Heathrow to Gatwick Airport Taxi — Complete Guide

All Transfer Options, M25 Route, Connecting Flight Timing 2026

Written by Gatwick Taxi Transfer · TfL-licensed minicab and minicab operator · 4.9★ · 56 reviews · Updated: 3 June 2026

The Heathrow to Gatwick transfer is one of the most requested inter-airport journeys in the UK. Both serve the London catchment area but sit at opposite ends of the capital — 40 miles apart — Heathrow to the west and Gatwick to the south. Travellers on this route fall into three groups: those with a connecting flight booked through two separate airlines, those who have chosen to fly into one London airport and out of another, and those positioning to Gatwick for a departure after arriving into Heathrow on a long-haul flight. Each group has different time pressure and cost priorities, and the right transport option depends heavily on which category applies.

All Transfer Options — LHR to LGW Compared

Three main transport methods cover the Heathrow to Gatwick route. The table below maps each method across what matters most: price, travel duration, luggage ease, connecting flight suitability, and whether the service runs 24/7.

Pre-Booked Taxi — GTT from Heathrow to Gatwick

GTT positions a driver at the arrivals zone of whichever Heathrow terminal you land at. The driver positions at the correct pickup point for each terminal — there is no central collection zone for private hire at Heathrow, so terminal accuracy matters at booking. After landing, clearing immigration, and collecting luggage, the typical time from wheels-down to reaching the driver is 45 to 75 minutes, which GTT builds into all Heathrow transfer schedules.

The route from Heathrow to Gatwick runs anticlockwise on the M25 from junction 15 at Heathrow to J7 at the M23 junction, then south on the M23 to junction 9 for the North Terminal approach. For travellers arriving at Heathrow early in the morning — between 5am and 7am — the M25 is normally clear and the journey completes in 45 to 55 minutes. By 7:30am the M25 J15 to J10 section begins building, and by 8am it can be severely congested from Heathrow all the way to the M23.

All GTT fares cover the £10 Gatwick drop-off charge. Since January 6, 2026, Gatwick requires every road vehicle entering the LGW forecourt area to pay £10 — this is recorded by ANPR cameras the moment the vehicle enters the drop-off zone. GTT handles this charge and includes it in the quoted fare. With a black cab or ride-hailing service, this levy can appear as a post-journey addition.

Heathrow Terminals — Pickup Points for Your Transfer

Heathrow has five terminals and the pickup zone differs at each. Getting the terminal right at booking removes the most common cause of missed transfers at Heathrow — a driver waiting at T5 while the passenger is at T3.

Terminal 1 closed permanently in 2020 — T1 no longer handles any flights. T2/T3 passengers share the Central Terminal Area road and use the central coach station for National Express. T4 and T5 are physically separate from the CTA and require either the Piccadilly line or dedicated road access. Travellers arriving at LHR on British Airways invariably arrive at T5 — the BA exclusive terminal at the western end of the airport — and should book a T5 pickup rather than a general Heathrow pickup.

National Express 025 — Direct Coach Heathrow to Gatwick

The National Express route 025 is the only scheduled direct public transport running between Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport. No rail service covers this route without going via central London. The 025 operates up to 30 departures daily in the Heathrow to Gatwick direction, with an additional shuttle running the combined LHR-LGW circuit totalling up to 63 services per day across both directions.

At Heathrow the 025 board from the Central Bus Station area (T2/T3), then calls at Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 before heading direct to Gatwick. At Gatwick, the service calls at both the North Terminal and the South Terminal. Journey time off-peak runs 50 to 70 minutes. Advance fares start from £14.70 — walk-up fares are higher and availability on specific departure times is not guaranteed at busy periods.

The National Express 025 is the right choice for solo passengers with manageable luggage and a flexible connection time. Its main limitation for connecting flight passengers is the fixed timetable — if your inbound Heathrow flight is delayed by 90 minutes, you may miss your pre-booked National Express departure and need to join the next available service, potentially adding 30 to 60 minutes. A pre-booked taxi adjusts automatically to your actual landing time.

Via Central London — Rail Options

There is no direct rail service between Heathrow and Gatwick. Both airports connect to central London independently, and any rail transfer between them requires travelling into central London and back out — adding both the time and cost of two separate rail legs. This approach suits passengers who want to stop in central London between flights, but for those making a direct connection, it adds unnecessary complexity.

Route A — Heathrow Express + Gatwick Express (fastest rail)

Take the Heathrow Express from Heathrow (T2/T3, T4, or T5) to London Paddington — 15 minutes, every 15 minutes, £25 standard. From Paddington, take the Elizabeth line or Circle line to Victoria — 5 to 10 minutes. From Victoria, the Gatwick Express runs non-stop to Gatwick in 30 minutes — £21.50 advance. Total journey: approximately 55 to 70 minutes forecourt-to-forecourt, but the total cost is approximately £47 to £55, with two changes and significant luggage carrying at Paddington and Victoria.

