LGW · GETTING INTO LONDON
Gatwick has genuinely good rail links — so when is a car actually worth it? Real prices and honest trade-offs.
| Option | Typical cost | Time | Door-to-door? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatwick Express | about £22 single | 30 min to Victoria + onward travel | No |
| Thameslink | about £12–14 | ~35–45 min to London Bridge / St Pancras | No |
| Pre-booked fixed-fare car | from ~£75 per car | 60–90 min | Yes |
| On-demand apps / rank | £80–110, can surge | 60–90 min | Yes, price varies |
Rail fares vary by time and booking; car fares are indicative economy estimates.
For one or two light travellers heading near Victoria, London Bridge or St Pancras, the train is hard to beat — Thameslink especially. Gatwick's rail is better than Heathrow's for value.
The car case is about groups, luggage, and awkward endpoints: a family of four pays roughly £50–88 for rail tickets, then hauls bags across the Underground to the hotel. A fixed-fare car from Gatwick to central London is one price per car, arrivals hall to your door, and it doesn't care what time your delayed flight actually lands.
One more thing: for the South Coast, trains work for Brighton — but for Eastbourne, Canterbury, Guildford or anywhere cross-country, rail means changes and a car is usually faster door-to-door.
Solo/couple, central London near a terminus: Thameslink.
Group, luggage, night arrival, or anywhere off the rail line: pre-booked fixed fare.
Prices load automatically for this route — adjust the fields for any other journey. The fare shown includes flight tracking, waiting time and meet & greet, and it won't change at pickup.
Results show the cheapest class first — Comfort is the most popular upgrade; minivans carry up to 7. Secure checkout by Kiwitaxi — rated 4.5/5 by 1,200+ travellers (Reviews.co.uk).
Pre-booked fixed fares start around £75 for a standard car; on-demand or metered options typically cost more and can surge at busy times.
It's the fastest rail option at about £22 single, but Thameslink covers similar ground for roughly £13 — for most travellers Thameslink is the better-value train.
Typically 60–90 minutes depending on traffic and destination — the M23/A23 corridor is slowest at rush hour.