Flying out of London from the south coast sounds like a hassle, but Portsmouth is better connected to Heathrow and Gatwick than most people expect. You can reach either airport without having to cross central London, and for both there is a direct coach that runs from early morning until the evening.
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Which option suits you comes down to where you live, how much luggage you are hauling and what time your flight leaves. Here is how the coach, the train and the car compare for the two big airports, with real routes, rough journey times and a few tips on tickets.
The direct coach, the easy choice for both
National Express runs direct coaches to both airports from Portsmouth, The Hard Interchange, the transport hub by the Historic Dockyard. For most travellers this is the simplest way to go: you load your bags once, sit back, and step off inside the terminal complex with no changes along the way.
The Heathrow service is route 030. It runs up to seven times a day, with the first coach leaving The Hard around 3:20am and the last at about 8:00pm, and the quickest run reaches Terminal 5 in roughly an hour and a half. It also calls at Heathrow Central for Terminals 2 and 3, and picks up at the University of Portsmouth on Cambridge Road before The Hard. Gatwick is served by route 206, revived as part of National Express expanding its south coast network; it runs up to six times a day, the first around 2:45am and the last near 7:40pm, and reaches Gatwick in about an hour and thirty five minutes.
A few things worth knowing before you book:
- fares are cheapest booked ahead, with Heathrow singles starting from around £25;
- booking through the National Express app or My Account avoids the small booking fee;
- the very early departures are timed for morning flights, so there is usually an option before check in opens.
Because the coach drops you right at the terminal, it takes the stress out of the airport run, which is why the Portsmouth And team tends to recommend it as the default for anyone without a lift.
By train to Gatwick
Gatwick is the one London airport with a genuine rail link from Portsmouth. Southern runs services along the coast that reach Gatwick Airport station in roughly an hour and three quarters, and the station sits directly under the South Terminal, so you walk straight up into the airport.
Some departures run through with no change, while others ask you to switch at Barnham, Horsham or Three Bridges, so it pays to check the specific train rather than assume every one is direct. Trains run through the day, and an Advance ticket booked ahead usually beats the walk up fare. If you are starting from a station on the line out of Portsmouth, this can be quicker and comfier than doubling back to the coach stop.
For the wider picture on fares, railcards and which Portsmouth station to use, our guide to getting to Portsmouth by train is a useful companion.
By train to Heathrow
Heathrow has no direct train from Portsmouth, so the rail route always involves a change. The usual approach is to take a South Western Railway service to London Waterloo, which takes around an hour and a half to an hour and three quarters, then cross to the airport on the Underground or the Elizabeth line, or ride the fast Heathrow Express from Paddington.
There is a tidier alternative that skips central London. Take the train to Woking, then the RailAir 701 coach, which links Woking straight to Heathrow in about three quarters of an hour. It is often faster than threading through the capital with cases, especially in the rush hour. On balance, though, if you are set on avoiding changes the direct coach still wins for Heathrow.
Our rule of thumb: for Gatwick, weigh up the train; for Heathrow, the coach usually saves you a juggle with luggage across London.
Either way, leave yourself a buffer for the London leg, where a single late connection can eat your margin.
Driving and parking
If you would rather drive, Heathrow is about 65 miles away, usually via the A3 and the M25, and takes anywhere from an hour and a quarter to nearly two hours depending on how the M25 is behaving. Gatwick is a little further at roughly 75 miles, reached on the A27 and M23 or by looping round on the M27 and M25, and tends to take an hour and a half to two hours.
Both airports now charge to drop off at the terminal, around £6 for a few minutes, so factor that in. For longer trips the mid stay and long stay car parks are the sensible choice, and like coach tickets they are far cheaper booked in advance than paid for on the gate.
The M25 is the great unknown on both runs. Give yourself extra time on a Friday afternoon or a bank holiday, when a clear hour can quietly turn into two.
Which option makes sense
There is no single best answer, but the quick version looks like this:
| Option | Airport | Rough time | Best for |
| Direct coach (030 / 206) | Heathrow and Gatwick | 1h30 to 1h45 | no changes, bags stay with you |
| Train | Gatwick | about 1h45 | living near the coastal line |
| Train via London or Woking | Heathrow | 2h to 2h30 | flexible departures, light luggage |
| Driving | Heathrow and Gatwick | 1h15 to 2h | early flights, a group, lots of cases |
For most people flying from Portsmouth, the direct coach is the easy default, with the Gatwick train a strong shout if the line is on your doorstep. If your journey carries on to other south coast cities, our guide to travelling from Portsmouth to Southampton covers the same routes in reverse. Book ahead, pad your timings for the M25 and the London leg, and the airport run from the south coast is far less daunting than it first sounds.
