Arriving at London Gatwick: What to do next

London Gatwick Airport aka LGW aka Gatwick is London’s second airport (after Heathrow, obvs), serving in excess of 40 million commercial passengers annually. Popular with European and domestic vacationers and business travelers, some of its most frequented routes include Dublin, Belfast, Dubai, Spain and Glasgow.

Gatwick Airport is located around 30 miles south of Central London, near Crawley in West Sussex, and its two terminals (North and South) are connected by a round-the-clock monorail. Fun fact: Gatwick prides itself on being the busiest and most-efficient single-runway airport in Europe. In fact, it has two runways, but they’re too close together to be used simultaneously. Opinions vary on whether this is something to brag about or a planning fail of epic proportions. We’ll leave you to make up your own mind.

So now you’ve touched down at Gatwick, arranged your face to resemble your passport photo as closely as possible, and wrestled your luggage from the carousel, it’s time to set the controls for the bright lights of the big city. We’re here to help you do precisely that…

The famous London Underground (Tube) network doesn’t stretch quite as far as Gatwick, but there are still plenty of ways to speed your way to the Big Smoke in double-quick time.

• Fastest: the Gatwick Express is a non-stop express service that whisks you from the airport to London Victoria station in 30 minutes, with one-way tickets starting from a little north of £20. Victoria is one of London’s great hub stations, with Tube, bus, rail and coach services across the city and beyond. It’s also walkable from several top London attractions, including Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.
• Cheapest: National Express coaches cost £10-15 to London Victoria but can take as long as two hours during peak travel times. Ouch. 
• The third way: if you’re in no particular rush and want to save a few quid versus the rather more expensive Gatwick Express, you’ll want the standard Thameslink and Southern train services into central London, serving mainline overground stations including Victoria, Clapham Junction, London Bridge and Blackfriars. Prices for a one-way ticket start from under £15.
• And finally: if you have cash to splash, you can commandeer a cab from one of the official terminal ranks, or plan ahead and sort yourself a ride with Uber or Lyft. Either way, you’ll be looking at a bill of anywhere from £70-100, and possibly rather more if you find yourself stuck in heavy traffic. Car hire is also an option. Our advice on that? Rent yourself a vehicle if you’re heading south, east or west from Gatwick, but take the train for trips to London; driving in the capital is expensive, stressful and largely unnecessary.

London is a 24-hour city so you can of course find ways from the airport to your hotel even in the wee small hours of the morning. The Gatwick Express never sleeps, running four services an hour around the clock. But you are no mere mechanical object and might, understandably, prefer to rest your weary head before continuing your journey. There’s no shortage of options, with plenty of budget and mid-range hotels in and around both terminals, among them Hilton, Sofitel, Holiday Inn and more.

Gatwick’s direct links into Victoria also provide a solid option for very early flight arrivals. Victoria, after all, is an excellent starting point for Central London sightseeing and offers multiple left luggage facilities, meaning there’s no need to schlep all the way to your hotel to drop off your things only to be told you can’t check in for another seven hours. Here are just a few of our favorite things to do near Victoria Station…

• Meet the pelicans in St James’s Park. This colony of beaky beasts has called regal St James’s Park home since the 17th Century. Stop by to say hey and enjoy views of Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade from the swoonsome Blue Bridge. Discover more fine London parks here.
• Watch the Changing of the Guard. If you happen to be in the area at the right time (around 11AM most days) you might be able to catch the pomp and pageantry of this traditional ceremony – all tomato-red tunics and bearskin hats – in front of Buckingham Palace.
• Visit Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey. Pay your respects in rhyme at the tombs of Dickens, Tennyson, Chaucer et al inside what is arguably London’s most recognizable landmark (and certainly one of its oldest). Read our guide to London’s best cathedrals and churches here.

And now, with your exit from Gatwick Airport a mere memory, your minibar bill already mounting and your Cockney accent sounding almost – almost – completely authentic, you’re ready to get down to the serious business of ticking off all those London bucket-listers. Your first port of call is to bag a London Pass®, which can save you £££s on entry to 100+ London tours, activities and attractions. Here’s just a handful of our favourite things to do with the pass…

• The Tower of London. See if you can keep your head in the place where Ann Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey lost theirs. Rather more cheerfully, pause to ogle the priceless Crown Jewels and to say hey to the resident ravens. You can read our guide to the Tower’s ghosts and ghouls here.
• The Cutty Sark. The world’s last surviving tea clipper is just one of many reasons to mosey on over to Greenwich; there’s also the Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory and a royal park to explore. Check out our guide to all things Greenwich here.
• The London Bridge Experience. Meet notorious characters (both real and fictional) from London’s shady past, including Jack the Ripper, Guy Fawkes and Mrs Lovett with her pies, and descend into the terrifying London Tombs maze if you dare. You can read more about our favourite immersive attractions in London here.

But that’s not all. No no no, very far from it. To find out what else is included with The London Pass® – and to choose yours – just hit the buttons down below…