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How early should you leave for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted?
For a long-haul flight from Heathrow, arrive at the terminal 3 hours before departure. For short-haul or European flights, 2 hours is sufficient. But those numbers only cover time inside the airport. Add your journey from home, and a weekday rush-hour trip from Central London can take 60–90 minutes to Heathrow, 75–120 minutes to Gatwick, or 75–100 minutes to Stansted. This guide breaks down both: time at the airport and time getting there, terminal by terminal, with the 2026 security changes included.
The quick answer
| Airport | Short-haul / European | Long-haul | Add for journey from Central London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | 2 hours at terminal | 3 hours at terminal | 35–90 min by car (time of day dependent) |
| Gatwick | 2 hours at terminal | 3 hours at terminal | 45–120 min by car |
| Stansted | 2 hours at terminal (2.5 before 9am) | N/A (mostly short-haul) | 45–100 min by car |
These are conservative estimates that cover checking bags, clearing security, and reaching your gate. If you have hand luggage only and online check-in complete, reduce the terminal time by 30–45 minutes. If you are travelling during school holidays, on a Friday afternoon, or in the summer peak, add 30 minutes to the road journey.
Heathrow: terminal by terminal
Heathrow has four operating terminals. Which terminal you use determines your airline, your walking distance to the gate, and how busy security will be. Terminal 4 is the furthest from Central London and requires a separate access road.
Terminal 2 (The Queen's Terminal)
Airlines: Star Alliance carriers including United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, and Aer Lingus. The A gates are roughly 5 minutes' walk from security. The satellite building (T2B) adds up to 20 minutes of walking. If your boarding pass shows a B gate, factor this in. Security typically peaks between 6:00–9:00am and 6:00–9:00pm.
Terminal 3
Airlines: Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, American Airlines, Delta, Cathay Pacific, Qantas. T3 handles many long-haul carriers, which means afternoon departures create security surges between 2:00–9:00pm. Most gates sit roughly 20 minutes' walk from security. Heathrow is trialling a free security time-slot booking system (Heathrow Timeslot) for T3 passengers flying American Airlines, Delta, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic.
Terminal 4
Airlines: Various European and long-haul operators. T4 is accessed via a separate road and sits physically further from the M4/A4 corridor than the other terminals. Add 10–15 minutes of driving time compared to T2, T3, or T5. Redevelopment works are underway from 2026, so check for changes before travelling.
Terminal 5
Airlines: British Airways (almost exclusively). T5 is the largest terminal and generally has the fastest security processing. The critical detail: T5 has three buildings (5A, 5B, 5C). Gates in 5B and 5C are reached only by an internal transit train. Gate information is often displayed just 45 minutes before departure. If you are shopping or in a lounge after security and your gate is in 5B or 5C, you need 15+ minutes to reach it. This catches travellers who assume their gate is a short walk away.
What changed at Heathrow security in 2026
Heathrow completed a £1 billion security technology upgrade in January 2026, the largest of its kind at any airport worldwide. All four terminals now use next-generation CT scanners. You no longer need to remove liquids or electronics from your hand luggage. Liquids up to 2 litres can stay in your cabin bag. Laptops and tablets stay in your bag. This eliminates the tray-sorting delays that previously added 5–10 minutes per passenger.
The result: 97% of security queues cleared in under 5 minutes during 2025, and the new technology is faster still. If you flew from Heathrow in 2022 or 2023 and remember long queues, the experience has changed substantially.
Fast Track security costs from £12.99 per person at Heathrow and is available in all four terminals between 6:00am and 9:00pm. It provides a dedicated security lane with shorter queues. Premium cabin passengers, top-tier frequent flyers, and Heathrow Express Business First ticket holders get Fast Track included. At peak times (school holidays, Friday mornings, 6:00–9:00am), Fast Track can save 15–30 minutes versus the standard lane.
When Heathrow is busiest. The morning wave (6:00–9:00am) is peak across all terminals. Friday mornings and Sunday evenings are the heaviest travel days. School half-terms (late May, late October, mid-February) and the summer holiday period (mid-July to early September) push queues longer across check-in, security, and immigration. The quietest periods are Tuesday and Wednesday mid-morning (10:00am–12:00pm) and late evening departures (after 7:00pm). If you have flexibility on when to fly, these windows are noticeably calmer.
Gatwick: North Terminal vs South Terminal
Check which terminal your airline uses before you plan your journey. Getting this wrong costs 15–20 minutes. The inter-terminal shuttle takes 2 minutes, but walking to the shuttle, waiting, and walking out the other side adds up quickly.
