London Gatwick Airport guide
Jump to:
Terminal layout
There are two terminals at Gatwick Airport, the North terminal and the South terminal, serving around 200 destinations. The South terminal is located close to the main train station, just follow the relevant signs when you arrive. The North terminal is a few minutes from here on the shuttle service.
You can check which terminal you require at the Gatwick Airport Which Terminal page.
Transport available between terminals
To get between terminals you'll need to take the inter-terminal shuttle service which runs every few minutes, 24/7, with a journey time of just two minutes. The shuttle station is located close to the train station and linked to South terminal arrivals. From North terminal, follow the signs for South terminal. The shuttle station is on The Avenue, Level 1.
North Terminal guide
Terminal map
You can view on Google Street View here.
Check-in
The check-in areas are clearly signed within each terminal. To find your check-in desk, look at the flight information screens at the entrances to the terminals. If you've already checked-in online and only have hand baggage, go directly through security to the departure lounge.
Check your ticket for advice on when to check-in, the following times provide a general guide:
Long-haul flights: check-in opens four hours prior to scheduled departure
European flights: check-in three hours before scheduled departure
UK and Ireland flights: check-in three hours before scheduled departure
Leisure and family facilities
Buggies
Whether arriving at Gatwick North or Gatwick South terminal, a buggy can be made available to you upon landing to cover the journey between the plane and the arrivals hall. Once in the arrivals hall, you can collect your own buggy and deposit the one borrowed from the plane.
Family assistance lanes
If travelling with young family members in buggies, you may like to take advantage of Gatwick's special family assistance lanes. These lanes are sign posted after check-in and give you that extra space needed when going through security, making travelling that little bit easier.
Kids zones
Free kids zones are available in the departure lounges of both terminals. Here you will find plenty of seating for parents, making it easy to supervise your children while they play or watch TV, while also allowing you to keep an eye on your flight. In the North Terminal, the kids zone is located behind Boots.
Family areas
The No. 1 Lounge located at Gatwick North terminal has many different zones to keep children of all ages occupied and entertained. There is a separate area for under 6s, a cinema for older children and a games room. This lounge requires booking and is charged; you can book here.
Family friendly restaurants
Gatwick's eateries are very family friendly and all are happy to assist families in their travel. Both terminals have a large range of eating options to suit all budgets and tastes. You can explore the full list of family friendly establishments on Gatwick Airport's website where you also have the option to browse by terminal and zone. Pret a Manger lets you warm baby bottles on their premises.
Feeding and changing
Baby changing facilities are available throughout the terminal and can be identified either by a bottle sign or babycare symbol. These are fully equipped rooms for feeding and changing. However, there are also standard fold-down tables available in some male and female toilets.
Baby milk
Gatwick allows you to take enough baby milk and baby food in your hand luggage to cover the duration of your journey. However, the rest should be packed into your check-in luggage. Boots also run an excellent order and collect in-store service for baby milk. This allows you to pre-order cartons of milk and have them delivered to the Boots located after security at either North or South terminal. This must be done through the Boots website at least seven days before travelling. You can enquire about this service by calling Boots on 01293 569606.
Information desk
There is an information desk in the main arrivals area on the left hand side, there is also a special assistance help point on Level 1, situated near the shuttle train service. On level 2, there are some information points available after security.
Shopping
A variety of shops are available in the departures lounge, with options ranging from technology (Dixons Travel) and beauty cosmetics (Boots and Jo Malone) to fashion (Fat Face, Ted Baker and Accessorize) and books (London News Company).
Visitors can enjoy tax-free shopping at the World Duty Free shop.
See Gatwick Airport's full shopping hub for more information.
Food & drink
There's a range of eating spots to cater for most tastes and time frames. If you're looking for food on the go head to Eat, Yo! Sushi and Pret A Manger, or you can find pubs and bars such as Café Rouge, Garfunkel's and Wetherspoon Express. Those wishing to dine in style can go to Jamie's Italian or the Caviar House and Prunier.
