Travel from Gatwick to Heathrow
We get so many e-mails about how to travel from Gatwick to Heathrow (or vice versa), that we had to put up a page. Although they are both technically 'London airports', they are 45 miles apart and there is no quick way to travel between them.
There is no direct train link and the road that connects them is the busiest stretch of the M25, the world's busiest stretch of road (and the road that inspired Chris Rea to write the song 'Road to Hell'). If there is any way to avoid this journey, avoid it.
If you need to pick up a connecting flight how long will you need to get from Gatwick to Heathrow? This is another common question. BA suggest a minimum connecting time between a flight into Gatwick and one out of Heathrow of 3 hours, including a coach journey of between 1 and 1½ hours. But this must be for domestic flights
We don't think that 3 hours is anywhere near long enough for international flights, where you would need to be at Heathrow a minimum of 2 hours before your next flight. We think the minimum should be 5 hours for an international flight, more if you are travelling during rush hour (see below). And this assumes that your flight into Gatwick lands on time.
Here are your options if you need to travel Gatwick to Heathrow:
Train: There are no direct trains from Gatwick to Heathrow. To do the journey by train you have to take a train from Gatwick South Terminal Train Station into London Victoria (30 minutes; £11 single). Then you need to transfer to the underground and take a 'tube' from Victoria underground station to Paddington underground station (Circle Line, about 30 minutes; £2 single). Then you need to transfer to Paddington Train Station and take the Heathrow Express from Paddington to Heathrow (15 minutes; £14 single).
Including transfers, walking between the underground and train stations and waiting for trains, you can expect this journey to take around 2 - 2½ hours and cost £27 per person.
Coach: National Express Coaches (National Express) run up to 100 buses a day between Gatwick and Heathrow. The fare is £17.50 for an adult and £8.75 for a child. The official journey time is 60 - 70 minutes, which is fine for most of the day.
However, if you are travelling during rush hour on the M25 (any time near 07:00 - 10:00 or 16:00 - 19:00), or there is roadworks, an accident, etc., you can add 30 minutes or more to the average journey time. It will still be quicker than the train on all but the worst of journeys.
Taxi: You could also take a black cab or organise a transfer via a taxi company advertising airport transfers. However, they will take the same route as the coach (there is no quicker way or short cuts for this route that the coach won't take too). So the journey time will be about the same as on the bus, but the fare will be from around £90 plus tip.
If we were doing it, we'd allow plenty of time, buy a novel, and take the bus.
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