RailAir RA1orNational Express coach to Gatwick?

The short answer

For one traveler the National Express coach to Gatwick is cheaper by up to £9.10. The National Express coach to Gatwick fare is sold "from" a price rather than at it, so this comparison holds only at the advertised prices and the real answer can change with the day you travel.

The RailAir RA1 is quicker: 40 min against 1 h 10. The National Express coach to Gatwick varies between 50 and 95 minutes.

RailAir RA1: 04:10–00:15. National Express coach to Gatwick: 00:40–22:40.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares

What each costs for the whole party, in GBP. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
Travelers	RailAir RA1	National Express coach to Gatwick	Difference
1	£24	from £14.90	up to £9.10
2	£48	from £29.80	up to £18.20
3	£72	from £44.70	up to £27.30
4	£96	from £59.60	up to £36.40
5	£120	from £74.50	up to £45.50
6	£144	from £89.40	up to £54.60
7	£168	from £104.30	up to £63.70
8	£192	from £119.20	up to £72.80

Side by side

Where each one leaves you

RA1 · RailAirRailAir RA1

From: Terminal 3 (Stands 7/8), Terminal 2 (Stands 11/12) and Terminal 5
To: Reading railway station, calling at Winnersh Triangle
Luggage: 2 bags up to 30 kg each plus hand luggage per person, included; extra bags £5.00 each.
Runs: 04:10–00:15
Journey: 24–45 min

Reading to Heathrow is billed "in 40 minutes" on RailAir's own site and "under 45 minutes" to Terminal 5 specifically — book the extra few minutes for T5.

It does not run around the clock: the last coach from Terminal 3 is 00:15 and the first is 04:10, a gap of almost four hours.

RailAir RA1: price for every party size

Check times and fares with RailAir

shuttle · National ExpressNational Express coach to Gatwick

From: Heathrow Central Bus Station for Terminals 2 and 3, outside Terminal 5 (stops 11 to 15) or outside Terminal 4 (stops 12 to 14)
To: Gatwick Airport, North Terminal (stops 4 and 5) first, then the South Terminal (stops 1 to 5), beside the station
Luggage: One large suitcase (or two medium) and one soft hand-luggage item per person.
Runs: 00:40–22:40
Journey: 50–95 min

About 50 minutes from Terminal 5 to the North Terminal, an hour or more from the Central Bus Station, which the coach calls at first. The South Terminal, where the station is, is ten minutes after the North.

National Express advises being at the airport three hours before a flight, so do not plan a connection tighter than that by coach.

A Standard ticket boards a similar coach up to three hours either side of the one booked; Change & Go, £5 each way, widens that to twelve hours.

National Express coach to Gatwick: price for every party size

Check times and fares with National Express

This compares two of 19 options. See all of them ranked for your party size

RailAir RA1orNational Express coach to Gatwick?

Priced against each other

Side by side

The other comparisons at Heathrow