A cheap outbound flight leaves from Stansted, and the return lands at Heathrow two weeks later. It looked like a good deal on the booking screen, right up until the question of getting from one to the other arrived.
Moving between London airports is one of the least understood parts of UK travel. People assume a fast train links them, discover it usually does not, and then find the distances are far greater than a map of London suggests. Get the planning wrong on a connection, and the cost is a missed flight, not a slow journey.
This guide explains airport to airport transfers: distances, which routes have direct rail, what affects the cost, and how to book. It draws on years of running airport journeys at Camberley Cars.
What Is an Airport to Airport Transfer?
An airport to airport transfer is a journey directly between two airports, usually to catch a connecting flight or to start a trip from a different airport than the one you arrived at. It can be made by coach, by rail with changes, or by a pre-booked private car.
The reason it needs care is tickets. Connections booked on separate tickets carry no airline protection, so if the transfer runs late, no airline is obliged to rebook you on the next flight.
On separate tickets, the transfer between airports is entirely your responsibility.
Also Read: London Airport Transfers: Your Guide to All Six Airports
How Far Apart Are London’s Airports?
Further than most people expect. Heathrow and Gatwick sit around 40 miles apart by road, and some pairings, such as Gatwick to Stansted, run to more than 70 miles because they sit on opposite sides of the capital.
| Airport pair | Approx road distance | Direct train? |
| Heathrow to Gatwick | Around 40 miles | No |
| Heathrow to London City | Around 26 miles | No |
| Heathrow to Stansted | Around 60 miles | No |
| Luton to Gatwick | Around 67 miles | Yes, on Thameslink |
| Stansted to Gatwick | Around 73 miles | No |
Road distances vary with the route taken, and journey times depend far more on traffic than mileage.
Is There a Train Between London Airports?
Not from Heathrow. There are no direct trains between Heathrow and any other London airport, so every rail journey from Heathrow to Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, or London City means travelling into central London and changing.
The notable exception is Luton to Gatwick. Thameslink trains run directly between Luton Airport Parkway and Gatwick Airport, roughly every 20 minutes, in around 1 hour 20 minutes. From the Luton terminal, you first take the DART shuttle to the station.
Luton and Gatwick are the one London airport pair joined by a direct train.
Coach, Rail or Private Transfer: How the Timings Compare
Coaches are the main direct public link between most airport pairs. National Express runs direct services between Heathrow and Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton, and between Stansted and Heathrow, Gatwick, and Luton, though frequencies vary from half-hourly on the busiest route to every couple of hours on longer ones.
A private transfer takes a similar time on the road but leaves when you need it, rather than when the timetable allows. For a Heathrow to Stansted connection, that can mean leaving the moment your bags arrive instead of waiting an hour for the next coach.
Heathrow to London City is the awkward one. There is no direct train, and the road route crosses London, so allow well over an hour whichever way you travel.
What Affects the Cost of an Airport Transfer
Cost depends on distance, vehicle size, time of day, and the route, so there is no single fare worth quoting. A fixed-fare quote for your exact pair of airports is the only reliable figure.
Route detail matters more than people realise. A transfer that crosses the Thames at Dartford, as Gatwick to Stansted journeys often do, carries a crossing charge, and longer runs include dead mileage, the empty leg the driver covers returning after a one-way drop.
Two operators quoting the same airport pair can differ simply because one has priced in the return leg honestly.
Also Read: Airport Transfers Explained: UK, Holiday and Overseas Travel
Booking an Airport to Airport Transfer: What to Get Right
Track the arriving flight, not the departing one. The pickup should be tied to the flight you are landing on, so the driver adjusts if it runs early or late, rather than working back from your next departure.
Give the operator both terminals, and plan for baggage. On separate tickets, your bags will not transfer automatically, so you must reclaim them, carry them to the vehicle, and check them in again at the second airport.
From the driver’s seat, the useful thing to know is when bags actually reach the carousel, not when the wheels touch down. An experienced driver waits for the passenger, not the timetable.
Split-Airport Trips from the Surrey Belt
For travellers in the Surrey belt, the more common version of this problem is a trip that flies out of one airport and returns into another, which means the car home collects from a different airport than it dropped you at. Camberley Cars can book the outbound drop and the return pickup separately, across Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, and Southampton, for journeys to and from Camberley, Frimley, Farnborough, Yateley, Blackwater, and Sandhurst.
For journeys starting well outside this area, a local operator nearer your pickup will serve you better.
FAQs
How far is Heathrow from Gatwick?
Heathrow and Gatwick sit around 40 miles apart by road, connected mainly by the M25. The journey by coach or private car usually takes around an hour, though heavy motorway traffic can push it towards two hours. There is no direct train between the two airports, so rail routes require a change in central London and take longer.
Is there a direct train between London airports?
Not from Heathrow. There are no direct trains linking Heathrow with Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, or London City, so rail journeys involve changing in central London. The exception is Luton to Gatwick, where Thameslink trains run directly between Luton Airport Parkway and Gatwick Airport roughly every 20 minutes, taking around 1 hour 20 minutes.
How long does it take to get from Heathrow to Stansted?
By road, Heathrow to Stansted is around 60 miles and typically takes 75 minutes to an hour and a half, depending heavily on M25 traffic. Direct coaches also connect the two airports. There is no direct train, so rail means travelling into central London and changing at Liverpool Street for the Stansted Express.
How much does an airport to airport transfer cost?
There is no fixed rate, since cost depends on the distance between the airports, the vehicle size, the time of day, and the route. Journeys crossing the Thames at Dartford carry a crossing charge, and long runs include dead mileage on the empty return. Ask for a fixed-fare quote for your exact airport pair before you book.
How much time do I need between flights at different airports?
Allow a generous margin, and considerably more than the transfer time alone. You need to clear immigration, reclaim bags, make the transfer, then check in and pass security at the second airport. On separate tickets, there is no airline protection if you miss the connection, so building in extra time is the only real safeguard.
The Bottom Line
London’s airports are further apart than they look, and none of Heathrow’s connections to the other airports run by direct train. Luton to Gatwick is the one pairing with a direct rail link. For most pairs, the choice is between a timetabled coach and a private transfer that leaves when your bags arrive. Track the arriving flight, allow for baggage reclaim, and never rely on a tight connection on separate tickets. Camberley Cars covers split-airport trips across the Surrey belt.
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