victoria here.
London Bridge: The best stop for Bankside on the south side of the Thames, with Borough Market, the Shard and Tower Bridge close by. There’s also an Underground station here on the Northern line. If you’re staying in the area, you can see hotels near London Bridge here.
Blackfriars and City Thameslink: The two stops are close together in the City of London. Get off here if you’re staying in the City, near St Paul’s Cathedral or on the north side of the Thames by Fleet Street.
Farringdon: The smartest place to change. Here you switch to the Elizabeth line, which runs west to Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Paddington and east to Liverpool Street. That makes Farringdon the best stop if you’re heading for Soho, Mayfair, Paddington or Shoreditch.
St Pancras International: Thameslink’s last stop in central London is right next to King’s Cross. King’s Cross St. Pancras Underground station has the Victoria, Northern and Piccadilly lines, among others, so from here it’s a short ride to Bloomsbury on the Piccadilly line to Russell Square and straight to Camden Town on the Northern line.
2. Gatwick Express to Victoria
The Gatwick Express is the airport train. It runs non-stop from the South Terminal to London Victoria, leaves twice an hour and takes about 30 minutes. Most trains have free Wi-Fi and power sockets, and there’s room for luggage. It’s a comfortable ride, but to be honest you don’t save much time compared with the regular trains to Victoria, and you pay more than twice as much.
The Gatwick Express makes the most sense if you’re staying near Victoria, in Westminster or in Belgravia and want a non-stop train with plenty of room for your suitcases. If you’re going to St Pancras, Farringdon or London Bridge, Thameslink is the obvious choice, as the Gatwick Express only runs to Victoria. From Victoria you carry on by Underground.
Fares and tickets
If you pay with a contactless card or Oyster, the journey costs £24 at any time of day. It doesn’t count towards the daily contactless price cap. If you buy your ticket online from Gatwick Express, you get 10 per cent off most adult tickets between Gatwick and Victoria, and you can buy up to 12 weeks ahead.
If there are two of you, Web Duo gives 25 per cent off selected return tickets for two people travelling together. It’s only sold online. The return half of an Anytime return ticket can be used at any time within a month, so you can buy your journey back straight away. Tickets are also sold from the machines and at the ticket office at the station.
Children pay the same as on the regular trains. Up to four children aged 5 to 15 travel for £2 each off-peak with an adult who has bought a ticket, and children under 5 travel free. You’ll find the rules at Gatwick Express.
3. National Express coach to Victoria Coach Station
The coach is the cheapest way into London if you book early. Tickets start at £6, but there aren’t many at the lowest price, and the fare includes a £1.50 booking fee, which you avoid if you book while logged in on the National Express website or in the app. The coaches run to Victoria Coach Station, and some go via Hammersmith and Earl’s Court, while others go via Victoria, Marble Arch and Paddington.
The downside is that the journey takes a long time. National Express’s fastest journey to Victoria takes 1 hour 40 minutes, the airport says about 1 hour 45 minutes, and traffic and roadworks can make it longer. There are up to 21 coaches a day, including in the middle of the night, which makes the coach a real option if you land after midnight. You can bring one large suitcase or two medium ones, plus one soft piece of hand luggage. The coaches have free Wi-Fi, USB sockets and a toilet. You’ll find the timetable at National Express.
4. Taxis and Uber
Airport Cars Gatwick is the airport’s official taxi company, with desks in both terminals. You can also book in advance with Airport Cars Gatwick, and then the price is fixed, whatever the traffic and however busy it is. The cars are black Teslas, Mercedes and Ford Galaxys, and on request the driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board.
The airport allows up to 1 hour 45 minutes to King’s Cross, and in the rush hour it can take longer. So it’s slower than the train and much more expensive, which means a taxi only makes sense if there are several of you with lots of luggage, or if you land when the trains are infrequent. Uber picks up at its own pick-up points, which are signposted in the terminals, and you’ll see the fare in the app before you book.
Private transfer
If you’re landing late with children, or there are several of you with lots of luggage, you can book a private transfer from Gatwick to your hotel here. The price is agreed in advance, and the driver helps with your luggage.
If you’re travelling alone and want to be driven to the door, a shared transfer from London’s airports to your hotel is cheaper. The driver waits in the arrivals hall, but you share the vehicle with other travellers.
You can also book a transfer with Welcome Pickups here if you’d like to compare transfer prices before you decide.
