Gatwick to London: how to choose between the train and a car

Unlike Luton or Stansted, Gatwick's rail connections are good enough that the train is often the right answer. It is worth being honest about when that is.

Gatwick Express

Direct to Victoria in around half an hour, with no stops to think about. If you are heading somewhere near Victoria, it is difficult to beat.

Thameslink

Often the smarter choice, because it runs through London rather than stopping at the edge — London Bridge, Farringdon, St Pancras. If your destination is on that spine, you avoid a change with your bags, which usually matters more than the few minutes' difference in journey time.

When the train is the right call

• One or two people, one case each.
• Destination within a short walk of Victoria, London Bridge, Farringdon or St Pancras.
• Daytime arrival, no tight connection afterwards.

When a car makes more sense

• Three or more people. Rail tickets are priced per person; a car is priced per journey. At three or four passengers, the comparison usually flips.
• Destination away from the rail spine. A train plus a taxi at the far end is two journeys, two payments and a bag-carry in between.
• Early or late flights. Gatwick's schedule is full of both, and the ends of the day are exactly when rail connections thin out.
• Luggage that a turnstile does not enjoy. Golf clubs, ski bags, a pushchair and a toddler.

The comparison people get wrong

Comparing one train ticket to a whole car is the wrong sum. Compare the total for everyone travelling, door to door — including the tube or taxi at the London end, and the ticket you buy on the day rather than the advance fare you did not book. For a couple travelling light, the train usually still wins. For a family of four with luggage, it usually does not, and the car was never really the extravagant option.