5 hours between heasthrow and gatwick
Sep 16th, 2006, 09:18 PM
#1
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5 hours between heasthrow and gatwick
Hello all
We will have at least 5 hours to tour some of london and need advice on best way. We arrive at H. at 7:am and going through immigration and customs I figure we shold be on our way 10:am. We need to arrive at Gatwick by 3:30 for our 5
m flight to Venice. With one carry on and one checked luggage each..(there are 5 of us)..we need a place to stash our bags. We could take the H. Express to Paddington then to Victoria station, get a room for the day
$102.00 (the cheapest I found) leave our luggage in the room and head off to see some sights.
Back to hotel to pick up our luggage and freshen up and take the Gatwick express to the airport. Does that make any sense or does anyone have a better idea. Your comments are appreciated.
We will have at least 5 hours to tour some of london and need advice on best way. We arrive at H. at 7:am and going through immigration and customs I figure we shold be on our way 10:am. We need to arrive at Gatwick by 3:30 for our 5
m flight to Venice. With one carry on and one checked luggage each..(there are 5 of us)..we need a place to stash our bags. We could take the H. Express to Paddington then to Victoria station, get a room for the day$102.00 (the cheapest I found) leave our luggage in the room and head off to see some sights.
Back to hotel to pick up our luggage and freshen up and take the Gatwick express to the airport. Does that make any sense or does anyone have a better idea. Your comments are appreciated.
Sep 16th, 2006, 09:34 PM
#2
I don't think you'd need a room in London - if you wanted a day room you could just got straight to LGW and get a room there.
You can leave your bags at left luggage at Victoria station and pick them up just before catching the train to the airport.
In your case I also would not take the LHR Express to Paddington. True, it only takes 15 mins to Paddington - but then you'd have to take the tube or an expensive cab to Victoria.
I'd take the tube from LHR to Victoria (changing at Hammersmith) The elapsed time will be nearly the same for a fraction of the cost.
I also think you'll be out of LHR before 10:00 - probably closer to 9:00 or even earlier.
So: tube to Victoria arriving between 9:30 and 10:30 depending on how long it takes you to get out of LHR. Drop the bags at left luggage. If you really need to freshen up there are showers at Victoria (clean and not "iffy" at all)
Then you can walk to Buckingham Palace/St James Park/Westminster, or jump on one of the open top double decker tour buses. Then back to Victoria by 3:00 to pick up the bags and catch the train to LGW.
You can leave your bags at left luggage at Victoria station and pick them up just before catching the train to the airport.
In your case I also would not take the LHR Express to Paddington. True, it only takes 15 mins to Paddington - but then you'd have to take the tube or an expensive cab to Victoria.
I'd take the tube from LHR to Victoria (changing at Hammersmith) The elapsed time will be nearly the same for a fraction of the cost.
I also think you'll be out of LHR before 10:00 - probably closer to 9:00 or even earlier.
So: tube to Victoria arriving between 9:30 and 10:30 depending on how long it takes you to get out of LHR. Drop the bags at left luggage. If you really need to freshen up there are showers at Victoria (clean and not "iffy" at all)
Then you can walk to Buckingham Palace/St James Park/Westminster, or jump on one of the open top double decker tour buses. Then back to Victoria by 3:00 to pick up the bags and catch the train to LGW.
Sep 16th, 2006, 10:19 PM
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Report how this changing turns out.
I think it sounds crazy but I did the same for Paris. I only had the first chance to visit Paris and I thought I would have bags of time. The bottom line was I missed my flight. Yet, I still remember my first visit to Paris. It was magic.
So, please report how this turned out.
Blackduff
I think it sounds crazy but I did the same for Paris. I only had the first chance to visit Paris and I thought I would have bags of time. The bottom line was I missed my flight. Yet, I still remember my first visit to Paris. It was magic.
So, please report how this turned out.
Blackduff
Sep 16th, 2006, 10:59 PM
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Re getting to Gatwick at 3:30pm for your 5:00pm flight - I'd be aiming to get to Gatwick for 3:00pm AT THE LATEST, doubly so if you are travelling to Venice by low costs airline.
As for GEX, whilst you can get a 4 adults for the price of 2 ticket for £40 BUT it's still cheaper to get a Southern Trains service (£9 per adult) to Gatwick instead.
See www.nationalrail.co.uk
As for GEX, whilst you can get a 4 adults for the price of 2 ticket for £40 BUT it's still cheaper to get a Southern Trains service (£9 per adult) to Gatwick instead.
