LONDON NEWS: Trains to Gatwick Airport

Can you use your Oyster card to get to Gatwick Airport? The answer used to be no. But now it’s YES! Hooray!

For those of us who are always late / hate queuing or just want to make getting to the airport as simple as possible, Oyster pay-as-you-go cards have now been extended all the way to Gatwick Airport. The news, announced by Rail Minister Claire Perry at the end of last year, will mean passengers travelling between Gatwick and London are able to use Oyster and contactless payments for journeys on Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink services.

Plus, there is also a new TFL Visitor Centre at Gatwick Airport (South Terminal) so visitors arriving in London can now purchase one Oyster pass to last their entire stay in the capital. ‘This is good news for anyone headed to the airport but especially for non-English speaking visitors who often get confused about train tickets v Oyster cards,’ says TFL station attendant Mandy Buckley.

Not only is this new ‘tap and fly’ option convenient, good news is we’ll also get cheaper fares. Currently, a single journey paper peak-time ticket costs £15.40 from London Terminals to Gatwick Airport (excluding Gatwick Express). With pay-as-you-go, a rush-hour trip will cost £14.00 and only £8.00 off-peak. Gatwick Express prices remain the same as the paper ticket (from London Victoria £19.90, single).

Don’t miss your flight!

Main picture: Leo Hidalgo