Onward travel around England straight from the airport
If you’re not heading into London, you can often travel straight on. The train to Brighton takes about 30 minutes with Southern, Thameslink or the Gatwick Express, but remember that contactless doesn’t work going south, so you’ll need to buy a ticket. The seaside town makes a good alternative to London. Great Western Railway runs direct to Reading every half hour, and the journey takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.
If you need to get to another London airport, National Express, The Airline and Flixbus run direct to Heathrow in about an hour, and The Airline carries on to Oxford. See also my guide to getting from Heathrow to central London. Thameslink runs four direct trains an hour to Luton Airport Parkway in about 75 minutes, and my guide to Luton Airport explains the rest of the way. Flixbus also runs to Cambridge, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham, among other places. All the connections are on the airport’s page about London and the surrounding area.
Getting back to the airport
First, check which terminal your airline uses on the airport’s list of terminals. The train always arrives at the South Terminal, so if you’re flying from the North Terminal, take the shuttle train, which runs around the clock and takes about two minutes. The airport recommends getting there at least two hours before departure.
On the way out to the airport, the peak fare of £19.20 applies both in the morning from 06:30 to 09:30 and in the afternoon from 16:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, while the Gatwick Express costs the same all day. If you’re catching a very early flight, check the first trains the evening before with Thameslink or Southern, and remember that National Express also runs through the night.
If someone’s driving you, it costs £10 for ten minutes to drop off in front of the terminal, and the charge has to be paid by midnight the following day, or you’ll get a fine. Parking is free for up to two hours in the long-stay car park, and a free bus runs from there to the terminals. The rules are on the airport’s drop-off page.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s what I’d recommend, depending on where you’re staying. The areas are the same as in my guide to where to stay in London:
Paddington and Bayswater: Take Thameslink to Farringdon and change to the Elizabeth line towards Paddington.
Soho and Covent Garden: Take Thameslink to Farringdon and change to the Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road. Alternatively, take the train to Victoria and the Victoria line to Oxford Circus.
Mayfair: Take Southern or the Gatwick Express to Victoria and the Victoria line to Green Park, or the Elizabeth line from Farringdon to Bond Street.
Bloomsbury: Take Thameslink to St Pancras International and walk the last bit, or take the Piccadilly line to Russell Square.
Camden Town: Take Thameslink to St Pancras International and the Northern line from King’s Cross St. Pancras to Camden Town.
City of London: Take Thameslink to Blackfriars, City Thameslink or Farringdon, depending on where in the City you’re staying.
Shoreditch: Take Thameslink to Farringdon and the Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street, and walk from there.
Bankside: Take Thameslink to London Bridge or Blackfriars, which are both by the Thames.
Arriving overnight: Check the train times before you leave the terminal, as far fewer trains run at night. National Express also has departures through the night, and otherwise it’s a taxi from Airport Cars Gatwick. If your flight is delayed and lands after midnight, a Southern ticket for that day is valid until 04:29 the next morning.
For three or four people: Buy GroupSave tickets for the regular trains off-peak. It’s still much cheaper than a taxi and usually faster.
Travelling with children: Use Kids for £2 on the regular trains or the Gatwick Express off-peak, and buy a ticket for the adult instead of paying by card.
Practical tips for getting from Gatwick Airport to London
Avoid the rush hour if you can. A journey with Thameslink or Southern costs £19.20 towards London between 06:30 and 09:30 on weekdays and only £10.70 the rest of the time.
Use the same card all the way. If you touch in with your phone and out with your card, the system can’t tell it’s one journey, and you risk paying the maximum fare. Keep your other cards away from the reader too.
Don’t buy the Gatwick Express out of habit. To Victoria the regular trains are only slightly slower, and to London Bridge, Farringdon and St Pancras, Thameslink is both cheaper and the only direct connection.
Check your terminal before you fly home. The railway station is in the South Terminal, so if you’re flying from the North Terminal, allow a few extra minutes for the shuttle train.
Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. If you stay near Victoria, both Southern and the Gatwick Express take you right to the door, and you can see hotels near Victoria here. If you stay near London Bridge, you have Thameslink direct and Bankside just around the corner, and you can see hotels near London Bridge here. At King’s Cross, Thameslink stops right underneath St Pancras, and you can see hotels near King’s Cross here.
If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in London, and find ideas for your trip in my guide to things to do in London. If you land at another airport next time, I’ve also written a guide to getting from Stansted to central London.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
Psst 👀 Have you subscribed to my Youtube channel and my Instagram where I provide more useful travel tips?