Gatwick to Heathrow is about 68 km (42 mi) by road, according to Heathrow, and there is no direct train between the two airports. The direct options are a coach, which Heathrow lists at about 70 to 75 minutes, or a car on the M23 and the M25, which our routing puts at roughly 45 minutes to an hour on a clear road depending on the terminals. The rail options all change in central London.
For a solo traveller with one bag and time to spare, the direct coach is the sensible choice. For a family, a group, anyone with a lot of luggage, or a tight self-connection between two separate tickets, a pre-booked car that meets you inside Gatwick arrivals and goes straight to your Heathrow terminal is usually worth it. Elly8.net prices the Gatwick to Heathrow transfer to your exact terminals in the web booker, fixed and per vehicle.
What is the best way to get from Gatwick to Heathrow?
For one traveller with light luggage, a direct coach from Gatwick to Heathrow is the best value, at about 70 to 75 minutes. For families, groups, heavy bags or a tight connection, a pre-booked private car is simpler: met inside Gatwick arrivals, about 45 to 60 minutes on a clear road, door to terminal.
The train is rarely the best choice for this connection, despite how fast London's airport trains are. Every rail route involves two trains and a change in central London, and you carry your bags through each station.
Rides in London are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
The options compared
| Option | Journey time | Changes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct coach: National Express, FlixBus or The Airline | about 70 to 75 min, per Heathrow | none | Solo travellers, light luggage, flexible timing |
| Train via Victoria: Gatwick Express, then Circle line and Heathrow Express | about 31 min plus about 45 min | two | Rarely the best choice with bags |
| Train via Farringdon: Thameslink, then the Elizabeth line | about 40 min plus about 35 min | one | Light travellers who prefer rail |
| Black cab | traffic-dependent | none | Fare can be negotiated; Gatwick is outside Greater London |
| Elly8.net private car | about 45 to 60 min on a clear road | none | Families, groups, luggage, tight connections |
Coach and rail times are from Heathrow's own guide to travelling between airports. They do not include the time spent waiting for a departure, walking between platforms or queuing at a ticket machine.
By coach: the direct, budget option
Heathrow lists three coach operators running directly between the two airports: National Express and FlixBus, each at about 70 minutes, and the Oxford Bus Company's The Airline at about 75 minutes. Gatwick's coach and bus page describes National Express as a high-frequency transfer to Heathrow, with coaches leaving from the lower level outside International Arrivals at the North Terminal, bus stops 4 and 5, and a ticket office inside the International Arrivals hall. From the South Terminal, take the free shuttle to the North Terminal first.
A coach is good value for one or two people with modest luggage. It runs to a timetable, not your flight, so a delayed arrival can mean waiting for the next departure, and Gatwick recommends booking tickets in advance. Check where the coach stops at Heathrow for your departing terminal.
By train through central London
Heathrow sets out two practical rail routes, and both change in the middle of London.
Via Victoria. The Gatwick Express runs non-stop to London Victoria every 30 minutes in about 31 minutes, and Southern stopping trains run every 15 minutes in 32 to 50 minutes. From Victoria to Heathrow, Heathrow suggests the Circle line to Paddington and the Heathrow Express, about 45 minutes in total. That is two changes with your bags.
Via Farringdon. Thameslink runs from Gatwick to Farringdon in about 40 minutes, every 30 minutes on Heathrow's figures. At Farringdon, the Elizabeth line runs directly to Heathrow in about 35 minutes. One change, but a busy central station.
With a carry-on, either works. With two large cases each and children, the rail route through London is the hardest of all the options, and the total time once you add the waits is often close to, or longer than, the coach.
By taxi
Gatwick is outside Greater London. Transport for London's taxi fares guidance says fares for journeys to airports outside London, including Gatwick, can be negotiated with the driver before you start; if nothing is agreed, the fare shown on the meter applies. If you take a taxi from Gatwick, agree the price and confirm whether any airport drop-off charge is included before you set off.
By private car
The route. The drive runs up the M23 and around the M25 to Heathrow. Our routed estimates on a clear road are about 63 km (39 mi) and 45 minutes from the North Terminal to Heathrow Terminal 5, and about 75 km (47 mi) and just under an hour from the South Terminal to Terminals 2 and 3. The M25 can be slow at peak times and around incidents, so treat those times as the floor.
The pickup. Your chauffeur tracks your inbound flight and waits inside the arrivals hall with a name board, after passport control and baggage reclaim, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. Cars collecting passengers at Gatwick use the Short Stay car parks or the express pick-up bays in them, according to Gatwick's pick-up guide: Car Park 6, level 4 at the North Terminal and Car Park 3, ground floor at the South Terminal. Larger vehicles follow a separate rule: Gatwick requires charter and group vehicles with more than eight seats to pick up from the coach park on the South Terminal ring road, so an Executive Sprinter for a group collects there. Any parking charge is billed at cost.
The drop-off. At Heathrow, every vehicle entering a terminal drop-off zone pays Heathrow's £7 Terminal Drop-Off Charge, and on Elly8.net bookings it is billed at cost. Give us your departing terminal so the chauffeur goes to the right one; Heathrow uses Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5.
The price. The Gatwick to Heathrow transfer is priced in the web booker for your exact terminals, fixed and all-in per vehicle, including the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. For scale, the published fixed fare from Gatwick to Mayfair, a similar distance, is from US$340 in a business sedan, US$445 in a business SUV and US$885 in an Executive Sprinter. On our fleet list a Business Sedan carries 3 passengers and 2 bags, a Business SUV 6 and 6, and an Executive Sprinter 12 and 12. Elly8.net never sells individual seats; the fare is for the vehicle.
