We are traveling from Oxford to the GAtwick airport for a 4p.m. flight.
We are renting the car in Bath and will have it for 6 days.
The question is should we return the car in Oxford and take the train to Gatwick (and avoid London driving)or is the driving and directions fairly straight forward?
Thanks

You would not be driving right in London, you would be on the motorway going around it. The directions are easy to follow, but the biggest problem I see is traffic on the M25. When we drove to Gatwick we turned in the car the night before and took an early morning flight home. But since your flight is at 4pm, you could get caught in traffic. If you do decide to drive, get a much earlier start than you think you need.

You won't be driving in London at all.

You'll come up from Bath and then go round the M25 a bit. The M25 tends to get a bad press on here but really it's not as bad as a lot of people make out. Unless you are very unlucky and there is a accident or something, you'll be fine at that time of day. It only gets really busy at peak morning/evening commute times, and you'll be getting to the airport around 1.30-2pm?

It's a very simple route, head up the A46, join the M4, then join M25 in the direction signposted 'Gatwick' then just follow the signs to the airport (about another 40 miles.)

If there's no traffic problems it will take about 2.5 hours, but do allow more than that just in case.

Drive, its very staight forward and motorway all the way. I did the journey last week from Woodstock outside Oxford (nice hotel The Feathers http://www.feathers.co.uk/) and it took 2 1/2 hours and that was leaving Woodstock at 8am - the hight of peak travel time.I recon normal travel time allow 1 1/2 hours

Are you leaving from Oxford or Bath?

If you've been staying in Oxford for a day or so, it's hard to see what the point of keeping the car is going to be. It's very dificult for visitors to park in the centre, and getting yourself and your luggage out to a Park and Ride, then driving to Gatwick, is going to be a lot slower than getting a train - or, generally better getting the Airline bus (every hour: stops in lots of handy places in Oxford on the way out, normally takes two hours and doesn't involve hoisting your bags across bridges at Reading, which is what the train does).

If you're staying in Bath, just drive to Gatwick. Oxford's out of your way.

If you're staying in Oxford, and using the car to get around the area, so you'll inevitably have the car anyway, park it at the Pear Tree Park and Ride, on the junction of the A34 and A44 north of the city. Much easier to get to from the centre than the Thornhill Park and Ride which looks as if it's on the way to London but is a sod to get to.

2.5 hours is more than ample from an Oxford P+R to Gatwick, except between 0630 and 0930 and 1600 to 1800, when it's also more than ample but none of really believe it, so we always allow longer than we need.

The way I read you post was - you are picking up the car in Bath, touring around in it for 6 days, ending up in Oxford your last night and then flying out of LGW. Right? If so all the talk about Bath to LGW is useless.

If you are staying <b>IN</b> Oxford the last night you definitely won't need the car. I'd drop the car off when you arrive in Oxford and take the airport coach to LGW.

If, on the other hand, you are staying <b>near</b> Oxford - you'll probably need the car. So you could eithet drive to LGW or drop the car off that morning and take the coach. Whether the train makes sense instead, depends a lot on how much luggage you have.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes, we are staying AROUND not in Oxford. Actually we are staying near Henley-on-thames and will need a car as our accommodation is not near public transportation.
I am feeling that driving to Gatwick will be fine now that I realize we don't go near the city. Economically it is better as there are 4 of us so the train and/or bus fare is saved.
Thank you again I will have my husband read this post as he is the driver!