Gatwick to central London: train, coach, taxi

London Gatwick lies about 45 km south of central London – much further out than Heathrow. That makes the train the obvious choice: the station is at the South Terminal, and three train companies run into London from there. The short answer: take the Gatwick Express or a Southern train if your hotel is near Victoria, Westminster or Chelsea, and Thameslink if you are staying near London Bridge, the City, Farringdon or King's Cross St Pancras. A taxi only makes sense at night or with a lot of luggage.

Gatwick to central London: the options

Times: Gatwick Express "about 30 minutes", Southern and Thameslink "30 to 45 minutes" to London, both according to Gatwick Airport; taxi as pure driving time to Trafalgar Square based on OpenStreetMap, without traffic. At rush hour allow considerably more for the car.

Finding the station

The train station is in the South Terminal, about five minutes' walk from arrivals. If you land at the North Terminal, take the free shuttle train to the South Terminal – the ride takes two minutes. According to the airport, trains leave Gatwick on average every four minutes in total, to London and to the south coast. So check the departure boards for the train that goes where you need to be.

Gatwick Express: non-stop to Victoria

The Gatwick Express runs non-stop between Gatwick and London Victoria. According to the airport it departs twice an hour from the South Terminal and takes about 30 minutes. Victoria is a large station with the District, Circle and Victoria lines of the Underground and many bus routes; Buckingham Palace and Westminster are close.

• Ticket: buy online in advance (the airport mentions a discount for online booking), at the machines in the station, or simply tap in and out with a contactless bank card or Oyster.
• Good for: hotels around Victoria, Belgravia, Pimlico, Westminster or Chelsea.

Southern: also to Victoria

Southern trains also go to London Victoria, with stops on the way, including Clapham Junction. They take a little longer than the Gatwick Express but run more often, and the same contactless and Oyster rules apply. If a Southern train to Victoria leaves before the next Gatwick Express, just take it.

Thameslink: through the City to St Pancras

Thameslink runs from Gatwick straight through London: London Bridge, London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International, and on to Bedford, Peterborough and Cambridge. For many hotels this is the most convenient train, because you arrive in the middle of town without changing – near the Tower, St Paul's Cathedral, Borough Market, the British Library or the Eurostar terminal.

Tickets, contactless and Oyster

According to Gatwick Airport, you can tap in and out with a contactless bank card, phone or Oyster card between Gatwick and London (the 60+ Oyster photocard is not accepted). For stations south of Gatwick – such as Brighton – contactless is not valid; there you need a normal ticket. Other options:

• Advance tickets online, with the barcode scanned at the barriers.
• Groupsave: according to the airport, groups of three or more save a third on many trains.
• Children: Southern offers cheap tickets for children travelling with an adult.

At weekends, engineering works sometimes close the line to Victoria for a day; then the trains go to London Bridge or Blackfriars instead. Check the current situation on the airport's train page before you travel.

Coaches, taxi and transfer

Coaches from National Express and Flixbus go from Gatwick to Victoria Coach Station. They are an option for very early or late journeys or on days when the trains do not run, but they are slower than the train.

By car it is about 51 km to central London, a good hour without traffic and often much longer. The airport works with a taxi partner that you book in advance. A pre-booked transfer is worth it if you arrive late at night, with children or as a group: a driver waits in arrivals with your name. Transfers from Gatwick^* can be booked with Welcome Pickups. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options for ten airports.

Which option suits whom?

• Hotel near Victoria, Westminster, Chelsea: Gatwick Express or Southern to Victoria.
• Hotel near London Bridge, the City, Farringdon, King's Cross: Thameslink, without changing.
• Late arrival, children, lots of luggage, group: a pre-booked transfer.
• Tight budget: the train with contactless or Oyster, or a coach.

The UK is not in the EU, so EU roaming rules do not apply automatically – check your tariff before you fly. A travel eSIM for the UK^* (Airalo) is often cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

All three train companies run back to Gatwick: the Gatwick Express and Southern from Victoria, Thameslink from St Pancras, Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge. Plan with the 30 to 45 minutes plus a buffer. If your flight leaves in the evening, you can use luggage storage in central London^* (Radical Storage). Flying into Heathrow instead? Our guide Heathrow to central London compares its three rail links.

How long to stay and what to see is in our article how many days in London.

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