Helpful airport transfer information from Airports Taxi UK, with private booking support for journeys across the UK.
Quick answer: We run Gatwick airport cabs 24 hours a day, including the early-morning departures and late-night arrivals when trains are sparse, hotel shuttles have stopped and rank queues are unpredictable. Book ahead with your flight number and a fixed fare, and the car will be at your door at 3am or waiting in arrivals at midnight.
Gatwick is busy at both ends of the day. The first wave of departures leaves early in the morning, and plenty of flights land late in the evening or after midnight. Those are exactly the hours when getting to and from the airport is hardest. This page is about those journeys. For daytime transfers and every route we cover, see our main Gatwick airport taxi page.
An early flight often means leaving home well before public transport starts. A pre-booked cab removes the worst part of an early start: working out how to get there.
Work backwards from your flight. Airlines usually recommend arriving two to three hours before an international departure, and less for short-haul, but check your airline’s advice. Then add the drive time from your pickup address. Roads are usually quieter before dawn, so the drive is often quicker than in the daytime, but allow some margin for roadworks and overnight closures on motorways.
A late landing is where pre-booking makes the biggest difference. After a long flight, delays at passport control and a wait at baggage reclaim, you don’t want to find the train timetable has thinned out or queue for a taxi at the rank.
For step-by-step detail on what happens after you land, read our Gatwick arrivals guide.
| Option | Late night / early morning |
|---|---|
| Trains | Reduced timetables and engineering works, sometimes with rail replacement buses |
| Hotel shuttles | May not run overnight or may run less often |
| Taxi rank | Fewer taxis waiting at some hours, and queues when several late flights land together |
| App-based rides | Fewer cars nearby and possible surge pricing |
| Driving yourself | Driving tired after a long flight, plus parking costs |
| Pre-booked cab | Booked in advance, fixed fare, flight tracked, runs 24/7 |
More detail on the rank is in our Gatwick taxi rank guide.
We run these journeys at any hour, but the ones we’re asked about most outside normal hours are:
Whatever the route, the fare is fixed at booking, and the driver comes to your door or waits for your flight.
Children asleep in the back, extra bags and a pushchair are all easier in a car booked for your group. Tell us how many adults and children are travelling and what luggage you have. We’ll send an estate, people carrier or 7 or 8-seater so nobody’s squeezed in at 2am.
If you’re flying out for a morning meeting or returning on a late flight after one, a fixed-fare cab means you can sleep, work or take a call on the way. For colleagues and visiting clients, see our Gatwick business taxi service.
Some travellers split an early departure by staying at an airport hotel the night before. We can do the home-to-hotel run in the evening and the hotel-to-terminal run in the morning. See our Gatwick airport hotel transfers.
Your fare is fixed and quoted before you confirm, so you’ll know the exact price whatever time you book for. Get a quote for your journey using the booking form at the top of this page. You can read how our pricing works on our Gatwick taxi prices page.
Yes. We operate 24/7, including overnight arrivals and first-wave departures.
Yes. Book in advance with your pickup address and flight details, and the driver will collect you at the time you choose.
If your flight number is in the booking, the driver tracks the flight and adjusts to the real landing time.
Yes, if it’s a car you’ve booked or a licensed taxi from the official rank. Always check the driver and car match your booking.
As early as you can, especially for school holidays and bank holiday weekends when early-morning demand is highest.
Flying early or landing late? Get a fixed-fare quote with the booking form at the top of this page, or see every option on our Gatwick airport taxi page.
