Travelodge Gatwick Airport

For the price, I really can’t complain about the stay. The en suite room was clean and spacious, and surprisingly quiet given the location. I’d use it again if I needed to. I’m mainly writing to let people know you can actually walk to the terminal from here. Someone’s made a pretty decent path, with a few muddy bits. I’ll take that over the extortionate bus fare, and it’s faster too. Check the attached image for the route. From the rear car park, go to the gate in the left corner, pass through it, cross the bridge, and follow the path toward the large car park. About 30-50m before you reach its perimeter fence, turn right and follow the fence along. The paving slabs make the path obvious. Keep going around until you reach the road. At the roundabout, head toward the multi-storey car park and follow the signs to the Hilton hotel. I think the hotel entrance is on the first or second floor. Go through there and, before long, you’ll be at the airport, less than 10 minutes after leaving travelodge.

The shuttle to the airport was frequent and worked well. It cost us 19 for a family return trip. We couldn’t try breakfast because of our early flight. Dinner was tasty, and the relaxed atmosphere was nice, even though the restaurant was very busy. The Manager pitched in again, moving between the bar and delivering meals. Check-in was busy too, but the staff handled it well, and it was good to see the Manager helping. We’d booked an upgraded super room, which felt modern and was nicely appointed. The bed was super comfortable, and I loved the coffee machine. This Hotel really impressed me.

I found the main drawback was getting to the terminals: although Travelodge Gatwick Airport Central is close to the airport boundary and under two miles away, busy roads and a lack of safe walking routes can make the walk an hour-long ordeal, especially with luggage. Walking isn’t realistic, so you’ll need the paid Gatwick Hoppa shuttle or a taxi. Even after adding the shuttle fare, the stay can still be good value, though relying on paid transport takes away some of the convenience you’d expect from an airport hotel. The low price is the reason to consider it. Rooms often cost £30-£40, much less than hotels attached to the terminals. They’re clean and quiet, with the basics: a comfortable Travelodge Dreamer bed, TV, and tea and coffee facilities. If you’re looking for a cheap place to sleep before or after a flight and don’t mind paying a bit for transport, it’s hard to beat, possibly the best ultra-budget airport stay around. Just include the shuttle cost in your plans, and don’t expect to walk to an early flight.

For the price and convenience, we’d definitely stay again. Travelodge Gatwick was an ideal overnight stop for the airport: the location was perfect for the terminal, the price was amazing, and everywhere was very clean. Our SuperRoom was a good size, and the fridge was a big plus. The staff were friendly, the air con worked well, and despite being so close to the airport we barely heard any planes. That mattered since you can’t open the windows because of the airport. We ate at the restaurant, where the food was reasonably priced and good enough for what we wanted before travelling. A couple of things took the shine off it. They changed the room we’d booked ahead, which caused confusion at check-in because staff didn’t seem to know about the change. We also missed the quieter room with a better outlook that we’d expected. Soundproofing between rooms wasn’t great either. We could hear screaming from another room for most of the evening, which was a bit concerning. Parking is extra, at £10.50.