The definitive guide to getting to Gatwick airport

Ahead of the summer rush, don’t fall at the first hurdle – ease the stress of getting to the airport with our guide

Britain’s second-biggest airport needs no introduction. Having carried 40.9 million passengers in 2023 with 253,000 aircraft movements, there’s a fair chance that you have been through the airport recently – or plan to do so soon.
Split between two terminals, North and South, Gatwick is a straightforward airport to navigate, but there are multiple ways to get there. Here’s everything you need to know.
Gatwick is on the M23 at Junction 9, around 10 minutes south of the M25, junction 7. You can also access the airport via the A23 (London to Brighton Road), which runs through Crawley and Horley.
The M25 can be busy at any hour of the day, but is particularly congested during rush hour. Given its connections with the M25 and Gatwick, the M23 can also be a busy route, particularly if travelling from north to south.
There are short-term car parks at both the North (car parks 5 and 6) and South (car parks 1, 2 and 3) terminals. The long-term car park is within the airport grounds, with free shuttle service running to the North Terminal (10-15 minutes) and the South Terminal (seven to 12 minutes), operating every 10-12 minutes.
There are premium car parking options in the North and South terminals. Valet parking operates from the short-term car parks at both terminals.
Find more advice on the best airport parking in our guide.
The drop-off rate is £6 for 10 minutes and then £1 every additional minute up to 20 minutes. The maximum daily charge is £26 for a maximum stay of 30 minutes. If you want to spend longer to say goodbye to friends and family, the first two hours at the long-term car park are free, or consider the short-term car park (£15.50 for up to two hours).
Four train lines connect with Gatwick Airport. The Southern line connects with Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and London Victoria. The Thameslink line connects south to Brighton and up to multiple London stations, including London Bridge and St Pancras, up to Bedford and Cambridge. The Great Western Railway runs to Reading every half hour via Redhill, Reigate and Guildford. Then there is the Gatwick Express, which zips into London Victoria, non-stop.
The train station is within the airport complex in the South Terminal. There is a short shuttle to the North Terminal, which runs every couple of minutes and takes around two minutes.
The Gatwick Express departs London Victoria every 15 minutes and takes around 32 minutes. A peak return costs £40.80. However, the Southern route from Victoria takes around 33 minutes and starts from £34.40, for a peak return. The cheapest option is the Thameslink service from London Bridge to Gatwick, which takes from 29 minutes and costs £25.70, for a peak return. 
It depends where you travel from. If you book your ticket with an app such as Trainline, you will get your ticket as a QR code, although beware you will be subject to a booking fee of between 59p and £2.79 if you are buying a ticket in advance. Gatwick is part of the London Oyster network, meaning you can tap in and out using a bank card – this costs £17.50 during peak hours and £9.50 off-peak (more expensive on Gatwick Express).
Gatwick Airport is connected to more than 100 towns and cities by coach and bus, with most services running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Companies including National Express, Megabus and FlixBus all run services to Gatwick. As an estimate, it takes around one hour 15 minutes to reach Gatwick from London by bus; three hours 45 minutes from Birmingham; one hour 30 minutes from Oxford and 45 minutes to Heathrow – all, of course, subject to traffic and road works.
Taxis from central London to Gatwick start from around £85. From Oxford, prices start at around £140. From Brighton expect prices starting from £70.
Gatwick is Europe’s busiest single-runway airport, with 300 to 450 flights departing each day. It is busy all day, but the peak periods are at 7am to 10am and from 4pm to 8pm.
It depends on when you’re flying. There are seven on-airport hotels to choose from. Telegraph Travel has expert reviews for the best, plus a recommendation for a lovely guesthouse, Springwood, not far away.