How much time to allow
This is the part that decides most connections, and it has little to do with which option you choose.
At Gatwick. If you arrive from the US or Canada, you clear passport control, collect your bags and pass through customs before any transfer starts. Queues at the border vary with the time of day and the number of flights landing together. Gatwick has two terminals, North and South, linked by a free shuttle, and its which-terminal page lists the terminal for each airline. Give us the terminal with your flight number so the chauffeur waits in the right arrivals hall.
On the road or the rails. Add the journey time from the table, plus a margin for traffic or a missed departure.
At Heathrow. Then check in, drop bags and clear security for your onward flight. Your airline sets its own check-in and bag-drop deadlines.
Separate tickets. If your two flights are on separate bookings, the second airline is under no obligation to wait for a delayed first flight. Leave a generous connection window, and consider a hotel night near Heathrow for very tight or late connections. Tell us both flight numbers when you book; the chauffeur works to the tracked landing, and the 24/7 desk can move the pickup if the inbound flight is delayed.
Moving between Heathrow terminals. If you are dropped at the wrong terminal or need to change, the Heathrow Express runs a free transfer between Terminals 2 & 3 and Terminal 5, and the Elizabeth line offers free transfers between all terminals. Better still, check your departing terminal before you book.
Heathrow to Gatwick, the other way
The reverse trip follows the same logic, with the airports' rules swapped. At Heathrow, pickups are made from the Terminal Parking car parks, not the forecourt, and your chauffeur meets you inside arrivals. At Gatwick, the drop-off charge for the forecourt zones at the North and South Terminals starts at £10 for 10 minutes, then £1 a minute up to 20 minutes, with a 30-minute maximum stay; on our bookings it is billed at cost. Gatwick says other operators add the charge to their fares too, so check any quote you compare. Coaches run in both directions at similar times.
Three connections, costed honestly
A solo traveller from Boston, one bag, five hours between flights. Our verdict: the direct coach. It is far cheaper than a private car and the timing is comfortable.
A family of four from Chicago, five cases, landing at Gatwick North at 8 a.m. and flying from Heathrow Terminal 5 that afternoon. Our verdict: a Business SUV, which seats six with six bags, priced in the booker for North Terminal to Terminal 5. The chauffeur meets you inside arrivals, the bags travel with you, and the car goes to the right terminal. On the coach or the train, four people with five cases is the hard way to spend a connection.
A group of ten on separate tickets, three hours between flights. Our verdict: one Executive Sprinter, which carries 12 people and 12 bags, collecting from the Gatwick coach park, with the desk tracking the inbound flight. As arithmetic only, divide the booker's price by ten and set it beside ten coach seats for your date; the group also travels together, timed to the tracked landing rather than a timetable.
For the rest of your London trip, our guides to whether the Heathrow Express is worth it and Uber in London cover the airport-to-city legs, and the London to Oxford transfer guide covers trips that start at either airport. The general comparisons are in chauffeur vs a shared airport shuttle and chauffeur vs taxi.
How to book Gatwick to Heathrow
- Enter pickup and drop-off. Your inbound flight number at Gatwick, and your departing terminal and flight at Heathrow.
- Choose the vehicle. Seats first, then bags; the fleet page lists each class. Note any child seats.
- Use the web booker. It returns a fixed price for your terminals; reserve and pay securely in US$. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or a no-show, refunded to the original card. The airport transfers and meet and greet pages explain how pickups work across our cities, and the full set of London fares is on the London chauffeur service page. Flying on to Ireland or the Continent? We meet you again in Dublin and Paris. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct train from Gatwick to Heathrow?
No. Heathrow says there are no direct trains between the two airports. Rail routes change in central London, either at Victoria or at Farringdon. The direct options are a coach, at about 70 to 75 minutes, or a car on the M23 and the M25.
How long does it take to get from Gatwick to Heathrow by car?
About 45 minutes to an hour on a clear road, depending on the terminals: our routing puts the North Terminal to Terminal 5 at about 63 km (39 mi) and the South Terminal to Terminals 2 and 3 at about 75 km (47 mi). The M25 can add time at peak hours.
How much is a private car from Gatwick to Heathrow?
The transfer is priced to your exact terminals in the web booker, fixed and per vehicle. For scale, the published Gatwick to Mayfair fare, a similar distance, is from US$340 in a business sedan to US$885 in an Executive Sprinter, all-in.
Where will my chauffeur meet me at Gatwick?
Inside the arrivals hall of your terminal, North or South, holding a name board, after passport control and baggage reclaim. The chauffeur tracks your flight, and waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary. Group vehicles with more than eight seats collect from Gatwick's coach park.
How much time is needed between flights at Gatwick and Heathrow?
It depends on border queues, your bags and your airline's check-in deadline, so leave a generous window, especially on separate tickets, where the second airline will not wait for a late first flight. Give us both flight numbers and the desk tracks the inbound arrival.
Are airport charges included in the fare?
Airport charges are billed at cost, never marked up. Heathrow charges £7 for each terminal drop-off, and Gatwick's forecourt drop-off starts at £10 for 10 minutes. Any car park charge for the pickup is billed the same way, shown separately from the fixed fare.
