Lewisham is one of the largest town centres in south London and it has no Underground station. The DLR terminates there, Southeastern runs through it, and that is the extent of it. Catford and Hither Green have no Tube either. For an airport journey that means the same thing it means across most of SE London: whatever you do, you are changing at least once, probably twice, with your bags.
This guide covers Lewisham, Catford, Catford Bridge and Hither Green, across SE13 and SE6. Fares on our site are estimates confirmed when we accept your booking.
Catford and Catford Bridge are two stations
They are about 200 metres apart, they have different names, and they are on different lines. Catford is on the Thameslink Catford Loop towards Blackfriars; Catford Bridge is on the Southeastern line towards Charing Cross. People who have lived here for years still specify the wrong one.
For a booking it is simpler than it sounds: give your street address. A driver navigating to a house number cannot get the station wrong.
The A21 is the defining road, for better and worse
Lewisham High Street and Rushey Green form a continuous stretch of the A21 running south from Lewisham town centre through Catford towards Bromley. It is one of the busiest and slowest urban corridors in south London, and it is the road almost every southbound airport journey from here starts on.
Add to that:
- The South Circular (A205) crosses at Catford, and the junction where it meets the A21 is a long-standing pinch point.
- Lewisham town centre has been substantially reworked, with the roundabout replaced and the road layout around Loampit Vale and Molesworth Street changed. Older satnav data can be wrong here.
- Lewisham Shopping Centre and the market on the High Street mean restricted stopping. Use a side road.
- Hither Green is a grid of quiet residential streets and is generally easy for doorstep pickups, though resident parking means your driver may stop a few doors along.
The practical upshot: for a daytime departure, add time. For an early-morning one, the A21 is empty and the same journey is a different experience entirely.
Airport by airport
Gatwick — around 27 miles. Usually south on the A21 to Bromley then across to the M25 and M23, or west through Crystal Palace and down the A23. The A21 route is longer in distance but avoids inner south London.
London City — around 7 miles north through Deptford and the tunnels. The closest airport to SE13.
Heathrow — around 23 miles west. The South Circular is the direct line but rarely the fast one; a driver will often go into town and out on the A4 instead, or round the M25 outside peak.
Stansted — around 34 miles north-east via the Blackwall Tunnel and the M11.
Luton — around 38 miles north through the centre or round the M25.
Southend — around 38 miles, through the tunnels and east on the A13 and A127.
Flying from an area with no Tube
There is a reason the pre-booked transfer market is strong in this part of London, and it is not that people here dislike trains. It is that the rail network from SE13 and SE6 is built to take you to London Bridge, Charing Cross, Victoria and Blackfriars — all of which are the wrong place if your destination is a terminal.
From Catford to Heathrow by public transport is a train, a Tube, and usually another Tube or the Elizabeth line. That is three sets of stairs and two changes, at whatever hour your flight demands. Our guide on airport transfers when the Tube is down is worth reading if you are travelling during engineering works, when that already-long chain gets longer.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Catford the same station as Catford Bridge? A: No. They are about 200 metres apart on different lines — Catford is on the Thameslink Catford Loop to Blackfriars, Catford Bridge on the Southeastern line to Charing Cross. Give a street address when booking a car to avoid the confusion.
Q: Is there an Underground station in Lewisham? A: No. Lewisham has the DLR and Southeastern services but no Tube, and neither Catford nor Hither Green has one either. Every rail route to an airport from here involves at least one change.
Q: How bad is the A21 for an airport run? A: At peak, genuinely slow — Lewisham High Street and Rushey Green are among the most congested urban stretches in south London. Early morning it is clear, which is one reason pre-dawn airport departures from SE13 run reliably to time.
Q: Which airport is closest to Lewisham? A: London City, at around 7 miles north through Deptford and the river tunnels.
Q: How far is Catford from Gatwick? A: Around 27 miles. A driver will either head south on the A21 towards Bromley and across to the M25 and M23, or west through Crystal Palace and down the A23, depending on traffic.
Q: Why might my satnav be wrong around Lewisham town centre? A: The town centre road layout has been substantially rebuilt, with the old roundabout removed and changes around Loampit Vale and Molesworth Street. Older mapping data does not always reflect it.
Q: Can I be collected outside Lewisham Shopping Centre? A: Stopping is restricted along the High Street around the shopping centre and the market. A side road is the practical meeting point.
Get an estimated fare for your transfer from Lewisham, Catford or Hither Green.