A taxi from Colchester to Gatwick Airport costs £140.21 in a saloon to the South Terminal and £137.26 to the North Terminal with Airports Taxi UK, a fixed fare for a drive of about 87 miles and 1 hour 35 minutes. The price includes ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and the Gatwick drop-off charge, so the quote is what you pay.
Colchester to Gatwick Airport is about 87 miles, from north Essex right round to Sussex. With Stansted on the doorstep it’s not the obvious airport for Colchester, but Gatwick has holiday and long-haul routes that Stansted doesn’t, so plenty of Colchester travellers make the trip. By train it means crossing London with luggage; a pre-booked airport transfer to Gatwick takes you round the M25 instead, with no changes and a fixed price.
On this page: the full taxi to Gatwick cost for each vehicle, the route and journey time, suggested pickup times, and a comparison with the train.
Colchester to Gatwick Taxi Prices
These fares come straight from our live booking form. Each price is for the whole vehicle, not per person.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Large cases | Colchester → Gatwick South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saloon | 4 | 2 | £140.21 |
| Estate | 4 | 4 | £152.20 |
| Executive | 3 | 2 | £173.92 |
| MPV | 6 | 4 | £180.64 |
| 8 Seater | 8 | 8 | £180.64 |
| Executive Minivan | 8 | 8 | £224.08 |
To the North Terminal, the saloon fare is £137.26. Larger vehicles are priced on the same basis. Child seats are £10 per seat, added when you book.
Cost per person
| Group | Vehicle | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 people | Saloon | £140.21 | £35.05 |
| 4 people | Estate | £152.20 | £38.05 |
| 6 people | MPV | £180.64 | £30.11 |
| 8 people | 8 Seater | £180.64 | £22.58 |
Book the return from Gatwick at the same time and you get 5% off the return leg, around £273.41 in a saloon for the round trip.
The Drive From Colchester to Gatwick
From Colchester, your driver takes the A12 south-west past Chelmsford to the M25 at junction 28, then goes clockwise round the east of London, over the Dartford Crossing, and down to junction 7 for the M23 spur into Gatwick. Our booking system puts it at about 87 miles and an hour and 35 minutes in clear traffic.
The A12 between Colchester and Chelmsford and the Dartford Crossing are the two places where delays build up, especially on weekday mornings and Friday afternoons. For morning flights we build extra time into your pickup. The crossing charge is part of the fixed fare.
Planning Your Pickup Time
Airlines usually want you at Gatwick two hours before short-haul flights and three hours before long-haul. From Colchester we’d suggest:
| Flight from Gatwick | Suggested pickup in Colchester |
|---|---|
| 6:00am short-haul | 2:00am to 2:15am |
| 9:00am short-haul | 4:45am |
| 12:00pm long-haul | 6:45am |
| 5:00pm short-haul | 12:45pm to 1:00pm |
Taxi, Train or Coach?
There’s no direct train from Colchester to Gatwick. You’d take Greater Anglia into London Liverpool Street, cross to Farringdon or London Bridge, and catch a Thameslink or Southern train to Gatwick. Allow around two hours with two changes, more if a connection is missed. Early flights are the main problem, as the first trains of the day often can’t get you there in time.
For four people in a saloon, the taxi comes to about £35.05 each, door to terminal.
Colchester Pickups
We collect from the town centre, the Dutch Quarter and streets around the castle, Lexden, Mile End, Greenstead, Highwoods, Stanway and the newer estates on the edge of town. Garrison and University of Essex addresses are fine too; add any access instructions when you book. Your driver will wait up to 5 minutes free at the door.
Gatwick or Stansted From Colchester?
Stansted is less than an hour from Colchester and has a big choice of European flights. Gatwick, though, is home to easyJet’s largest UK base and many TUI, Jet2, British Airways and long-haul holiday routes that Stansted doesn’t offer. If your flight is from Gatwick, the extra 45 minutes on the road is the price of the right flight. We run fixed fares from Colchester to both airports.
Students and Military Families
We regularly take University of Essex students and families from Colchester Garrison to Gatwick at the start and end of terms and postings. If you’re booking for someone else, put their mobile number in the passenger details so the driver can reach them directly.
