Arriving Gatwick 8:30AM, what time can I book train?
 

We arrive non stop into Gatwick at 8:30AM and will be taking the train to Basel. Will an 11:30AM departure give us adequate time or should we make it later? I would like to buy tickets in advance to keep costs down if possible.

I know Easyjet flies this route but we prefer the train.

I don't know how much research you've done, but this may not be as easy or convenient as you might be imagining. First off, there are no trains to Basel from Gatwick Airport. You'll need to get yourself from Gatwick to the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras, then take the train to Paris Gare Du Nord, then transfer to Gare de Lyon then take the onward train to Basel. This whole exercise will take the entire day and well into the evening.

Even our resident train fanatics on this board might think twice about this. As you said yourself you could - as you will already be at LGW - simply fly on directly to Basel.

I had a quick look and you can fly direct with easyjet to Basel from LGW, with 3 flights a day in the early morning, midday-ish and the evening.

http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Booking.mvc#

if you caught the 2.20 pm flight, you'd be there by 5pm. Alternatively, according to bahn.de if you managed to get the 10am train out of Gatwick, you would be in Basle by 7pm; the 11.02 would get you there at 9 pm. they each require 3 or 4 changes of train.

I know which I'd do!

I was trying to avoid 8 hours at Gatwick as there are only two flights that day and we cannot make the early one.

I think we will overnight at Gatwick, take the train into the city for the day and then take the early flight the following morning.

I was aware of the changes required on the train and actually thought we would go to Paris, spend the night and then complete our trip the next day but I think overnighting in London would be easier.

kfusto - good idea. you can have a whole day in London, and be in Basle by lunchtime the next day. When I did a similar thing a few months ago, i found that I could add a whole day's London travelcard onto my Gatwick to london rail ticket for only £1.75. [it might have been even less]

I bought it at the enquiry desk before I got to the station proper - they were very helpful.

The only thing to watch out for is that they are digging up the area around Victoria so it's not a good place to try to get a bus, if that's what you want to do.

have fun!

Agree not to try to get to Basle by train the same day. You are very unlikely to make a 10 am train, the next is 11 and won;t get you to Basel until 9 pm - assuming all of the changes of train go as planned (a few minutes delay here or there could have you coming in even later or the middle of the night).

Spending a day in London seems a much better option.

In europe I usually do train since I hate the mess of short-distance flights - esp budget airlines - but in this case I don't think train is a decent option.

<In europe I usually do train since I hate the mess of short-distance flights >

Exactly! Trains are far more civilized and comfortable.

kfusto - I agree too, but the pleasure of train travel can also be spoilt by too many changes of train, which was going to be a problem with getting the train to Basle.

If you have not been to Brighton, it is very close to Gatwick by train and probably bus.

You have time for a visit to the Royal Pavilion, perhaps the Brighton Municipal Museum next door, a browse through the shops in the Lanes, and a stroll along the Seafront, nice weather only, of course.

>>The only thing to watch out for is that they are digging up the area around Victoria <<

Trains from Gatwick don't only go to Victoria, but to London Bridge and through the City, via Blackfriars, City Thameslink and Farringdon, to St Pancras.

Trains from Gatwick don't only go to Victoria>>

the one I got did, I'm sure. I know i didn't change trains on the way up. It was a standard train, passing through Gatwick from the south coast, not the Gatwick express.

on the way back to the airport, I got on at Waterloo and changed at Clapham Junction.

oops, Patrick, 0/10 to me for comprehension and reading skills. I missed that crucial "only".

you're right of course, and you can get a train straight into St. Pancras. but there are still a load of train changes between there and Basle.