Moving between Heathrow and Gatwick is one of the most awkward journeys in the south-east. The two airports are thirty-four miles apart, there is no direct rail line between them, and the road route depends entirely on the M25 behaving itself. If you are connecting between flights, or arriving at one airport and departing from the other, the question is not just what it costs but how much time to allow and what happens if the first flight is late.
This page sets out the real distance and drive time, what actually decides the price of a car between the two, the charges the airports themselves levy, and how to get a firm figure for your own transfer before you book.
The Journey: Distance, Time and Route
The direct road route between the two airports is measured below. It is a single number that does not change with the price of anything, which makes it the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | Heathrow to Gatwick |
|---|---|
| Road distance | 33.8 miles |
| Free-flowing drive time | about 52 minutes |
| Usual route | A244 and the M25 anticlockwise |
| Direct rail link | none — there is no through train between the two airports |
| Coach option | National Express runs between the terminals |
Fifty-two minutes is the free-flowing figure. It is also the figure you should treat with the most suspicion, because the section of M25 the route uses — the south-western quarter, between the A3 and the M23 — is one of the busiest stretches of motorway in Britain and one of the most prone to overnight closures and roadworks. In the morning and evening peaks, and whenever the M25 has an incident, the same journey can take half as long again.
Which way the driver actually goes
The default is north-east out of Heathrow, round the M25 clockwise to junction 7 and down the M23. When the M25 is blocked the alternative runs through Surrey on the A3 and A217 or down through Dorking on the A24 — slower in free-flowing conditions, quicker when the motorway has stopped. A driver who knows this corridor makes that call before setting off rather than joining the queue, which is the practical argument for a local firm over a national app.
Terminals matter at both ends
Heathrow has four operating terminals spread across a large site, and Gatwick has two linked by a shuttle. Terminal 5 at Heathrow and the South Terminal at Gatwick are at opposite ends of their respective airports, so the terminal pairing can add ten minutes at each end. Tell us which terminal you are arriving at and which you are departing from when you book — it changes the timing, and on a tight connection the timing is the whole point.
How Much Time to Allow
If you are self-connecting — two separate tickets, one at each airport — nobody is protecting your onward flight. The arithmetic to do is honest rather than optimistic:
- Landing to kerbside at Heathrow: immigration and baggage reclaim are the variable, and on a busy long-haul arrival an hour is not unusual
- The transfer itself: around 52 minutes free-flowing, more in peak hours or if the M25 is disrupted
- Check-in and security at Gatwick: as your departing airline requires, which for a long-haul departure is commonly three hours
Add those up honestly and a same-day self-connection between the two airports needs a large buffer. A booked car with flight tracking removes one variable from that sum, because the driver is watching the arrival and not the clock.
What Decides the Price of a Heathrow to Gatwick Car
There is no single fare for this journey, and there is a reason for that. The same thirty-four miles can be very different pieces of work.
The time of day
A 2am inter-airport transfer and a 5pm one are the same distance and very different jobs. Night and early-morning work costs more to staff; the evening peak costs more in time. Both move the figure.
The vehicle and the luggage
This is the journey where luggage matters most, because almost everybody making it is travelling with full hold bags. Four passengers connecting between long-haul flights are an estate or a larger vehicle, not a saloon — and discovering that at the kerb at Heathrow with a Gatwick check-in time ticking is the worst possible moment. Count the bags honestly when you book.
Waiting and flight monitoring
On a transfer booked against an inbound flight we track the arrival and set the pickup against the time the aircraft actually lands. A delayed flight does not mean a lost car. Most operators allow a free grace period after landing for immigration and reclaim, with waiting chargeable beyond it — ask what the period is when you book.
One way or both
If you are coming back the other way later in the trip, say so at the booking stage. A known return is easier to plan around than a car summoned at short notice from the wrong side of the M25.
Whether anyone needs assistance
Step-free access, a wheelchair, or a passenger who needs help with bags all affect which vehicle is sent on a journey this long. It is priced in when you tell us at the booking stage. Our wheelchair accessible taxi page covers what we run.
The Charges That Are Not Ours
Two of the costs on an airport-to-airport journey belong to the airports rather than to any taxi firm. The figures below are the airport operators’ own published charges, correct as at October 2026.
Gatwick drop-off
Gatwick charges a minimum of £10 for a stay of up to ten minutes in its drop-off zones, then £1 for every further minute up to twenty minutes. The maximum stay is thirty minutes and the daily cap is £30, and the same terms apply at both the North and South terminals. Source: Gatwick Airport — dropping off.
