Gatwick Airport vs Heathrow Airport – What are the differences?

Gatwick and Heathrow are London’s top two busiest airports. Heathrow lies to the west of London and Gatwick to the South.

Transfers Gatwick AirportThe main differences between the two are the type of travellers and airlines that utilise them. Heathrow caters more for the business traveller and long-haul flights, while Gatwick is used more by holidaymakers, charter companies and low cost airlines such as Easyjet.

Heathrow is known as the airport where the world changes planes, so for passengers who need to connect to another flight, it makes sense to fly into Heathrow rather than Gatwick.

But if you had the choice, which of the top two airports would you prefer to fly in and out of?

Here’s a short comparison guide between the two.

Flight Costs

Heathrow has higher airport taxes so unless you’re flying long haul, you’re better off using Gatwick for shorter flights.

Service

As you’d expect from a world class airport, Heathrow has a superior range of services to offer than Gatwick. However, Gatwick is undergoing significant renovations to become a modern, world class airport comparable to its rivals.

Accessibility

Both airports lie just off the M25, so if you’re travelling by car or coach, there’s no escaping the motorway.

Roadworks can be a problem when trying to arrive at either airport, although you won’t need to face the bottleneck nightmare of the M4 if you’re travelling to and from Gatwick as you do with Heathrow.

Central London

Heathrow has two train stations and a tube service that can take you into central London. The tube is the cheapest option, but the journey takes ages and can be pretty fraught, especially if you have a lot of baggage.

The Heathrow Express takes you directly to Paddington, but it is notoriously expensive, especially if you’re travelling with others such as family members.

Gatwick doesn’t have a tube service, however the Gatwick Express runs to Victoria if you’re prepared to pay the extortionate costs of the ticket.

Other Areas

If you live outside London, having to travel into the centre of the city, then get other transport to your eventual destination will not only take time but is inconvenient, uncomfortable and can be a nightmare if you’ve got baggage.

A stress free and surprisingly affordable option would be to book an executive taxi transfer to Gatwick or Heathrow airport.

Maple Executive Cars offers professional, reliable, door-to-door chauffeur airport transfers to Gatwick airport and Heathrow. For a comfortable, stress free journey, on time, every time, contact us today or use our online booking form.