British Airways, Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Jet2 operate from the South Terminal. easyJet, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and JetBlue operate from the North Terminal. The catch: easyJet uses both terminals depending on the flight number. South Terminal handles flights numbered 6300–6599. All other easyJet flights depart from North. Check your booking confirmation, not the airline name.
Security at Gatwick averages roughly 15 minutes. A 2025 Which? survey found 14% of passengers reported no wait at all. New CT scanners have been installed across all 19 lanes. Fast Track costs from £6 per person (20% discount through a myGatwick account). Gatwick does not make flight calls: you must monitor the departure screens yourself.
The drop-off charge at Gatwick increased to £10 for 10 minutes in January 2026. This is the highest among London airports. The free alternative is the long-stay car park (up to 2 hours free, shuttle bus to terminal). A chauffeur service absorbs this cost in the quoted fare and drops you at the terminal door.
Stansted: the early morning problem
Stansted handles mostly budget carriers. Around 70% of flights are Ryanair. This creates a specific timing problem: batch departures between 6:00am and 9:00am generate a passenger surge that can push security queues to 30–50 minutes. If your flight departs before 9:00am, arrive at the terminal at least 2.5 hours before departure, not the standard 2.
Ryanair's bag drop closes strictly 40 minutes before departure. Miss this deadline and you will not board. There is no flexibility. Night-before bag drop is available from 7:00–10:00pm for flights departing before 8:00am the next morning. If you are flying Ryanair with checked luggage on an early flight, this is the single most useful step you can take.
Gate distances at Stansted add hidden time. Gates 1–19 and 20–39 require the transit train (two different stops). Gates 40–59 are a 15-minute walk with no train option. Gate information appears roughly 90 minutes before departure, giving you time to plan. But the walk to the furthest gates still catches passengers who leave it late.
Fast Track at Stansted costs from £6.49 (security only) or £9.99 for FastTrack Plus, which also bypasses the duty-free walkthrough. During the 5:00–9:00am morning rush, this is worth the money. The airport is also undergoing a £1.1 billion expansion, including a £600 million terminal extension that started construction in January 2026.
Airline check-in and bag drop deadlines
Your airline sets the hard deadlines. Miss the bag drop cutoff and your luggage does not fly. Miss the gate closing time and neither do you. These times are measured backwards from your scheduled departure.
| Airline | Check-in closes | Bag drop closes | Gate closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways (long-haul) | 60 min before | 60 min before | 20 min before |
| British Airways (short-haul) | 45 min before | 45 min before | 20 min before |
| Emirates | 90 min before | 60 min before | 20 min before |
| Virgin Atlantic | 60 min before | 60 min before | 30 min before |
| easyJet | Online only | 40 min before | 30 min before |
| Ryanair | Online only (2 hrs–40 min before) | 40 min before | 25 min before |
| Wizz Air | Online only | 40 min before | 30 min before |
Budget carriers are the strictest. Ryanair and easyJet close bag drop at exactly 40 minutes before departure. The staff will not override this. BA is more generous at 60 minutes for long-haul but still enforces it. The safest approach: be through security with at least 60 minutes to spare, regardless of airline.
Journey times from London to each airport by car
| Starting area | Heathrow (off-peak) | Heathrow (rush hour) | Gatwick (off-peak) | Gatwick (rush hour) | Stansted (off-peak) | Stansted (rush hour) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfair / Westminster | 35–50 min | 60–90 min | 50–70 min | 80–120 min | 50–65 min | 80–100 min |
| City of London | 45–60 min | 75–100 min | 45–65 min | 75–110 min | 40–55 min | 65–90 min |
| South London (Clapham) | 40–55 min | 60–80 min | 35–50 min | 55–80 min | 55–70 min | 85–110 min |
| North London (Camden) | 35–50 min | 55–75 min | 55–75 min | 85–120 min | 40–55 min | 60–80 min |
| East London (Canary Wharf) | 50–70 min | 75–100+ min | 50–65 min | 75–100 min | 35–50 min | 55–75 min |
| West London (Hammersmith) | 20–30 min | 35–50 min | 55–75 min | 85–120 min | 55–70 min | 85–110 min |
Heathrow is fastest from West London. The M4 and A4 corridor runs directly from Chiswick to the airport in 20–30 minutes off-peak. From the City or Canary Wharf, the journey crosses central London and is the most variable route. Rush hour (7:30–9:30am) on the M4 approach and at M25 Junction 15 regularly adds 30–40 minutes. The M25 near Heathrow carries 219,000+ vehicles per day and Junction 14 is the UK's second-worst motorway section for congestion.