Heathrow drop-off
Travelling the other way, Heathrow charges £7 for each entry into a terminal drop-off zone, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, and re-entering triggers the charge again. Source: Heathrow Airport — drop-off charge.
Blue Badge holders
Both airports operate exemptions for Blue Badge holders, claimed against a vehicle registration rather than a person — which means a passenger can register the plate of the car bringing them, whether or not they are driving. We will give you the registration of your booked car. There is more on this on our accessible taxi page.
Car, Coach or Train: What Each One Actually Involves
There are three honest options for this journey and they suit different situations.
- A booked car goes door to door with your bags in the boot, is tracked against your inbound flight, and takes around 52 minutes free-flowing. It is the only option where somebody else carries the risk of the first flight running late.
- The coach runs between the terminals on a timetable. It is cheaper and perfectly sensible when you have time in hand and manageable luggage, and much less so when the schedule and your arrival do not line up.
- Rail means a change in central London with hold bags, which is why it is the option experienced connecting passengers avoid. There is no through train between the two airports.
If you are weighing the general question rather than this specific route, our guide to what actually decides a taxi fare sets out the same reasoning across every journey we run.
Booking an Inter-Airport Transfer: What We Need
A quote for this route takes seconds, because there are only a handful of things that change the answer:
- The inbound flight number and arrival terminal, so we can track it
- The departing terminal at the other airport
- The date and time
- How many passengers, and how many hold bags between them
- Anything particular: a child seat, step-free access, a pet travelling, a meet and greet inside the terminal
Call 01372 747 747 and you will get the figure on the call, or send the same details through the online booking form. Accounts are invoiced monthly, and the mechanics are on our pricing and payment methods page.
The Rest of Our Airport Work
Clocktower Cars has been running airport transfers out of Surrey and south-west London for years, from twelve offices and under a private hire operator licence held as Epsom & Ewell Cars T/A Clocktower Cars. Inter-airport transfers are a small part of it. The larger part is getting people to and from a single airport: Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted, with everything gathered on our airport transfers page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Heathrow from Gatwick by road?
The road route is 33.8 miles, usually via the A244 and the M25 anticlockwise to the M23. Free-flowing it takes about 52 minutes, but the south-western quarter of the M25 is heavily used and prone to closures, so peak-hour and disrupted journeys run considerably longer.
How long does a taxi take from Heathrow to Gatwick?
About 52 minutes in free-flowing conditions. In the morning or evening peak, or if the M25 has an incident, allow half as long again. Terminal pairings add up to ten minutes at each end, so a Terminal 5 to South Terminal run is longer than the headline figure.
Is there a train between Heathrow and Gatwick?
There is no direct rail link between the two airports. Rail journeys require at least one change in central London with your luggage, and National Express runs a coach service between the terminals. For a connection with hold bags and a check-in deadline, a booked car is the simpler option.
How much does a taxi from Heathrow to Gatwick cost?
It depends on the time of day, the vehicle the luggage requires, the terminals at each end and whether waiting is involved, so we quote it rather than publish one figure. Give us the flight details and the bag count and you will have the price before you book — call 01372 747 747 or use the online booking form.
Do airport charges apply to this journey?
Gatwick charges for entry into its drop-off zones, so an arrival at a Gatwick terminal carries that charge. It is the airport’s charge rather than ours, and we tell you when it applies. Blue Badge holders can claim an exemption, registered against the vehicle registration.
What happens if my inbound flight is delayed?
We track the inbound flight and set the pickup against the actual landing time. A delay does not mean a lost car. There is a free grace period after landing for immigration and baggage reclaim, with waiting chargeable beyond it — ask what the period is when you book.
How much time should I allow between flights?
Add the time from landing to kerbside at the first airport, which on a busy long-haul arrival can be an hour, plus around 52 minutes of transfer, plus whatever check-in and security your departing airline requires at the second. On two separate tickets nobody is protecting the onward flight, so the buffer has to be generous.
Can you take a group of eight between the airports?
Yes. An eight-seater is usually both cheaper and simpler than two cars on this route, because everyone arrives at the second airport together rather than twenty minutes apart. Tell us the passenger and luggage count and we will say which works out better.
Can I pay the driver by card?
Our cars do not carry card terminals. Pay by card when you book, by phone or online, or in cash to the driver. Business and corporate accounts are invoiced monthly, which is how most regular inter-airport work is handled.
Get a Price for Your Transfer
Give us the flight, the terminals and the bag count and we will give you the figure before you commit to anything. Call 01372 747 747, or 01483 422 222 for our Godalming office, or use the online booking form. Anything else about how we work is answered in our FAQs.