Gatwick and Heathrow are the busiest airports in the United Kingdom. In 2019, over 126 million passengers were serv e d by the two London hubs. The pair connect passengers to many key destinations across the globe. However, travelers often find themselves having to transfer between them during their journeys. How long is needed to travel between the airports?

Across the city

Heathrow is in the London Borough of Hillingdon, which is right on the west boundary of Greater London. Meanwhile, Gatwick is in the West Sussex town of Crawley, which is 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London. Therefore, with both airports situated in different counties surrounding the UK's capital, the right planning needs to be done to ensure a smooth journey between the two.

London is by far the most populous city in Western Europe, with a population of over nine million people. Moreover, there are people from several other nearby counties that pass through the airports. So, amid possible congestion and delays, passengers need to allow for enough time to make the cross-city journey.

Heathrow advises the following on its website:

"Allow plenty of time! As well as journey times quoted here you'll need to factor in things like passport control, baggage reclaim, waiting for buses, check-in, airport security and maybe taking a break."

There are several ways to hop between Gatwick and Heathrow. Depending on passenger requirements, there are plenty of public and private options, all offering different journey times.

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It can often be a stressful experience to switch airports Photo: Getty Images

Hit the road

Traveling by car between the two airports is often the most seamless way, especially if a passenger has a lot of luggage. The distance by road is approximately 42 miles (68km). The preferred route between the two is via the M25 motorway. This journey can take 50 to 60 minutes to complete if there is minimal traffic.

There may be extra congestion on the roads in the late afternoon and early evening on weekdays. Additionally, the area around Heathrow can become ridden with traffic on Sunday evenings.

There is a way to cut out a bulk of the motorway journey to have a scenic route through some inner London boroughs. If individual travelers have some time on their hands, this option might interest those looking to see some sights on the way. However, if in a rush, traffic on this waypoint can be horrendous, especially on a Friday night!

There are nonetheless plenty of taxis at the airports to serve passengers. Alternatively, travelers can book rides on apps such as Uber. Regardless, booking a cab in advance can help reduce the cost of the journey significantly. There are private transfer companies that charge either side of £60 ($79).

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The M25 encircles most of Greater London. Photo: Getty Images

Cross the tracks

When taking the train or tube, the most efficient routes are via Central London. Gatwick Express is a nonstop option between Gatwick and London Victoria. The cost of a standard single ticket on this train is £17.70 ($23.45) and usually takes half an hour.

However, this is only one part of the journey. After arriving at Victoria, commuters have to make their way through London to get to Heathrow. One option to make up the rest of the journey is to take the Underground all the way to Heathrow, which takes 50 minutes. The one-way cost of this trip is £4.80 ($6.30) and requires switching along the way.

A slightly quicker option is to take the tube to London Paddington and transfer there to get on the Heathrow Express to Heathrow. This route will cost £27 ($35.40). Heathrow Express is the fastest way to get to Central London from Heathrow. However, it isn't so cost-efficient if connecting with Gatwick as a tube is also needed along the way. Yet, there is also another option to take the TfL Rail from Paddington, which takes 15 minutes longer than the Heathrow Express, but at a fraction of the price.

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There are plenty of ways to London's airports from the city's center. Photo: London Heathrow

There are several famous attractions within 20 minutes of most connecting points. Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square are just some of the popular sights that are in close proximity to stations that travelers will pass through when switching.

However, anyone that is right for time should bear in mind that there are often delays when it comes to trains in and out of London. It can also take several minutes to walk to the station from the airport. So, just in case of lateness, it's advisable to add on a buffer of around an hour.

Catching the bus

For those on a budget, there is a bus that can be taken between East Croydon and Heathrow, which only costs £1.50 with an Oyster Card or contactless bank card. A standard single train ticket from Gatwick to East Croydon can cost as little as £5.60, and the journey can take 15 minutes to complete. However, the X26 bus trip from East Croydon to Heathrow can 80 to 130 minutes.

Nonetheless, this method is one of the cheapest ways to travel between the two hubs on public transport. There also are several other public buses that can help passengers on their way, but these routes are all heavily time-consuming.

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There are several bus stops outside of Heathrow. Photo: London Heathrow

Coach service enterprises provide the most balanced bus options. National Express used to offer direct coaches between Heathrow and Gatwick up to six times an hour, which took 65 minutes. However, this route was scrapped earlier this year. At the moment, passengers, have to transfer coaches in Victoria. Megabus offers options between the two hubs and its operators only charge as little as £16.50 ($21.60) currently. The journey can take as little as around 60 minutes. However, while the company reshuffles amid the global health crisis, options are currently limited.

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It is often easier to fly out of Gatwick for several passengers living on the southern side of London. Photo: Getty Images

Plan ahead

Altogether, Heathrow advises arriving at the airport three hours prior to departure for long-haul flights and two hours before departure for UK and European flights . So, whichever method one decides to use to transfer, it's always best to keep this recommendation in mind.

For more information on traveling to Gatwick and Heathrow, visit Transport for London's website.

What are your thoughts about transferring between Heathrow and Gatwick? Have you ever had to travel between the two airports? Let us know what you think of the journey in the comment section.