sandi_travelnut

There will be myself, husband, teenaged son and my parents with luggage going from Waterloo to Victoria station to catch the Channel Tunnel train. Should we take the chaeper route and get on the underground or would we be able to catch a cab large enough for all of us and luggage to Victoria? How much might such a ride cost?

BTW- we're coing from Gatwick originally and catching the express train to Waterloo...then on.. Should we think about going directly from Gatwick to Victoria instead?

WillTravel

I think you got a bit turned around.
What you mean is you are taking the express train to Victoria (Gatwick Express) and want to get to Waterloo to take the Channel Tunnel train, correct?

You could all get on the underground, but it would cost about 10 pounds for this and even someone as cheap as me might suggest a cab or two. It's about 2 miles distance, so I doubt it could be too terribly expensive.

I know there is an alternate method of taking the train from Gatwick where you change at Clapham Common and get the train to Waterloo. Perhaps someone can supply the details.

sandi_travelnut

I'm sorry, you are right..I was turned around.

PatrickLondon

There are direct buses, but they would mean a bit more walking with your luggage than a taxi. The best route would be the 507, which is a limited stop route with added luggage space, but it only runs Mon-Fri during the day (not evenings). There's also the 211 and the 705 but they're a bit more inconvenient to get to.

Bus £1 per person, journey time - allow a good half-hour.

Tube £2 per person - a fair amount of steps and walking to get to the tube at Victoria, take the District line eastbound two stops to Westminster, down stairs or by escalator to the Jubilee Line eastbound one stop to Waterloo. Allow a journey time of around 20 minutes.

You could get five people in one taxi, but not necessarily all the luggage - you might have to splurge on two. But the convenience could be worth it.

sandi_travelnut

PatrickLondon, are you referring to a taxi directly from Gatwick to Waterloo? Can you estimate what that might cost if we were to use 2 taxis?

WillTravel

There have been some four for the price of two deals on the Gatwick Express. I don't know if they are currently available.

I know some posters have happily used car services from Gatwick to Waterloo. However, I doubt these would be faster than taking the Gatwick Express + taxi from Victoria, because nothing can beat the speed of the GE in respect to getting into central London.

sandi_travelnut

I saw the 4 for 2 price. Since there's 5 of us it comes out to 36GBP to Victoria. Unless someone has some other really brilliant idea that would cost less, we'll probably stick with the Express to Victoria then taxi(s) to Waterloo.

bettyk

Just be forewarned that there are no lifts at the Victoria tube station so you have to go up a couple of short flights of stairs.

AAFrequentFlyer

Let's see:

Gatwick Express = ~15BP each x 5 = 75BP
Dragging your luggage around = priceless
Taxi = ~10-15BP

Maybe you should look into a private car transfer. Meet and greet outside of customs, help with the luggage, and door to door service. Most likely about the same money, and possibly less. I love Gatwick/Heathrow Express because I travel by myself on business, but I never understood why 3 or more people traveling together would bother with the trains.

AAFrequentFlyer

Correction: Gatwick Express = 12BP per, still 60 BP total for 5 people.


Here is a good way to get an idea on how much a private car transfer will cost:

<b>www.londontown.com</b>

sandi_travelnut

If I get the 4 for the price of 2, it'll cost a total of 36GBP for all 5 to get to Victoria. Then the short taxi ride for us to get to Waterloo should cost too much, as was mentioned in another post. Am I missing something here? Or should I not assume that I can get the 4 for 2 price?

AAFrequentFlyer

No, you did not miss anything, I did. Still at about 50BP (train+taxi) for the journey and having to deal with transfers, I would seriously consider a private car transfer. Some of the companies mentioned on this forum offer some great rates.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

janis

Before I even get into this discussion -- Just HOW much luggage are we talking about here?

If you are traveling light that's one thing. If you are schlepping everything in your wardrobes I would have an entirely different recommendation (besides suggesting you cut back).

If you are traveling light I'd definitely go for the Express, taxi (or tube) combo. The train is much faster than a car service in from LGW. Gatwick is more than 30 miles outside of central London and the drive can take 60 or even 90 minutes if the traffic is bad. The train only takes 30 minutes and it is a short cab ride from Victoria to W'loo. the tube would not be my first choice from Victoria because it is quite a walk from the tube station to Waterloo International, whereas the cab can drop you right at the international station.

But if you have a lot of luggage, anything but a car service will just be too much hassle.

sandi_travelnut

Janis, we'll all have one carry-on size bag plus a small backpack or something similar size. I have sent an email to LondonTown to get a quote on a car.

janis

With that small amount of luggage I'd definitely take the Express train/cab or train/tube.

You could also catch a different train from LGW, change at Clapham Junction and end up at Waterloo mainline (This is the way I would do it, but Clapham Junction is the largest/busiest station in the country and it can be overwhelming if you haven't been through it before).

How much time do you have between landing and your train reservations? That is definitely something you have to factor into your calculation re car service vs. train. Driving in from LGW can take a long time . . . . . .

GeoffHamer

If you want to get from Gatwick to Waterloo, there is no point going to Victoria. The easiest route would be by Thameslink train from Gatwick to London Bridge - these run every 15 minutes - then, from the same platform at London Bridge, get a train to Waterloo East. Total journey time is 38 to 41 minutes. From Waterloo East, there are ramps and escalators to Waterloo International.
Alternatively, go from Gatwick to Clapham Junction, then change for Waterloo, but changing at Clapham Junction is slightly more complicated than changing at London Bridge. You can verify schedules on www.nationalrail.co.uk.

sandi_travelnut

Excellent suggestions everyone. This will be our first London experience, so something fairly straight-forward after a long flight would be nice.

GoeffHamer, where do you find the Thameslink train in Gatwick?

mclaurie

At this website
http://www.airwise.com/airports/euro.../LGWtran1.html

it says the Thameslink train is 9,50GBP/person. Get a car service! Try Swiss Cottage Cars (swisscottagecars.com) Ask about a price for cash (vs credit card)

GeoffHamer

All the trains go from the same station at Gatwick Airport. Indicators will show which platform to go to. Whichever rail route you use will almost certainly be quicker than a car.

ealing_calling

Geoff's got the magic answer with the London Bridge transfer. I wouldn't wish daytime driving from Gatwick to central London on my worst enemy, except at 5am (when we take our cheap charter flights to the sun).

OK, it's not that bad a drive, but it will take *hours.* Train is half an hour.

Also shame on you for jumping right on Eurostar and not staying in London longer! Hope you're coming back * )