To Victoria · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours
5 transfer options
Not everything runs all night.Not all night: the Southern to Victoria runs 05:27–23:55, the Gatwick Express runs 05:41–23:11, the National Express 025 coach runs 03:35–23:30.
Recommended
116 minutes quicker than the National Express 025 coach (sold from £6), for up to £4.70 more. And no booking needed.
Regional
Thameslink
Thameslink · Thameslink
29–63 min rideEvery 8 minRuns all night
Gatwick Airport station→London Bridge
24-hour serviceLuggage space
£10.70total for 1 adult£10.70 eachBuy ticket3 places to buy
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. Gatwick Airport station, in the South Terminal
£10.70 by contactless or Oyster off-peak, to London Bridge, Blackfriars or St Pancras alike; £19.20 from 06:30 to 09:30 on weekdays. A paper Anytime Day Single is £14.40 to London Bridge and £15.10 to St Pancras, valid at any hour but not on the Gatwick Express.
£10.70total for 1 adult£10.70 eachBuy ticket2 places to buy
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. Gatwick Airport station, in the South Terminal
£10.70 by contactless or Oyster off-peak, weekends and public holidays included; £19.20 from 06:30 to 09:30 on weekdays. A paper Anytime Day Single is £21.30 and is not valid on the Gatwick Express.
Luggage. Racks by the doors and overhead.
Hours. Direct trains on weekdays. Between midnight and 05:27 Victoria needs a change; Thameslink runs hourly to Blackfriars and St Pancras instead.
£24total for 1 adult£24 eachBuy ticket3 places to buy
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. Gatwick Airport station, in the South Terminal
£24.00 by contactless or Oyster at any hour, with no off-peak rate and no daily cap. A paper Anytime Single is £24.10 and is valid on any train. The operator gives 10% off most singles and returns bought on its own site, and 25% off with Web Duo for two.
Luggage. Up to three items each, carried yourself; the trains have luggage areas and extra-wide doors.
Hours. Weekdays, every 30 minutes. On Sundays the first is 07:20 and the last 23:12, taking 36 to 44 minutes.
The options are still here — your budget or journey-time filter is drawn tighter than any of them. Widen either one, or reset the filters, to bring them back.
Prices marked "from" are starting prices set by the operator. Prices are whole-party totals; group fares are included. Ride times are recorded journey durations — no waiting or onward travel has been added — and road times vary with traffic. Confirm prices and availability with the operator. Going the other way? London to Gatwick airport: where each one boards and when the first one runs
How do I get from London Gatwick airport to London city center?
For one traveler we recommend the Thameslink at £10.70, 29–63 min: 116 minutes quicker than the National Express 025 coach (sold from £6), for up to £4.70 more. And no booking needed. The cheapest is the National Express 025 coach, sold from £6, 135–160 min. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
A few things for the rest of your trip
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Data in United KingdomAiralo
An eSIM for United Kingdom, installed before you fly, works in the arrivals hall: tickets, maps, the driver's messages.
A flight three or more hours late, or cancelled at short notice, can be owed up to €600 a passenger under EU and UK rules, depending on the flight. AirHelp charges only if the claim succeeds.
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Arriving late?
Not everything runs around the clock: the Southern to Victoria runs 05:27–23:55, and the Gatwick Express runs 05:41–23:11, and the National Express 025 coach runs 03:35–23:30. Outside those hours, the Thameslink and the Pre-booked private transfer are what remain. Set the hour you leave arrivals and the board keeps only what is running.
Luggage
Racks by the doors and overhead.
Going somewhere specific?
"The center" is not one place, and the answer changes
The station is in the South Terminal, a five-minute walk from arrivals. From the North Terminal, take the free inter-terminal shuttle: two minutes to the South Terminal, then follow the signs for trains.
Tickets
Tap a contactless card or Oyster at the barrier for London (not the 60+ Oyster photocard, and not for Brighton or anywhere south). London Travelcards are not valid. Machines and a rail ticket desk in the South Terminal sell paper tickets for any train.
Finding the stop
National Express coaches leave the South Terminal's lower forecourt, stops 1 to 5, and the North Terminal's lower level outside International Arrivals, stops 4 and 5. Ticket desks are in both arrivals halls.
The taxi rank
Airport Cars Gatwick, the only official private-hire firm, has booking kiosks in both terminals and quotes a fixed price when you book. It publishes no rate, so ask for the total before you get in.
