London Gatwick Airport (LGW) Flights & Information

London Gatwick Airport (LGW) is the second busiest airport in the UK and sits roughly half an hour south of central London by train. It’s a major gateway for the region and is more vacation-focused than Heathrow Airport (LHR), home to British Airways European leisure flights, plus bases for easyJet, Norse Atlantic long-haul flights, the UK arm of Tui, Wizz Air and several smaller airlines.

Overall, Gatwick is a good alternative to Heathrow, since many European airlines – mainly low-cost, but some network airlines like Air Europa and TAP Air Portugal – also fly to Gatwick. This guide will help you make the most of London Gatwick Airport.

Gatwick terminals, layout and hotels

Gatwick is split over 2 main terminals that operate independently from the traveler perspective: the North Terminal and South Terminal. There is no clear flight or airline distinction between them. If you’re flying with easyJet, note that the airline uses both terminals at Gatwick. Always double-check your terminal before arriving and before picking a hotel if you need one.

The South Terminal is connected directly to the mainline UK national rail system, and there’s an automated people mover that connects the North and South Terminals.

If you have an early flight – a relatively common occurrence at Gatwick, where low-cost carriers and early-morning vacation flights proliferate – a hotel at the airport is probably a good idea rather than staying in London itself, since the trains don’t run all night and an early morning taxi would be very expensive.

The North Terminal has 3 hotels directly attached via walkway: the Sofitel, the Hampton by Hilton and one of the Premier Inns that serve the airport (it’s the one with “North Terminal” in the name). The South Terminal is home to 3 hotels you can walk to easily: the YOTELAIR, the Bloc Hotel and (slightly further away but still walkable) the Hilton. Other hotels are offsite and require a (paid) shuttle ride.

Arriving in London Gatwick

If you’re arriving into Gatwick on a domestic UK flight (or one from Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, which are part of the same Common Travel Area), you’ll head straight for baggage claim on the arrivals level. From all other international flights, you’ll have to pass through UK passport control first.

Remember that the UK is not part of the Schengen Area visa-free zone to which most European countries belong. Anyone with a passport from the UK, EU, Australia, Canada, Japan, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland or the USA can use the automated eGates for passport control in most cases.

Other nationals may be eligible for the Registered Traveller service that lets you pre-register for the eGates for a fee, but this is only really useful for very frequent flyers. All other nationals need to wait in line to see an officer, although Gatwick does operate a paid passport control fast-track option. Check with the UK Border Force online for more information about signing up.

After you exit baggage claim, you’ll emerge into the arrivals area of your terminal, where onward travel is clearly labeled with signs. If you arrive in the North Terminal and are taking the train onwards, you’ll need to take the shuttle to the South Terminal, where the railway station is located.

In each terminal arrivals area, you’ll find an M&S Simply Food mini-supermarket, which is my go-to for grabbing a decent sandwich or the sort of snack foods that Brits call “picky bits” for my trip. I’ll often stop by on my way to pick something up when I’m departing the airport too, before heading to check-in or bag drop. Remember, though, that dips like hummus count as a liquid for airport security purposes.

Getting to and from LGW by public transportation

The Gatwick International Airport railway station at the South Terminal is incredibly convenient and your best option for getting into London. Many trains leave from here to multiple stations in London and other destinations within the southeast and east of England. With multiple train companies, it can be a little confusing, though.

Trains from the airport

Four different train companies (Gatwick Express, Great Western, Southern and Thameslink) run services to and from Gatwick, and not all tickets are valid on all of the trains. Ask the staff for assistance if you’re unsure, and don’t automatically take the Gatwick Express – you can save enough to buy yourself a few coffees by taking an only slightly slower commuter train into London, and it can even get you closer to your destination.

For London, you have 2 main destination options. The most frequently used is the terminal station at London Victoria, towards the southwest corner of central London. You can take either the faster, more expensive Gatwick Express or the slower Southern commuter trains – the latter also makes stops on the way, including at Clapham Junction, which may be more useful if you’re heading to south London.

The other destination option is the Thameslink commuter-metro style train, which makes several stops on its way into London and 5 stops within the city before continuing north. It’s most useful for visitors who are heading to destinations near the 5 stations it serves, located towards the eastern side of central London: London Bridge, London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and London St Pancras.

Coach buses

Long distance coach buses also connect Gatwick to London and a few other cities. These can be cheap but take a long time into London itself. However, it can be more convenient and less expensive than the train to reach some other cities within the UK.

To get to Oxford, for example, consider The Airline bus, which is a lot easier than traveling into and then out of London, especially if you have luggage. National Express and the low-cost Flixbus are the 2 main bus operators, so do consider pricing their options out if you’re on a budget.

If you’re staying in the local area, quite a few bus routes serve Gatwick, with most stopping only at the South Terminal. There are 3 that continue to the North Terminal, too – the 10 and 100 full-time and the 200 part-time.

How to get to and from Gatwick by car

Gatwick is far enough away from London that a taxi or rideshare like Uber or Bolt is only likely to make sense if there are several of you, or if you have a truly enormous amount of luggage. I heartily recommend taking the train to a station closer to your destination and then grabbing a cab or rideshare from there.

The main rideshare apps I use in and around London are Uber and Bolt – it’s handy to have both because their surge pricing triggers are different. Both work at Gatwick, but be aware that the pickup points are not in the terminals themselves, but rather in a nearby parking area.

Prebooking the kind of car service known in the UK as a “minicab” or “private hire vehicle” (basically a normal car licensed by a local authority) might also make sense in some cases. Gatwick has an official partner service but you might also want to price out local options and the London-wide Addison Lee.

LGW security lines and departures

Security lines departing Gatwick can be quite variable – it feels like they’re either quick and easy or there’s a massive line. Leave plenty of time to avoid being stressed. There is a fast-track security option, included for most business class passengers, though anyone can pay to use it – there’s a small discount for paying in advance.

In the departures areas, you’ll find a selection of the usual duty-free options, stores, fast food, takeout joints and some proper restaurants for a sit-down meal. My usual pick in the North Terminal is Wagamama for comforting UK-ified Japanese food (the katsu curry is my go-to there). In the South Terminal I stop off at peri-peri chicken restaurant Nando’s or hit up the Wagamama there too.

London Gatwick lounges and free Wi-Fi

Gatwick has a dozen lounges, including airline lounges from British Airways and Emirates (available for first class, business and some frequent flyers, including from US partner airlines like American and Alaska). Certain flexible fares on easyJet also include access to the Gateway lounge in the North Terminal.

If you don’t have access through your airline, Priority Pass members have multiple lounge options in each terminal, though you may need to reserve in advance. You can also snag several restaurant credits.

The Wi-Fi network at the airport is “Free Gatwick Wi-Fi Vinci Airports” and it’s fine for basic use. There’s also a faster option (free if you sign up for their myGatwick traveler program) if you need to download movies or large files.