Check out the restaurant hub for a full list of eating and drinking options.
Business facilities
Airport departure lounges
No.1 Lounge North Terminal
If you are looking for entertainment or leisure, this pay-to-use lounge offers practically everything and is the largest lounge at Gatwick airport. Here you can watch films, play videogames, take a shower, pamper yourself at the spa or keep your children entertained in the designated family space. The No. 1 Lounge also has a private meeting space available for reservation. You will find the No. 1 Lounge in the North terminal after security. It is on the ground floor of the departure lounge towards gates 101 - 113. More information and booking can be found here.
My Lounge - North Terminal
If you want to chill out and relax, head to My Lounge. This loft-inspired space is made up of different zones and you can take your pick between hanging out in the lounge, study, kitchen or den. Delicious, well-stocked snacks and bites are available from breakfast through till dinner. You can pour yourself a beer on draft, some white wine if you prefer, or help yourself to an array of soft drinks, juices and coffees. There is unlimited WiFi, lifestyle magazines, PlayStation, iMacs and plenty of power points to recharge your gadgets. You can book in here.
Aspire Lounges
The Aspire Lounge located in the North Terminal offers an ideal travel experience, whether your travel is for business or leisure. Here you will find a well-stocked bar with plenty of choice of cold snacks and hot food. There is free WiFi, of course, and you can also make use of the lounge's charging facilities for all your electronic devices. You can book into the Aspire Lounge here.
Workpods
If you have something you need to catch up on, Gatwick provides a very convenient Workpod facility to recreate your office on-the-go. This soundproof, private workspace is available 24/7 from £10 per 30 minutes. You can make use of the secure connection WiFi, printers, as well as phone and device charging facilities. They are located between Gates 104 and 105.
More information can be found on Gatwick Airport's Website.
Getting online
Gatwick entitles each passenger to 45 minutes free WiFi. This can be accessed by connecting to Gatwick FREE WiFi and opening your browser. If you require more time on the web, you can connect to the high speed WiFi provided by Boingo hotspot. Once you have connected to Boingo, instructions will appear in your browser.
Internet and Printing Kiosks
If you require printing facilities or internet access, these are provided at SurfBox kiosks. These kiosks are located after security in convenient locations. Internet access is charged at 10p per minute and printing at 50p per page.
Special assistance
Gatwick provides special assistance for getting around the airport should you require it. This needs to be arranged directly through your airline or your travel agent. Ensure that you pre-book assistance up to 48 hours in advance of your scheduled day of departure. You can get more information on the help available by calling Gatwick on the following 24-hour number: +44 (0)8448920322 and selecting option 5.
South Terminal guide
Terminal map
You can view on Google Street View here.
Check-in
When you arrive at the airport, check the flight information for details on where to check in and then follow the signs to the appropriate area. If you have already checked in on line and do not have any luggage to check in, you can make your way directly to security.Your ticket will detail information and advice on how much time to leave before checking in.
As a general rule, check-in opens four hours before the scheduled departure of long-haul flights and three hours before the scheduled departure of European flights. For flights within the UK and Ireland, check-in opens three hours before the scheduled departure.
Leisure and family facilities
Buggies
Whether arriving at Gatwick North or Gatwick South terminal, a buggy can be made available to you upon landing to cover the journey between the plane and the arrivals hall. Once in the arrivals hall, you can collect your own buggy and deposit the one borrowed from the plane.
Family assistance lanes
If travelling with young family members in buggies, you may like to take advantage of Gatwick's special family assistance lanes. These lanes are sign posted after check-in and give you that extra space needed when going through security, making travelling that little bit easier.
Kids zones
Free kids zones are available in the departure lounges of both terminals. Here you will find plenty of seating for parents, making it easy to supervise your children while they play or watch TV, while also allowing you to keep an eye on your flight. In the South terminal the play area is located upstairs in the South terminal departure lounge opposite Café Rouge.
