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I'd like to save some money for a transfer from Gatwick to Heathrow. It seems that the best way to do it is to book National Express bus ticket before trip. I didn't find price if I buy it from a driver but I suppose that it's more expensive.

When I open their site I need to select time, but it's a bit hard to do in case if I've never been there.

Could someone, who knows Gatwick airport, tell me how much time do I need to estimate for immigration control + luggage reception + search of the bus stop? If my flight arrives at 11 o'clock, will a bus ticket for 12:30 be ok?

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    If your flight lands at 11, it would have to be a very slow day for you not to have time to catch a 12.30 bus. I use Gatwick a few times a year, and don't think it's ever taken me that long to get through. But flights are sometimes delayed, and "unlikely" is not "impossible"... On the National Express site once you select a journey you can see the price of fully flexible tickets (£26.50). I think that's the same as the price from the ticket desk on the day, so unless you get a really good price for a non-flexible ticket, there might not be much advantage in gambling.
    – djr
    Commented Sep 11, 2017 at 21:41
  • What flight from where? We need to know which terminal to be able to answer.
    – gsnedders
    Commented Sep 11, 2017 at 21:48
  • @gsnedders I don't think we do need those things, National Express coaches go from both terminals, and the speed of getting out is much the same from both. (What passport the OP has might make more of a difference.)
    – djr
    Commented Sep 11, 2017 at 22:25
  • Flight is from Nice, Terminal S (I think it's South one)
    – Vitalii
    Commented Sep 12, 2017 at 6:54
  • @djr I agree passport makes a bigger difference, but given the distance of some gates in the North terminal (over a mile) I think it does matter. Unless they always bus those gates to arrivals?
    – gsnedders
    Commented Sep 12, 2017 at 11:19

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It's possible, and likely you'll make it. However, there are two terminals and it depends if the bus is going from the same terminal as you.

Also, I've had short queues there, and days where it's taken forever when multiple international flights arrive at the same time. So there is a small risk.

It might be worth considering the train. You can catch a local train into London and then out to Heathrow, and don't have to worry about bus times or traffic. You can plan and price your journey on the TFL planner.

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  • Going from Gatwick to Heathrow by train requires at least 2 changes (or a very long tube journey) and is not immune from delays. The coach is direct, and quite frequent.
    – djr
    Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 22:27
  • @djr indeed. I just prefer trains/tube, seemed ... more immune than road traffic :)
    – Mark Mayo
    Commented Dec 15, 2017 at 2:18

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