Gatwick has the most unpredictable road journey. The A23 through Croydon moves slowly even outside peak hours. The M23 is short with few alternative routes. A single accident on the M23 can halt all southbound traffic. From South London, Gatwick is closer than it appears on a map. From North or West London, expect it to take longer than Google Maps suggests.
Stansted is the most predictable by road. The M11 from East London is relatively free-flowing compared to the M4 or M25 corridors. Journey times are the most consistent of the three airports. From West or South London, however, the journey crosses central London first, adding variability.
The M25 is the wild card for all three airports. Heathrow traffic uses the M25 at Junctions 14–15, where 219,000+ vehicles pass daily. Gatwick traffic often joins the M25 at Junction 7 (M23 interchange). Stansted traffic from West London crosses the M25 at the Dartford area. A single incident on any section can add 30–60 minutes with no alternative route. London drivers lose an average of 156 hours per year to congestion. This is the strongest argument for using a professional driver who monitors conditions in real time.
For comparison, rail is more predictable but less flexible. The Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes from Paddington (£25). The Elizabeth Line takes 27 minutes (£13.90 peak). The Gatwick Express takes 30 minutes from Victoria (£24.10). The Stansted Express takes 48 minutes from Liverpool Street (£20.70). Rail removes traffic variability but does not solve the luggage problem for families or the door-to-terminal problem for anyone not starting near a mainline station.
Six things that change when you should leave
Checking bags vs hand luggage only. If you have checked in online and carry only hand luggage, skip the check-in desks and bag drop entirely. This saves 20–45 minutes inside the terminal. You still need to clear security and reach your gate, but the process is faster and the timing tighter.
Fast Track security. At peak times, Fast Track saves 15–30 minutes. At off-peak (mid-morning weekdays), the standard queue is often under 10 minutes anyway. Fast Track is most valuable for Friday mornings, school holidays, and Stansted's early morning surge. Prices: £12.99 Heathrow, £6 Gatwick, £6.49 Stansted.
Families with young children. Add 30 minutes to every estimate in this guide. Buggies need folding at security. Nappy changes take time. Children walk slowly through terminals. If you need car seats at the other end, a V-Class chauffeur service provides them fitted in advance at no extra charge.
Time of day. Rush hour (7:30–9:30am, 5:00–6:30pm) can double road journey times from any London postcode. The roads clear noticeably from 9:30am. Late evening (after 8pm) and early morning (before 6am) journeys are the fastest. Wednesday afternoons are statistically the busiest day for UK road traffic.
Day of week and season. Friday afternoons are the worst for airport-bound traffic, particularly on the M4 and M25. Summer school holidays (mid-July to early September) add 20–30% to queue times at all airports. The Monday after a bank holiday is reliably bad. Tuesday and Wednesday mid-morning are the quietest times to travel.
Your drop-off method. Being dropped off at the terminal door saves roughly 5 minutes versus short-stay parking and 20–25 minutes versus the free long-stay car parks (walking, waiting for shuttle, riding shuttle). Drop-off charges: £7 Heathrow (10 min), £10 Gatwick (10 min), £7 Stansted (15 min). All use ANPR cameras and require online payment.
Special assistance or wheelchair users. Contact your airline at least 48 hours before travel to arrange assistance. Heathrow has dedicated assistance security lanes in T2, T3, and T5. Arrive at the terminal at least 2.5 hours before short-haul or 3.5 hours before long-haul to allow time for the assistance team to meet you and escort you through the terminal. The Sunflower lanyard scheme is available at all London airports for passengers with hidden disabilities.
Three worked examples
10:00am BA flight to New York, Heathrow T5, leaving from Mayfair on a Tuesday. Long-haul: arrive at T5 by 7:00am. Mayfair to Heathrow at 6:00am (pre-rush): 35–40 minutes by car. Leave home by 6:15am. With a 15-minute buffer for delays: leave by 6:00am. In an S-Class from a Mayfair hotel, the chauffeur arrives at 5:50am with the car ready, luggage loaded, and the route checked.
7:00am easyJet flight to Barcelona, Gatwick North Terminal, leaving from Clapham on a Friday. Short-haul: arrive at North Terminal by 5:00am. Clapham to Gatwick at 4:00am (empty roads): 35–40 minutes. Leave by 4:15am. Check the flight number before you travel. easyJet flights numbered 6300–6599 depart from South Terminal, not North. With an E-Class, the chauffeur confirms pickup time by 10pm the night before.
