Heathrow to Gatwick Transfers
Heathrow (LHR) to Gatwick (LGW) Transfer Options
When you decide to fly from LHR to LGW the train is usually the less popular transport mode, it can be less convenient as the train changes trains around Central London. Coaches are another mode of travel that can be offered when travelling between LHR and Gatwick airports whereas direct buses are also available. However, unlike trains these buses can also cause many inconveniences, especially for those travelling large amounts of baggage. Finally, you could also use the LHR to Gatwick bus service to get there.
Travel from LHR to Gatwick is one of the busiest transfer routes in the UK, giving passengers access to the two busiest airports in the south-east. So if you need to check in to Gatwick or LHR in a hurry, then calculating the best way to get between them is essential, especially for connecting flights. Being organised is key, especially when arriving into a busy arrivals hall where it is often bewildering to work out what the best options are.
Connecting two of London’s busiest airports is a key transport link and so being able to understand what transfer routes exist is essential to ensure that travellers find the right option for them at the right price.
How do I get from Heathrow to Gatwick?
LHR ranks 4th in traffic in the United Kingdom, with over 900 000 passengers a year. Given London’s important status as a regional transport centre the traveller is usually required to travel between LHR and Gatwick for flight connections. Taxis are probably the easiest way to travel. Gatwick Airport, near Crawley in East Sussex, is the eighth most active international airport. Allow an extra 30 minutes to travel 45 miles in a taxi from LHR to Gatwick depending on daytime.
Transfer times between Heathrow & Gatwick + traffic delays
LHR Airport is connected by two interlinked motorways/freeways. Both national express and private buses operate nonstop from both airports. Its 45 km routes between LHR and Gatwick follow heavily congested motorways/freeways. Between 6.30 a.m. and 10 p.m. congestion is typical. Expect 15 minute delays in this direction. In LHR and Gatwick there is recurrent heavy traffic between 3.30 pm to 7.15 pm.
How do I use my scheduled flight arrival time to calculate the pick-up time?
If you book Heathrow to Gatwick taxis you can give me your flight number. ) From there, our flight monitoring team will check for any delays in the flight. Your flight driver will receive a confirmation of the arrival and will arrive at the correct airport for pickup when your plane leaves.
Heathrow to Gatwick Bus Options
Both airports are serviced by excellent bus services of all types, 24/7. Below is a list of the most popular:
National Express – Part of the national network, and with the largest network available there are a raft of bus and coach options between the two airports (up to 80 journeys a day). With transfer times of just over 60 minutes, the cost of tickers can vary but rates are around £27.00 GBP per person (online).
Megabus UK – A no frills operator that can offer seats from as little as £1 when booked well in advanced and online, with similar transfer times, the cost of a transfer form Heathrow to Gatwick is around £16.50 GBP per person (online). Megabus tickets can be bought on a range of platforms including the easyBus website.
Megabus run discounted bus operations direct between 7 days per week as follows:
Transfer time: 60 minutes
Cost: From £16.50 GBP
Web: uk.megabus.com
Buses at Heathrow are located Terminals 2 and 3 and at Gatwick buses are available at both South and North terminals.
Direct bus routes whilst being quick don’t always offer the best value if you are travelling on a really tight budget. Sometimes, it can be cheaper with a indirect route via London. This is fine if your not precious about your time and are perhaps familiar with bus routes into and out of central London.
Heathrow to Gatwick Coach Options
National Express offer the largest network of coach services between the two airports. Their services are prompt, comfortable and owing to the scale of their operation, tickets are often great value when compared with other transport options.
National Express services run direct between the airports at regular time intervals 7 days per week as follows:
Transfer time: 70 minutes
Cost: From £20.00 GBP
Tickets and information: 0871 781 8181
Web: NationalExpress.com (National Express website)
National Express bus between Heathrow & Gatwick
The Heathrow & Gatwick National Express buses are the only public transit between both cities. Only alternative direct choices are taxis and taxi companies. Although the Bus Service has been deemed the best public transportation from Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport, this isn’t the cheapest available. Traveling by bus can be very cheaper, and individual seats on Heathrow Victoria and Gatwick Victoria bus operations are available. Although cheaper, these options are slower. Heathrow-Gatwick bus operates under the National Express brand and has comfortable coach buses. The buses come equipped in all washrooms.
