Sites-Gatwick-Site

Where can I buy a coach ticket?

There are National Express ticket desks in both terminals, or you can book in advance online. Find out more on our Coach and Buses page.

How do I get a taxi to or from the airport?

London Gatwick's official taxi and private hire provider is Airport Cars Gatwick (Gatwick Cars Ltd). Their drivers are fully licensed and trained to offer a high standard of customer service.

You'll find their booking kiosks in both the North and South Terminals, just follow the signs after you arrive. Taxis can also be pre-booked online using the Airport Cars Gatwick booking form or by calling +44 (0)1293 550000.

How do I buy train tickets to or from London Gatwick?

London Gatwick is served by four train operators: Gatwick Express, Southern, Thameslink and Great Western Railway. You can buy tickets for any rail service at the station or the rail ticket desk in the onward travel area in South Terminal.

For more details, visit our page on Train travel to and from London Gatwick.

Are there petrol stations at London Gatwick?

Yes there are 24-hour petrol stations just beyond the exit roads from both the North and South Terminals. The North terminal petrol station is operated by Shell and the South Terminal has a BP petrol station.

To charge your electric vehicle, there is a GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourt® that operates 24/7 for charging by the entrance to the South Terminal Long Stay car parks. It offers high-power and low-power EV chargers, Tesla Superchargers, a Little Fresh store, Costa Coffee, lounge space, and free Wi?Fi.

Where can I go to pick up passengers at London Gatwick?

All pick-ups should take place in the Short Stay car parks as it often takes more time to collect passengers. Alternatively, you can park for free in our Long Stay car park for up to two hours, using our free shuttle bus to the Terminal. Find out more information on our Picking up page.

How much is the drop-off charge?

A minimum £7 charge applies to use the designated drop-off zones. The charge will be £7 for 10 minutes, and £1 for each additional minute up to 20 minutes. The maximum charge will be £27 and the maximum length of stay 30 minutes.

Payment must be made by midnight the day after your visit. Alternatively, park for free in our Long Stay car park for up to 2 hours and catch the free shuttle to the terminal.

Read our Drop-off page for more information.

What are the car hire services and where are these located?

Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, and National are the car hire services available at London Gatwick. They all have desks after arrivals in both terminals. Follow signs to car hire or visit our Car hire page for more information and to compare providers.

How do I get to the Official London Gatwick Parking car parks by car?

To reach our car parks by car, refer to the directions provided on the relevant Parking page. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page and select the terminal you’re flying from. There you'll find written directions, links to Google Maps, and What3Words locations for each car park.

If you’ve already booked parking, it’s best to follow the location details in your booking confirmation email, as the car park entrance may use a slightly different postcode than the one listed online.

What is the Gatwick Express service?

Gatwick Express is a non-stop train service between London Gatwick and London Victoria station in central London. Trains run every 15 minutes and the journey takes around 30 minutes (or 35 minutes on Sundays).

The trains are designed with air travellers in mind, featuring dedicated luggage storage and extra-wide doors for easy boarding. You can buy tickets online and save 10% on your fare.

What are red routes and why do I need to be aware of them at London Gatwick?

To maintain visitor safety, red routes will be in operation around the airport site. If you see areas designated as red routes, please be aware that you are not allowed to stop, unload, wait or park. If you are dropping off passengers, please use the Drop-off zones or the free option in our Long Stay car parks.

Red routes are clearly marked around the airport roads with signage and double red line road markings. London Gatwick operates a vehicle monitoring and enforcement operation. Any vehicle seen contravening the red route restrictions will face an enforcement charge of £100 (reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days).

Where are the pick-up points for taxis, private car hire, and Uber?

Please ask your taxi or private car hire driver to meet you in one of our Short Stay car parks for pick-ups, or to drop you off at the drop-off locations in both terminals.
Uber drivers have their own designated pick-up/drop-off areas which are signposted.

Where do I look to check for any planned roadworks or rail disruption?

You can check for the latest local disruption on our Driving to the airport and Train information pages.

Are Blue Badge holders exempt from paying the drop-off charge at London Gatwick?

If you are a Blue Badge holder being dropped off at the airport by friends or by taxi you are exempt from drop-off charges, as long as register your number plate in advance. The Blue Badge exemption is valid for a 30 minute free drop-off session.

