Southampton SO45 to Gatwick LGW Taxis

Round the head of the water

There is no quick way off the Waterside by road. From Hythe or Fawley, the driver takes the A326 north through Marchwood and Totton to the M27 at junction 2. From there, the route either goes east along the M27 and A27 coast road through Chichester and Arundel to the A23, or up the M3 to the M25 and round to the M23. Both are around 90 miles.

Plan on an hour and forty to fifty minutes in normal traffic. The A326 is the first bottleneck, with roundabouts and slow sections between Fawley and Totton, especially at shift-change times for the refinery and on summer weekends. The A27 near Chichester can also be slow. For early flights, the roads are quiet.

The Hythe Ferry

The Hythe Ferry crosses Southampton Water from the end of Hythe's long Victorian pier to Town Quay in Southampton. It is a great way to get to the city, but with suitcases, and onward trains or coaches to catch, it is not practical for an airport trip. For flights, the car from your door is far simpler.

Across SO45

• Hythe: the village centre, the marina village and the waterfront.
• Dibden Purlieu and Dibden: large residential areas on the edge of the forest.
• Holbury and Fawley: around the refinery, with streets close to the A326.
• Blackfield and Langley: smaller villages towards Calshot and Lepe.

Some roads in the newer developments may not be on every satnav, and some rural properties near the forest are down tracks. Add a landmark or a what3words reference when you book.

Public transport

There is no railway on the Waterside. Public transport to Gatwick means a bus or the ferry to Southampton, then a train with at least one change, usually via Clapham Junction or along the coast. It takes three hours or more. For most people with luggage, the car is the only realistic option.

Gatwick's drop-off charges

If someone is driving you, warn them that Gatwick has charged £10 for the first ten minutes in its forecourt drop-off zones since January 2026, then £1 a minute up to thirty minutes. Payment is due online by midnight the next day. The free option is the Long Stay car park, which allows two hours with a shuttle bus. Our fixed fare already includes it, so there is nothing to pay at the kerb.

Timing your pickup

As a guide, leave the Waterside around four hours before a short-haul Gatwick flight and four and a half hours before long-haul. That allows for the A326, the drive and check-in. For early flights, a pickup in the small hours avoids the traffic.

Refinery and shift workers

Many people on the Waterside work at the Fawley refinery and the industrial sites around it, and some travel for work through Gatwick. For business trips, company accounts receive monthly invoicing with a reference for each journey.

Calshot, Lepe and the coast

At the southern tip of the Waterside, Calshot Spit and its Tudor castle look out over the Solent, with Lepe Country Park a little further west. Holiday lets, activity centres and sailing clubs along this stretch of coast welcome visitors from all over, and some fly in through Gatwick. If you are staying at one of them, give us the property or centre name and any directions; the roads here are narrow and quiet.

Families and holiday luggage

Holiday flights from Gatwick mean holiday luggage. A saloon takes two large cases; an estate takes four; an MPV takes six passengers with their bags. Child seats are free, and fitted before the driver arrives. For a larger family, the eight-seat MPV keeps everyone together at one fixed price.

Frequently asked questions