Other coach services include the Oxford Bus Company franchise (also known as the “Airline”) which connects Oxford, Heathrow and Gatwick North Terminal with an overall journey time between the airports of circa 50 minutes. The Oxford Bus company also offer great value season tickets for a batch of journeys which might be useful if you do this journey on a regular basis.
The overnight coach service operated by Oxford Bus Company offer a direct coach service between LHR and LGW Airport, 7 days per week as follows:
Journey time: 60 minutes
Cost: From £16.50 GBP
Tickets and information: 01865 785400
Heathrow to Gatwick Rail Options
There are no direct train or tube service between LHR and LGW. With the recently opened Elizabeth Line, operated by TFL, it is however now quicker to get from Heathrow into Central London than ever before.
Using existing London airport tube connections, this is probably only suitable for travellers with perhaps a need to visit Central London as part of their stay over and in situations whereby their luggage allowance is limited as it will require passengers to hop on and hop off train service in busy stations.
A suggested route using rail services is listed below detailing a quick route using the existing Piccadilly / District line tube options and the Gatwick Express from London Victoria station with a journey time of around 1 hour (assuming the most efficient connections are used):
Heathrow to Gatwick Private Transfer Options
Both Heathrow and Gatwick are located on the outskirts of Greater London and so are extremely well serviced by road and motorway links. The options when it comes to the car for both airports are numerous and include:
Taxis (black cab)
Minicab
Chauffeur
Car hire
Gatwick Airport Transfer
For many travellers to London Heathrow, the option of an official London black cab is a reliable option especially if your journey to Gatwick South Terminal is perhaps en-route via Central London, London City Airport, or any area around Heathrow.
Their geographic knowledge of London is second to none and so you can always be assured of a professional service when opting for an officially licensed black taxi from Heathrow terminals.
Fares vary, dependent upon your exact drop off location and time of travel, but you can rely on the fares being open and transparent as they are set by the taxi meter at all times.
The London Black cab fares are as follows that should be able to provide you a basic guide to cost:
For sheer quality of service and knowledge of London there are few to rival the black cab and so often it is worth the premium to get a Heathrow to Gatwick transfer with one of these iconic features of London.
Minicab – Gatwick Airport Transfer
Heathrow Airport is extremely well served with a range of private hire options for journeys from Heathrow to Gatwick. London airport cab providers are numerous. Options such as meet & greet and child booster seats are also available as part of their pick up.
In recent years, with the advent of UBER many smaller operations work with larger aggregators in the market to provide their offer from Heathrow. A number of these include:
We Know – Heathrow’s official minicab partner
Airport Transfers UK – Search and compare Heathrow Airport Taxis here alongside public transit options too as part of the worldwide mobility network at Mozio Group
Minicabit – one of the UK’s largest cab comparison systems online in 2022
Addison Lee – one of London’s premier car service
Green Tomato Cars – a green alternative from and to London Heathrow Airport
Chauffeur Hire from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport
For many travellers from Heathrow to Gatwick airport, including many millions of business travellers, a chauffeur or executive hire car is the only option. For the more discerning customer who is often prepared to pay extra for a professional driver from Heathrow to Gatwick, the options often include Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Rolls Royce and other top marques.
The extra costs isn’t always as high as you might expect, and yet the standards of car often exceed any standard offer, with the little extras of a smartly dressed driver, free onboard water, free Wi-Fi, etc being nice to haves on a longer journey like Heathrow to Gatwick. Of the many chauffeur operators that serve the airport, these are worth a mention:
We Know – Heathrow’s official private hire partner who also provide chauffeur cars
Airport Transfers UK – Search and compare all sorts of vehicle options from Heathrow including executive and chauffeur cars too in one handy online tool
Chauffeurit – a chauffeur comparison system
Black Lane – internationally renowned chauffeur hire car service
Airport Shuttle from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport
Alongside standard buses, for a small group sometimes a minivan or shuttle bus offers better value for a trip from Heathrow to Gatwick, available from most private car service operators in and around Heathrow.
For small groups of up to 8 passengers, many private hire firms can offer a range of 8 seater minivan options that can also take a full complement of luggage allowance too.
