London Gatwick (LGW) — The Complete 2026 Airport Guide
Gatwick is London’s leisure gateway — easyJet’s biggest base in the world, wall-to-wall holiday flights, and a good 45 km south of the city, nearly twice as far out as the name lets on. It has two terminals but only one train station, and in 2026 easyJet pulled all its flights to the terminal the trains don’t stop at. Get the terminal and the train right and it’s a smooth airport. Get them wrong and you’ll be dragging a suitcase onto a shuttle before you’ve even left the building.
Last verified: July 2026. Rail fares, terminal assignments and UK entry rules change often — confirm the specifics on your ticket and at official signage before you travel.
Quick reference
| Detail | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| Airport | London Gatwick, IATA LGW — the UK’s second-busiest airport, ~42.8 million passengers in 2025, and the busiest single-runway airport in Europe. A leisure and low-cost hub, not a legacy long-haul one |
| Location | ~45 km (28 miles) south of central London, in West Sussex — nearly twice as far out as Heathrow, and outside the London fare zones |
| Terminals | North — easyJet (its largest global base, consolidated here in 2026), plus TUI, Norse and others. South — British Airways, Vueling, WestJet and most others, and the only terminal with the train station |
| Into London | Gatwick Express to Victoria £24 (31 min) · Southern / Thameslink to Victoria, London Bridge and St Pancras from ~£10.70 contactless off-peak · coach ~£10 (slow) · taxi ~£100+ |
| UK entry | Most non-visa nationals — including EU/EEA, US, Canadian and Australian citizens — now need a UK ETA (£20) before boarding. EES and ETIAS are EU systems and do not apply to the UK |
| Watch out for | Flying easyJet (North) but the train dropping you at South · booking the pricey Gatwick Express when Southern does the same trip for half · drop-off charges at the terminals · assuming you need EES/ETIAS for a UK trip (you don’t) |
One station, two terminals — and easyJet is at the one without a station
Gatwick’s single most common mistake is a terminal-and-train mismatch. There is only one railway station, and it is joined directly to the South Terminal. Yet the airport’s dominant airline by a mile — easyJet — flies from the North Terminal. So if you’re on an easyJet flight and you arrive by train, you land at South and still have to cross to North before you can check in.
This got sharper in 2026. Historically easyJet split its flights across both terminals, which quietly caught out thousands of passengers who checked in at the wrong one. From 29 March 2026 easyJet consolidated everything into the North Terminal — a genuine improvement, because now “easyJet = North” is a rule with no exceptions. British Airways, Vueling, WestJet and most other carriers stay in the South Terminal. The catch is simply that the station sits on the South side, so the biggest single block of passengers has to make the crossing.
The two terminals and the free shuttle
North and South are separate buildings a couple of kilometres apart, each with full check-in, security, shops and lounges. You cannot walk between them. The link is a free inter-terminal shuttle — an automated people-mover that runs 24 hours a day, every few minutes. The ride itself is only about two minutes, but allow 10–15 minutes end to end once you’ve walked to the shuttle platform and back out the other side.
The practical rule: pick your terminal before you arrive, not after. If a taxi or drop-off is taking you straight to the airport, tell the driver North or South so you’re set down at the right door. If you’re on the train, you’ll always land at South first — cross to North on the shuttle only if that’s where your flight is.
Getting into London
Gatwick is a rail airport, and the train is almost always the right answer — it’s faster and far cheaper than a taxi, and it dodges the M23/M25 traffic that wrecks road journeys. The trap is which train. Three operators leave from the same station beneath the South Terminal, and one of them costs more than double the others for the same destination.