Route B — Elizabeth Line + Thameslink (cheapest rail)

Take the Elizabeth line from Heathrow (T2/T3 or T4/T5) to Farringdon or City Thameslink — approximately 40 to 50 minutes. From Farringdon, take the Thameslink service direct to Gatwick — approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Total: 80 to 100 minutes, with one change at Farringdon or nearby stations. Cost: approximately £12 to £15 using contactless. This is the cheapest rail route but involves the longest journey time and is impractical with multiple checked cases.

M25 Route and Traffic — What to Expect

The M25 anticlockwise between junction 15 (Heathrow) and junction 7 (M23 interchange) is the backbone of any road transfer between the two airports. This 27-mile section of the M25 is one of the busiest stretches of motorway in Europe. When it flows, the Heathrow to Gatwick road journey takes under an hour. When it congests — which it does with near-certainty at predictable times — the same journey can take twice as long.

The M25 has no alternative. There is no meaningfully faster road route between Heathrow and Gatwick that avoids this section. The A3 from Heathrow via Kingston adds extra road distance and typically runs slower than the M25 except during the very worst M25 gridlock. GTT drivers use live traffic data and can reroute via the A23 from Croydon to the south of the M25 if a major incident has caused near-total motorway standstill — but this is an exception, not a routine option.

Connecting Flights — Minimum Transfer Time Guide

Passengers making a connecting flight between Heathrow and Gatwick are operating outside the standard airport connection procedures. Both airports process tens of millions of travellers annually but have no formal interline agreement or designated connector transport. Each leg must be treated as an independent journey. Airlines do not hold flights for travellers who booked separate tickets — if you miss the connection, the second airline treats it as a no-show.

The minimum absolute safe connection time between a Heathrow arrival and a Gatwick departure is 3 hours — and that assumes: on-time landing at Heathrow, fast immigration and baggage reclaim (under 45 minutes total), immediate taxi departure with a clear M25 (45 minutes), and arriving at Gatwick with 30 minutes before Gatwick check-in closes. This leaves zero margin for delays at any stage.

Arriving at Gatwick — Which Terminal

GTT drops at the correct Gatwick terminal for your departure flight. Noting your terminal when the booking is confirmed eliminates the risk of arriving at the wrong forecourt. The North Terminal and South Terminal at Gatwick are connected by the free People Mover — a 2-minute automated shuttle — but switching terminals with luggage adds 10 to 15 minutes and reduces check-in buffer time on a short connection window.

Return Journey — Gatwick to Heathrow

The Gatwick to Heathrow return journey uses the same route in reverse — M23 north to M25 clockwise to junction 15 for Heathrow. Journey times and traffic patterns mirror the outbound route. GTT provides Gatwick to Heathrow transfers at the same pricing structure, with a meet-and-greet available at Gatwick arrivals for travellers connecting in from the Eurostar or arriving from shorter European routes before a Heathrow long-haul departure.

For the Gatwick to Heathrow direction, the morning peak on the M25 clockwise (J7 to J15) runs from approximately 7am to 9am with heavy southbound commuter traffic around the M3 and M4 junctions. Afternoon M25 clockwise traffic in the Gatwick-to-Heathrow direction tends to be lighter than the anticlockwise equivalent, but Sunday evenings remain heavy throughout.

LHR to LGW — Passenger Questions

Other Routes and Bookings

GTT serves all London airports and any UK destination as a fixed-fare operator. The Heathrow to Gatwick route is one of the longest inter-airport transfers GTT handles, but the same pricing structure applies to every booking — the fare quoted when the booking is confirmed is the fare paid on arrival, with all surcharges built in.

For passengers who need an airport transfer at either end of a longer UK journey — such as a Heathrow arrival followed by travel to a hotel in Central London before a Gatwick departure the following day — GTT can cover both legs as separate bookings with the same consistent pricing and the same 4.9-star service standard.

Organisations running repeated Heathrow-Gatwick journeys can open a GTT account for consolidated monthly billing with a single point of contact. This suits travel managers handling executive or employee journeys between the two airports, particularly for companies with operations requiring frequent use of both airports on different long-haul networks.

• Heathrow Airport — All Five Terminals
• Gatwick Airport — Both Terminals Covered
• Gatwick Chauffeur Service — Executive Transfer Guide
• Heathrow Taxi Fares — London Postcode Breakdown
• Choosing Between Gatwick and Heathrow — Full Comparison
• Eurostar from London St Pancras — 2026 Routes
• Corporate Account — Monthly Billing
• Airport Minibus — Groups up to 8
• Instant Fare Calculator — Any Route