See www.nationalrail.co.uk
Sep 17th, 2006, 01:12 AM
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i would agree not to get a hotel room. that adds a significant amount of overhead to an already very tight timeframe. people always underestimate the time to find/get to hotel, check-in, check-out, get bags and self up to and back down from room, etc.
as for the overall planning, on threads like this you often get people quoting hypothetical, best case times that assume no delays and that the traveller knows exactly where he is going.
just looking at train times can be misleading. you cannot get from LHR to london in 15 min. it's 15 min (add 8 min for T4 arrivals) from the time the train departs LHR to the time it arrives in paddington (if no delays). what about the time it takes you to get your bearings in the airport, get to the platform, and wait for the train? add the time to alight at paddington, get your bearings, and get to a taxi or tube, etc and that 15 min journey can look more like closer to 1 hour. equally, you must add continency time into your trip to gatwick, in addition to the time added to navigate to and from stations, waiting for train, etc. the less familiarity you have with our airports and train stations, the more time you must add.
listen to blackduff...you really don't have a lot of time. unfortunately, we rarely get reports on how these quick visits turn out and whether the traveller was able to stick to ambitious time schedules.
as for the overall planning, on threads like this you often get people quoting hypothetical, best case times that assume no delays and that the traveller knows exactly where he is going.
just looking at train times can be misleading. you cannot get from LHR to london in 15 min. it's 15 min (add 8 min for T4 arrivals) from the time the train departs LHR to the time it arrives in paddington (if no delays). what about the time it takes you to get your bearings in the airport, get to the platform, and wait for the train? add the time to alight at paddington, get your bearings, and get to a taxi or tube, etc and that 15 min journey can look more like closer to 1 hour. equally, you must add continency time into your trip to gatwick, in addition to the time added to navigate to and from stations, waiting for train, etc. the less familiarity you have with our airports and train stations, the more time you must add.
listen to blackduff...you really don't have a lot of time. unfortunately, we rarely get reports on how these quick visits turn out and whether the traveller was able to stick to ambitious time schedules.
Sep 17th, 2006, 07:03 AM
#6
Oh - I didn't make the effort to suss out your flight time from the
But now see you meant 5:00 p.m. -- so you definitely need to be at LGW before 3:30. 2:30 might not be too early. So now you need to be on the train at Victoria by about 2:00 p.m.
This whole expedition will only give you a grand total of about 4 hours in central London. Still doable - but you need to decide if it is worth the hassle.
But now see you meant 5:00 p.m. -- so you definitely need to be at LGW before 3:30. 2:30 might not be too early. So now you need to be on the train at Victoria by about 2:00 p.m.
This whole expedition will only give you a grand total of about 4 hours in central London. Still doable - but you need to decide if it is worth the hassle.
Sep 17th, 2006, 08:42 AM
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Since you each have only one checked bag and one carry-on, another strategy (one that obviates stashing your luggage) presents itself:
Buy an open-top bus tour, and take your luggage with you. There's plenty of room under the seats for your bags, and people do it all the time.
Ride the Piccadilly Line to Piccadilly Circus.
Buy your tickets at the office on Coventry Street.¹ (Or on line.)
Board The Original Tour red line on Haymarket¹ and ride all the way around the circuit to Victoria Station.
Take the Southern Train to Gatwick. (You can bail out at London Bridge Station if your time is getting too tight.)
Here is a map of your itinerary: http://www.theoriginaltour.com/files/uaocpjzcpy.pdf
¹See detail 3 at bottom of map for locations.
Buy an open-top bus tour, and take your luggage with you. There's plenty of room under the seats for your bags, and people do it all the time.
Ride the Piccadilly Line to Piccadilly Circus.
Buy your tickets at the office on Coventry Street.¹ (Or on line.)
Board The Original Tour red line on Haymarket¹ and ride all the way around the circuit to Victoria Station.
Take the Southern Train to Gatwick. (You can bail out at London Bridge Station if your time is getting too tight.)
Here is a map of your itinerary: http://www.theoriginaltour.com/files/uaocpjzcpy.pdf
¹See detail 3 at bottom of map for locations.
Sep 17th, 2006, 11:21 AM
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>>>>
Then I guess my "better idea" is to just make your airport transfer successfully and wait until you hit Venice to start vacationing!
>>>>>
if we agree on 5 hours and add 1 hour for final remnants of security mayhem still being experienced in UK airports (could be delays getting baggage after flights and the need to add more time for getting through security in gatwick), then the OP has 4 hours to "enjoy" london (he has 10 hours total from landing to take-off).
