Gatwick timing, terminal by terminal.

North Terminal vs South Terminal — the big question

Gatwick has two terminals connected by a short shuttle transit. People regularly turn up at the wrong one.

• North Terminal — easyJet (main hub), BA short-haul, TUI, Norwegian, Delta
• South Terminal — Virgin Atlantic, Wizz Air, Ryanair (limited), plus most long-haul

Airline-terminal assignments occasionally shift. Always check your boarding pass — it's the authoritative source on the day of travel.

How early should you actually arrive at Gatwick?

Gatwick's official guidance is "2 hours short-haul, 3 hours long-haul". That's a blanket figure. Reality depends on:

• Which terminal you're using
• Day of week and time (summer Saturday mornings are the notorious peak)
• Your airline's bag-drop window and boarding deadlines
• Traffic on the M23 and M25 from your start point
• Your flight's current delay status

The summer Saturday problem

Gatwick in peak summer — weekend mornings especially — is the UK airport most prone to security surges. Multiple short-haul carriers cluster early-morning departures in the same 90-minute window, overwhelming security capacity.

If you're flying out on a peak summer Saturday:

• Add meaningful buffer to your usual arrival window
• Avoid arriving at short-stay parking in the same window as the main departure wave if possible
• Fast Track lanes or airline premium access becomes genuinely worthwhile at peak times

Parking at Gatwick

Short-stay parking is close to the terminal at both North and South. Long-stay parking uses a shuttle bus, which adds meaningful time. If you book parking at one terminal but are flying from the other, factor in the transit between them.

Flying to Schengen? Factor in EES

The EU's Entry/Exit System adds a biometric registration step for non-EU passport holders arriving into the Schengen area. UK passport holders are affected. This doesn't slow down your Gatwick departure — but it affects your arrival at your destination, which matters for tight onward plans.

What the app does that this page can't

This page is general. The app is specific: your flight, your postcode, your passport, today's live conditions. One number out: the time to leave home.