Areas Around Colchester We Cover
The same fixed fares to Gatwick cover Wivenhoe, West Mersea, Tiptree, Coggeshall, Dedham, Marks Tey, Great Horkesley, Rowhedge and Stanway. Enter your exact address in the booking form to see the price.
Arriving Back at Gatwick
For the journey home, give us your flight number. We track the flight and your driver meets you inside the arrivals hall, holding a name board if you’d like one. You get one hour of free waiting from the time the flight actually lands, so passport queues and baggage delays aren’t a worry. The drive home to Colchester usually takes about an hour and 40 minutes.
North or South Terminal?
Gatwick has two terminals, linked by a free shuttle train that takes about two minutes. Your airline decides which one you use; the flight number on your booking lets us check. If you’re not sure, the Gatwick postcodes are RH6 0NP for the South Terminal and RH6 0PJ for the North Terminal, and our Gatwick postcode guide explains which airlines use which.
Dropping Off and Collecting at Gatwick
If a friend or relative drives you instead, they’ll pay Gatwick’s £10 forecourt drop-off charge, and collecting you means the Gatwick short stay pick up car parks, charged by the time spent there. With an Airports Taxi UK booking, the drop-off charge is already in the fare and your driver handles the parking when they collect you. Our guide to picking someone up at Gatwick explains the options if you are collecting someone yourself.
Which Vehicle Do You Need?
- Up to four with light luggage: saloon at £140.21 (two large cases).
- Four with a large case each: estate at £152.20.
- Five or six people: MPV at £180.64, our 7 seater taxi to Gatwick Airport option.
- Up to eight: 8 Seater at £180.64, a minibus to Gatwick Airport, about £22.58 each when full.
- Premium: Executive car at £173.92, or Executive Minivan at £224.08 for a luxury airport transfer to Gatwick. See our Gatwick chauffeur service for a chauffeur to Gatwick.
Booking Ahead
You can book as soon as your flights are confirmed. The price is fixed at the time of booking and doesn’t rise at peak times, so there’s no advantage in waiting. In the school holidays and at bank holiday weekends, early-morning slots go quickly, so booking a week or two ahead is sensible. If your flight time changes, update the booking or call us and we’ll move the pickup.
What’s Included
- A fixed fare including ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and the Gatwick drop-off charge.
- 5 minutes of free waiting at your door when we collect you.
- One hour of free waiting after landing on airport pickups, with flight tracking.
- Your driver meeting you inside the arrivals hall on the way home.
- Child seats at £10 per seat, and 5% off the return leg when you book both ways together.
Why Book With Airports Taxi UK?
It’s a long distance taxi run across the Thames, and we price it fairly: a fixed fare agreed when you book, drivers who know the A12 and Dartford at every hour, flight tracking on your return, and a team you can call if plans change.
Related Gatwick Transfers
- Gatwick Airport taxi: all routes and fares
- Gatwick Airport postcode guide
- Picking someone up from Gatwick
- Coach, train or taxi to Gatwick?
- 7 seater taxi to Gatwick
- Gatwick chauffeur service
- Chelmsford to Gatwick taxi
Colchester to Gatwick Taxi FAQs
How much is a taxi from Colchester to Gatwick Airport?
£140.21 in a saloon to the South Terminal and £137.26 to the North Terminal, including ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and the drop-off charge.
How long does it take from Colchester to Gatwick?
About an hour and 35 minutes in clear traffic.
How far is Colchester from Gatwick Airport?
About 87 miles via the A12, M25 and M23.
Is there a direct train from Colchester to Gatwick?
No. You change in London, and it takes about two hours.
Is Stansted closer to Colchester than Gatwick?
Yes, but Gatwick has many holiday and long-haul flights Stansted doesn’t. We cover both.
Do you cover Wivenhoe and West Mersea?
Yes, at fixed fares. Enter your address to see the price.
Book Your Colchester to Gatwick Taxi
Enter your pickup address, flight details and passengers in the booking form at the top of this page to see the fixed price for every vehicle and book in a couple of minutes.