Taxi from PO11 Hayling Island to Gatwick

Off the island and along the A27

From most of Hayling, the driver takes the A3023 north along the island to the Langstone Bridge and on to Havant. From Havant, the A27 runs east past Emsworth, Chichester and Arundel to Worthing and Brighton, before the A23 and M23 head north to Gatwick. An alternative is inland via Petersfield or through Horsham, which the driver may choose if the A27 is blocked.

It is around 65 miles. In normal traffic, the drive takes an hour and a quarter to an hour and twenty-five minutes. The Langstone Bridge and the roads into Havant are slow on summer weekends, when holiday traffic is heading onto the island, and the A27 around Chichester and Arundel can back up at any time. For early morning flights, the roads are clear and the trip is quicker.

The bridge and summer weekends

There is only one road on and off Hayling, so when it is busy, everyone waits. On sunny summer weekends and bank holidays, the queue for the island can stretch back into Havant, and the traffic leaving the island in the late afternoon can be slow. If your flight is on a summer weekend, we will suggest an earlier pickup to allow for it. Early morning departures avoid the problem almost entirely.

Across Hayling Island

PO11 covers the whole island: Northney and the marina near the bridge, West Town and the seafront at Beachlands, Eastoke and Sandy Point on the eastern tip, Mengham village in the south-east, and Sinah and the ferry point near the western end, where the Hayling Ferry crosses to Eastney. Holiday parks and caravan sites are spread across the island; if you are staying in one, give us the park name and the pitch or lodge number, and tell us where the driver should meet you.

Getting to Gatwick by train from Hayling

Hayling has had no railway since the Hayling Billy line closed in the 1960s; the old trackbed is now a popular walking and cycling trail. The nearest station is Havant, on the mainland. From Havant, Southern trains run east along the coast, and with a change you can reach Gatwick in around an hour and a half to two hours. Add the bus or taxi to Havant, and it becomes a long, multi-stage journey with luggage.

For most people from Hayling, especially families and anyone with an early flight, the car from the door is much simpler. With two or more travellers, the fixed fare compares well with train tickets plus a taxi to Havant.

Gatwick's drop-off charges

If a friend is driving you to Gatwick, warn them about the forecourt charge: £10 for the first ten minutes outside either terminal since January 2026, then £1 a minute up to thirty minutes. Cameras read the number plate and the charge must be paid online by midnight the next day, with a £100 penalty if missed. The free option is the Long Stay car park, which allows up to two hours with a shuttle bus. If you pre-book with us, it is included in the price you are quoted.

Timing your pickup

As a guide, leave Hayling around three hours before a short-haul departure and three and a half hours before long-haul. On summer weekends, add half an hour for the bridge. We will confirm the pickup time with you when you book.

Coming home to the island

The same fixed fare applies from Gatwick to Hayling. Expect your driver in arrivals, name board in hand, with your flight already being tracked. Coming over the Langstone Bridge after a long trip, with the harbour on both sides, is a good way to arrive home.

Sailing kit and beach gear

Hayling is a big sailing and watersports centre. If you are travelling with kit bags, kitesurfing gear or anything bulky, choose an estate or MPV and mention it when you book.

Frequently asked questions