6:30am Ryanair flight to Dublin, Stansted, leaving from Islington on a Saturday. Ryanair bag drop closes at 5:50am. Be at the terminal by 4:00am to handle the morning surge. Islington to Stansted at 3:00am: 40–45 minutes. Leave by 3:15am. Consider Ryanair's night-before bag drop (7:00–10:00pm) to remove the biggest time pressure and sleep an extra hour.
A note on connecting flights at Heathrow. If you are connecting between terminals, Heathrow recommends 60–90 minutes for same-terminal connections and at least 2 hours for cross-terminal connections. The free inter-terminal transfer runs between T2/T3 and T5 but does not serve T4. T4 connections require a bus. If your connection is tight, ask the airline at check-in whether your bags will be transferred automatically.
How a chauffeur transfer changes the timing
A professional chauffeur changes three variables in this equation. First, the driver monitors traffic in real time and adjusts both the departure time and the route. If the M4 is blocked, the driver takes the A30 or A4 through Hounslow. If the M25 is clear, you leave 15 minutes later than planned. This is the difference between guessing and knowing.
Second, the drop-off is at the terminal door. No parking, no shuttle bus, no walking from a multi-storey car park with suitcases. The chauffeur handles luggage from boot to trolley. For families, this alone saves 20–30 minutes versus the free long-stay car parks. The £7–£10 drop-off charge is included in the quoted fare.
Third, the return pickup works the same way in reverse. The chauffeur tracks your inbound flight, adjusts for delays or early arrivals, and meets you in the arrivals hall. No circling in the car park. No ANPR penalty risk. For a comparison of chauffeur costs across all London airports, see our airport transfer pricing guide. To book, visit our airport transfer page.
Frequently asked questions
Is 2 hours enough at Heathrow?
Yes, for most short-haul and European flights with online check-in. For long-haul, 3 hours is the recommendation. The 2-hour figure covers security (under 5 minutes for 97% of passengers), reaching your gate (5–20 minutes depending on terminal), and a buffer. Hand-luggage-only passengers can often manage in 90 minutes outside peak times.
How long does security take at Heathrow in 2026?
Under 5 minutes for 97% of passengers. Heathrow completed a £1 billion upgrade in January 2026, installing CT scanners in all four terminals. You no longer need to remove liquids or electronics from your bag. Peak times (6:00–9:00am, school holidays) can push waits to 15–20 minutes in standard lanes. Fast Track from £12.99 provides a dedicated lane.
Do I still need to remove liquids at Heathrow security?
No. Since January 2026, Heathrow's CT scanners allow liquids up to 2 litres to remain in your cabin bag. Laptops and tablets also stay in your bag. This applies to all four terminals and is a significant change from previous rules. Gatwick has also installed CT scanners across all lanes.
How early should I arrive at Gatwick for a 6am flight?
Arrive at the terminal by 4:00am. This gives 2 hours for check-in, security, and reaching your gate. Check-in desks and security open from approximately 3:00am for early departures. Day-before check-in is available for BA (6:00–9:00pm), easyJet (8:00–10:00pm), Jet2 (4:30–9:00pm), and TUI (2:00–9:00pm).
How early should I arrive at Stansted for a Ryanair flight?
At least 2.5 hours before departure for flights before 9:00am. The morning batch departure surge can push security to 30–50 minutes. Ryanair bag drop closes strictly 40 minutes before departure. Night-before bag drop (7:00–10:00pm) is available for flights before 8:00am and removes the biggest time pressure.
What time does security open at Heathrow?
Approximately 5:00am in all terminals. Fast Track opens at 6:00am. Check-in desks open 2–3 hours before the first departures. Terminal facilities are limited before 5:30am. For very early flights, Heathrow recommends its on-site hotels: Aerotel (landside, between T2 and T3), Hilton (T4), and Sofitel (T5).
How much is the drop-off charge at Heathrow?
£7 per vehicle for up to 10 minutes. The charge applies at all four terminals and is enforced by ANPR cameras (cashless, no barrier). The free alternative is Park and Ride car parks with 29 minutes free plus a shuttle bus to the terminal. Blue Badge holders are exempt. Pick-ups are prohibited in the drop-off zone.
Can I check in the night before at Stansted?
Yes, for Ryanair. Bag drop is available from 7:00–10:00pm the evening before for flights departing before 8:00am the next day. This avoids both the 5:00–7:00am security surge and the strict 40-minute bag drop deadline. Other airlines at Stansted may offer similar services on a seasonal basis.
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