Layover guide · LGW · Last reviewed 6 May 2026
Layover in London Gatwick (LGW): What to Do Hour by Hour
Two terminals, a two minute shuttle between them, and a border crossing baked into almost every connection. Gatwick is a simpler airport than Heathrow, but the paperwork question matters more here, not less.
- Layover verdict
- Decent from 4 hours up: eight Priority Pass lounges across two compact terminals, a train station inside the South Terminal, and Victoria 30 minutes away. Under 3 hours, border control and rescreening own your schedule, so plan nothing beyond the walk to your gate.
- Best lounge option
- No1 Lounge and My Lounge operate in both terminals and take Priority Pass and cash. Plaza Premium covers the North Terminal, Club Aspire the South, and Clubrooms in each terminal sells a quieter room for a supplement of around 15 pounds on top of card entry.
- The one thing to know
- The UK ETA airside transit exemption does not help you at Gatwick: it covers Heathrow and Manchester only, and nearly every Gatwick connection crosses UK border control. Visa exempt nationals should hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation, 16 pounds, before flying. Verify before travel.
Ground rules
How connecting at Gatwick actually works
Gatwick runs two terminals, North and South, linked by a free driverless shuttle that departs every few minutes, runs around the clock and takes about 2 minutes terminal to terminal. The South Terminal holds the railway station, British Airways, Vueling, Wizz Air, TAP Portugal and most TUI flights. The North Terminal takes the bulk of easyJet's huge Gatwick operation plus Norwegian, WestJet and Emirates. Assignments shift by route and season, so trust your boarding pass over any list, including this one.
The connection process is the part that surprises people. Gatwick has a transfer facility, but it only works when both flights sit on a single ticket, and most traffic here is point to point on low cost carriers. The default Gatwick connection means clearing UK border control, collecting any bags that were not checked through, walking or shuttling to your departure terminal, and passing security from scratch. The airport advises 60 minutes minimum with a boarding pass in hand and the same terminal for both flights, 90 minutes across terminals. Self connecting on separate tickets, the GatwickConnects desks in baggage reclaim will move your bags for a fee, with a minimum connection of 2 hours 30 minutes.
Those minimums assume the eGates accept your passport and the queues behave. Give a self built connection 3 hours and you stop gambling. The upside of all this is that once you are through, each terminal is compact: gate walks rarely exceed 15 minutes, against the half hour hikes Heathrow can deal you.
Hour by hour
What your Gatwick layover hours buy you
3 hours
Border, security, gate, done
Three hours at Gatwick is a working connection, not free time. Budget an hour for immigration and rescreening on a normal day, more at summer peaks, plus the shuttle if your terminals differ. What remains is 60 to 90 minutes in your departure terminal. Spend them eating rather than wandering: both terminals carry sit down restaurants airside, and the South Terminal has the deeper food range. A lounge visit fits only if everything ahead of you ran clean and your card gets you in without a wait.
One genuine shortcut: if you hold a boarding pass and have no bags to collect, head straight for the transfer or security search area rather than following the arrivals flow out to landside. Signage is decent, and saving one queue can save the whole connection.
5 hours
Lounge hours, properly used
Five hours turns Gatwick comfortable. Priority Pass opens four doors in each terminal. In the North: No1 Lounge from 4 am to 9 pm, My Lounge and Plaza Premium from 4 am to 8 pm, and Clubrooms from 6 am to 6 pm with a supplement of around 15 pounds. In the South: No1 Lounge, My Lounge, Club Aspire, and Clubrooms from 6 am to 9 pm with the same supplement. Hours move with the season, so check on the day. Cash entry works at the No1 and My Lounge brands when capacity allows, and booking ahead online is cheaper than paying at the door.
Clubrooms is the pick when you want quiet: table service and a calmer room for the price of a sandwich landside. No1 is the pick when you want a proper bar and breakfast. With time left after, the South Terminal's shopping level kills an hour without trying.
