Car Hire at London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

Part of our guide to car hire in London.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

• Book through eCarBookers first: Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.
• Where the airport is: London Gatwick Airport is in West Sussex, close to Crawley and Horley, about 30 miles south of central London. It has a North Terminal and a South Terminal, and the M23 serves it from the north.
• Where the desk is: Green Motion and U-Save list their branches at Gatwick Business Park, Kennel Lane, Hookwood, Horley, RH6 0AY, which is off the terminal campus. For Green Motion, one listing directs arriving passengers to collect their baggage, call the branch to request an on-demand pick-up, and wait at bus stop 12 in the North Terminal or bus stop 9 in the South Terminal. For U-Save, the listing advises checking your confirmation email for where to meet your agent. The exact meeting point and contact number for your hire are shown on your booking voucher, which is the definitive source, so check it before you travel and follow it on arrival.
• Opening hours: The listings vary between 06:00 to 22:00 and 07:00 to 19:00 every day, depending on the supplier and the source. Choose a flight that lands comfortably inside the shorter window, and confirm the hours in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by rail: Gatwick Airport railway station links the airport with central London and the south coast, and a short walkway connects it to the South Terminal. Check the timetable on the day for your route.
• What to bring: The main driver should carry a valid driving licence, photo identification and a credit card in their own name with a limit high enough to cover the excess hold. Visitors from outside the UK should also carry their passport and, where required, an international driving permit. One listing also mentions proof of address, so keep a recent utility bill or bank statement available.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

• Returning the car: Return the car within the branch's opening hours shown in your booking confirmation, and confirm the drop-off instructions with the supplier at collection. One listing states that there is no key box at the Green Motion branch, so plan your return for a time when the office is open.
• Nearest petrol stations: Tesco Gatwick Extra (Reigate Road, Hookwood, RH6 0AT) and Esso Horley (Povey Cross Road, RH6 0AD) are both listed as open 24 hours a day. Refuel before you return the car, and allow time to do so before the branch closes.
• Fuel policy: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire, so that you return the car as the supplier expects.
• Before you drive away: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, including all four sides, the wheels, the windscreen and the interior. Dated photographs give you a clear record of the condition you received.
• Emission zones: Gatwick lies in West Sussex, outside Greater London, so the ULEZ does not apply at the airport. It applies once you enter a London borough, where it operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Petrol cars must meet Euro 4 and diesel cars Euro 6, and a vehicle that does not meet the standard pays £12.50 per day. Check the registration at tfl.gov.uk and ask the supplier at collection to confirm that your car meets the standard.

Top Car Hire Agencies at London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

Car hire at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) is available through Green Motion and U-Save.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras — such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees — may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Key Destinations

• Brighton — about 26 miles south, in roughly 34 minutes, usually by the M23 and A23. The seaside city is the nearest coast to the airport.
• Central London — about 30.5 miles north, in roughly 1 hour 5 minutes. The route enters the ULEZ and then the Congestion Charge zone, where a daily charge of £15 applies, so many visitors take the train into the centre.
• Hampton Court Palace — about 26 miles north, in roughly 41 minutes. The palace (KT8 9AU) is on the A308 in East Molesey, and on-site parking cannot be pre-booked.
• Heathrow Airport — about 40 miles north-west, in roughly 51 minutes. The route follows the M25 round the west of London.
• Canterbury — about 69 miles east, in roughly 1 hour 11 minutes. The cathedral city suits a day trip into Kent.

If your route to Kent crosses the Thames, the Dart Charge applies at the Dartford Crossing on the M25 from 6am to 10pm, with cars paying £3.50 pay-as-you-go or £2.80 with a Dart Charge account, and payment is due by midnight the day after you cross. Ask the supplier at collection how the charge is handled on your vehicle.

How Payment Works for Car Hire at London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

Payment is made in two steps. A rental prepayment confirms your booking online, with Instant Confirmation from the supplier. You then pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival, when you collect the car.

The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk. Because the full rental amount is not charged at the time of booking, you keep flexibility if your plans change, and cancellation is free.

The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card at collection, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit. The amount is shown in your booking confirmation.