Parking at Gatwick railway station
Gatwick Airport station sits inside the South Terminal, so "station parking" and "airport parking" are the same car parks — which changes the calculation for rail travellers.
Last reviewed . Prices and car park rules change often — confirm the current details before you travel.
People search for "Gatwick railway station parking" for two quite different reasons: they are flying and want to know whether the station changes where they should park, or they are not flying at all and want somewhere to leave a car before catching a train. The answer is different for each.
Where the station actually is
Gatwick Airport railway station is part of the South Terminal building. You walk from the platforms into the terminal without going outside. North Terminal passengers arriving by train carry on using the free inter-terminal shuttle.
That has one practical consequence: there is no separate "station" car park in the way a town station has one. The car parks nearest the platforms are the airport's own South Terminal car parks, run and priced by the airport. Confirm the current car park list and tariffs on the airport's own site before relying on any particular option.
If you are flying
The station does not change your parking choice much. It matters in two other ways:
- It is often an alternative to parking at all. For a solo traveller with light luggage coming from a town on a direct line, a return rail ticket can cost less than a fortnight's parking. Do the arithmetic for your trip — for a family, driving usually wins.
- It shapes South Terminal traffic. Pick-ups and drop-offs concentrate around the South Terminal because of the station, which is worth knowing at busy times. See drop-off charges and picking someone up.
If you are not flying
Using an airport car park as a park-and-ride for a day in London is possible, but airport parking is priced around air travellers and how full the car park is expected to be (see why Gatwick parking prices vary). It is rarely the cheapest place to leave a car for a day trip.
Stations further up the line towards London generally have their own station car parks priced for commuters. If the train is the point of the journey, compare those first.
Getting there by road
Follow signs for the South Terminal from the M23 spur, and use the postcode of the specific car park you have booked rather than "Gatwick station" — see getting to Gatwick by road.
Common questions
Is there a separate car park for Gatwick railway station?
Gatwick Airport station is built into the South Terminal, so the car parks closest to the station are the airport's own South Terminal car parks. Check the airport's current car park list rather than expecting a dedicated station car park with its own tariff.
Can I park at Gatwick and take the train into London?
You can, but airport car parks are priced for air travellers and are rarely the cheapest place to leave a car for a day trip by rail. A station car park further up the line is usually better value — compare before you choose.
Which terminal is the railway station in?
The South Terminal. North Terminal passengers arriving by train continue on the free inter-terminal shuttle.