You can register anytime from three months before your flight up to the day before you travel, each time you fly. The vehicle owner can also register their number plate on behalf of the Blue Badge holder being dropped off, as long as they can provide evidence of a Blue Badge. An exemption can be applied for by creating an online account. Confirmation of a successful application will be sent by email.

If you are arriving by taxi you can register for an exemption using the taxi number plate. You can request this from the taxi company in advance and use the confirmation email to show your taxi driver that you are exempt. You must register the taxi details in advance to be exempt from the drop-off charge.

If the vehicle is registered to an Autopay account, please ensure this is disabled when utilising a Blue Badge drop-off exemption, in order to avoid charges being debited automatically.

Applications on or after the date of travel may not be accepted. We recommend that all passengers use the Short Stay car parks for picking up as this tends to take longer than dropping off. Please note that normal charges apply in the car parks.

Who do I contact about my drop-off charge query?

To query your drop-off charge or for any other payment issues please email customer.service@ncp.co.uk or call 0345 050 7080 (option 4).

Can I use Oyster or contactless payment card to travel to and from London Gatwick?

You can use either an Oyster card or a contactless payment card to travel between London Gatwick and central London. However, please note that London Travelcards are not valid.

For more details, visit our page on Train travel to and from London Gatwick.

Where do I meet a charter or private hire coach service?

If you are taking a charter or private hire coach, please follow the signs to buses and coaches near the exit of each terminal where your charter coach will be parked.

What is the fine for unpaid drop-off charges?

If you use the drop-off zone at London?Gatwick, payment must be made by midnight the day after your visit. Failing to pay on time will result in a Parking Charge Notice of £100, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

To make a payment and avoid a fine, visit our Drop-off page and follow the steps.

Can I charge my Electric Vehicle (EV) at London Gatwick?

You can charge your electric vehicle (EV) at London Gatwick with several convenient options:

GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourt® is located on the Ring Road South approach to the South Terminal, the GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourt® at London Gatwick is the first of its kind at an international airport. It offers 30 high-power and low-power EV chargers, available 24/7 with contactless payment. The facility also includes high-speed Wi-Fi, a lounge area, Costa Coffee, and a Little Fresh convenience store. The building is open daily from 4:30am to 10:00pm.

There are eight 22kW fast charging points in the Short Stay car parks at both terminals. In South Terminal car park 3, level 1, and North Terminal car park 5, level 3. These operate on a first-come, first-served basis, no pre-booking is required. Just download the POD Point Open Charge app, register, park, plug in, and confirm your charge within 15 minutes using the app.

If you're using our Valet parking, EV charging can be added for a small fee. This must be pre-booked when you reserve your parking. We offer a two-hour charge on our 22kW fast chargers, delivering up to 44kWh.

You can find out more or book on our pages for parking at London Gatwick.

Where is the train station?

Gatwick Airport train station is located at the South Terminal. If your flight arrives at or departs from the North Terminal, you can easily take our free inter-terminal shuttle, which runs frequently and connects both terminals in just a few minutes.

When do I pay the drop-off charge?

Payments should be made after you exit the drop-off zone in order for your vehicle to be recognised by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems and for the correct fee to be calculated for your drop-off session. AutoPay accounts should be set up before you enter the drop-off zone in order for your account to be debited.

Payment must be made by midnight the day after the visit to the drop-off zone to avoid a fine. Non-payment will be enforced through Parking Charge Notices at £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

Read our Drop-off page for more information.

Where can I drop someone off at London Gatwick?

You can drop-off passengers in the designated areas on the terminal forecourts, a minimun charge of £7 applies to use these zones. Alternatively, drop off or park for free in our Long Stay car park for up to 2 hours and catch the free shuttle to the terminal. Find out more information on our Drop-off page.

Where are the coach stops and National Express stops?

Most coach services, including National Express, operate from the lower forecourt at the South Terminal. Some services also stop at the North Terminal, on the lower level just outside international arrivals.

If you're taking a National Express coach, simply follow the signs for buses and coaches in either terminal. Coach stops are clearly signposted to help guide you. For more details on routes and facilities, visit our page on Coach and Buses.

Are any transport services affected over Christmas at the airport?

Reduced rail, coach and bus services will operate over the Christmas period. If you are travelling to or from London Gatwick during this time, we advise you to plan your journey in advance and allow plenty of extra time to get to the airport.

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