HOWEVER, the 5 hour (or 6 hour) "rule" refers to direct transfer between the two airports. the OP's plan requires more transit and compexity than a direct transfer (including transit within london to get to what they want to see and back) and therefore, there is a much greater overhead for transport than the "simple" (nothing is simple) direct airport to airport transfer.
still, he does has at least 4 hours. it depends how much hassle, expense, and discomfort he wants to endure to see london for a just a few hours. only he or she can decide that. it's a borderline decision but the fact that there are 5 of them would tip the scales towards not doing it, IMO. doing this with 5 people can be madness....even if they are all motivated and savvy adults. this test of wills can start your venice holiday off on a sour note.
in my experience of travelling with groups of this size, there are always one or two who do not share in the ambition and will balk at the rushing, hauling of bags, and general unpleasantness that this escapade will bring (made worse after a tiring flight).
Then I guess my "better idea" is to just make your airport transfer successfully and wait until you hit Venice to start vacationing!
>>>>>
if we agree on 5 hours and add 1 hour for final remnants of security mayhem still being experienced in UK airports (could be delays getting baggage after flights and the need to add more time for getting through security in gatwick), then the OP has 4 hours to "enjoy" london (he has 10 hours total from landing to take-off).
HOWEVER, the 5 hour (or 6 hour) "rule" refers to direct transfer between the two airports. the OP's plan requires more transit and compexity than a direct transfer (including transit within london to get to what they want to see and back) and therefore, there is a much greater overhead for transport than the "simple" (nothing is simple) direct airport to airport transfer.
still, he does has at least 4 hours. it depends how much hassle, expense, and discomfort he wants to endure to see london for a just a few hours. only he or she can decide that. it's a borderline decision but the fact that there are 5 of them would tip the scales towards not doing it, IMO. doing this with 5 people can be madness....even if they are all motivated and savvy adults. this test of wills can start your venice holiday off on a sour note.
in my experience of travelling with groups of this size, there are always one or two who do not share in the ambition and will balk at the rushing, hauling of bags, and general unpleasantness that this escapade will bring (made worse after a tiring flight).
Sep 17th, 2006, 12:57 PM
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We landed on a flight from Copenhagen and fell just behind a flight from Nigeria. It took 1 hour 30 minutes just to get through immigration. Baggage was very easy and was waiting. Customs was a breeze but all told it was 2 hours. I think on average this was longer than normal. That puts you at 9 am on your way to the tube. You could be in London by 10 am. If you buy a ticket for the tour bus you might have 3 hours. We did it in early September and traffic was very heavy. At the very latest you need to head for Gatwick at 1 pm. That's a lot of ifs. Security is always a big question. We floated through our trip to Copenhagen but every passenger on the American 777 to JFK was individually searched. Seems like there out to be a tour around Gatwick around the countryside which you could do after checking in.
Sep 17th, 2006, 01:10 PM
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Plan as if you are going to do a spot of sightseeing, just don't make firm plans until you know how much time you do have .
So go to Victoria THEN decide what to do.
Note if the weather is lousy getting off the Tube at South Kensington for the Museums may be a better option. However I don't know if any of the musuems will take anything bigger than hand luggage.
So go to Victoria THEN decide what to do.
Note if the weather is lousy getting off the Tube at South Kensington for the Museums may be a better option. However I don't know if any of the musuems will take anything bigger than hand luggage.
Sep 17th, 2006, 05:16 PM
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Thanks to all,
Tell me if I understand this.
Ok Great, no hotel room.And I like the idea of tube to Victoria and the hop on hop off (with luggage) Even if we have a chance to see the sights and view the area from the top of the bus.Not actually going into the museums is OK we will be doing that on overload in Italy. We are packing very light, keeping space for all the goodies we buy in Italy to take home. Of course all this depends on how smooth our time out of LHR is.
Janis are you saying to use the tube
to london and the train to LGW?
Robespiere thank you for the map, I will print and study them.
If this turns out to be doable I will report back. Thanks, and if any other ideas please post.
Augstmoon
Tell me if I understand this.
Ok Great, no hotel room.And I like the idea of tube to Victoria and the hop on hop off (with luggage) Even if we have a chance to see the sights and view the area from the top of the bus.Not actually going into the museums is OK we will be doing that on overload in Italy. We are packing very light, keeping space for all the goodies we buy in Italy to take home. Of course all this depends on how smooth our time out of LHR is.
Janis are you saying to use the tube
to london and the train to LGW?
Robespiere thank you for the map, I will print and study them.
If this turns out to be doable I will report back. Thanks, and if any other ideas please post.
