Gatwick Airport is one of five airports serving the London area, with the other four being Luton, Stanstead, Heathrow, and London City. Gatwick ranks as the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom, behind Heathrow. Gatwick Airport is served by a well-developed transportation infrastructure to accommodate more than 30 million annual passengers.
There are several options for getting to Gatwick Airport. First of all, Gatwick Airport is situated about 28 miles south of central London, in a rural section in the town of Crawley. Other airports such as Heathrow are located much closer to London city centre. Since it is located in a rather remote area, the vehicle traffic on the roads leading to Gatwick Airport is not terrible. The airport is located at Junction 9 of M23, which leads directly to London. A23, which branches off M23, also passes through Gatwick. Additionally, England's national road system is easily accessible via M25, which is located only a few minutes from the airport, at Junction 7.
Gatwick London Airport offers plenty of parking spaces for passengers arriving by automobiles. Drivers can choose between valet, short or long stay parking. Situated within walking distance from the terminals, short stay parking lots are recommended for those planning on staying for up to 24 hours. Those who want to leave their cars for more than 24 hours should use the long term stay parking lots. These parking lots are located slightly farther, and there is bus transportation provided to the terminals. The South and North terminal at Gatwick Airport each offer short and long stay parking. Valet parking is available at the second level of the South Terminal and at the third level of the North Terminal.
Located within walking distance from the terminals, the Gatwick Airport Railway Station offers direct trains every 15 minutes to London Victoria Station via the Gatwick Express route. There are also other train services such as First Capital Connect and First Great Western, which lead to cities such as Brighton and Reading.
Gatwick Airport is served by several local and national buses. Bus routes such as Fastway 10 and Route 100 lead to local nearby towns such as Crawley, Redhill and Horsham. easyBus provides non stop bus service directly to London, and this journey would take about an hour. National Express coaches also serve the airport and provide transportation to London and other parts of England.