Stansted to Gatwick chauffeur service via the QE2 Bridge

South over the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

The car takes the M11 south to the M25 at junction 27 and turns clockwise through Essex. Southbound traffic crosses the Thames on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford, then the M25 runs west through Kent and Surrey to junction 7, where the M23 leads down to Gatwick.

The Dart Charge for the bridge is part of your fixed fare, as are fuel and parking. Bridge closures in high winds are rare but possible, and on those days the driver switches to the western arc of the M25.

Between junctions 27 and 30 the Essex section passes the A12 at Brentwood, then the lanes split on the approach to the crossing. The chauffeur is already in the right one before the signs appear.

Meeting you at Stansted

Stansted has one terminal. Your chauffeur waits in the arrivals hall with a board showing your name, then takes the trolley out to the car park. If the flight lands early, the driver is already waiting there, because the pickup follows the tracked landing rather than the published timetable.

Which Gatwick terminal, and where you're dropped

Gatwick has North and South terminals linked by a free shuttle. Your flight number tells the driver which one to use, and the car stops at that terminal's departures set-down.

Long-haul holidays from Gatwick

Gatwick is the London base for many holiday routes to Florida and the Caribbean, and for easyJet's biggest network. For a family starting a long trip from Gatwick, one car is a calmer beginning than two trains through London.

The driver loads the cases at Stansted and unloads them at Gatwick departures, with child seats fitted if you ask when booking.

When the bridge is busy

Southbound queues at Dartford build on weekday evenings and summer Saturdays. In strong winds the bridge can close, sending southbound traffic through one of the tunnel bores instead, which slows the crossing.

On those days the driver compares the crossing with the western M25 through Hertfordshire and Surrey. It's more miles, but it can be the quicker choice.

Trains through London, or a direct car

Rail needs at least two changes. You can take the Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale, the Victoria line to Victoria and a Gatwick train from there, or ride to Liverpool Street and use the Elizabeth line and Thameslink. Both routes mean hauling bags along platforms and escalators in central London.

A direct National Express coach costs less per seat but follows a timetable. The chauffeured car leaves when you do and waits if the flight's late.

A driver who knows both forecourts

Both airports have reshaped their roads in recent years, with drop-off zones, charges and one-way loops that catch out occasional visitors. Your chauffeur drives them every week, so the pickup at Stansted and the set-down at Gatwick take minutes rather than a lap of the car parks.

Time between flights

For an onward departure from Gatwick, leave four and a half hours after landing at Stansted. The drive and the river crossing take up to 80 minutes, and long-haul check-in at Gatwick often closes an hour before take-off. On summer Saturdays, when the bridge queue grows, five hours is the safer gap.

Groups returning from a trip

Stag, hen and sports groups often book the Sprinter minibus, which carries up to 19 people with 16 bags. For eight or fewer, the Mercedes-Benz Vito is the lighter choice.