Victoria, where Gatwick begins

Car or Gatwick Express?

For a single traveller or a couple with light luggage, the Gatwick Express from Victoria is fast, frequent and immune to traffic, and we would not try to talk you out of it. Southern trains run the same route with a few more stops and are often cheaper.

A car is the better choice when you have more luggage than you can handle on the platform and the airport shuttle, when you are travelling as a family or group, when your flight is before the first trains or after the last, or when you are starting from a hotel or an address some distance from the station. By road, Gatwick is about 40 miles and around 69 minutes off-peak via the A3 and the M25 or the A23, and about 100 minutes in the rush.

Can you meet a coach arriving at Victoria Coach Station?

Yes. Many travellers arrive at Victoria Coach Station on an overnight coach from Europe or from another part of Britain and fly on the same day. Give us the coach operator and the service, and the chauffeur will meet you in the arrivals area with a board showing your name, and walk you to the car.

Coaches can run late, especially on long European routes, so leave a generous margin before your flight. For a long-haul departure from Heathrow, at least four hours between the coach’s scheduled arrival and the flight is sensible.

How long does Heathrow take from Victoria?

About 37 minutes off-peak and around 54 minutes in the weekday rush, via Grosvenor Place, Hyde Park Corner, the Cromwell Road and the M4. For a long-haul flight, a pickup about three hours before departure is usually right.

The Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line are the rail alternatives, both needing a change from Victoria. After a train or coach journey with luggage, the car is usually simpler.

Where does the chauffeur meet you at the station?

Victoria’s main concourse is large and crowded, so we agree a clear meeting point: the end of your arrival platform, the barriers on the Southern side or the Southeastern side, or a named landmark such as the departures board. The chauffeur messages you when they are in position.

The roads around the station are busy bus routes with restricted stopping, so the car will be waiting at the nearest legal point, often on a side street off Buckingham Palace Road or Wilton Road, and the chauffeur will walk you there with your bags.

How does the Changing of the Guard affect journeys?

On mornings when the Changing of the Guard takes place at Buckingham Palace, crowds gather along Buckingham Palace Road, the Mall and Birdcage Walk, and some roads are closed while the guards march. State occasions and large events on the Mall close roads for longer.

For a pickup around Victoria on those mornings, the chauffeur will avoid the palace side and head west via Grosvenor Place or Pimlico. We check the ceremony and events calendar when you book.

How do hotel and office pickups around Victoria work?

Victoria Street, Buckingham Palace Road and the streets towards Pimlico are lined with hotels and offices, from large chains to small guesthouses in converted terraces. Most larger hotels have a place for a car to stop at the entrance; for smaller ones on Belgrave Road or Ebury Street, the chauffeur will pull in as close as the street allows and come to reception for your bags.

For offices on Victoria Street and in the new developments around Cardinal Place and Nova, tell us the building and the entrance your reception uses for cars. The chauffeur will wait there and message you when the car is outside.

Does the Congestion Charge apply at Victoria?

Yes, for journeys that start during charging hours. Victoria station is inside the Congestion Charging Zone, so a pickup between 07:00 and 18:00 on a weekday, or between 12:00 and 18:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, incurs the £18 daily charge. It is included in your fixed price when it applies.

What about London City and Luton?

London City is about ten miles east and takes around 37 minutes along the Embankment and through the City. Luton is about 68 minutes via the Edgware Road and the M1. For both, a car avoids crossing London on the Underground with luggage.