Gatwick With a Baby: The Family Lane, Pushchairs to the Gate and Changing Facilities (England)

Gatwick has two terminals, North and South, and a set of services for families that can make the airport part of the trip easier. This guide summarises what London Gatwick’s Travelling with Children page and its families FAQs say about the family lane at security, taking a pushchair to the gate, changing facilities, passport control and kids’ zones, as published in September 2026. It applies to London Gatwick Airport in England. Airlines set their own cabin baggage and pushchair rules, and the airport says to check with the airline. This is general information rather than a guarantee of service, and the airport’s own pages should be checked before travelling. Similar guides cover Heathrow, Manchester y Edinburgh.

The family lane at security

Gatwick says it has dedicated family lanes at security for departing passengers, and that families travelling with young children or using a pushchair get a little more time and support to move through comfortably. The airport’s guide says to follow the signs for the Assisted Travel and family lanes after checking in. In the North Terminal the FAQs place the reception desk by the entrance to the family and Assisted Travel security lane. The airport also says all items are still scanned, including children’s toys, and suggests telling children in advance so that being parted from a favourite toy is less upsetting.

Taking the pushchair to the gate

Gatwick says a departing passenger may take their own pushchair through security and right up to the aircraft gate, where it will be placed in the hold just before boarding. After the flight it will be returned in the baggage reclaim area with the other luggage. Pushchairs cannot be borrowed at the airport. For the wider question of what airlines allow, see the site’s guides to flying domestically with a baby y packing for flying.

At the security scanner, the airport says items such as a stroller, car seat or booster seat can be brought through, but the child must be taken out while the equipment is screened by X-ray. It adds that large items essential to a journey, including pushchairs and prams, are usually too big for the standard X-ray machine and are given a full hand search by the security team. Most oversized items not needed in the cabin are better processed as hold luggage at the oversized baggage points, and Gatwick advises checking with the airline in advance about what large items can be carried in the cabin.

If a pushchair is damaged in transit, Gatwick’s FAQs say the Civil Aviation Authority advises that the airline is responsible for handling a claim for lost, delayed or damaged checked baggage, and that damage should be reported to the airline, ideally before leaving the baggage reclaim area.

Changing rooms

The airport says there are specially equipped rooms for changing babies throughout the airport, including in check-in areas, on the routes to the gate rooms, in transfer areas and after passport control in arrivals, all signposted by a babycare symbol. Its FAQs say baby changing facilities are in both terminals before and after security. There are also fold-down tables in some male and female toilets.

Kids’ zones and family-friendly places

Gatwick says there is a free Kids Zone in each terminal, offering a separate play area with educational elements. It says most of its restaurants offer kids’ menus and highchairs and have charging points by seating areas, and describes itself as the first Family Friendly-accredited airport.

Parking and getting between terminals

Gatwick describes valet parking as a good fit for families, with staff taking the car on arrival and returning it on the way back. In its long-stay car parks it says to look for Family Friendly bays next to the bus stops. Its FAQs add that a free inter-terminal shuttle runs every few minutes, 24 hours a day, with a journey time of around two minutes. Baggage trolleys are available around both terminals for a £1 or 1 euro deposit that is refunded on return, and the airport says children and adults must not ride on them for health and safety reasons.

Passport control and Fast Track

For a young baby, Gatwick says to speak to a member of staff at passport control, who will show the family to an appropriate lane. Children under 10 cannot use the ePassport gates and must go to a staffed Border Force desk, and the airport says ePassport gates are for those aged 10 or over with a biometric passport from an eligible country. Its Fast Track Security and Fast Track Passport Control services require their own tickets for children aged two and over, while children under two go through free with a paying adult. Fast Track Passport Control must be booked at least four hours before the flight arrives and cannot be bought at the airport.

Documents when the surnames differ

Gatwick says that when a child is travelling with an unrelated adult or with an adult with a different surname, the border officer may ask questions to establish the relationship. It suggests carrying evidence of the relationship or the reason for the journey and, where relevant, its Young Traveller’s form. The site’s guide to getting a baby’s first passport covers the documents themselves.

Frequently asked questions

Can I borrow a pushchair at Gatwick? No. The airport says pushchairs are not available to borrow, so families should bring their own.

Do I have to fold the pushchair for security? Gatwick says pushchairs can be taken through security to the gate, though large items may be given a full hand search and the child must be taken out while equipment is X-rayed.

Are there changing facilities before security? Yes. Gatwick says baby changing facilities are in both terminals before and after security.

The bottom line

Gatwick offers a dedicated family lane, changing rooms in both terminals, free Kids Zones and the option of taking a pushchair to the gate. Bring your own pushchair, expect a hand search at security and check the airline’s rules on baggage and pushchairs before travelling.

Sources

• London Gatwick Airport, "Travelling With Children"
• London Gatwick Airport, "Travelling with Children FAQs"
• London Gatwick Airport, "All FAQs"