| Option | Goes to | Time | Typical fare (≈ €/$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatwick Express | London Victoria (non-stop) | ~31 min | £24 contactless (~€28 / $32); £24.10 single, 10% off online |
| Southern | Victoria, Clapham Junction, East Croydon | ~35 min | ~£10.70 off-peak / £19.20 peak contactless (~€12.50–22.50 / $14–26) |
| Thameslink | London Bridge, Farringdon, St Pancras, Blackfriars | ~30–55 min | ~£10.70 off-peak / £19.20 peak contactless (~€12.50–22.50 / $14–26) |
| Coach (National Express) | Victoria Coach Station | ~90 min–2 hr | from ~£10 (~€12 / $13) booked ahead |
| Taxi / cab | Central London | 60–90 min | ~£100+ (~€120+ / $135+) |
Gatwick Express vs Southern — the same trip for half the money
The Gatwick Express is the branded, non-stop service to Victoria in about 31 minutes, roughly every 15 minutes. A contactless tap costs a flat £24 (advance singles are £24.10, with 10% off if you buy online or in the app). It’s comfortable and fast — but here’s the thing the marketing doesn’t shout about: Southern trains run the exact same Gatwick-to-Victoria route, take only a few minutes longer, and cost around £10.70 off-peak or £19.20 peak on contactless pay-as-you-go into central London. For most travellers that’s the smart buy — less than half the price for barely more time, and Southern also stops at East Croydon and Clapham Junction, which may be closer to where you’re headed.
Thameslink — the one for London Bridge, Farringdon and St Pancras
Thameslink is the through-the-middle option. Rather than terminating at Victoria, it runs across central London calling at London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International, then onward to Luton and Bedford, and southbound down to Brighton. If your hotel or your onward connection is on that spine — the Eurostar at St Pancras, the Elizabeth line at Farringdon, the City at Blackfriars — Thameslink saves you a cross-town Tube ride. St Pancras is about 55 minutes; London Bridge is quicker. Fares match Southern: ~£10.70 off-peak / £19.20 peak on contactless into zone 1.
Coach, taxi and drop-off
National Express coaches run from both terminals to Victoria Coach Station — the cheapest option, from around £10 booked ahead, but slow and at the mercy of traffic (90 minutes to two hours). A taxi or private hire to central London realistically runs £100 or more and 60–90 minutes; only worth it late at night or in a group with heavy bags. If someone is dropping you off, note that Gatwick, like most UK airports, charges for the terminal drop-off zone — the free option is the longer-stay car park with a shuttle, so check current charges before you promise a lift.
UK entry: the ETA (and why EES/ETIAS don’t apply)
The single most important change for 2026 travellers: the UK now runs its own pre-travel permit, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and most visitors who never needed anything before now need one.
- Who needs it. Anyone coming to the UK who doesn’t need a visa and doesn’t already hold UK immigration status — which now includes EU/EEA and Swiss nationals (rolled in from 2 April 2025), plus Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Japanese, Gulf-state nationals and dozens more. British and Irish citizens are exempt.
- What it costs. The ETA fee is £20 (about €23 / $27), raised from £16 during 2026. You apply through the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK — beware copycat sites that charge a mark-up.
- How long it lasts. It’s valid for two years (or until your passport expires, whichever comes first), covers multiple trips, and each visit can be up to six months. It’s linked to your passport, not a document you carry.
- When to get it. Approvals are often quick, but the rules say allow up to three working days — so apply before you book, and certainly before you fly. Airlines check ETA status at the gate, and without one you can be refused boarding, so this is not something to sort out at the airport.
At the border itself, most e-passport holders — including EU, US, Canadian, Australian and several other nationalities — can use the ePassport gates rather than queue for an officer, which keeps arrivals moving even at Gatwick’s busy summer peaks.
Lounges
Gatwick is a pay-in-the-door lounge airport more than an airline-lounge one — fitting for a leisure hub. Both terminals have a good spread run by No1 Lounges, and most take Priority Pass, LoungeKey or DragonPass, usually with pre-booking recommended in summer.
South Terminal (BA and most airlines)
- My Lounge — open to any passenger regardless of airline or class, with an outdoor terrace; the crowd-pleaser.
