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Gatwick Express begins to accept Oyster/Contactless Cards… but is it the best method of paying?

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Gatwick Express and Southern Railway has begun to accept Transport for London’s Oyster Card and Contactless Payment Cards between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.

Unit 442422 at Gatwick Airport - John Pease.jpg
“Unit 442422 at Gatwick Airport – John Pease” by john pease – Unit 442422 at Gatwick Airport.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

Now, this in theory sounds brilliant – you rock up at the station, tap your Oyster Card/Payment Card and off you go on the train. Once you arrive, you use the same card to tap out and the payment is deducted.

But is it the best value? Lets take a closer look.

There are two important notes to make

  • The prices are one-way fares only. No return or period tickets can be used with Oyster/Contactless Payment
  • The fares collected by Gatwick Express/Southern do not go to your daily cap on Oyster/Contactless payment scheme
  • Adult fares only.

So here are the numbers – note, there are many ways to get between the two locations

                                                            Peak    Off Peak
London Gatwick <> London Victoria (Gatwick Express only)    £19.80   £19.80
London Stations* <> Gatwick Airport (Non Gatwick Express)   £14.00    £8.00
Underground Zone 1 <> Gatwick Airport (Non Gatwick Express) £16.20   £10.20

Certain London stations include Victoria (via Southern Railway), London Bridge, London Blackfriars and City Thameslink (Thameslink/Southern Services)

So? The best value? Not by a long shot… and that’s by Gatwick Express’s own admission if you’re planning to make a return journey.

Gatwick Express Fares
Gatwick Express fares – http://www.gatwickexpress.com/en/tickets-and-fares/

If you can take the non Gatwick Express services operated by Southern Railway or Thameslink, there are even greater savings to be made too than taking Gatwick Express.

None the less, it adds a convenient option for those of you who prefer to use Oyster Cards or Contactless payment cards to get to or from Gatwick Airport, without worrying about cash or booking in advanced.

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