Gatwick Airport Guide: Terminals, Transfers and Travel Tips

Flights Assistance is an independent guide. We are not Gatwick, an airline, a claims company or a travel agent. Everything below comes from Gatwick's own pages, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and GOV.UK.

Key facts

• Terminals: North and South. The free inter-terminal shuttle "runs every few minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year" and takes "just two minutes" (Gatwick).
• Station: the train station is at the South Terminal. Gatwick says trains leave on average every four minutes.
• Minimum connections: at least 60 minutes in the same terminal and 90 minutes between terminals, though your airline may ask for more.
• Drop-off: £10 for the first 10 minutes outside the terminals, with a maximum stay of 30 minutes. Long Stay car parks are free for the first two hours.
• Arrive: at least two hours before your flight (Gatwick).
• Help: airport assistance for disabled and less mobile passengers is free; ask your airline for it at least 48 hours before you fly.

Which terminal do I need?

Your booking confirmation or your airline's website tells you. If it does not, use Gatwick's "which terminal" page. The airline is the authority here, not a travel blog. Gatwick's own page says to "check with the airline if you are unsure where to go for your flight." Here is Gatwick's own split, as listed on its page in November 2026.

North Terminal: Air Arabia, Air China, Air France, Air Mauritius, Air Transat, Animawings, Atlantic Airways, Azerbaijan Airlines, China Eastern, Condor, easyJet, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, FlyErbil, Freebird, Gulf Air, Icelandair, JetBlue, Qanot Sharq, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, Uzbekistan Airways and WestJet.

South Terminal: Aegean, Air Baltic, Air Europa, Air India, Air Peace, Air Zimbabwe, Ascend Airways, Aurigny, Azores Airlines, British Airways, China Southern, Corendon, Croatia Airlines, Enter Air, Iberia Express, Jet2, KM Malta Airlines, Kenya Airways, Mavi Gok, Norse Atlantic, Norwegian, Nouvelair, Pegasus, Ryanair, Sky Alps, Sky Express, SunExpress, TAP Portugal, Titan Airways, Tunisair, Turkish Airlines, Turkmenistan Airlines, Uganda Airlines, Vueling and Wizz Air.

Both terminals: TUI. Flight numbers starting "TOM" use North; "BY" use South.

Terminals do move. Look your airline up on the official page the day before you travel. One card on Gatwick's page carries a Beijing Capital Airlines logo but is labelled Azores Airlines, so the page is not error-free. If your airline is missing, check with the airline.

A practical note on the shuttle: the shuttle station is "close to the train station in the South Terminal". If you land at North and need the train, you take the shuttle first. Add that to your plan.

How early should I arrive?

Gatwick recommends arriving "at least two hours before your flight". Check-in "typically opens four hours before departure for long-haul and European flights, and two hours before for UK and Ireland flights". Your airline can set its own times, so read your booking email. If you are short on time, go early rather than late.

Connecting at Gatwick: how much time do you need?

Allow at least 60 minutes if both flights use the same terminal and you already hold the next boarding pass. Allow at least 90 minutes if you change terminals (Gatwick). Your airline may set a longer minimum, so treat these as a floor.

What happens to your bags decides the rest:

• Bags checked through, or hand luggage only: go straight through security to your next flight.
• Bags not checked through, UK or Ireland arrival: collect them at baggage reclaim, then check in for the next flight.
• Bags not checked through, international arrival: pass passport control first, then collect bags, then check in.
• Separate tickets: Gatwick says that on an international arrival, if you are "connecting onwards on a separate ticket, you will need to go through immigration."
• Missed onward flight on separate tickets: the CAA says that on a self-transfer you "do not have a statutory right to care, compensation or transport" (see our UK261 guide).

Worked example. Your first flight lands at North at 09:40 and your second leaves from South at 11:10. That is exactly 90 minutes from landing to departure, the minimum Gatwick publishes for changing terminals. Your airline closes the gate some time before departure (Gatwick does not publish a time; check your airline's), so your real margin is smaller. If your bags are on separate tickets, you also need immigration, baggage reclaim, the shuttle and a new check-in inside that time. On one ticket with bags checked through, it is workable. On two tickets, I would not book it. A later second flight costs less than a missed one.