- No1 Lounge — runway views, hot buffet, a staffed bar; Priority Pass accepted.
- Clubrooms — the premium end, hosted table service and Fast Track security included; Priority Pass holders can book in, usually with a small supplement.
- Club Aspire — a solid mid-tier pay-in option.
- British Airways runs its own BA lounges in South for its premium and Executive Club passengers (not walk-in).
North Terminal (easyJet and others)
- Plaza Premium Lounge — in the former Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse space, large with panoramic runway views; often the pick of the terminal.
- No1 Lounge and Clubrooms — the same No1 Lounges brands as South, Priority Pass accepted (Clubrooms with a supplement).
- My Lounge — the relaxed, coffee-shop-style option, strong for breakfast; note it typically runs morning-to-late-afternoon rather than 24 hours, so check hours against a late flight.
Food, money and practicalities
Food: both terminals have the usual British-airport line-up — Wetherspoon and other pub-style bars, Pret, Leon, Jamie Oliver-style diners and grab-and-go. It’s functional rather than a destination; prices are airport-inflated, so if you’re pinching pennies, eat before security or grab something at the Meal Deal counters landside. Restaurant zones sit past security in both departure lounges.
Money: the UK uses the pound sterling and is effectively cashless — contactless cards and phones work everywhere, so you rarely need cash at all. Skip the airport currency-exchange desks (poor rates) and, if an ATM or card reader offers to charge you in your home currency, always decline and choose to be billed in pounds to avoid the padded exchange rate.
Practicalities: free Wi-Fi is available across both terminals. There’s left-luggage / baggage storage (South Terminal, in the arrivals area) if you want to explore London bag-free on a long layover, plus the usual pharmacies, SIM/eSIM sellers and Fast Track security (worth pre-booking, or bundled with the premium lounges). Gatwick’s security uses the newer scanners in places, but rules on liquids and laptops still vary lane to lane — follow the signage at your lane rather than assuming.
Connections and self-transfers
Be clear-eyed about what Gatwick is: a point-to-point leisure airport, not a designed transfer hub like Heathrow or a big Gulf carrier’s base. Most journeys start or end here. There is no landside-airside “transit” short-cut that spares you the border — if you’re changing to another flight, you almost always clear immigration, collect your bag and check in again from scratch.
Two things follow from that. First, if you’re self-connecting on separate tickets — very common with easyJet, whose cheapest fares don’t through-check your bag to a second airline — give yourself generous time, and remember a change between an easyJet (North) flight and a South-Terminal carrier means the inter-terminal shuttle on top. Second, easyJet’s own “Worldwide by easyJet” connections and hold-luggage transfers are the exception where bags can be handled through, but confirm the terms when you book rather than assuming. When in doubt at Gatwick, plan the layover as if it were two separate trips.
The Northern Runway project — a second runway, slowly
Gatwick has long run as Europe’s busiest one-runway airport, and the big expansion story is finally moving. The Northern Runway project would bring the airport’s existing standby runway into routine use by shifting its centre-line about 12 metres north, enough to meet the safety spacing for two runways operating at once. The £2.2 billion, privately financed scheme would lift capacity toward roughly 75–80 million passengers a year over the following decade.
Where it stands as of July 2026: the government granted development consent on 21 September 2025, and on 23 June 2026 the High Court dismissed the legal challenges brought by local campaign groups, upholding that approval. So the project has cleared its planning and legal hurdles and is in delivery — the northern runway is anticipated to enter routine dual use around 2029–2030, with wider terminal and infrastructure works continuing through the 2030s. For a trip in 2026, nothing changes on the ground yet; expect construction activity around the airport in the years ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Which terminal does easyJet use at Gatwick?+
easyJet flies from the North Terminal. Since 29 March 2026 it has consolidated all its Gatwick flights there — it used to split them between North and South, so if you flew easyJet from Gatwick before, don’t assume the old terminal. British Airways and most other airlines use the South Terminal. The one railway station is at South, so easyJet passengers arriving by train land at South and take the free two-minute shuttle to North.
