Heathrow to Gatwick Transfer

The Heathrow to Gatwick transfer is the UK''s most-travelled inter-airport route. Around two million passengers a year cross between the two airports — many on tight connections, some repositioning for a cruise from the South Coast, others simply changing carrier. Public transport on this route is awkward (no direct rail, the National Express coach takes 90 minutes minimum and often longer with traffic), which is why a fixed-price private car has become the default for travellers carrying luggage or moving as a group.

BA Transfer covers the route 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We pick up from any Heathrow terminal — Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 or Terminal 5 — with no surcharge for terminal moves. Drop-off is at Gatwick North or Gatwick South, again with no extra fee. Your driver tracks your inbound flight in real time and adjusts the pickup automatically if you land early or late, so you won''t be paying for the driver to sit and wait when your flight is delayed.

What''s included in every Heathrow to Gatwick booking

• Fixed price — the figure you see on the quote is the figure you pay. No surge, no per-mile meter, no airport pickup surcharge.
• Free meet & greet — your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board so you can find each other even at busy peak times.
• Real-time flight tracking — pickup time adjusts to your actual landing, free of waiting charges for the first 60 minutes after landing.
• Free child and baby seats — rear-facing infant, child and booster seats on request at no extra charge.
• All parking and tolls — Heathrow drop-off / pickup charges and M25 tolls are included in the quote.
• Door-to-door service — Gatwick North or South terminal drop directly at departures.

Why a private car beats the alternatives

The two public-transport options between the airports are National Express coach (around £30–£40 per person one-way, 70–110 minutes journey time but with luggage handling and a coach stand walk at each end) and a two-leg train via central London (Heathrow Express to Paddington, Tube to Victoria, Gatwick Express to Gatwick — roughly £45–£55 per person, total journey 2–2.5 hours, dragging luggage between platforms). Both work for solo travellers carrying only a backpack. Neither works comfortably for families, business groups, or anyone with more than a carry-on.

For a family of four with checked bags, our MPV-7 fixed price typically falls in the £130–£170 range — usually cheaper than four coach tickets when you include the cost of getting hand luggage on and off, and significantly less stressful than two changes of train. For a group of six to eight, the price-per-person on our MPV-8 is comfortably below the coach fare.

Connecting-flight buffer recommendations

If you''re booking the transfer to make a Gatwick connection, build the right buffer in. For a European short-haul departure from Gatwick we recommend allowing at least 3 hours between your Heathrow landing time and your Gatwick scheduled departure. For long-haul at Gatwick, allow 4 hours. That accounts for typical immigration and baggage reclaim times at Heathrow, the 65–80 minute drive, and Gatwick check-in plus security at the other end. Our drivers automatically watch the M25 conditions and will text you a heads-up if traffic looks heavy.

Common pickup and drop-off scenarios

Cruise repositioning: many travellers fly into Heathrow then transfer to Gatwick to fly onward to a cruise port (Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Athens). We also do the reverse — Gatwick to Heathrow — for cruise passengers ending an itinerary at Southampton/Dover and connecting onward via Heathrow.

Carrier change: separate-ticket itineraries that route through both airports. Common with US travellers connecting from British Airways at Heathrow to a budget European carrier at Gatwick.

Hotel-to-hotel: Heathrow-area hotels (Sofitel T5, Hilton T4, Renaissance T3) to Gatwick-area hotels (Sofitel North, Hilton Gatwick) the night before an early Gatwick departure.