If you miss a connection, Gatwick says to contact your onward airline first. The Service Centre, run by SkyFix, may help with alternatives. It sits in South Terminal Check In Zone J or on level 2 in the North Terminal. Travellers in transit may also need a UK visa, which has to be arranged before travel.

What should I do? A table by situation

Getting there and away

By train

The train is the default for most people. Gatwick says trains run "on average every four minutes" and link directly to 120 stations, with over 700 within one change. The station is at South Terminal, about a five-minute walk from departures and arrivals; the free North Terminal shuttle takes about two minutes.

Gatwick Express runs non-stop to London Victoria in about 30 minutes. Gatwick's train page words it as "departing twice an hour", while its FAQs say trains "run every 15 minutes", so check the timetable for your day rather than trusting either figure. Thameslink reaches London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras, and also runs on to Luton Airport Parkway.

Buying tickets:

• Online in advance: Gatwick says to buy online and scan the barcode at the barrier. Booking Gatwick Express online gets 10% off.
• At the station: "plenty of ticket machines" stand in the South Terminal station.
• Contactless or Oyster: tap in and out to and from London. Contactless is not valid to stations south of Gatwick or outside London.
• Oyster card: Gatwick says you can buy one at the Service Centre desk, run by SkyFix.
• Discounts: Southern offers £2 tickets for children travelling with an adult. Groups of three or more can save 33% with Groupsave.

Rail can fail. Gatwick warns that services "may be affected by strike action or planned engineering works", so check before a weekend trip. Gatwick points you to the National Rail website to plan your journey. I have not put fares in this guide: I could not read an official current fare page, and the third-party figures disagreed.

By coach

Coaches serve both terminals, and the stops are right at the doors. Gatwick's coach page says National Express coaches leave "directly outside the terminal doors". Head for these stops:

• North: stops 4 and 5, lower level, outside International Arrivals.
• South: stops 1 to 5, lower forecourt.

National Express runs to "more than 50 destinations", with most services running 24 hours a day. FlixBus runs to Heathrow, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton, Cambridge and other cities.

Gatwick's averages for coach: Brighton 30 minutes, Heathrow 1 hour, London 1 hour 45 minutes with National Express. The page warns that traffic and road works change these. Tickets can be booked online or at the National Express ticket desks in both terminals.

Heathrow to Gatwick. Changing airports? Gatwick says a direct coach takes "just 1 hour", with National Express, FlixBus or another operator. Its rail advice is a Thameslink train to Farringdon, allowing about 1 hour 30 minutes. Allow far more than that if you must collect bags and check in again.

Local buses. Gatwick's page lists Metrobus and Fastway routes, including Fastway 10 and 20, and says some routes run 24 hours. Metrobus stops at the North Terminal are on Furlong Way, stops 9 and 9a. Route numbers and times change, so check the operator's timetable before you rely on a late bus.

Taxi, private transfer or public transport?

Public transport wins for London and the south coast. My view: a private transfer is worth the extra cost when you are three or more people with heavy bags. It also makes sense when you do not want to depend on a shuttle and a train.

Gatwick names Airport Cars Gatwick as its official private hire operator, with "fixed rates on pre-bookings". It says other operators serve the airport too, but all are subject to the drop-off charge. Gatwick also describes a private hire drivers' waiting area at the South Terminal.

For a pre-booked driver, ask whether the quoted price includes the drop-off charge and any waiting time. Gatwick's taxi page does not list fares.

Dropping off, parking and the cost of both

Dropping someone at the terminal costs a minimum of £10 for up to 10 minutes, with a maximum stay of 30 minutes. Gatwick's drop-off page adds £1 for each additional minute "up to 20 minutes", and a maximum daily charge of £30. In short, the goodbye hug has a price tag.