Family areas
The South terminal is home to the excellent No1 Lounge which has welcomes the whole family and is equipped with plenty to keep everyone occupied. You can book into this lounge here.
Family friendly restaurants
Gatwick's eateries are very family friendly and all are happy to assist families in their travel. Both terminals have a large range of eating options to suit all budgets and tastes. You can explore the full list of family friendly establishments on Gatwick Airport's website where you also have the option to browse by terminal and zone. Pret a Manger lets you warm baby bottles on their premises.
Feeding and changing
Baby changing facilities are available throughout the terminal and can be identified either by a bottle sign or babycare symbol. These are fully equipped rooms for feeding and changing. However, there are also standard fold-down tables available in some male and female toilets.
Baby milk
Gatwick allows you to take enough baby milk and baby food in your hand luggage to cover the duration of your journey. However, the rest should be packed into your check-in luggage. Boots also run an excellent order and collect in-store service for baby milk. This allows you to pre-order cartons of milk and have them delivered to the Boots located after security at either North or South terminal. This must be done through the Boots website at least seven days before travelling. You can enquire about this service by calling Boots on 01293 569606.
Information desk
There is an information desk in the main Arrivals area on the left hand side, there is also a special assistance help point on Level 1, situated near the shuttle train service. On level 2, there are some information points available after security.
Shopping
A variety of shops are available in the departures lounge, with options ranging from technology (Dixons Travel) and beauty cosmetics (Boots and Jo Malone) to fashion (Fat Face, Ted Baker and Accessorize) and books (London News Company).
Visitors can enjoy tax-free shopping at the World Duty Free shop.
See Gatwick Airport's full shopping hub for more information.
Food & drink
There's a range of eating spots to cater for most tastes and time frames. If you're looking for food on the go head to McDonald's, Nando's and Pret A Manger, or you can find pubs and bars such as Café Rouge and The Flying Horse.Those wishing to dine in style can go to the Caviar House and Prunier.
Check out the restaurant hub for a full list of eating and drinking options.
Business facilities
Airport departure lounges
No.1 Lounge South Terminal
The No 1. Lounge at Gatwick South Terminal lets you kick back and relax while enjoying some of the best views of the runway around. You will find this lounge through security on the mezzanine level of the South terminal departure lounge. It is located next to Frankie & Benny's. It is advisable to book in advance the No1 Lounge in advance.
Aspire lounges
The Lingfield Lounge located in the South Terminal offers an ideal travel experience, whether your trip is for business of leisure. Here you will find a well-stocked bar with plenty of snack choice and even hot food. There is free WiFi (of course) and you can also make use of the lounge's charging facilities for all your electronic devices.
You can book into the Aspire Lounge here.
Workpods
If you have something you need to catch up on, Gatwick provides a very convenient Workpod facility to recreate your office on-the-go. This soundproof, private workspace is available 24/7 from £10 per 30 minutes. You can make use of the secure connection WiFi, printers, as well as phone and device charging facilities. They are located between Gates 31 and 38 in the South Terminal. More information can be found on Gatwick Airport's Website.
Getting online
Gatwick entitles each passenger to 45 minutes free WiFi. This can be accessed by connecting to Gatwick FREE WiFi and opening your browser. If you require more time on the web, you can connect to the high speed WiFi provided by Boingo hotspot. Once you have connected to Boingo, instructions will appear in your browser.
Internet and printing kiosks
If you require printing facilities or internet access, these are provided at SurfBox kiosks. These kiosks are located after security in convenient locations. Internet access is charged at 10p per minute and printing at 50p per page.
Special assistance
Gatwick provides special assistance for getting around the airport should you require it. This needs to be arranged directly through your airline or your travel agent. Ensure that you pre-book assistance up to 48 hours in advance of your scheduled day of departure. You can get more information on the help available by calling Gatwick on the following 24-hour number: +44 (0)8448920322 and selecting option 5.
