If you normally fly from one terminal and your next trip departs from the other, the car park that made sense last time may not be the best fit. This article explains, using only published London Gatwick Airport information, how the terminal you fly from changes which car park is the natural choice, what the transfer involves, and what to check before you book.
Does the terminal actually matter?
Yes. London Gatwick Airport's own parking guidance is organised around the terminal you are flying from. The airport's parking directions page tells drivers to "refer to the directions provided on the relevant Parking page" and then to "scroll to the bottom of the page and select the terminal you're flying from." In other words, the terminal is a required input before you can even get the correct driving directions to the car park.
The booking flow on the airport's Long Stay parking page also asks you to select a terminal, with the options listed as "North Terminal" and "South Terminal". That confirms the terminal is not a cosmetic detail — it is part of how parking is selected and booked.
So if you are used to one terminal and your next flight leaves from the other, treat it as a fresh parking decision rather than a repeat booking.
Which car park serves my terminal?
The evidence bundle covers London Gatwick's Long Stay car parks specifically, and it shows that Long Stay parking exists on both sides of the airport. The FAQ on the airport's parking index refers to "the North Terminal Long Stay" and "the South Terminal" when describing shuttle transfer times, which indicates that Long Stay parking is associated with each terminal.
The Long Stay parking page also gives a specific postcode for the South Terminal car park entrance: "South Terminal, Postcode RH6 0NY". It then provides step-by-step driving directions that begin "From the direction of London or Brighton, exit M23 at Junction 9 following signs to London Gatwick", continue "Use the filter lane and turn left at the first roundabout (J9a) following signs to the South Terminal", and then "After 100m, take the 2nd turning on the left, following signs to Long Stay car park".
Two important cautions come from the same page. First, the airport warns that "postcode accuracy on satellite navigation is variable, so always check the relevant road signs too." Second, the directions are tied to a specific terminal — the South Terminal — so you should not assume the same route applies if you are flying from the North Terminal.
What the bundle does not state is a full list of every car park that serves each terminal, or whether any particular car park is exclusive to one terminal. It also does not state whether any car park serves both terminals. If you need to know which specific car park products are available for your terminal, check the official parking pages at the Long Stay parking page and the airport's parking FAQs.
Transfer difference between the terminals
This is the part that most often catches out a traveller who has switched terminals. The airport's parking FAQ gives different shuttle transfer times depending on the terminal: "It takes around 20 minutes from the North Terminal Long Stay and about 10 minutes from the South Terminal."
That is a meaningful difference in the planning of your arrival at the airport. A transfer that takes around 20 minutes from the North Terminal Long Stay is roughly double the roughly 10 minutes quoted for the South Terminal. The airport does not explain in the bundle why the times differ — it simply states them — so treat the reason as not stated here.
The same FAQ also tells you where to find the shuttle bus stops once you are in the terminal: "The bus stops for the Long Stay car parks are located on the terminal forecourts where the bus stops are clearly signed. For South Terminal please go to the upper forecourt. For North Terminal please go to the lower forecourt."
That forecourt detail matters on the return leg. If you fly back into a different terminal from the one you departed from, the bus stop you need will be on a different level: upper forecourt for South, lower forecourt for North.
How this changes your pre-flight timing
The airport's parking FAQ advises allowing time for the shuttle transfer if you are using a Long Stay car park: "If you're using a Long Stay car park, remember to allow time for the shuttle transfer to the terminal." It then gives the terminal-specific figures of around 20 minutes from the North Terminal Long Stay and about 10 minutes from the South Terminal.
The bundle also contains a partial sentence about check-in timing — "ht, and four hours before a long-haul flight, unless your airline advises otherwise" — but the sentence is truncated in the evidence, so the full recommended arrival window is not stated here. Do not rely on that fragment. Check your airline's own guidance and the airport's parking FAQ for the complete recommendation.
What you can safely take from the bundle is that the transfer time is part of the journey, not separate from it, and that the figure differs by terminal. If you are flying from the North Terminal Long Stay and you are used to the South Terminal timing, your buffer needs to be larger.
Booking in advance and choosing the right terminal
The airport's parking FAQ states: "You can book parking at London Gatwick up to a year in advance of your travel date. We recommend booking in advance online to enjoy the best prices."
No specific prices, fees or discount amounts are given in the evidence bundle, so none can be quoted here. If price is a factor in your decision, check the official parking pages directly.
When booking, make sure the terminal you select matches the terminal your flight actually departs from. The Long Stay page's booking form includes "Select Terminal" with "North Terminal" and "South Terminal" options, and the parking directions page tells you to select the terminal you are flying from. If your usual terminal has changed, update that selection rather than assuming the previous booking pattern still applies.
A simple way to think about it
- Start with the terminal, not the car park. The airport's own directions process begins by selecting the terminal you are flying from.
- Check the transfer time for that terminal. Around 20 minutes from the North Terminal Long Stay and about 10 minutes from the South Terminal, per the airport's FAQ.
- Note the forecourt level for your return. Upper forecourt for South Terminal, lower forecourt for North Terminal.
- Follow the signs, not just the satnav. The airport warns that postcode accuracy on satellite navigation is variable.
- Book in advance if you can. The airport says you can book up to a year ahead and recommends booking online in advance.
What this article does not cover
The evidence bundle does not state which specific car park products are available at each terminal beyond the Long Stay references, does not give any prices or fees, does not state whether any car park serves both terminals, and does not give a complete recommended arrival time before departure. For those points, check the official London Gatwick parking pages and your airline's guidance.
For a wider view of how parking fits into your trip planning, see our planning section, and to weigh up different parking options, use our comparison pages.
Checked 2026-10-06. This source check uses Long Stay Parking and Parking FAQs. It is not a live availability check, booking or personal test.
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