Uber and Bolt
Uber drivers have their own signposted pick-up areas at both terminals; follow the directions the app gives once a driver is assigned. Other private-hire cars meet you in the Short Stay car parks.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
Thameslink · ThameslinkThameslink
From
Gatwick Airport station, in the South Terminal
To
London Bridge, then Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International
Luggage
Racks by the doors and overhead.
Runs
All night
Journey
29–63 min
£10.70 by contactless or Oyster off-peak, to London Bridge, Blackfriars or St Pancras alike; £19.20 from 06:30 to 09:30 on weekdays. A paper Anytime Day Single is £14.40 to London Bridge and £15.10 to St Pancras, valid at any hour but not on the Gatwick Express.
Overnight it is hourly and skips London Bridge: from the airport 00:02, 00:42, 01:45, 02:45, 03:45 and 04:20 on weekdays, about 50 minutes to Blackfriars and an hour to St Pancras.
By day it takes 29 minutes to London Bridge and about 44 to St Pancras; some trains stop more and take up to an hour.
Tapping is the cheap way off-peak and the dear way from 06:30 to 09:30 on weekdays, when the £14.40 paper ticket saves £4.80.
£10.70 by contactless or Oyster off-peak, weekends and public holidays included; £19.20 from 06:30 to 09:30 on weekdays. A paper Anytime Day Single is £21.30 and is not valid on the Gatwick Express.
It reaches Victoria in 32 to 35 minutes, one to four more than the Express, for less than half its off-peak fare.
Advance singles from £12.50 are sold for one booked Southern train only; the tap fare off-peak is lower and boards anything but the Express.
Direct trains on weekdays. Between midnight and 05:27 Victoria needs a change; Thameslink runs hourly to Blackfriars and St Pancras instead.
London Victoria, non-stop, usually platforms 13 and 14
Luggage
Up to three items each, carried yourself; the trains have luggage areas and extra-wide doors.
Runs
05:41–23:11
Journey
31–44 min
£24.00 by contactless or Oyster at any hour, with no off-peak rate and no daily cap. A paper Anytime Single is £24.10 and is valid on any train. The operator gives 10% off most singles and returns bought on its own site, and 25% off with Web Duo for two.
Off-peak the Southern train to the same station costs £10.70 by tap and takes one to four minutes longer.
It does not count towards the daily cap: two Express singles are £48.00 however many other journeys you make.
Sunday mornings start late: nothing before 07:20 from the airport, 06:30 from Victoria.
Weekdays, every 30 minutes. On Sundays the first is 07:20 and the last 23:12, taking 36 to 44 minutes.
South Terminal lower forecourt, stops 1 to 5, or North Terminal stops 4 and 5
To
Victoria Coach Station, via Heathrow
Luggage
One large suitcase (or two medium) and one soft bag per person.
Runs
03:35–23:30
Journey
135–160 min
From £6 one way, limited availability, including a £1.50 booking fee. Later bookings cost more.
Every coach from Gatwick goes via Heathrow Terminal 5 and Heathrow Central: 2 h 15 to 2 h 40 to Victoria Coach Station, against about 30 minutes by train.
The operator's "1 hour 40 minutes" and "first coach at 1.00am" do not match its own timetable, which starts at 03:35.
From the South Terminal, about hourly; the North Terminal is 15 minutes later. Nothing leaves between 23:30 and 03:35.
Charged in euros: €127 for the sedan, €167 for the minibus. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
Book at least 16 hours ahead; nearer the day a car is offered only when one is free.
Southern→SWR · Southern and South Western RailwaySouthern and South Western Railway to Southampton
From
Gatwick Airport station, in the South Terminal
To
Southampton Central, changing at Clapham Junction
Runs
05:57–22:32
Journey
96–115 min
One through ticket: the £46.50 Anytime Day Single, valid only via Clapham Junction, not via the London terminals. Advance Singles start at £12.50 on selected trains.
The £46.50 ticket is not valid via the London terminals, and the Gatwick Express does not take it; buy the ticket for the Clapham Junction route.
Tapping in with a contactless card does not cover this journey: buy a ticket first.
Weekdays, hourly. The last train that reaches Southampton the same night leaves at 22:32.
transfer · KiwitaxiGatwick to Southampton port by private car
From
Driver meets you in arrivals with a name board
To
The cruise terminal at Southampton docks
Runs
All night
Journey
120 min
Charged in euros: €241 for the sedan, €295 for the minibus. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
Book at least 16 hours ahead; nearer the day a car is offered only when one is free.
What is the best way from London Gatwick airport to London city center?
For one traveler, the Thameslink at £10.70, 29–63 min. 116 minutes quicker than the National Express 025 coach (sold from £6), for up to £4.70 more. And no booking needed. The same holds for a group of up to eight. How we weigh price against time is set out on the fares page, in numbers.
