FlyingDoctorwu

Hi I have about 20 hours between fights coming up.. any suggestions for a good location for an overnight between LGW and LHR? Arriving LGW, so consider London locales nears London Bridge, London Victoria and London St. Pancras as to have proximity to train arrival... any one or the other have an advantage; maybe in respect to getting to LHR the next afternoon?

Alternatively I could entertain the idea of a countrish estate between the two airports? Any thoughts or recommendations?

Edit: I'm not tied to taking the train.. open to mincab/uber...

thanks
FDW

stut

As an alternative to London, you could try somewhere like Guildford. Hourly train direct from Gatwick (pretty train line too, if it's daylight), well regarded Radisson Blu hotel with great rates in town, plenty of very good eating options (it's an every-other-car-is-a-Range-Rover kind of town) and decent pubs.

It's a very pretty town with good shopping, but also very close to some rolling countryside. Walk up Pewley Hill and along the Downs to blow away the cobwebs, head back through Tilehirst woods and along the river, have a look at the castle keep and Lewis Carroll gardens, then jump in a taxi to Heathrow.

UKtravelbear

When is your trip?

There is extensive engineering works on the lines from Victoria to Gatwick and at London Bridge over the christmas and new year period which will mean either a bus for part of the trip or a much longer train journey,

lfly

If you're looking for something "countryish" then you could head south from Gatwick on the train towards the world famous(!) Brighton Beach. Direct trains run from Brighton to St Pancras and from there you will be at LHR in just over an hour. Granted, that means a lot more travelling in a relatively short time but might be worth having a look at if you fancy seeing a bit of greenery.

rcspeirs

When are the 20 hours? The recommendations will probably change depending on whether you have a second flight at 6am or 6pm. Also weekday or weekend?

LindaTerrill

How about Great Foster's near LHR if the timing of the flights is such that you could enjoy your time there properly? Our hotel rep provides a perk of a complimentary airport transfer to LHR along with afternoon tea (for rooms over £255. A transfer there from LGW with airportstransfer.com is £68, maybe less with Uber.

Or Gravetye Manor near LGW. Amazing country house.

Scots_Al

Very true. Also - what state are you likely to be in, energy-wise?

If you're going to be dead on your feet, you may as well head straight to an airport hotel near LHR, to minimise travel next day.

Alternatively, if you're going to be awake and up for tourist stuff, consider getting the train to Windsor (1h30 from Gatwick with one change), doing the castle, etc. It's also close to LHR.

Would you be interested in a sporting event? Let us know what date and time and we can look to see what's available. Similarly with a gig.

The one thing I wouldn't personally do is go into the centre of London unless you wanted to do something London-specific. If all you're going to do is eat and sleep, you can do that anywhere (and almost anywhere will be cheaper than central London!).

FlyingDoctorwu

Thanks I'll have to check Guildford out.. sounds like it might be a pleasant place to spend some time in..

Not till March so hopefully the train work will be done by then...

How is Brighton in March? probably would prefer a little less traveling for such a short trip..

Arriving Friday night around 9 PM, departing on Saturday at 5 PM.


I'll look into that.. also thinking about the 4S Hampshire..

We will be coming off a medium haulish flight (from Morocco)... so will probably be ok energy wise.. Windsor might be nice for my wife... might could just sleep at LGW that night and get up the next morning, check Windsor our and then head to LHR.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

FDW

Swiss Tony

The evening is a write-off in that case, but if you stay at the airport you're encumbered with bags the next day.

Just to throw something into the mix - there's a hotel called the Burford Bridge in Dorking. It's a Mercure I think. Nothing startling, but set in nice gardens IIRC and it's right across the road from Denbies, a rather successful UK vineyard that has produced some award winning sparkling wine. The whole place is set in some rather nice countryside.

They do tours of the winery, you can have a bite of lunch there, go back to the hotel and collect your bags then take a car to the airport probably no later than 2.30pm.

This local taxi firm says £25 for Gatwick, £50 for Heathrow. http://www.bdcarsdorking.com/airport-pricing.html

mad_rich

1. Heathrow Express to Paddington, time for a quick pint somewhere nearby (or crash straight into bed). Nice breakfast in the morning, leave your bags at the hotel. Realistically, a morning's strolling around London. Back to grab your bags and cab to King's Cross, Thameslink to Gatwick.

2. Grab a car with 24-hour one-way rental from someone like Alamo (pretty good rates). Drive to Brighton or somewhere else nice. (Late arrival though.) Car doubles as mobile left luggage locker, and stops you being at the mercy of public transport late at night.

3. Slob out at a Heathrow hotel and get late check out!

Calchas

Stay at a hotel nearish to LHR, then you can leave your bags there the next day after checking out, that's what I'd do, unless I really had important plans for the evening before.

FlyingDoctorwu

Sorry we are arriving LGW and departing LHR... thinking of going the Windsor route. The wife doesn't really feel the need to go into London and we've never seen Windsor. So two options:
1) Arrive LGW, transfer to LHR (probably Sofitel?) and then stay there and visit Windsor with maybe enough time to come back to the hotel?
-or-
2) Arrive LGW, stay at LGW and transfer directly to Windsor in the AM. Visit Windsor and then go to LHR. We will have hold luggage so would need to figure out something to do with that...

Any thoughts? Any companies to recommend? I found londontoolkit.com which offers component pricing for a Windsor visit (including luggage storage)... any experience?

Thanks
FDW

rcspeirs

FlyingDoctor. Your question is too vague. Exactly what time are the flights? Which days of the week (which greatly affects traffic levels)?

UKtravelbear

In an earlier post they said this

Which would mean either a late transfer and arrival at hotel at LHR/Windsor or staying at LGW and then a chunk of the next day spent getting to LHR the Windsor etc

Lets say they did want to to go Windsor then they would have to leave there at 3pm to allow an hour to get back to LHR and to be checked in by 4 (assuming the airline they are flying with doesn't have an earlier cut off)


They also said in which case Easter might be a complication re extra traffic (and train works depending on route) plus Windsor Castle will be closed most of that weekend and certainly on the Saturday and surely if you go to Windsor you have to go to the castle!


OP please give exact dates, times and airlines so we can give you proper advice.

Gagravarr

Assuming you're arriving at 9pm UK time, from the USA, it'll feel like earlier in the day to you. Equally, getting up at a "normal" UK time will feel horribly early

Given that, I'd suggest you stay near Heathrow (eg at Heathrow, or Windsor). When you arrive, take advantage of being awake then, and use it to get over to where you want to be the next day. Go to bed a bit early for you, a bit late for the UK. In the morning, leave your bags with the hotel (all decent hotels will do that), and go explore Windsor. Won't matter if you wake up "late", as you'll almost be there anyway. Grab bags on your way back to Heathrow to checkin.

The alternative sees you get to your hotel at Gatwick still too awake, then have to get up earlier than you want to get over to Windsor, and sees you with problems of what to do with bags while in Windsor given that storing them with a hotel in Gatwick really doesn't help!