Gatwick Airport connects around 33,000 passengers to the rest of the world each year. Whether you’re a frequent flyer, or a first timer, it can be the quickest and easiest way to get to that holiday of a lifetime, that swift city break, that European festival, or that business meeting which could make or break your career – IF it goes as planned, without any airport hitches. Many things can happen to hinder your trip that are out of your control such as delayed / cancelled flights, and other issues that, without proper preparation, could cause those all too common Airport Hassles.
Whether it’s organising documents, dealing with missed connections, incurring expensive airport parking charges or getting through security, this guide will provide you with top airport tips, to make your trip as stress-free as possible, so you can concentrate on what’s really important – getting to your destination.
Before you fly
As the scouts say – be prepared. Here’s a check list of things to prepare before your trip
Check In online –available with most airlines for up to 4 hours before your flight
Check you have correct /adequate travel insurance
Visa’s – www.fco.gov.uk official website to check visa / entry requirements as well as any weather / safety warnings.
Nearest British embassy details – Keep these in case you encounter any issues whilst away
Familiarise yourself with your destination with travel sites such as tripadvisor or a lonely planet, so you can make the most of your time there.
Pack smart & light – proper packing preparation, & checking bagging restrictions with your airline, will ensure you don’t get charged hefty amounts for oversized baggage
Check Airport Traffic with Apps like Live traffic Info from the Highway Agency to avoid traffic jams en route to the airport
Familiarise yourself with the language with smartphone Apps such as Lonely Planet Translators
Check your destinations currency, familiarise yourself with it, and check current conversions on www.xe.com
Airport Parking Gatwick
Frustrating, expensive, non-secure, too far from the airport? – All common airport parking hassles. Luckily this is something you will not experience at Gatwick Airport, with the marvellous meet & greet service from Ace Parking. It is a simple and efficient service in which a fully insured chauffeur driver will meet you at either Gatwick Terminal to collect your car from you at a pre-arranged time that′s determined by YOU.
Drive your own car directly to the airport
No need to find us
No need to drag cases / children on airport transfers
No solo travellers searching huge car parks in the dark hours
Get off the plane, walk out the airport & jump straight into your pre-warmed car
Completely safe & secure parking, that is monitored around the clock
Professional, well-mannered valets
Reliable 24/7 Service
Cheap Gatwick Airport Parking – Price match guarantee.
You will see why they have been voted the best parking website for 2012 & why you will never park your own car again!
Organising Documents
Make copies of your documents & keep separately / with family in case something is lost.
Passport – make sure its valid, not damaged, and has any required visa’s to your destination
Visa’s – Use the www.fco.gov.uk official website to check visa requirements and any weather / safety warnings.
Itinerary – Check all personal / travel details correct.
Special needs – Be sure to arrange all special meals, extra legroom, wheelchairs.
Accumulate all your travel itineraries on sites like Tripit – ‘A handy all-in-one app that collates all your holiday and flight confirmation emails into one travel itinerary’
Travelling with children
Use Ace Parking’s Meet & Greet service for your Gatwick Airport Parking – so you can go straight into the airport, avoiding hauling suitcases & tired children onto airport transfers, or finding your car in the middle of the night
There are many travel solutions for children – try sites like Mini Social to find great products to keep your little ones entertained
Make sure any food / bottles are 100ml or less to get through airport security
Prepare your children for your holiday with some fun tasks like exploring maps, reading books, watching films on the history, animals, food & plant-life of the destination. Or to get them excited, have a countdown chart to the departure day.
Boredom
It is essential to arrive at the airport early to avoid any airport hassles that may come up, but when things run smoothly, you may have at least a couple of hours to kill.
Gatwick airport has a whole host of things to do, eateries and places to shop. You can find these in our Gatwick Airport Services section.
Give yourself something to do – be it working on your laptop, reading with a Kindle, a book / magazine, or a good old fashion pack of cards!
Missed / Delayed / Cancelled flights
Check the status of your flight before you leave for Gatwick Airport – This can be on the gatwick airport website, or there are fab apps like ***.
If you miss your flight, or it is cancelled – Search for a new one with the super Skyscanner app.
If your flight is delayed / cancelled – check with your airline for any food / hotel vouchers, and new flight bookings
Getting to the airport, Gatwick Terminals & navigating around Gatwick airport
You will find all directions, airport maps, airport services and more travel information for Gatwick Airport in our Getting to Gatwick section
Gatwick Security
Security at airports has tightened significantly since the events that took place on 9/11. If you haven’t flown since then, or you’re a first time flyer, it is essential that you are aware of airport security procedures, so you can sail through, and not cause unnecessary delays for yourself and /or your family. We have dedicated a whole page to security at airports, offering dos and don’ts and general security tips.