What is the cheapest way from London Gatwick airport to London city center?
For one traveler, the National Express 025 coach, sold from £6. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from London Gatwick airport to London city center by train?
For one traveler the cheapest train is the Thameslink at £10.70, 29–63 min, and it is also the fastest. It is not the cheapest way in: the National Express 025 coach, sold from £6 is. See every option by train
How do I get from London Gatwick airport to London city center by bus?
One bus reaches Victoria: the National Express 025 coach, from £6 for one traveler, 135–160 min, to Victoria Coach Station. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into London by any means. The fastest way overall is the Thameslink, 29–63 min. See every option by bus
How do I get from London Gatwick airport to London city center by taxi?
One taxi reaches Victoria: the Pre-booked private transfer, £104 for one traveler, 75 min, to any address. It is not the cheapest way in: the National Express 025 coach, sold from £6 is. The fastest way overall is the Thameslink, 29–63 min. See every option by taxi
How long does it take to get from London Gatwick airport to London city center?
National Express 025 coach: 135–160 min. Thameslink: 29–63 min. Southern to Victoria: 32–57 min. Gatwick Express: 31–44 min. Pre-booked private transfer: 75 min. London Gatwick Airport is 45 km from London, by road.
How far is London Gatwick airport from the city center?
45 km to London, by road. The fastest way in takes 29–63 min; the cheapest, the National Express 025 coach, 135–160 min.
Where is the train station at London Gatwick airport?
The station is in the South Terminal, a five-minute walk from arrivals. From the North Terminal, take the free inter-terminal shuttle: two minutes to the South Terminal, then follow the signs for trains.
Is there Uber or Bolt at London Gatwick airport?
Uber drivers have their own signposted pick-up areas at both terminals; follow the directions the app gives once a driver is assigned. Other private-hire cars meet you in the Short Stay car parks.
Where do I catch the National Express 025 coach at London Gatwick airport?
South Terminal lower forecourt, stops 1 to 5, or North Terminal stops 4 and 5. It has to be booked ahead, so confirm the pickup point when you book.
Is there a train from London Gatwick airport to London at night?
The Southern to Victoria runs 05:27–23:55. The Gatwick Express runs 05:41–23:11. The National Express 025 coach runs 03:35–23:30. Outside those hours the Thameslink and the pre-booked private transfer are what remain; the Thameslink is £10.70 for one traveler. Direct trains on weekdays. Between midnight and 05:27 Victoria needs a change; Thameslink runs hourly to Blackfriars and St Pancras instead.
Does the Train to Brighton go to Victoria, with London Bridge and the City on Thameslink?
Brighton is a separate city on the south coast, not part of London.
Does the Private transfer to Brighton go to Victoria, with London Bridge and the City on Thameslink?
This goes to Brighton, not London: the driver takes you to any address there.
Does the Southern and South Western Railway to Southampton go to Victoria, with London Bridge and the City on Thameslink?
This goes to Southampton, not London: it ends at Southampton Central, about a mile from the City and Horizon cruise terminals.
Does the Gatwick to Southampton port by private car go to Victoria, with London Bridge and the City on Thameslink?
This goes to the Southampton cruise terminals, not London: the driver takes you to the terminal on your ticket.
Worth knowing
Off-peak, the stopping trains cost less than half the Express: £10.70 by contactless or Oyster on Southern to Victoria or Thameslink to London Bridge, against £24.00 on the Gatwick Express for a ride one to four minutes shorter.
Tapping in is peak-priced from 06:30 to 09:30 on weekdays: £19.20. At those hours a paper Anytime Day Single to London Bridge (£14.40, not valid on the Express) is cheaper than tapping.
The Gatwick Express does not count towards the daily cap; Southern and Thameslink do, at £24.10 off-peak and £40.80 peak for Zones 1-6. Paper tickets and pay as you go are both valid on all three.
Tapping voids the discounts. The £2 child fare (up to four children with each adult, off-peak), GroupSave (a third off for three to nine) and the Express's group tickets all need a paper or e-ticket bought for the journey.
Trains to London never stop: Thameslink runs hourly all night to Blackfriars and St Pancras. The Express runs about 05:40 to 23:10 (from 07:20 on Sundays); direct Southern trains to Victoria stop between midnight and 05:27.
No taxi fare is published. The airport's only official private-hire firm, Airport Cars Gatwick, quotes a fixed price per booking; the airport puts the drive to King's Cross at 1 hour 45 minutes.
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