Gatwick Airport Pickups and Drop-offs

Gatwick has two terminals that never meet. There is no road crossing between North and South for passengers, and arriving at the wrong one means a long loop around the airport perimeter. Our Gatwick airport transfers start by confirming your terminal, then your flight, then your fare. Fixed at booking, both terminals covered. Get an instant quote online or call +44 1582 297190.

7 airports · 4 vehicle types · 24/7 support · 45-min free waiting after landing

Gatwick's North and South Terminals operate as two separate airports sharing runways. EasyJet, the airport's biggest carrier, uses both terminals depending on the route, which catches people out every day. Your booking confirmation and your airline's website state the terminal: check it before you book your transfer, and tell us at booking so the driver goes to the right forecourt.

For arrivals the same rule applies in reverse. Your driver needs the terminal to choose the right short-stay car park and the right arrivals hall. A flight number settles it in seconds, and we confirm it with you rather than guessing. Pre-booked pickups happen inside the arrivals hall of the correct terminal, never on the forecourt, because Gatwick forbids forecourt pickups and enforces it with cameras.

Since 6 January 2026, Gatwick charges £10 for the first 10 minutes in the forecourt drop-off zones at both North and South Terminals, then £1 per extra minute up to a 30-minute maximum. Cameras record every plate and payment is due online by midnight the next day. Miss the deadline and the penalty is £100 (£60 if paid within 14 days).

With an A1 booking, the driver pays this charge and it sits inside your fixed fare. Departures: you are dropped at the right terminal's forecourt and walk straight in. Arrivals: your driver waits in short stay, walks to the arrivals hall, and the forecourt charge never touches you. If you drive yourself, the free alternative is the Long Stay car park, free for up to two hours with a shuttle bus to the terminals, but that adds a good 20 minutes each way.

Gatwick sits south of London, and from Luton, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire the route is the M1 south, the M25 clockwise, then the M23 spur down to the airport. Outside peak hours the drive takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. In weekday morning traffic the M25 section does the damage, and Friday afternoons heading south can be slow all the way from the M1 interchange.

This is a route where departure timing matters more than driving speed. For a morning flight we set the pickup with a margin that assumes the M25 is unkind. For the return, your driver watches the traffic while you are still in baggage reclaim and chooses the route accordingly. You will not be asked to navigate.

The honest comparison: the Gatwick Express runs non-stop to London Victoria in about 30 minutes, and Thameslink and Southern services reach London Bridge, St Pancras and beyond. If you live near one of those stations, travel light, and land while trains are running, rail is the quick option.

The car wins in four situations. You live in Luton, Dunstable, Harpenden or St Albans and would need a train into London first, doubling the journey. You have children, golf clubs, or more than one large case per person. Your flight lands after the last useful train. Or there are three or four of you: one fixed fare replaces four separate rail tickets and a second taxi onward. Gatwick transfers by car also run through the night, when the railway does not.

Gatwick is the package-holiday airport: families of four and five with full luggage are the typical booking. Four people with cases fit the people carrier better than a saloon on this route, because two weeks of holiday luggage fills a boot fast: best for families with children and extra luggage. Groups of six to eight take the 8-seater and stay in one vehicle: best for groups of 6-8, sports teams and wedding parties. Business travellers to the North Terminal's lounges usually choose First Class: best for business travel and special occasions. Two people with cabin bags fit the saloon fine: best for couples and solo travellers with standard luggage. The fleet page lists capacities for every vehicle: saloon 4+2+2, people carrier 6+3+2, 8-seater 8+8+8.

The honest answer: it depends on your pickup point and your vehicle, so we quote instead of publishing one number. One price is agreed at booking and does not move. It already includes the £10 Gatwick forecourt charge on departures and 45 minutes of free waiting after landing on airport pickups (£10 per 30 minutes after that).

• The drive on the shortest route to Gatwick (extra miles only if you ask the driver to deviate: £2 per mile)
• The £10 Gatwick forecourt charge on departures
• 45 minutes of free waiting after landing on airport pickups (£10 per 30 minutes after that)
• Pickup moved for flight delays of up to 1 hour, as long as you tell the office
• A free child seat when requested at booking
• A licensed driver

Give us your flight number and the pickup is planned around the real arrival time. If your flight is delayed, tell the office so the booking can be changed: delays of up to an hour are accommodated at the booked fare, and if the company has to cancel, the full amount is refunded to the same card. Baby seats are free when requested at booking, though availability cannot be guaranteed; add the children's ages when you book. Cancellation is free more than 12 hours before pickup, although a bank fee applies (minimum £5). 50% of the fare is charged for cancellations 12 to 6 hours before pickup, 100% under 6 hours. Cancel only by phone or by replying to your reservation confirmation email, and refunds return to the original card within 3 to 5 working days.

Gatwick's rail links are excellent until they stop. The last Gatwick Express and Thameslink services leave for London late in the evening, and after that the options thin to night coaches and waiting. A delayed inbound that lands after midnight puts you in an airport where the fast train home no longer exists.

A pre-booked car does not have a last departure. Tell the office about the delay so the booking can be changed; your driver arrives for the real landing time and drives you door to door at 1am for the same fixed fare as 1pm. For the return direction the logic is the same: very early departures, before the first trains are useful, get a driver assigned the day before who arrives while the house is still dark. If your flight touches the overnight gap in either direction, the car is not the expensive option. It is the only direct one.

1. Enter your pickup address, Gatwick terminal and flight details for an instant quote.
2. Choose your vehicle and add contact and flight details.
3. Confirm and receive your fixed fare in writing. Support is on +44 1582 297190, 24/7.