Augstmoon
Sep 17th, 2006, 05:25 PM
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Walkinaround,
This will surly test our travel together issue. We are all family, maybe making things worse..lol
me, my boyfriend, my sister, her husband and my adult son.(my treat for him) I'm hoping we will all be so excited the rushing and schlipping of bags will go unnoticed.
Will let you know.
Augstmoon
This will surly test our travel together issue. We are all family, maybe making things worse..lol
me, my boyfriend, my sister, her husband and my adult son.(my treat for him) I'm hoping we will all be so excited the rushing and schlipping of bags will go unnoticed.
Will let you know.
Augstmoon
Sep 17th, 2006, 06:55 PM
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No, not the tube to Victoria.
The tube to Piccadilly Circus.
Going to Victoria requires a change of trains, which is unnecessary if you go to Piccadilly.
Furthermore, the bus route from Victoria goes up around Mme. Tussaud's, which is a waste of time (IMO) whether you get off the bus or not. (See map.)
Starting from Piccadilly, you finish at Victoria and the only thing you miss is Marble Arch which, although interesting, doesn't justify the ride.
The tube to Piccadilly Circus.
Going to Victoria requires a change of trains, which is unnecessary if you go to Piccadilly.
Furthermore, the bus route from Victoria goes up around Mme. Tussaud's, which is a waste of time (IMO) whether you get off the bus or not. (See map.)
Starting from Piccadilly, you finish at Victoria and the only thing you miss is Marble Arch which, although interesting, doesn't justify the ride.
Sep 20th, 2006, 02:11 PM
#18
Sorry about the delay getting back to you - been away for a few days. IMHO it is a dreadful idea to take the tube to Piccadilly Circus. Even IF you pack as light as you do P. Circus is a hectic/crowded/confusing tube station w/ many exits. I am very comfortable negotiating P. Circus - but I wouldn't do it jet lagged and toting luggage on a bet.
The Hop-on-hop-off buses will allow you to take small bags on board. But the ebb/flow of passengers getting on/off makes toting luggage a problem - ofetn every seat is full and you will end up w/ your bags on your lap.
So, yes, what I meant was tube to Victoria (changing at Hammersmith), leave the bags at left luggage, and then catch the tour bus right outside the station. Then later on get back to Victoria, pick up your bags and take the train to LGW.
The Hop-on-hop-off buses will allow you to take small bags on board. But the ebb/flow of passengers getting on/off makes toting luggage a problem - ofetn every seat is full and you will end up w/ your bags on your lap.
So, yes, what I meant was tube to Victoria (changing at Hammersmith), leave the bags at left luggage, and then catch the tour bus right outside the station. Then later on get back to Victoria, pick up your bags and take the train to LGW.
Sep 20th, 2006, 05:04 PM
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I still haven't booked our trip to Barcelona because I just can't find flights that work. The one that is best going there has us, on the way back, transferring from Heathrow to Gatwick with only 3 1/2 hours between flights. That seemed like folly to me, and y'all have comfirmed that.
Sep 20th, 2006, 07:44 PM
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"Even IF you pack as light as you do P. Circus is a hectic/crowded/confusing tube station w/ many exits."
Yes, Piccadilly Circus has four exits (regardless of how light you pack), but they're all clearly marked. You will exit at the one labeled "Exit 4" (map, below) which comes out on Coventry Street adjacent to the Original Tour ticket location. The red tour line boards around the corner on Haymarket. See this map:
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/Dow...Piccadilly.pdf
At Victoria (also has four exits) http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/Dow...K_Victoria.pdf - you will exit anywhere and make your way to Grosvenor Gardens to get your tickets and board the red line.
Then you will waste a half-hour looping up around Marble Arch and Mme. Tussaud's and not much else until the route gets back down to Piccadilly Circus, as shown on this map:
http://www.theoriginaltour.com/files/uaocpjzcpy.pdf
Yes, Piccadilly Circus has four exits (regardless of how light you pack), but they're all clearly marked. You will exit at the one labeled "Exit 4" (map, below) which comes out on Coventry Street adjacent to the Original Tour ticket location. The red tour line boards around the corner on Haymarket. See this map:
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/Dow...Piccadilly.pdf
At Victoria (also has four exits) http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/Dow...K_Victoria.pdf - you will exit anywhere and make your way to Grosvenor Gardens to get your tickets and board the red line.
Then you will waste a half-hour looping up around Marble Arch and Mme. Tussaud's and not much else until the route gets back down to Piccadilly Circus, as shown on this map:
http://www.theoriginaltour.com/files/uaocpjzcpy.pdf
