London Gatwick Airport

Airport Details

Airport Code

LGW

Full Airport name

London Gatwick Airport

Address

RH6 0NP, West Sussex, United Kingdom

Country Dialing Prefix

44

Telephone

0844 335 1802.

Email Address

feedback@gatwickairport.com

Website

www.gatwickairport.com

Number of Terminals

2

Time Zone

GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October)

Airport Information

Location

The airport is located 45km (28 miles) south of London.

Airport News

A £53m redevelopment of Gatwick Airport railway station has been announced. It involves creating a new platform and refurbishing the concourse, as well as upgrading the track and signalling, with work due for completion in 2013. Plans are also in place for a third terminal and a second runway.

Transfer Between Terminals

There is a free Transit train, which links the North and South terminals 24 hours a day.

Driving Directions

The airport is linked to the M23 motorway. Turn off at Junction 9 and follow signs for the airport. London Gatwick is also accessible from the A23 London-Brighton Road.

Car Hire

Alamo, Avis, Dollar, Europcar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty are all represented at the airport. A new car rental facility at the North Terminal is scheduled for completion in April 2011.

Public Transport

Coach: There are more than 400 express coach services operating daily from the coach stations at both terminals. The main coach station is located on the ground floor of the South Terminal, with most services operating from here. Principal routes also stop at the North Terminal station. EasyBus is the cheapest option, if booked online (website: www.easybus.co.uk), running to Earl's Court with a journey time of a little over an hour National Express (tel: 0871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com) operates most of the other services. National Express coach 700 coaches operate to Heathrow Airport, from both terminals. The National Express Shuttle coach 25 runs to London Victoria Station. The Gatwick Flyer (tel: (01708) 730 555; www.gatwickflyer.co.uk) runs to destinations east of London, and coaches operate from the South Terminal station only. There are desks providing coach information and tickets in the Arrivals concourse of both terminals. Taxi: The official Gatwick Airport taxi service is provided by Checker Cars (tel: 0800 747 737; www.checkercars.com). Booking desks are located in the North Terminal arrivals area, and the northern entrance to the South Terminal, and cabs wait outside the terminal buildings.

Rail: The Gatwick Express train (tel: 0845 850 1530; www.gatwickexpress.co.uk) runs regularly between 0435 and 0135 to London Victoria Station (journey time: 30 minutes). There is also a Thameslink (tel: 0845 748 4950; www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk) service, which runs to London King's Cross (journey time: 50 minutes) as well as other London stations. Numerous other services connect the airport with London and the south coast. Information on all national rail travel is available through the 24-hour National Rail enquiries line (tel: 0845 748 4950; www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Car Parking

Each terminal has a short-term car park with direct access to the terminals via covered walkways; these are operated by NCP (tel: 0845 050 7080; www.ncp.co.uk). Long-term parking is also available in car parks further from the terminals; a free shuttle bus runs between the car parks and the terminals. Passengers can book parking via BAA Advance (tel: 0844 335 1000; www.baa.com). Valet parking is available and also operated by NCP.

Information and Help Desks

Each Arrivals concourse has an information desk (tel: 0870 000 2468) where multi-lingual staff are on hand to deal with enquiries 24 hours a day.

Airport Facilities

Money and communications: Both terminals have bureau de change and ATMs. There is a 24-hour Internet café in the South Terminal. Wireless Internet connection is also available throughout the airport.
Eating and drinking: There are numerous restaurants, bars and cafés located in both terminals.
Shopping: There are many shops at the airport, including several duty-free outlets. The airport has also recently introduced a home delivery service and a collection service. More information is available from the BAA Shopping Information Line (tel: 0870 850 2825).
Luggage: Left-luggage facilities are available in both terminals. A lost property service is also operated by the Excess Baggage Company (tel: (01293) 502 014 South Terminal or (01293) 502 013 North Terminal).
Other facilities: These include baby changing rooms and showers, a children’s play area, a medical center offering vaccinations (tel: (01293) 507 400) and prayer rooms.

Conference and Business Facilities

The United Business Center in the South Terminal (tel: (01293) 555 515; www.unitedbusinesscenters.co.uk) has 17 meeting rooms available for hire. There are business facilities, including telephone, fax, photocopy and secretarial services and conference and meeting rooms, at London Gatwick Hilton Hotel (tel: (01293) 518 080; www.hilton.co.uk) at the South Terminal and at Sofitel London Gatwick (tel: (01293) 567 070; www.sofitel.com) at the North Terminal. There is one executive lounge in the South Terminal, the Servisair Lounge, and one in the North Terminal, the Aviance Alexandra Suite (tel: (01293) 507 203).

Facilities for Disabled Travelers

Special assistance is available for disabled passengers. There are ramps and/or lifts where necessary. Wheelchair push and provision and help with baggage are also provided on request. Reserved seating is located throughout the airport, and there is also designated parking for badge holders. There is an induction loop installed in the terminals, as well as disabled toilets. Passengers requiring assistance should inform the relevant airline before traveling. Travel-Care (tel: (01293) 504 283) provides advice to anyone who needs assistance and is located in The Village, in the South Terminal.