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Getting from Stansted Airport to Gatwick (and return)

London Stansted Airport is the third busiest airport in the UK and a major hub for the low-cost carriers. While London Gatwick is the second busiest airport in the country and also receives plenty of low cost flights from Europe.

Once you arrive in London and need to take another plane to other British city or other European city, you’ll probably also need to travel between the airports. Thankfully, London’s public transportation system is known to be very efficient, but at times , quite confusing.

This article gives you the details for the possible options to travel between Stansted Airport and Gatwick Airport (or the other way around).

Quick summary

The cheapest way to travel between Stansted Airport and Gatwick Airport is to change coaches at Victoria Coach Station. Doing this means you’ll pay £6.80 for a ticket, one way, instead of £32.40 if you choose the direct coach (which is also the only direct way to get between the two airports).
Taking the train and bus means you’ll pay £25.95 but you need to change means of transportation at Victoria Rail Station.

Coaches from Stansted Airport to Gatwick

National Express runs direct coaches between Stansted Airport and Gatwick, every 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the time of the day. Coaches stop at both the North and South Terminals.
The journey time between the two airports is about 2h 45 min. The single fare is £32.40.
Tickets can be bought on board, at the tickets desk at the terminal (at Gatwick) or at Stansted Airport bus station.

A much cheaper option is to make some stops along the way, in order to choose the cheapest route. First, take the coach from Stansted Airport to Victoria Coach Station. It costs £10 and the journey time is about 1h 40 min. Then, at Victoria, take the coach to Gatwick Airport (with a change in Brighton). But the single fare is £6.80. The journey time is about 4 ½ h and there are coaches departing every hour from Victoria.

Trains and underground from Stansted Airport to Gatwick

It is easy to get between Stansted Airport and Gatwick by train and underground. Make sure to follow these steps:

  1. From Stansted , take the Stansted Express train to London Liverpool Station; the journey time is about 45 min. An express class single ticket costs £20.
  2. From Liverpool Tube St. take Circle line (yellow) or District Line (green) to Victoria Station.
  3. From Victoria St. take the Gatwick Express train to Gatwick Airport; the journey time is about 30 min. An anytime single ticket is £15.95.

Read more about :
>>Major Railway Stations in London
>> How to Navigate the London Tube: Practical Tips

Trains and coaches from Stansted Airport to Gatwick

A cheaper option is to get from Stansted Airport to Gatwick by coach and train. Follow the steps:

  1. From Stansted, take the National Express coach to Victoria Rail Station ; the journey time is about 1h 40 min and the single fare is £10.
  2. From Victoria Rail Station , take the national rail (or the faster and more expensive Gatwick Express) to Gatwick Airport. On the express train the anytime single ticket is £15.95 and the journey time is about 30 min.

Driving from Stansted Airport to Gatwick

If you want to drive between the two airports, the best option is via M25. The 72 miles can be covered in about 1h 20 min. Be aware that you have to pay a toll (£10) for crossing the Queen Elizabeth Bridge.

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Photo credit : Stansted rail station