If you are looking for a great value, budget transfer option to London Gatwick, consider taking the coach. National Express Gatwick services cover most of the country with a host of direct routes to major towns and cities, including fantastic options for central London. You can find tickets for less than £10 to travel between Gatwick and London Victoria Bus Station, Brighton, Reading, Oxford, Bristol, Birmingham and even other airports, such as Heathrow and Luton. Plus, these services are not just cheap, but convenient too, as you will be dropped off and picked up directly at Gatwick’s North and South terminals.
No matter how you choose to travel to Gatwick, Parkhero is here to help. We have compiled this quick guide containing all the information you need on travelling with National Express, including the most popular routes, ticket prices, where to purchase tickets, pick-up and drop-off information and pros and cons of taking the coach to Gatwick. Read on and find all the information you need to plan your trip.
National Express is the country’s only national coach network provider with more than 230 million passengers using the service every year. With the number of routes constantly expanding, it has never been easier to find a local National Express connection to Gatwick Airport with 1 change or less. In the table below you will find an overview of some of the most popular services to Gatwick, including the sort of National Express Gatwick prices you can expect for when booking a month in advance returning within one week.
| Routes | Single price | Return price | Shortest Journey* | No. of Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Victoria to Gatwick Airport | from £8.00 | from £16.00 | 1 hour 40 minutes | N/A |
| Brighton to Gatwick Airport | from £9.50 | from £18.50 | 45 minutes | N/A |
| Oxford to Gatwick Airport | from £18.50 | from £37.00 | 2 hours 25 minutes | N/A |
| Birmingham to Gatwick Airport | from £11.00 | from £25.20 | 5 hours 20 minutes | 1 change |
| Bristol to Gatwick Airport | from £14.00 | from £28.00 | 5 hours 5 minutes | 1 change |
| Cardiff to Gatwick Airport | from £23.00 | from £46.00 | 6 hours 25 minutes | 1 change |
| Inter-airport Routes | ||||
| Heathrow to Gatwick Airport | from £16.00 | from £32.00 | 4 hours 15 minutes | 1 change |
| Stansted to Gatwick Airport | from £16.00 | from £32.00 | 4 hours 20 minutes | 1 change |
| Luton to Gatwick Airport | from £16.10 | from £29.10 | 4 hours 5 minutes | 1 change |
*Journey durations will vary by depending on delays, for accurate times and prices check out www.nationalexpress.com.
The routes above are based on travel to Gatwick’s North Terminal and all routes with a change are via London Victoria and then onto the airport. This is just a small selection of the available routes with many more options available, especially via major hubs, such as Oxford and Birmingham.
Keep in mind that at the time of writing the Covid-19 crisis has meant a reduction in the number of available routes with fewer coaches running on each route.
The cost of National Express Gatwick tickets varies by the time of year, how far in advance you book and whether you have a discount card. Luckily for you, we have done the research on these elements already and by following the tips below, you can ensure that you find the best value tickets for your trip.
Just as with plane and train tickets, the cost of a coach to Gatwick Airport with National Express increases the closer to your departure date you book. While tickets can be booked on the day on the coach, you will end up paying more than necessary. By booking ahead online, you not only save money, but you can skip the ticket queue, head straight for your seat and not have to worry about the coach being full.
As soon as you book your flight, book your National Express tickets at the same time!
National Express offers 3 different types of Coachcard which offer different levels of discounts on travel. While unfortunately, these cards are not available to all passengers, they are fantastic value if you qualify as they offer discounts of up to one third on ticket costs. All 3 Coachcards cost £12.50, plus postage and packaging costs, and they can easily pay back their cost in discounts on one return trip!
For an additional cost of £5 each way, you can add the Change & Go feature that allows you to take any coach to or from the airport 12 hours before or after your original departure time. This is a great option if you are concerned that your flight may be delayed, as you don’t have to pay extra for new transport. This feature also allows you to amend your ticket to a different date free of charge.
