London Gatwick to the inner city by Underground
May 25, 2015, 4:36 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: YYC
Posts: 35
London Gatwick to the inner city by Underground
Hello!
I'm heading to London on vacation this summer, first time in Europe so I'm really excited!
We'll be landing in London-Gatwick on Air Transat from Calgary sometime in the morning. How much time should we allow to get to our hotel in the inner city? We will not have a car, we will travel by the Underground system.
Thanks!
I'm heading to London on vacation this summer, first time in Europe so I'm really excited!
We'll be landing in London-Gatwick on Air Transat from Calgary sometime in the morning. How much time should we allow to get to our hotel in the inner city? We will not have a car, we will travel by the Underground system.
Thanks!
May 25, 2015, 5:09 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: HPN
Posts: 777
Hello!
I'm heading to London on vacation this summer, first time in Europe so I'm really excited!
We'll be landing in London-Gatwick on Air Transat from Calgary sometime in the morning. How much time should we allow to get to our hotel in the inner city? We will not have a car, we will travel by the Underground system.
Thanks!
I'm heading to London on vacation this summer, first time in Europe so I'm really excited!
We'll be landing in London-Gatwick on Air Transat from Calgary sometime in the morning. How much time should we allow to get to our hotel in the inner city? We will not have a car, we will travel by the Underground system.
Thanks!
Generally speaking, it will take about an hour from arrival until you are through immigration and customs (sometimes less, sometimes more). Air Transat uses the South Terminal, so you should be able to go directly to the train station.
There are four different train services from Gatwick to London: Gatwick Express, Southern and two Thameslink services.
Gatwick Express is nonstop to London Victoria station and is expensive, but it's easy and fast. It goes every 15 minutes taking 30 minutes.
Southern also goes to Victoria but is much cheaper and makes a couple of intermediate stops. It is also roughly every 15 minutes and takes about 35 minutes.
Thameslink used to serve London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and London St Pancras; however, while they rebuild London Bridge station it is split into two services. One service goes from Gatwick to London Bridge, and another from Gatwick to Blackfriars, Farringdon and London St Pancras. The London Bridge service takes 30 minutes; the Blackfriars service takes 45.
Last time I was at Gatwick, there was a place between immigration and the baggage hall where you could fill the time before your bags came out to buy train tickets; I don't know if it's still there. If not, you can just buy your ticket from a window or from a machine at the station. Note that all trains at Gatwick are unreserved -- you don't need to book a specific train.
It will help to know where in the city you are staying; that will help us suggest a good way to get from one of these termini to your hotel.
May 25, 2015, 10:34 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
Posts: 1,546
Trains branded "express" are operated by Southern - there isn't a separate train company. Those services are barely five minutes quicker than the other services. In peak periods, those "express" trains run to / from Brighton and are packed. I'd struggle to recommend the "express" service to anyone.
Let us know where you're staying, as there are many route/ticket options from Gatwick. Advice needs to be tailored to your location /date as ticket prices vary by day/time.
Let us know where you're staying, as there are many route/ticket options from Gatwick. Advice needs to be tailored to your location /date as ticket prices vary by day/time.
May 26, 2015, 7:04 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
Trains branded "express" are operated by Southern - there isn't a separate train company. Those services are barely five minutes quicker than the other services. In peak periods, those "express" trains run to / from Brighton and are packed. I'd struggle to recommend the "express" service to anyone..
Agree with the general point that Gatwick Express isn't much worth bothering with. (The benefit of being able to be in a rush, jump on a Gatwick Express train and buy your ticket on board ended some years ago - now you've got to buy it before travel.)
May 26, 2015, 4:20 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: YYC
Posts: 35
The Tube doesn't run all the way out to Gatwick, but there are very frequent trains into London from the station under the South Terminal.
Generally speaking, it will take about an hour from arrival until you are through immigration and customs (sometimes less, sometimes more). Air Transat uses the South Terminal, so you should be able to go directly to the train station.
There are four different train services from Gatwick to London: Gatwick Express, Southern and two Thameslink services.
Gatwick Express is nonstop to London Victoria station and is expensive, but it's easy and fast. It goes every 15 minutes taking 30 minutes.
Southern also goes to Victoria but is much cheaper and makes a couple of intermediate stops. It is also roughly every 15 minutes and takes about 35 minutes.
Thameslink used to serve London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and London St Pancras; however, while they rebuild London Bridge station it is split into two services. One service goes from Gatwick to London Bridge, and another from Gatwick to Blackfriars, Farringdon and London St Pancras. The London Bridge service takes 30 minutes; the Blackfriars service takes 45.
Last time I was at Gatwick, there was a place between immigration and the baggage hall where you could fill the time before your bags came out to buy train tickets; I don't know if it's still there. If not, you can just buy your ticket from a window or from a machine at the station. Note that all trains at Gatwick are unreserved -- you don't need to book a specific train.
It will help to know where in the city you are staying; that will help us suggest a good way to get from one of these termini to your hotel.
Generally speaking, it will take about an hour from arrival until you are through immigration and customs (sometimes less, sometimes more). Air Transat uses the South Terminal, so you should be able to go directly to the train station.
There are four different train services from Gatwick to London: Gatwick Express, Southern and two Thameslink services.
Gatwick Express is nonstop to London Victoria station and is expensive, but it's easy and fast. It goes every 15 minutes taking 30 minutes.
Southern also goes to Victoria but is much cheaper and makes a couple of intermediate stops. It is also roughly every 15 minutes and takes about 35 minutes.
