Taxi from Gatwick to Stansted Airport

How far is Gatwick Airport from Stansted Airport?

Gatwick sits south of London on the Sussex and Surrey border. Stansted sits northeast of the capital in Essex. You cross the whole of London's orbit to get from one to the other, and the M25 carries most of the journey. The distance comes to about 70 miles. In light traffic, a driver covers it in around 1 hour 15 minutes. Allow 1 hour 30 minutes if the M25 slows down, and longer on Friday afternoons or bank holiday weekends. Your driver picks the quicker side of the motorway on the day, so you never need to guess the route.

People search for this trip as LGW to STN, Gatwick to Stansted, or airport transfer Gatwick to Stansted. They all mean the same thing, and they all carry the same warning. Do not book a tight connection. You collect your bags, leave the terminal, travel for over an hour, then check in again and clear security at the other end. Leave several hours between landing and your next flight, and more if you travel with children. Airlines rarely protect you if you miss a connection booked on separate tickets, so build in a generous gap. A taxi removes the transport risk. It cannot shorten the queue at security.

Gatwick to Stansted taxi price

Here is what you came to find out. A saloon taxi from Gatwick to Stansted costs from £199, and the price stays fixed. You agree with it when you book, so a jam on the M25 never changes your fare. Need more room? Larger vehicles, such as a 7 or 8 seat vehicle, cost more, so call us with your group size and we will quote you a fixed price. A saloon suits most couples, solo travellers and small families with a few bags. Bigger groups with heavy luggage need the bigger vehicle, and it pays to ask early.

Compare that with a metered black cab. The meter keeps running while the traffic crawls, and nobody knows the final figure until you arrive. A fixed-price taxi from Gatwick to Stansted removes that worry. Split the fare between three or four passengers, and the cost per head drops fast. The coach still wins on price for one person, and I say so below. But once you add train fares, Tube tickets and the hours you lose, the gap narrows for families and groups. Ask any company whether the quote includes airport charges and waiting time, because some firms add them later.

How to get from Gatwick to Stansted by coach or train

Many people ask how to get from Gatwick to Stansted without a taxi. You have two real options. National Express runs coaches between the airports, and the cheapest advance fares start at roughly £15 to £20. Gatwick's own website puts the coach journey at around three and a half hours, because services can route through Heathrow. Check the timetable before you book, since services run less often late at night. The coach suits solo travellers on a budget who have time to spare and no tight connection. Bring a snack. You will need it.

Gatwick to Stansted by train takes more effort. No direct train runs between the two. You ride the Gatwick Express or a Southern train into central London, then take the Tube to Tottenham Hale on the Victoria line, and finish on the Stansted Express. The Gatwick Express takes about 30 minutes to Victoria, and the Stansted Express takes about 45 minutes from Liverpool Street. Add the changes and the waiting, and you should plan on two to three hours. The station at Gatwick sits at the South Terminal, so North Terminal passengers take the shuttle first.

Which option suits you best?

So which option fits your day? The coach costs the least and takes the longest. The train sits in the middle on cost, and it wins on timing only if every connection lines up. A taxi costs the most for a solo traveller, but it moves you door to door in about an hour and a half. You never carry bags down tube stairs or stand on a platform with a pushchair. Families, groups and anyone with a tight schedule should look hard at the taxi. Solo travellers with one bag and a flexible day can save real money on the coach.

Think about the hours as well. Flights between the two airports often land late or leave very early. Public transport thins out at night, and a 24-hour taxi from Gatwick to Stansted covers the gaps when coaches and trains do not run. Add your flight number and your terminal when you book, so your driver knows when to expect you. A late-night transfer feels far easier when someone is waiting for you at the other end, and you do not need to check three timetables on a phone with a low battery.

Gatwick and Stansted drop-off charges and the free parking zone

Every airport charges for the kerbside, and a taxi from Gatwick to Stansted touches two of them. At Gatwick, your driver meets you in a short-stay car park, which Gatwick asks private hire drivers to use. The airport charges £10 for 10 minutes at the drop-off zones outside the North and South Terminals, which matters if a friend drops you off. At Stansted, the Express Set Down zone outside the terminal costs £10 for up to 15 minutes and £28 if the stay runs past 15 minutes. Cameras record every visit, and an unpaid one brings a penalty notice of up to £100.

Both airports run a free parking zone for drop-offs, and it comes with a catch. Stansted's Mid Stay car park lets you drop off free for up to 60 minutes, and a free shuttle bus takes you to the terminal in about seven minutes. Gatwick's Long Stay car parks offer free drop-off too, with a free shuttle to the terminals. Free costs you time and a walk with your bags. If you want the saving and the speed, ask whether your taxi company includes the airport charge in the fare, because that decides who pays at the kerb.

Families, groups and awkward hours

Children change everything. A child seat, a pushchair and two suitcases fill a boot quickly, and an hour and a half feels long with a tired toddler. Tell us the ages of your passengers when you book, and we arrange the right child seat. Ask for a 7 or 8 seat vehicle if your group is bigger, and call us for a price. A large family or a sports team should never squeeze into a saloon to save a little money. Everyone arrives grumpy, and the luggage ends up on laps.

Early flights from Stansted need a plan too. Many airlines depart from Stansted at dawn, and that means a pickup in the small hours from the Gatwick arrivals hall or your hotel. Book the taxi in advance, add a buffer for the M25 and leave earlier than you think. A taxi that arrives on time beats a coach that leaves without you. Stansted gets busy in the early hours, so allow extra time to reach the terminal, drop your bags and clear security. Give us your flight details, and your driver plans around them.

Book your Gatwick to Stansted airport transfer.

Book Airport Taxi runs the Gatwick to Stansted airport transfer at a fixed price of £199 for a saloon. Book online, add your Gatwick terminal, flight number, passenger count and luggage, and you see your fare before you confirm. Need a 7 or 8 seat vehicle or a child seat? Call us, and we'll sort it out. One booking covers the whole journey, so you skip the coach timetable and the Tube stairs.

Take a minute to compare first. Check the coach times and the train route, then weigh the cost against the hours you save. Many travellers with family or heavy bags choose the taxi once they see the full journey side by side. Booking early also helps in busy weeks, such as school holidays and bank holiday weekends, when vehicles go quickly. Request your fixed price now, or call us if you need a larger vehicle.

Frequently asked questions