Trains from Gatwick Airport
Airport Transfers from Gatwick
If you have a flight into London Gatwick Airport, getting the train to your final destination is often a cheaper and more convenient option. You’ll fly into one of two terminals: Gatwick North Terminal or Gatwick South Terminal. South Terminal is only 2-minutes’ walk away from Gatwick Airport train station. To get quickly from Gatwick North Terminal to Gatwick South Terminal, you can take the free shuttle bus.
Gatwick Airport is in West Sussex, just south east of London. From the airport, London city centre is only a half an hour train journey away. From London, you can easily connect to Cambridge, Canterbury, Oxford and other cities in South East England. The trains from the airport to central London are operated by Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern. They run from London Gatwick Airport to London frequently, 7 days a week.
Read on to learn more about buying train tickets, timetables and possible connections.
Getting from Gatwick Airport to London
Trainline allows you to purchase cheap train tickets from London Gatwick Airport to stations across the UK. You don’t have to pay out for taxis or airport parking, which is good if you’re on a tight budget after your holiday. Gatwick Airport train station is just outside the South Terminal. A shuttle bus runs every 3 minutes from the North terminal and the journey takes 2 minutes.
Booking well in advance using Trainline will allow you to find the cheapest fares. You can also use National Railcards for extra savings: adults save 1/3 and kids save 60%. The Gatwick Express takes you directly from Gatwick Airport station to London Victoria station in 31 minutes. Alternatively, you can take either a Southern train to London Victoria or a Thameslink train to London St Pancras.
Once you arrive in London, you have access to the entire London Underground network. This allows you to connect directly to other London train stations from which you can travel to most major cities in the UK. Direct trains also run from Gatwick Airport to London Luton Airport, Guildford, Reading, Brighton and Portsmouth.
If your flight arrives late, you can stay at the Bloc Hotel or the YOTELAir within London Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal.
New and improved Gatwick Airport train station
Gatwick Airport train station now has new facilities and more space!
In November 2023, a new second concourse and airport entrance opened to the public, providing a seamless one-way system from the airport to the train station. There are also improved facilities, including 8 new escalators, 5 new lifts, 4 new stairways and widened platforms.
The existing station concourse is also bigger and better, with new customer information systems, more ticket gates, and a dedicated passenger assistance point.
All this will help passengers move between the airport and the train station more quickly and easily.
Useful travel tips
We want to make travel easier for you, which is why we’ve compiled a selection of useful travel tips to help you on your way.
Off-peak fares
Learn more about peak and off-peak fares, and how they can affect the cost of your journey.
Seat reservations
Need information about seating? Read our guide to find out more about what's available.
Railcards
Want to see how much you could save by using a railcard? Read our handy guide on all the different railcards available.
Things to do in London
Victoria Station is Britain’s 2nd busiest train station, so there’s plenty of places to eat, drink and shop. You can drink coffee at Starbucks, Caffe Nero or Costa and grab a bite to eat at Burger King, Pret a Manger or Sainsbury’s Local. There’s also a shopping mall behind the station with a food court on the top floor.
From Victoria station, you can get to the major tourist sites via the London Underground. Westminster station is only two stops away on the Central or District line. From Westminster you can visit Big Ben, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the River Thames.
It’s an hour’s leisurely walk from Westminster to the Tower of London. If you cross the Thames and then follow the river north then east, you’ll pass the National Theatre, the Millennium Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Bridge and Tower Bridge. The Tower of London is just after that. We recommend that you buy an Oyster travel card from any London Underground station. This will give you cheap access to London public transport.