Trains to Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport is Britain’s 2nd busiest airport. For convenience and to save on costs, many travellers take the train to get there. Gatwick Airport is located South East of London, in West Sussex county. It’s only a half-hour’s train journey away from London city centre. From there, it’s easy to get further trains to Cambridge, Canterbury, Oxford and many other cities and towns in South East England.
London Gatwick Airport has two terminals: North Terminal and South Terminal. The train stops at Gatwick Airport station, which is only 2-minutes’ walking distance from South Terminal. A fast and convenient shuttle bus can take you from the South Terminal to the North Terminal. Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern operate trains from London stations to London Gatwick Airport. They run every 15 minutes, 7 days a week.
Read on to learn more about buying train tickets, timetables and possible connections.
Getting to Gatwick Airport by train
Using Trainline, you can purchase cheap train tickets to London Gatwick Airport from anywhere in the UK. This means you won’t have to pay for taxis and airport parking, so you’ll have more to spend on your holiday. If you want to find the cheapest fares, then we recommend that you book tickets well in advance of travelling. On top of this, you can use National Railcards to save 1/3 off adult fares and 60% off kids’ fares.
Three train services operate trains from London Victoria station to Gatwick Airport station. The Gatwick Express is the fastest of these and takes only 31 minutes from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport. Southern trains also run from London Victoria to Gatwick and Thameslink trains from London St Pancras or Blackfriars. Direct trains also run to Gatwick Airport from London Luton Airport, Guildford, Reading, Brighton and Portsmouth .
From London Victoria and London St Pancras stations you can also travel to other London stations via the London Underground. This allows for easy connections to train stations around the UK. The train station is just outside Gatwick’s South Terminal. A free shuttle bus can take you from there to the South Terminal in 2 minutes. Buses run every 3 minutes. If you have an early flight, there’s a Bloc Hotel and a small 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 train station to the airport. 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 train station and the airport 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 at Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport services around 43 million passengers a year. This makes it Britain’s 2nd busiest airport, and so has plenty of food and drink, entertainment and shopping. Both Gatwick North Terminal and Gatwick South Terminal have a 24-hour Starbucks and a Costa Coffee, as well as a Wetherspoons pub and other restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. For shopping, there’s everything you need including WHSmith, Boots and Harrods.
Each terminal also has a duty-free after security, with a selection of confectionery, alcohol, and souvenirs amongst other things. The check-in desks are located on level 2 of both terminals. From there, signposts will lead you to the departure lounge.
If you’re planning a holiday in Europe, then why not take the train for a memorable experience? You can use Trainline to book cheap fares to major European cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Brussels, Barcelona, and Rome.