pps197

Hello - slightly off topic from BAEC as such but if it's ok ... I am sure members here will know.

I know that Gatwick North terminal has been undergoing / is undrgoing lots of change ... last time I stayed there overnight there was literally no food options in the terminal (landside).

What's the situation now? We are staying overnight (Sunday) before a Monday flight. Food in the hotel is an option of course. Is there anything else ?

BerksFlyer

I'd head to a nearby town myself. Brighton is 26 minutes away by train or Reigate and Horsham are both fairly pleasant.

LTN Phobia

The topic has been moved from the BAEC forum as Gatwick North terminal is not specific to BA or BAEC and more of a general topic that fits the UK section of FlyerTalk better.

LTN Phobia
Moderator: BA forum

UKtravelbear

Why on earth didn't you go to the South Terminal. There are loads of places to eat there.

There are details of them on the LGW website.

Scots_Al

The Sofitel, which is connected to the North Terminal, has a couple of restaurants. The Chinese restaurant was particularly nice when we are there (albeit several years ago now). The Hampton by Hilton, also connected to the terminal will do you rather more basic food.

VivoPerLei

FWIW, last time I passed through Gatwick North I foolishly ate at Armadillo Café. I do not recommend it.

Clint Bint

x 1

If you have the time - and Brighton is less than 30 minutes away by VERY frequent trains from LGW - I'd head off to the South Coast for a few hours.
There are gazillions of interesting restaurants and bars and lots of streets within a couple of minutes walk of the station to make the journey interesting.

Mizter T

One quick word of warning... Southern trains (which serve this route) are currently in the midst of an extended psychodrama - well, a very rancorous industrial dispute at least - there have been strikes and more are planned, but it's not just strike days when the service is disrupted, there's a lot of staff calling in 'sick' too. Plus, as with many other train companies, running the service on Sundays relies on staff doing overtime - which, given the current situation, means they are often understaffed.

Just something to be aware of.

UKtravelbear

The BIGGEST cause of cancelled trains on Southern is the number of Driver and Conductor vacancies which they are not recruiting too.

Do not believe the management and the 'sick staff' excuse because it is disingenuous.

stut

Agree. There's some history to this.

As mentioned above, the rail industry traditionally relied on overtime to fill weekend slots - some evening ones too, but this was from a time when this was pretty much a skeleton service. It worked for everybody - a nice little earner for the drivers, and it made unsociable working self-selecting.

Fast-forward to now, where the evening and weekend service around London isn't far off what it is during the week. The post-privatisation rail companies have basically consolidated into a handful of transport mega-companies: Govia, Arriva, Stagecoach, First. Some have actively recruited drivers; others have continued to rely on 'goodwill'. Which is fine, as long as you can maintain goodwill among drivers, but create an unpleasant relationship, and you end up with the present situation.

Now we're starting to see 'staff shortage' cancellations during the week, too. Why? Because the railway doesn't have enough contingency to cover (genuine) sickness, particularly during holiday periods.

Add into the mix the whole guards' dispute, which is conveniently reduced to "who pushes the button to close the doors" (umm, no, a guard's duties go far beyond that), and a particularly active union, and you end up with a war by proxy: GTR doing the government's anti-union bidding, and the union using the current atmosphere to stamp its feet.

One thing is certain: it will be both commuters and railway staff who lose.

Anyway, check before travel. You'll generally find the cancellations published the night before, or on the morning, if there are staff shortages - they know about these in advance.

Andy33

To get back to the original question. Yes there is food landside in Gatwick North Terminal nowadays. There's a Nicholas Culpepper bar/restaurant. It isn't fine dining, but it is acceptable pub food, and the gin is made on the premises.
I have eaten there and would do again.