Tickets purchased online are, as a general rule, better value than those booked on the day. You also have a broader choice of services, as at busy times of year buses can fill up quickly. However, it is possible to book tickets on the day at the National Express ticket desks at the North and South Terminals and on the coach itself.
The National Express coaches stop at both Gatwick’s North and South Terminal and are easy to access.
At the North Terminal, National Express coaches stop on the lower level outside the International Arrivals area. Keep an eye out for the signs to the bus stop and the National Express logo. If you need to purchase a ticket or have questions about your trip, you can head to the National Express desk inside the International Arrivals area.
For passengers from the South Terminal, National Express coaches stop between platforms 1 and 5 in the lower forecourt outside the Arrivals area. If you need to buy a ticket or have questions about the service, check out the National Express desk in the Arrivals area.
If your coach is from the South Terminal and you land at the North Terminal or vice versa, you can hop on the monorail that connects the two terminals. It takes just 2 minutes and leaves every 3 minutes, so you don’t need to worry about being unable to catch your coach! It is however, a good idea to book a coach that leaves you plenty of time to get from the aircraft to the station or from the station and through security to your flight.
There are plenty of good reasons to opt for coach travel with National Express to Gatwick Airport, but there are also disadvantages. We thought we would explore both sides here, so that you have a good overview of your options. Remember, you can also take a train to Gatwick, drive and park at the airport directly or get dropped off. You have plenty of options!
1. Great value prices
National Express coaches can be a lot cheaper than other transfer options to and from Gatwick. If we take the National Express Gatwick to London service as an example and look at transfers to London Victoria below:
| Transfer Type | National Express | Train | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | from £8.00 | from £12.00 | from £138.00 |
| Return | from £16.00 | from £24.00 | N/A |
We can see that the National Express offers the cheapest by far of the options.
2. Easy luggage transport
Unlike with the train, on National Express coaches you can stow your luggage in the trunk of the coach. This can save you a lot of hassle compared to travelling by train where there is often very little space for luggage. With a National Express ticket, you are permitted one piece of hand luggage and either 2 medium suitcases or one large suitcase.
3. You are guaranteed a seat
With a National Express ticket, you will always be guaranteed a seat. This is not always the case when travelling by train, especially during busy periods.
1. Coach transfers take longer
Compared to train travel at least, coach transfers can be a lot slower, but as a result are significantly cheaper. For instance, you can catch the Gatwick Express train and be at London Victoria around 30 minutes later. By contrast, the National Express service between Gatwick and London Victoria takes around 1 hour 40 minutes. The Gatwick Express costs £17.80 one way, while the National Express tickets start from £8.00.
2. Traffic delays are possible
Travelling by coach always puts you at the mercy of traffic delays, but this is true for all transfer options to Gatwick. It is something that you will need to factor in when choosing your service.
3. Low frequency from some cities
For some towns and cities there is only one or two National Express connections to Gatwick per day. This is not ideal if the service hours do not match up with when you need to be at the airport.
If you need airport car parking in the UK, Parkhero is the best website to help you find great value prices. Our comparison tool has been developed to make saving money on parking at UK airport quick and simple. You just need to enter your airport and travel dates and the system will return a list of the best available parking services ranked from the cheapest to the most expensive. Whether you are looking for Park & Ride, Meet & Greet or on-site services, we will be able to help you find what you need.
We want our customers to make an informed choice and have worked hard to bring you the information you need. For each service there is a dedicated page with a description of the parking process, security information, customer reviews and more. On our Blog you will also find plenty of information about each airport, whether you want to see a list of the Top 5 cheapest services available or a complete overview of parking prices at an airport. If you are still unable to find the information you seek, you can always contact our customer service team who will be happy to advise you.
If you are curious how much it would cost to park at Gatwick, instead of taking the coach, begin your search in the bar above today!
All train prices mentioned serve as a guide only. Travellers should ensure that they check the price of their proposed journey with the service provider before booking. Please note that the information above is provided for reference only, and does not constitute as travel advice.
