Gatwick is one of those journeys where two people travelling to the same destination could end up paying different fares. The Gatwick Express costs £24.00, but the same trip can be done for £10.70, or about £7 with a Railcard, or under £6 by coach. Here we try to price the options available to you using TfL's own fare data, and these fares are fixed until July 2027.
What is the cheapest way to get to Gatwick from London?
The coach is cheapest: from £1.99 with easyBus or around £5 to £6 with National Express, booked in advance from Victoria Coach Station. The cheapest train is Thameslink or Southern paying by contactless or Oyster, £10.70 off-peak in 2026. With a Railcard linked to an Oyster card it is about £7.05. The Gatwick Express costs £24.00 and is only about 5 minutes faster.
All options at a glance
One adult, one way, from central London:
| How | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| easyBus coach, booked ahead | from £1.99 | 85 to 95 min |
| National Express coach, booked ahead | from £5.20 | 65 to 90 min |
| Train, Railcard linked to Oyster, off-peak | about £7.05 | 30 to 45 min |
| Thameslink or Southern, contactless, off-peak | £10.70 | 28 to 44 min |
| Thameslink paper single | £15.10 | 28 to 44 min |
| Thameslink or Southern, contactless, peak | £19.20 | 28 to 44 min |
| Gatwick Express | £24.00 | 30 min |
Peak means 6.30am to 9.30am and 4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday. Everything else, including all weekend, is off-peak.
The coach: cheapest, but slower
National Express runs up to 32 coaches a day from Victoria Coach Station, day and night. Book a few weeks ahead and you pay around £5 to £6. easyBus sells seats on the same route from £1.99, but the cheapest ones go fast. Walk-up fares are more like £12.
The catch is time and traffic: 65 to 90 minutes on a good day. Fine for a relaxed afternoon flight, risky for a tight check-in. Also book logged in on the National Express site or app, otherwise a £1.50 booking fee is added.
The train: just tap contactless, £10.70 off-peak
You don't need to buy a ticket. Tap in with any contactless card or Oyster at Victoria, London Bridge, St Pancras, Blackfriars, Farringdon or City Thameslink, take a Thameslink or Southern train, and tap out at Gatwick. Off-peak it is £10.70, which beats the £15.10 paper single. Thameslink from London Bridge takes 29 minutes, basically Express speed.
Careful at Victoria
Platforms 13 and 14 have a separate Gatwick Express gateline. Tap in there and you are charged the £24.00 Express fare, even if you board a normal train. Use the ordinary gates and take a Southern service instead.
Have a Railcard? Pay about £7
Link your Railcard to a physical Oyster card and you get 34% off off-peak pay as you go fares, including Gatwick. So £10.70 becomes about £7.05. The discount does not work on contactless bank cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay, only on a plastic Oyster, and staff at any Tube station can add it in a minute. I explained the whole thing in my Railcard and Oyster guide.
It works with the 16-25, 26-30, Senior, Disabled Persons, HM Forces and Veterans Railcards, and Annual Gold Cards. And it is off-peak only, so a weekday 8am departure still costs the full £19.20.
The East Croydon trick, if you travel in peak hours
The London to Gatwick fare carries an airport premium, but East Croydon to Gatwick does not. If you get off at East Croydon, tap out, tap straight back in and take the next train, you pay £4.40 + £4.10 = £8.50 off-peak instead of £10.70. In the peak it is £13.20 instead of £19.20, a saving of £6.00. Nearly all Gatwick trains stop at East Croydon, but you will usually wait 10 to 15 minutes for the next one, so decide if it is worth the faff with luggage.
Is the Gatwick Express worth it?
For most people, no. It is £24.00 for a 30 minute journey to Victoria, while a Southern train on the same tracks takes around 35 minutes for £10.70 off-peak. You pay £13 extra to save about 5 minutes.
Travelling as a family or group?
- Kids for £2: on Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express, up to 4 children aged 5 to 15 pay a £2 flat fare off-peak with an adult. But the adult must hold a paper or e-ticket, it does not work if the adult taps in with pay as you go.
- 3 to 9 adults: GroupSave gives 34% off off-peak paper tickets, about £9.97 each, no Railcard needed.
- Network, Two Together and Family & Friends Railcards cannot go on Oyster, but they still give a third off paper tickets, so about £9.95 for the Thameslink single.
Early flight or late landing?
Thameslink runs between St Pancras and Gatwick through the night, roughly hourly in the small hours, every day. National Express coaches run overnight too. So even a 6am check-in does not need a taxi. Just check for engineering works before a weekend night journey on our weekend closures page. And if someone offers to drive you: Gatwick charges £10 just to drop you off at the terminal since January 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Oyster or contactless to Gatwick Airport?
Yes. Tap in from central London and tap out at Gatwick. In 2026 it is £10.70 off-peak and £19.20 peak on Thameslink and Southern. Only the Gatwick Express charges its special £24.00 fare.
Does my Railcard work on the train to Gatwick?
On paper tickets, yes, most Railcards give a third off. On pay as you go it works only if the Railcard is linked to a physical Oyster card, making the off-peak fare about £7.05. Contactless bank cards cannot hold a Railcard discount.
Is there a night train to Gatwick?
Yes. Thameslink runs through the night between St Pancras and Gatwick, roughly one train an hour, and National Express runs overnight coaches from Victoria Coach Station.
What is the cheapest way to Gatwick for a family?
Off-peak, one adult buys a £15.10 Thameslink paper single and up to 4 kids aged 5 to 15 travel for £2 each. Two adults and two kids comes to about £34 by train, or less by coach booked early.
Coming back late from the airport?
Landing at midnight and not sure if you will make the last train home? Check it before you fly.
Find your last train home →Fares as in August 2026 from TfL fare data and operator websites, valid until July 2027. Coach prices change with demand. Always check live times and prices before you travel.