Gatwick has two terminals, North and South, separated by an inter-terminal shuttle that takes a free 2 minute ride. Parking at the wrong terminal is recoverable but adds 15 to 25 minutes to your return-leg journey. Here is which carriers fly from which terminal and how to pick the right Long Stay car park.
Which terminal does your flight leave from?
North Terminal
- EasyJet (most routes)
- Norwegian
- TUI (charter and package holidays)
- Wizz Air
- Most low-cost and leisure carriers
South Terminal
- British Airways (all routes)
- Virgin Atlantic (long-haul)
- BA partner carriers (American, Qatar, Cathay codeshares)
- Selected EasyJet routes (handful only)
Check your ticket. The departure terminal is printed on the booking confirmation and in your airline app. Do not assume — EasyJet uses BOTH terminals and the difference matters.
Long Stay car park at each terminal
Gatwick North Long Stay
- Pre-book from £60 a week, walk-up rate from £230.
- Free shuttle to North Terminal, runs every 10 to 12 minutes.
- Shuttle time: 10 to 20 minutes.
- First 2 hours of any visit are free (useful for drop-off).
- Park Mark accredited, 24/7 CCTV and barrier control.
Gatwick South Long Stay
- Pre-book from £60 a week, walk-up rate from £230.
- Free shuttle to South Terminal, runs every 10 to 12 minutes.
- Shuttle time: 5 to 10 minutes (closer than North).
- First 2 hours free (drop-off allowance).
- Park Mark accredited.
What happens if you book the wrong terminal
You can still get to your flight, but the journey takes longer:
- Take the Long Stay shuttle (5 to 20 min) to whichever terminal you booked.
- Walk to the inter-terminal shuttle (2 to 4 min walk inside the terminal building).
- Ride the inter-terminal shuttle to your actual terminal (2 to 3 min, runs every 2 minutes).
- Walk from inter-terminal arrival to check-in (3 to 5 min).
Total extra time vs the right terminal: 15 to 25 minutes each way. The inter-terminal shuttle is free, the Long Stay shuttle is included with parking. No cash penalty, just a real time penalty.
The on-return scenario
The wrong-terminal mistake hurts more on RETURN, when you are tired and want to get home. From baggage reclaim to your car at the wrong Long Stay car park is realistically 35 to 50 minutes door-to-door. The right terminal is 15 to 25 minutes. Save yourself the 20 minutes — book the matching terminal.
Short Stay and Premium Short Stay
Each terminal also has its own Short Stay car park (hourly, multi-storey, expensive for weeks) and Premium Short Stay (close-in, attached to terminal, eye-watering for multi-day). Both are for under-24-hour stays. For multi-day trips you want Long Stay or off-airport. See our full Cheapest Gatwick Airport Parking 2026 guide for the price brackets across every product type.
Off-airport alternative
Off-airport Park and Ride operators along the M23 corridor typically open at £46 a week pre-booked. Their shuttles go to BOTH terminals as part of the same loop. If you book off-airport, terminal choice still matters but only adds a few minutes to the shuttle route. Off-airport Meet and Greet (drive to the terminal forecourt, hand over keys) is also terminal-specific.
The honest one-line answer
Check your ticket for which terminal you fly from, then book the matching Long Stay car park. £60-£100 a week pre-booked, free shuttle, first 2 hours free for drop-off. If you accidentally book the wrong terminal, you will lose 30 to 40 minutes on the return leg — recoverable but annoying.
See live prices and book
For real-time prices on every car park at Gatwick across both terminals, see our Gatwick parking comparison page. For the full guide to choosing the right product, see our Gatwick buyer guide. For all UK airport drop-off charges including Gatwick at £10, see UK Airport Drop Off Charges 2026.