London Gatwick: What makes Gatwick one of the U.K.’s best airports?

Serving more than 200 destinations in 90 countries, London Gatwick is the U.K.’s second largest airport, and the world’s most efficient single runway airport. Located 28 miles south of London, Gatwick Airport is accessible through public transportation, most notably via train in and out of the city’s central financial area.

Gatwick is the winner of several awards, including the National Transport Award’s Airport of the Year for 2013, and the Digi CorpComms Award for Best Use of Social Media in Customer Service of 2013. Gatwick prides itself in the experience it provides the 34.2 million travelers who walk through their doors every year, and here are just some of the reasons why Gatwick airport remains one of the world’s best:

Shops and Boutiques
The halls of Gatwick airport are lined with all kinds of shops, and shopaholics will have the time of their life as they stroll through the terminals, as new shops are located before security, after security, and at the arrivals lobby of the airport. There’s everything from the mandatory Duty Free to kiosks that offer cheap coffee.

Gatwick also offers a Voucher Passport that lets passengers earn points to spend in the shops located in the airport, all by traveling through Gatwick.

Parking

As with any other airport, Gatwick also offers its own airport-exclusive parking to its customers, with 24-hour CCTV and a regular bus shuttle to and from the car parks. One of most prominent features of Gatwick’s parking services is their Summer Parking Special, which operates year-round despite the rather seasonal name, according to Parking4Less. At this particular car park located in the North Terminal, all passengers have to do is simply check in at the reception and the staff will take care of the rest.

Special Events and Entertainment

What sets Gatwick Airport apart from other airports is the spectacular shows they regularly set up in their terminals. Last year, they brought in hula-hoopists, stilt walkers and magicians. For Valentine’s Day this year, Gatwick brough in the spectacular Valentine’s Girls to serenade passengers throughout the day.