corporate-wage-slave

I'm doing another pictorial guide for transport options between LHR and LGW, and it's more complex than I thought. It's going to take me a while to do. I want to have a number of cheap and expensive options. So far I've come up with:

1) Limobike - Ł160 - 45 minutes - pre-arranged
2) Taxis, mini cabs, uber App (etc). - Ł50-70 (3 passengers+) - 50 minutes - immediately available (black cab Ł100)/pre-arranged
3) National Express Coach from LHR to and from LGW - Ł25 - 55 minutes - service frequency typically every 15 minutes
4) Heathrow Express, tube, Gatwick Express - Ł43.20/Ł36.10 railcard - 75 minutes - every 15 minutes
5) 285 bus and National Rail via Feltham - Ł13.30 / Ł8.80 railcard - 80 minutes - every 10 minutes
6) Heathrow Express, tube, Southern - Ł39/Ł25.75 railcard - 90 minutes - every 15 minutes
7) Heathrow Connect, tube, National Rail - Ł19.20/Ł12.75 railcard - 90 minutes - every 30 minutes
8) Tube and National Rail via Victoria / Southern - Ł13/Ł8.80 railcard - 90 minutes - every 6 minutes
9) Tube and First Capital Connect Ł10.40/Ł7.90 railcard - 90 minutes - every 6 minutes
10) Tube and National Rail via West Brompton - Ł6.90/Ł5.40 railcard - 100 minutes - every 6 minutes
11) X26 bus and National Rail via East Croydon - Ł5.85/Ł4.35 railcard - allow 120 minutes - every 30 minutes

I would appreciate some crowd-sourcing assistance:

1) Have I missed a good alternative? It needs to be fast or cheap, but I am not too interested in getting obscure routings around Feltham for example.
2) Can someone provide a suitable uber screenshot please?
3) I will search the many threads on taxi costs and recommended companies, but has anyone had a black cab fare recently? That's to say, pulling a black Hackney cab off the rank without pre-booking.
4) Has anyone actually done a Limobike between these two airports? Does it use the M25?

UKtravelbear

please also include the Heathrow Connect option as well. Can be combined with the GEX and Southern train options

BahrainLad

You have missed 295 bus to Feltham, train to Clapham Junction, train to Gatwick. This is quite a decent option outside of rush hour (bus traffic around LHR can be bad).

According to national rail, trains from Feltham to Gatwick via CLJ leave at 05 16 35 46 and take either 62 or 63 minutes including transfer.

This is also good in reverse if you are going for example from Gatwick to the hotels on the northern perimeter eg. The Ariel as the bus goes past there.

Skipcool3

Available from Gatwick ONLY is a super off peak Day travel card using FCC trains to at least East Croydon, is only Ł10
Available all day Saturday and Sunday, restricted times in the week. Worth remembering if the M25 is jammed.
NOT available from Heathrow.

KARFA

Do you need any photos/notes for any of the routes cws? I have a LGW-LHR transfer coming up on 10 August so I could takes some photos if you need me to. I was going to do the NEx coach but am flexible so could do another of the routes - probably not the Limobike at that price though

HIDDY

Please consider adding a health warning to the options which involve a lot of walking or having to go up and down stairs. Some of us are getting on a bit and have to lug several suitcases when travelling.

Last time I took the LHR-LGW coach the fare was included in my BA ticket.

Gold77

What about adding a bit of fun to your enterprise: a few of us meet at LHR and leave at the same time for LGW each using a different mode of transport. We see first hand who gets there first, price, comfort, assistance required etc. and compile a TR. Job done!

layz

Remember when Uber quotes a price range it means that it is an estimate. If you take Uber from LHR into Central London it will quote you a (very reasonable) fixed price.

Note that quote is for UberX, they also have more luxurious and more expensive options.

The cheaper options I'd never have thought about even though I'm aware of the X26, it's good to mention them for those who have a long connection plus a tight budget.

I think it'd be interesting to do for the main modes of transport: National Express, Taxi (both black cab and Uber/minicab - are there any bus lanes on the route that'd give the black cab an advantage?) and train. Don't think the X26 would win any races.

It's not included in the fare any more. The BA site warns you of this when you book.

rcspeirs

"but I am not too interested in getting obscure routings around Feltham for example."
The Feltham route strikes me as a lot more rational than going via Paddington....
Ł8.90 (all zone travelcard) plus Ł5 (for E Croydon to LGW).

IAN-UK

I'm aware that it adds considerably to work load, though not necessarily yours if you can farm it out..

.. it would be useful if you could indicate reasonable travel times that might be expected, rather than "time on the bus". I know that at some times NEX leaves every 5 minutes or so, but I've fallen into into much longer timetabled waits, and tube/HEX/other trains rarely seem to be in "ready to go" mode when i get to the platform.

Perhaps a pros/cons column, where the hazards Hiddy mentions could be highlighted.

angatol

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LondonElite

A very helpful project for many CWS!

My own view of this situation, living in Sunny Surrey largely equidistant between LHR and LGW, is that any form of public transportation with anything other hand baggage and/or with more than two travellers, is false economy. The up/down of stairs, storing of suitcases in busses, train compartments, etc etc, is a massive, sweaty, faff-around process.

My airport car service, which does very well out of me, will charge you something like GBP70 between the airports, and really the only unknown is the M25, which is either fine, or, occasionally, a disaster. When it is fine, there is no faster connection between the airports, and when it is a disaster, they are clever like lab mice in finding a route around the towns to get there in time (I've seen many parts of the county this way)!

angatol

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LondonElite

Not between LGW-LHR, but I can't imagine a sensible alternative unless the M25 has been closed following a (not-infrequent) colossal accident. I did take a Moto-Bike from central Paris to ORY once last summer. I won't be doing that again anytime soon (my cheeks have only recently unclenched) and for someone coming off a LH flight at LHR, especially with luggage, this is not the best introduction to the UK!

angatol

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