Do EU and US citizens need a UK ETA in 2026?+
Yes. The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation now applies to most non-visa nationals, including EU/EEA, Swiss, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It costs £20, is valid two years for multiple visits of up to six months each, and is tied to your passport. Apply on the official UK ETA app or GOV.UK before you fly — airlines can refuse boarding without it. British and Irish citizens don’t need one.
Do I need EES or ETIAS to visit the UK?+
No. EES (the EU Entry/Exit System, live at Schengen borders since 10 April 2026) and ETIAS (expected later in 2026) are European Union systems and do not apply to the UK. For a UK trip you need the UK’s ETA instead. If your journey covers both the UK and the Schengen area, you deal with the ETA on the British leg and EES/ETIAS on the EU leg — they’re entirely separate.
What’s the cheapest way from Gatwick to central London?+
Take a Southern or Thameslink train on contactless pay-as-you-go — around £10.70 off-peak or £19.20 peak into zone 1, less than half the price of the branded Gatwick Express and only a few minutes slower. Southern goes to Victoria; Thameslink runs through London Bridge, Farringdon and St Pancras. National Express coaches are cheaper still (from about £10) but much slower.
Is the Gatwick Express worth it?+
Only if speed to Victoria matters and you’re not price-sensitive. It’s a non-stop 31-minute run for a flat £24 on contactless. But Southern trains do the same Gatwick-to-Victoria journey for roughly half that and take only a few minutes longer, so most travellers are better off on Southern or Thameslink pay-as-you-go.
How do I get between Gatwick’s North and South terminals?+
Use the free inter-terminal shuttle, an automated train that runs 24 hours a day, every few minutes. The ride is about two minutes; allow 10–15 minutes in total with the walk at each end. It’s the only link — you can’t walk between the terminals — so pick the right terminal before you arrive.
How far is Gatwick from central London?+
About 45 km (28 miles) south, in West Sussex — noticeably further out than Heathrow, and outside the London fare zones. That’s why the train (30–55 minutes depending on service and destination) is the sensible choice, and why Gatwick is best thought of as a leisure and low-cost gateway rather than a city-edge airport.
Is the Gatwick second runway open yet?+
Not yet. The £2.2 billion Northern Runway project won development consent in September 2025 and survived a High Court challenge in June 2026, so it’s approved and in delivery — but routine dual-runway operation isn’t expected until around 2029–2030. For any trip in 2026, Gatwick still runs on its single main runway.
At a glance
| Codes | LGW / EGKK — London Gatwick Airport |
| Terminals | North (easyJet + others) · South (BA + most others, with the train station) · free 24-hour shuttle between them |
| Distance to London | ~45 km / 28 miles south, in West Sussex — outside the London fare zones |
| Fastest to London | Gatwick Express to Victoria, ~31 min, £24 contactless |
| Best value to London | Southern / Thameslink contactless, ~£10.70 off-peak into zone 1 |
| UK entry | ETA required for most non-visa nationals (EU/EEA, US, etc.), £20, valid 2 years — apply before you fly |
| EES / ETIAS | Do not apply to the UK — those are EU/Schengen systems |
| Expansion | Northern Runway approved (2025), upheld June 2026, routine dual use ~2029–2030 |
| Wi-Fi | Free across both terminals |
Before you fly
- 📊 Check what a good fare to London looks like — our price-check tool shows the typical deal range so you know a bargain when you see one.
- 🧳 Baggage checker — confirm your airline’s carry-on and checked allowance before you pack, especially on easyJet’s cheapest fares.
- 🏙️ London city guide — where to stay, what’s worth your time, and how to get around once you’re in.
🏙️ Planning the trip? Read our London city guide — where to stay, what’s worth your time, and how to get around.