Thameslink used to serve London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and London St Pancras; however, while they rebuild London Bridge station it is split into two services. One service goes from Gatwick to London Bridge, and another from Gatwick to Blackfriars, Farringdon and London St Pancras. The London Bridge service takes 30 minutes; the Blackfriars service takes 45.
Last time I was at Gatwick, there was a place between immigration and the baggage hall where you could fill the time before your bags came out to buy train tickets; I don't know if it's still there. If not, you can just buy your ticket from a window or from a machine at the station. Note that all trains at Gatwick are unreserved -- you don't need to book a specific train.
It will help to know where in the city you are staying; that will help us suggest a good way to get from one of these termini to your hotel.
May 26, 2015, 5:12 pm
#6
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Victoria is closer to Hyde park. So get a southern service and save a few quid.
Check www.tfl.gov.uk for details of buses and tubes and fares too.
Check www.tfl.gov.uk for details of buses and tubes and fares too.
May 27, 2015, 1:54 am
#7
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Not directly related to your question, but I would suggest you download an app for your iPhone called Citymapper. This is going to be your best friend while you're in London. Get a local SIM or put international roaming on your phone. Citymapper will give you travel options and prices. It will make getting around easier. Keep an eye on walking times too—some people forget to walk and see the city! The tube is a wonder, but it's just an underground railway, stay up top when you can and see the city. 
May 27, 2015, 4:04 am
#8
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Not directly related to your question, but I would suggest you download an app for your iPhone called Citymapper. This is going to be your best friend while you're in London. Get a local SIM or put international roaming on your phone. Citymapper will give you travel options and prices. It will make getting around easier. Keep an eye on walking times too—some people forget to walk and see the city! The tube is a wonder, but it's just an underground railway, stay up top when you can and see the city.
But, back to the OP, if staying just east of Hyde Park, we must be talking Park Lane or possibly Piccadilly. Victoria is definitely the best terminus for that area and, although it's a bit of a building site at the moment, connections to tube and bus there are very easy and will take you to the ultimate destination in around 10 minutes.
May 27, 2015, 4:21 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: YYC
Posts: 35
Victoria is closer to Hyde park. So get a southern service and save a few quid.
Check www.tfl.gov.uk for details of buses and tubes and fares too.
Check www.tfl.gov.uk for details of buses and tubes and fares too.
Not directly related to your question, but I would suggest you download an app for your iPhone called Citymapper. This is going to be your best friend while you're in London. Get a local SIM or put international roaming on your phone. Citymapper will give you travel options and prices. It will make getting around easier. Keep an eye on walking times too—some people forget to walk and see the city! The tube is a wonder, but it's just an underground railway, stay up top when you can and see the city.
I would second that - Citymapper is the most brilliant and revolutionary app I've ever used, and I now use it pretty well wherever I am around the world. In London, it's alerted me to routes that I never knew about, and has shown that buses are often faster, as well as offering a view.
But, back to the OP, if staying just east of Hyde Park, we must be talking Park Lane or possibly Piccadilly. Victoria is definitely the best terminus for that area and, although it's a bit of a building site at the moment, connections to tube and bus there are very easy and will take you to the ultimate destination in around 10 minutes.
But, back to the OP, if staying just east of Hyde Park, we must be talking Park Lane or possibly Piccadilly. Victoria is definitely the best terminus for that area and, although it's a bit of a building site at the moment, connections to tube and bus there are very easy and will take you to the ultimate destination in around 10 minutes.
And thanks to everyone that replied, y'all probably saved me a few hours of riding the wrong train!
Jun 2, 2015, 2:18 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, US
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Frequently it makes sense to plan travel by figuring out the logistics of travel first, and then selecting the best hotel that will be the most convenient. Of course, with award stays that can be a bit more difficult.
Jun 2, 2015, 3:36 pm
#11
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I would agree absolutely. Assuming the hotel is clean, the bed comfortable and the room quiet, the depth of the carpet pile or the brand of toiletries are as nothing to the hotel's location which can make or break a stay. Decide what you want to visit, figure out where the attractions are, then stay somewhere within walking distance of at least some of them - and close to a tube station so it's easy to get to the others.
Jun 2, 2015, 7:01 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2013
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This is true, but to clarify OP has picked a very good location for a first time visitor to London. You can walk to most of the main sites from just east of Hyde Park. And the parks on the doorstep (Hyde, Green and St James) are of course huge attractions in themselves.
Jun 8, 2015, 2:07 am
#13
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The Express trains are only likely to be very busy in one direction though - trains will be busy from Gatwick heading into London (Victoria) in the morning, and likewise busy from Victoria heading out to Gatwick (and then Brighton) in the evening.
Agree with the general point that Gatwick Express isn't much worth bothering with. (The benefit of being able to be in a rush, jump on a Gatwick Express train and buy your ticket on board ended some years ago - now you've got to buy it before travel.)
Agree with the general point that Gatwick Express isn't much worth bothering with. (The benefit of being able to be in a rush, jump on a Gatwick Express train and buy your ticket on board ended some years ago - now you've got to buy it before travel.)
Jun 8, 2015, 4:40 am
#14
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Jun 8, 2015, 4:58 am
#15
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If it's at enough of a peak time that 'annoyed' commuters are on board, then the Gatwick Express will be running its Brighton extension and be full of commuters as well. You are free to board whichever train you want - some people will always find a reason to complain.
If it's a commuter train, and you need to find luggage storage (the commuter trains on these services have pathetic overhead racks) then either looks for racks near the carriage interconnectors, or look for space between back-to-back seats.
If it's a commuter train, and you need to find luggage storage (the commuter trains on these services have pathetic overhead racks) then either looks for racks near the carriage interconnectors, or look for space between back-to-back seats.