8 hours
London is 30 minutes away
Eight hours puts central London in reach, and Gatwick makes the run easier than its distance suggests because the railway station sits inside the South Terminal. The Gatwick Express runs nonstop to Victoria in about 30 minutes, at least twice an hour, for 24.10 pounds single on the day with around 10 percent off booked online. Thameslink reaches London Bridge in about 30 minutes and continues to Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras for 15.10 pounds on the day, which makes it the better deal for most of central London. Southern also runs to Victoria, a few minutes slower than the Express and cheaper.
Count backwards from departure: 2 hours of airport buffer, 30 to 40 minutes of train each way, and you net roughly 4 hours in town. Victoria puts you a 10 minute walk from Buckingham Palace; London Bridge drops you next to Borough Market and the Thames path. Leaving the airport means the full border crossing, so the ETA or visa question from the verdict box applies in full. Cabin bags go to the Excess Baggage Company counters, landside in both terminals, at 6 pounds for the first 3 hours or 11 pounds for up to 24 hours.
Overnight
One of the easier London overnights
Gatwick stays open landside 24 hours, and overnight sleepers in the public areas are a normal sight rather than a security incident. A handful of shops and food outlets trade through the night, seating is firm but findable, and announcements quieten after the last departures. Airside areas empty out overnight, so plan on a landside camp near your terminal's check in level. It is far friendlier than Heathrow after midnight, if never exactly restful.
The paid fix is YOTELAIR in the South Terminal, landside, under a minute from arrivals: soundproofed cabins bookable by the hour or overnight, with check in around the clock. On a dawn departure from the North Terminal, remember the shuttle runs all night, so the cabin still works. For bench maps, quiet corners and the hotel math, the guide to sleeping in Gatwick Airport covers both terminals.
City escape
Leaving Gatwick between flights
A city run is realistic from about 6 hours of layover, a notch lower than Heathrow because the station is in the building and the train is quick. Documents come first: since you will cross the border anyway, visa exempt nationals, including US, EU, Canadian and Australian passport holders, need the 16 pound Electronic Travel Authorisation, applied for before travel. Visa nationals need a visitor visa, and some nationalities need a transit visa even for a same ticket connection. Verify visa rules before travel, every time.
Bags decide the rest. Through checked luggage stays with the airline; anything else goes to left luggage or comes with you. The sane minimum for the trip is an hour of trains round trip, 2 hours of airport buffer before departure, and at least 3 hours in town to justify the fares. If your layover lands between 5 and 6 hours, take the lounge instead and keep the city for a longer gap.
FAQ
Gatwick layover questions
Do I need a UK ETA for a layover at Gatwick?
Plan on yes. The temporary airside transit exemption applies only at Heathrow and Manchester, and nearly every Gatwick connection crosses UK border control. Visa exempt nationals need the Electronic Travel Authorisation, 16 pounds, approved before flying. Verify before travel.
Do I go through border control when connecting at Gatwick?
Almost always. Gatwick has a transfer facility for flights on a single ticket, but most connections here are self built on low cost carriers, which means clearing immigration, collecting any bags not checked through, and passing security again in your departure terminal.
How long does it take to change terminals at LGW?
The free shuttle between North and South runs every few minutes, 24 hours a day, and the ride takes about 2 minutes. Door to door, allow 15 to 20 minutes including the walks at each end, and treat 90 minutes as the minimum for a cross terminal connection.
Is 8 hours enough to see London from Gatwick?
Yes, if your documents allow entry. The Gatwick Express reaches Victoria nonstop in about 30 minutes for 24.10 pounds on the day, and Thameslink reaches London Bridge in a similar time for 15.10 pounds. With a 2 hour airport buffer you net roughly 4 hours in the city.
Can I sleep overnight inside Gatwick?
Yes, landside. Both terminals stay open 24 hours, sleeping in public areas is tolerated, and a few food outlets trade through the night. For an actual bed, YOTELAIR in the South Terminal sells soundproofed cabins by the hour or overnight, under a minute from arrivals.
Check lounge access at LGW
Eight Priority Pass doors across two terminals, plus cash entry and airline lounges, and capacity rules change by the hour. The directory below lists every lounge and how to get through it.
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