Early flight from Gatwick? Stay 8 minutes away and sleep in

A 6 am flight from Gatwick doesn't have to mean a 3 am alarm. Kaiv is a self-catering apartment in Three Bridges, eight minutes from LGW by taxi, with free on-site parking and a full kitchen. Drop your car the night before, cook your own breakfast, and roll up to the terminal on a short, predictable transfer.

This guide covers the practical side of early Gatwick departures: when to leave, how to get there, and why the night before matters more than you think. If you need real-time information on security waits, passport control, or what's open at the airport, we've moved that to our Gatwick arrival times guide so it stays current.

Thinking through the hotel vs serviced apartment question? Our apartment vs hotel near Gatwick comparison breaks down the numbers.

Why stay near Gatwick the night before

For flights departing before 8 am, staying near the airport changes the shape of the whole trip:

• Wake up at 4.30 am instead of 3 am.
• Skip the motorway drive, traffic risk and train-cancellation anxiety.
• Drop the car once, at the apartment, and take a short taxi ride.
• Sleep in a quiet residential street instead of an airport hotel corridor.
• Save on airport parking by leaving the car with us.

Timing examples from Three Bridges

These assume an 8-minute taxi to either terminal.

If you want arrival guidance for later flights or help with security-queue planning, see the Gatwick arrival times guide.

Getting from Three Bridges to the terminal

Most guests pre-book a local taxi the night before. Uber and local minicab firms run 24/7 and the fare to either terminal is typically £12–£15. First trains from Three Bridges station start around 5 am and take 3 minutes to Gatwick — useful for 7 am or later departures, less so for anything before that.

If you're driving, the apartment has free on-site parking. You can leave the car with us for the length of your trip and take a taxi to the terminal — that's usually cheaper than airport parking for stays of more than two or three days.

Kaiv vs airport hotels for early flights

Feature	Airport hotels	Three Bridges (Kaiv)
Distance to terminal	0–5 minutes	8 minutes
Nightly cost	£80–£150	£95/night
Parking	£15–£25/day extra	Free
Breakfast	£10–£15 extra	Cook your own
Room size	Standard hotel room	Full apartment
Noise	Airport noise	Quiet residential
Kitchen	None	Full kitchen

Night-before checklist

• Pack everything the night before, including phone chargers.
• Set two alarms on separate devices.
• Pre-book your taxi for 15–20 minutes before you need to leave.
• Check flight status before you go to bed.
• Save your boarding pass offline.
• Put passport and travel documents somewhere you can't miss.
• Lay out breakfast or snacks so you don't skip meals.

Morning routine

• Allow 30–45 minutes to get ready.
• Eat something at the apartment — it's cheaper and faster than airport food.
• Double-check passport, boarding pass, phone and wallet before you leave.
• Build in 10 extra minutes if the weather's bad.
• Glance at flight status one more time on the way out.

Frequently asked questions

Stay at Kaiv for your early flight

View our Gatwick accommodation and book the night before your flight.