Neither that page nor Gatwick's drop-off FAQs say what happens between minute 20 and minute 30, so treat £10 as the minimum and stay short. You have until midnight the following day to pay, online or through an AutoPay account. Miss the deadline and you receive a Parking Charge Notice. Blue Badge holders are exempt if they register their vehicle through Times24.

The free way round it: Gatwick says the Long Stay car parks are free for two hours, with a free shuttle bus to the terminals. The parking page puts that transfer at 10 to 12 minutes.

Collecting someone from arrivals

Do not use the drop-off zone to wait. Gatwick's pick-up page sends drivers to the Short Stay car parks, where express pick-up bays sit at Car Park 6 (Level 4) for North and Car Park 3 for South. Gatwick's pages differ on the South level (Ground Floor or Level 0), so follow the signs.

• Short Stay and the express bays are charged at Gatwick's standard Short Stay rates. Gatwick's pages give different prices, so check the current rate before you set off.
• Stay with your vehicle. Gatwick says unattended cars "may receive a parking charge notice".
• Express pick-up bays "should not be used for dropping off passengers".
• A cheaper wait: the Long Stay car parks give up to two hours free with a free shuttle bus to the terminal.

Parking for a trip

If you are leaving a car for a trip, Gatwick's own parking page lists these options:

Gatwick says you can "save up to 60%" by pre-booking. It also offers free amendments up to 24 hours before arrival. That is Gatwick's own claim about its own parking. It does not tell you what a comparison site or another operator charges, and I have not checked those. My advice: book before you travel, and check each terminal's page, because the closest car park differs by terminal.

Lounges

Both terminals have pay-in lounges, with prices from £28 per adult on Gatwick's lounge page. A banner on that page also says "from just £25", so treat both as starting prices. Access starts from "three hours prior to your flight departure time", with refreshments and Wi-Fi.

• North Terminal: No1 Lounges, My Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, Plaza Express and Clubrooms.
• South Terminal: No1 Lounges, My Lounge, Club Aspire and Clubrooms.

Whether a lounge is worth it depends on your wait and your card or ticket, and I cannot see either. A detailed lounge guide is planned.

Help at Gatwick: free assistance and paid extras

Assistance for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility is free. The CAA says you are "legally entitled to assistance, free of charge", and it names hidden conditions such as autism and dementia among them. Request it through your airline, travel agent or tour operator. The CAA says to do so when booking or "at least 48 hours before departure", and Gatwick recommends the same 48 hours.

Gatwick lists these meeting points. Pick the one nearest to where you arrive:

• Assisted Travel receptions at the drop-off points in each terminal
• Help Points at bus stops, terminal entrances and Short Stay car parks
• receptions just before security
• receptions in the departure lounge

If you need help on the aircraft, book it through your airline. Gatwick says the airline needs to know in some cases, including for medical equipment, wheelchairs and electric mobility aids. GOV.UK adds that you can take up to two items of mobility equipment free of charge, and they do not count against your baggage allowance.

Gatwick offers a free hidden-disability lanyard from any assistance desk. Its accessibility page mentions a sensory room, and its map page links AccessAble guides covering the terminals, car parks and train station.

Paid extras, such as lounges, Fast Track security ("from just £6" on Gatwick's security page) and parking, are separate products. Never pay anyone for basic assistance. If a company asks for money to arrange it, go back to your airline.

Security, liquids and hand luggage

Gatwick says "cosmetics and toiletries no longer need to be under 100ml" at its security. Liquids must be in containers of up to two litres, and not in metal or double-walled containers. Laptops can stay in your bag, though you may be asked to take some devices out. Check the rule at the airport you fly back from; I have not checked other airports.

Airline cabin rules still apply at the gate. See our British Airways baggage allowances and the personal item size limits for 21 airlines.

When something goes wrong

If your flight is cancelled or badly delayed, the airline is responsible, not the airport. Start with the airline's app or desk. Our cancelled flight checklist covers the first 30 minutes, and the UK261 rules on compensation cover any flight leaving Gatwick, whatever the airline. If your bag does not arrive, report it before you leave the airport, as set out in our lost and damaged baggage guide.