Gatwick Airport is about 28 miles south of London, beside the M23 and the A23 London to Brighton road. It has two terminals, North and South, joined by a free shuttle train, and the railway station is at the South Terminal. This page covers the roads, trains, buses and coaches. For drop-off charges, how early to arrive and which parking to choose, see our guide to flying from Gatwick Airport.
By car: the last few miles
Almost every route ends at junction 9 of the M23, where a short spur road runs west to the airport. Check your terminal before you set off, because the routes split at the first roundabout.
- North Terminal: leave the M23 at junction 9 and follow the airport signs. Go straight ahead at the first roundabout (junction 9a), following the North Terminal signs, then take the first exit at the next roundabout.
- South Terminal: leave the M23 at junction 9 and follow the airport signs. Use the filter lane and turn left at the first roundabout (junction 9a), then follow the South Terminal signs.
For sat-nav, the South Terminal postcode is RH6 0NP and the North Terminal is generally given as RH6 0PJ. Gatwick's own pages give no North Terminal postcode, so once off the motorway, follow the signs for your terminal. If you have booked parking, use the postcode in your booking confirmation instead.
Routes from each direction
- From London and the M25: the M23 begins at junction 7 of the M25, near Merstham. Head south on the M23 to junction 9.
- From Brighton and the south coast: take the A23 north. It becomes the M23 at junction 11, Pease Pottage. Carry on north past Crawley to junction 9.
- From Horsham: take the A264 east to junction 11 of the M23, then head north to junction 9.
- From East Grinstead: take the A264 west to junction 10 of the M23, then head north one junction to junction 9.
- From Redhill, Reigate and Horley: the A23 runs south from Redhill through Horley to the airport, without using the motorway.
National Highways shows live delays on the M23 and M25. Both terminals have a 24-hour petrol station just after the exit, and there is an electric vehicle charging forecourt on the approach to the South Terminal.
Between the terminals: the shuttle train
A free shuttle train runs between the North and South Terminals every few minutes, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The journey takes about two minutes. At the South Terminal it leaves from beside the railway station. It is for passengers on foot only.
By train
Gatwick Airport station is inside the South Terminal, about a five-minute walk from departures. If you are flying from the North Terminal, take the shuttle train on from the station. Trains leave on average about every four minutes.
- Gatwick Express: non-stop to London Victoria, about twice an hour, taking around 30 minutes.
- Southern: to London Victoria and Clapham Junction, and south to Brighton, Horsham, Eastbourne, Portsmouth and Southampton.
- Thameslink: through London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International, then on to Luton Airport Parkway, Bedford, Peterborough and Cambridge.
- Great Western Railway (GWR): to Redhill and Reigate in about 15 minutes, Guildford in about an hour, and Reading in about 90 minutes.
Brighton is about 30 minutes away, and central London 30 to 45 minutes depending on the train. Contactless and Oyster work for journeys to and from London, but not for places outside London such as Crawley, Brighton or Reading, which need a paper or app ticket. Ticket machines are in the station at the South Terminal. Check National Rail before an early flight.
By bus
Metrobus runs the local buses. Main routes include:
- Fastway 10: to Crawley town centre and Bewbush, via Manor Royal, every few minutes, 24 hours a day.
- Fastway 20: Horley to Broadfield, via Three Bridges and Crawley.
- 100: Redhill to Maidenbower, via Horley and Crawley, 24 hours a day.
- 200: to Horsham, via Manor Royal and Bewbush.
- 400: East Grinstead to Caterham, via Crawley, Copthorne and Redhill.
- 460: Crawley to Epsom, via Redhill and Reigate.
At the North Terminal, buses stop on Furlong Way at stops 9 and 9a, about five minutes' walk from arrivals. At the South Terminal, stops are on both sides of the A23: northbound stops, towards Horley and Redhill, are reached by lift from arrivals, and southbound stops from the shuttle station near the railway station. Not every route serves both terminals, so check the Metrobus timetable.
By coach
- National Express runs direct coaches to more than 50 places, including London, Heathrow (about an hour), Brighton, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and Luton. Most services run around the clock. At the North Terminal, coaches stop on the lower level outside International Arrivals at stops 4 and 5; at the South Terminal, on the lower forecourt at stops 1 to 5.
- The Airline runs to Oxford via Heathrow, taking about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- FlixBus serves both terminals, with direct coaches to places including Heathrow, Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham and Cambridge.
Our page on shops, food and drink at Gatwick Airport lists what is in each terminal. To compare parking for your dates, see Gatwick Airport parking.
Sorted before you fly.