Private cars will make a smooth transition from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport. Chartering the vehicles will be competitive against the buses when rented for a group of 4 or more passengers. Whether it was 4 or 50 people. The vehicle drivers greet you as you exit the immigration area and guide you to the waiting vehicle. If your luggage is too large then private vehicles are advisable. Car rentals are offered on airport flights and are more expensive if booked early. If a person tries to sell or promote a business when coming to a place / place, strongly reject the offer.
Car Hire Heathrow to Gatwick
Car hire if pre-booked in advance can often represent significant value for money for getting you from Heathrow to Gatwick in good time. Book well in advance to avoid hidden charges and to secure the cheapest option.
Car hire desk options exist at all five terminals at Heathrow (often in arrivals areas), and booking couldn’t be easier online. Here are some great value options:
Alamo – worldwide service offering all types of vehicles
Avis – one of the largest brands, always a favourite from Heathrow
Budget – great value with bases at most London airports too
Enterprise – popular in the US, with great customer service assured
For a handy guide and booking tools, click here for the quickest way to book your Heathrow car hire form and to Gatwick Airport today.
FAQs
Is there a shuttle between LHR and LGW?
Buses from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport are the only direct public transport operation between both airports. Alternative direct means are taxis, private cars, and private buses. However, the buses are the only direct bus transportation between London Heathrow and Gatwick.
How much does it cost to get from Heathrow to Gatwick?
Heathrow to Gatwick airport by private car service The trip should last between 45 mins depending on traffic costs will be around £50 each way.
Is there a train between Gatwick and Heathrow?
No trains run between Gatwick Airport and London Heathrow Airport. Alternatively operations are available from airport to airport for travel through Victoria or London Paddington.
How much is a taxi between Heathrow and Gatwick?
The taxi transfer from Heathrow Airport to and from Gatwick Airport with Britain cars will take about 45 minutes and the journey will take 38.3 miles through M2 and M3. The journey will cost around 50 GBP.
How do I transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick?
Heathrow-Gatwick buses are the only direct public transport between airports. It is only possible a taxi and private automobile services are available. Although buses serve the main public transport from Heathrow airport to Gatwick the bus service is not cheap.
How much does it cost to go from Heathrow to Gatwick?
The journey takes approximately 45 mins depending upon traffic and is about 55 pounds in the direction of Heatherrow.
How much is a taxi from Heathrow to Gatwick?
A Taxi Transfer from London Gatwick Airport to and from Heathrow with Britannia Airport Cars will take approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes and the journey is 37.8 Miles through the M1 and M25. The journey will cost approximately 50 GBP for a round
How long does it take to transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick?
The minimum time between flights between Gatwick and Heathrow is 3hrs if your transfer is arranged by flying to Terminal 5 of Heathrow without contingencies. It’s a good four days.
Is there a shuttle between Gatwick and Heathrow?
Trains are operated daily by National Express from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport. Overnight buses operated from the Oxford Bus Company operate directly between Heathrow and Gatwick Airport seven days a year.
Can I transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick?
National Express Heathrow-Gatwick Bus service provides direct public transportation at both airports. The only alternate choice directly is to take taxis or hire an auto. Although bus services are most frequent between Heathrow airports, it is not the cheapst alternative.
What is private transfer from airport?
Private Airport Transfers arranges a transport service to your destination for you or your friends. The most common way of catching an airport passenger is to meet their driver.
How do you transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick?
Heathrow – Gatwick buses are the only public service that runs between both airports. There are two alternatives directly available: a taxi service. Bus services are the only regular transport direct across both Heathrow and Gatwick, but are not cheap.
How much does it cost to travel from Heathrow to Gatwick?
Bus tickets between Heathrow and Gatwick are usually $30. Cheap bus tickets between the airport and Gatwick can be purchased online if you wish.
How easy is it to get from Heathrow to Gatwick?
Heathrow Express is accessible from the airport to the Paddington airport (15 minutes) from the airport terminals 2 to 3 & 5. From Paddington you can take Circle Lines to Melbourne Station (15min journey) or Gatwick Express (30min journey). It costs about 40 pounds for the entire trip.