vajhala

Thinking between train/taxi or prearranged taxi.

If by bus:
£45 Gatwick to the Kings Cross Thames Link station
£8 Taxi from station to Hotel
£8 Taxi from Hotel to Station on return
£24 airport Left luggage, 2 bags (£6 per day per bag)
£85 Total

A prearranged round trip taxi costs £100 quoted by justairports.com

So the cost is almost the same. But the taxi saves us from going from north terminal to south to catch train, trip to left luggage twice, change train and bus. Considering these, I am thinking that the taxi might be better than train.
I hear that the taxi is not advisable for it being slow. Does it really take 2 hours? What is the fastest time it can reach is we are not struck in traffic?
We arrive at 7.20AM Sunday and might be out at taxi stand 9AM once we complete customs.
Our return flight is at 10AM Tuesday and need to be at airport at 7.30AM that might push us to leave the hotel at 5.30 to 6AM.
How would our taxi ride be at these hours?

Does taxi give us any better oppertunity to look at the London neighbourhood than train?

fnarf999

I'm not sure I understand your itinerary here -- why are you needing left luggage for two days? Aren't you taking your luggage to the hotel?

The taxi will give you a much better opportunity to observe London traffic from the inside, as you creep by at three MPH. I guess you could call that sightseeing.

vajhala

We are stopping on our way from India to USA with 3 bags and 2 bags are not needed in London but only one that we will take.

fnarf999

Ah. I guess that makes sense. I'd still take the train, as trains don't get stuck in traffic, but others will differ, I'm sure.

TimS

I don't see where you would need to ride a bus at all. There is free elevated rail service between the north and south terminals at Gatwick.

The fare on a First Capital Connect train from Gatwick to King's Cross Thameslink is £8.90.

fnarf999

I think the £45 comes from the fact there appear to be four of them.

wasleys

Given that you're arriving on a Sunday morning and leaving at sparrowfart on a Tuesday (to go against the main traffic) I can't see that congestion will be a major concern.

Sunday is a popular rail engineering day.

If your figures are correct and considering you've just arrived off/will be going on long flights I would find the car very tempting.

jody

Why can't you take your extra luggage to the hotel and leave it in your room? or am I missing something ?

fnarf999

Again, reading into his posts, I think he doesn't want to take the extra luggage if he's going to be struggling through multiple transportation modes. If it's a taxi, he can just chuck 'em in and forget about 'em until he gets there. Not perhaps what I would do but I'm not coming from three weeks in India with a family. Neither proposition is unreasonable on the face of it.

flanneruk

Using a car is infinitely preferable here. It's virtually impossible to hail a taxi from the Thameslink exit at Kings Cross: you need to hoik yourselves and luggage along the subterranean passages to the main Kings Cross station, then walk up the stairs with the bags, because I've never found a lift to the taxi rank.

On a typical Sunday morning as late as you're planning to be through formalities, normally assume 90-120 mins to Upper St from Gatwick. A lot earlier in the morning, we might manage less if we were driving, but most cab drivers don't know the complicated long ways round to save time. By 1100, even on a Sunday, traffic will be building up.

Going back to the airport, I'd leave Upper St by 0500 on a weekday. Whichever route the driver takes, there are notorious choke points about 45 mins' drive from the hotel, and these screw you whether you're going with or against the traffic. By 0600, they'll have seriously built up.

Leaving at 0500, you'll probably be at the airport by 0700 or earlier. Leaving at 0530, you may well not be there till 0800.

By road, this is the dullest journey imaginable, and you see nothing worthwhile. By train, there's a wonderful ten minutes as you go along the south bank ofthe river, but it's not worth faffing with bags for.

vajhala

Sorry, few things to clarify.
1. We are 2 adults and 2 kids (1 and 5 year)
We have 3 bags (travelling from India to USA) but only need one of those for London break and thought it is very difficult to travel with 3 bags and 2 kids and change train and taxi. That is what prompted me to use left luggage. It is on prearranged car all the way, then I should not have a big problem carrying 3 bags.
With train, I need to add time for left luggage, cab catching time at Thameslink.
On the other hand, I read the prearranged taxi only gives 40 minutes from flight arrival and thie clock starts there. I am not sure if that is enough time for immigration and if it gets delayed I may have to pay extra.

TimS

Although I haven't used justairports.com myself, judging from the information on their Web site it looks like you pay a set price no matter how long the trip takes. Fodorites, am I correct?

Nikki

The fare is a flat rate no matter how long the ride takes, but there is a charge for waiting time beyond 40 minutes from the plane's arrival (I think because of the parking fees for the driver at the airport).

For me, the combination of luggage, small children, long plane flights, and a difference of less than 8 GBP in each direction make the prearranged car more than worth it. Even if it takes an unusually long time to get through immigration and pick up your bags, the additional cost would not be enough to change my opinion.

TimS

Thanks, Nikki. I read the information on justairports.com more closely and see that the fee is 25p/minute starting 40 minutes after the plane's actual arrival. Even with a slow drive, it certainly looks like a private car service is the way to go with small children.

janisj

justairports monitors flight arrivals and usually sets their driver's arrival so you don't have to pay any "standing time". They are very experienced in "reading" immigration queue times and so on and stay off airport until right before they need to pick you up.

In rare cases you might need to pay a small "standing" chrge - but 90+% of the time they time it perfectly.

NeoPatrick

Wow. If taking the bus and multiple "connections" was saving you half the price or so, I MIGHT consider it. But for "nearly the same price"? This is a no brainer. Being met by a private driver and delivered to your door is SOOOOO much nicer.