Gatwick or Heathrow?
 

Now that we've got an apartment for our London stay, I'm beginning to shop for airfares. I've only been to London once and it was ages ago. I'm sure we landed at Heathrow then but as I look at airlines now I see I have a choice of Heathrow or Gatwick. Other than the obvious (fares, schedules, etc.), is there any advantage of one airport over the other? We'll be staying in West Hampstead, if that makes a difference.
Thanks
gtg

I really like Heathrow over Gatwick. You have the option of jumping on the Underground to get into London.

mnapoli is right but Gatwick has a station and that feeds up to Victoria or Kings Cross so not really a criteria for selection. I would have thought if price etc is not critical then at least Gatwick is simpler to use. Heathrow feels like Atlanta just too big

After just returning, I will throw out another criteria - time and money to get there. I don't know the specific West Hampstead connections, but Heathrow has a few different options: tube, Heathrow Express (a fast train to a rail station).

For Gatwick, I don't believe the tube goes that far and you need to go to a British rail station to get the train. It also takes longer to get to Gatwick than Heathrow.

Considering how long they recommend you arrive at the airport in advance for a flight, I don't know if the size of the airport really matters or not. I just know that I thought Gatwich was higher maintenance.

Makes <u>absolutely</u> no difference. Go w/ which ever one gets you the best fare/schedule.

6 of 1, half dozen of the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

The tube connection from LHR really isn't that much of an advantage for you since you are staying in West Hampstead and it would be a long tube journey w/ a transfer.

From LHR you'd want a car service. From LGW you could take a train to London Bridge and then the tube or a train to West Hampstead. Long journey.

I have used both airports several times and I prefer Gatwick. It's smaller and IMO it's easier to navigate. I have always found connections to be quicker at LGW but that doesn't apply in your case.

LHR does have the tube but I took that once and it seemed like it took forever to get to Victoria Station. The good thing about LHR is that a car service is a better deal than from LGW. I'm not familiar with the area where you are staying so I will defer to our resident experts for the best route to your hotel.

If all is equal I would go for LGW. But if I found a better price and schedule to LHR, even just slightly better, I would go for that.

Most of the time, public transport from LGW to West Hampstead station is far, far, more convenient, comfortable and painless than from Heathrow.

It depends, though, on where exactly you are going to be in London, what day you're travelling, and your views on transport after a long journey.

There's a train every 30 mins from Gatwick to West Hampstead station, involving a painless, cross-platform, connection at St Pancras. About 45 mins in total, and faster than any tube from Heathrow. Trouble is: currently not on Sats/Suns (though weekend service will be soon resumed: you have to change at London Bridge onto the Jubilee Line tube at weekends), and West Hampstead in an address doesn't mean it's handy to the station if you've got luggage (it's not an easy station to get a cab at). Or even that the address is in the same hemisphere as the station. "West Hampstead" just means you wish you lived in real Hampstead: it's not a precise location.

The tube from Heathrow to West Hampstead station is hopeless. Actually quite fast (change at Green Park fromthe Piccadilly to the Jubilee Line): but Green Park is the ONLY single connection available and it's a really, really bloody awful walk between the two if you've got luggage.

Ignore any advice that includes reference to the Heathrow Express. This merely demonstrates inadqequate knowledge of London.

Cars from Gatwick are not worth considering weekdays, and not a good idea at weekends. So it really means a Just-Airports style car from LHR or a train from LGW. Unless you're really miles from West Hampstead station, in which case forget about LGW.

Wow. What a variety of opinions! I guess everyone has their favourite.

We'll be coming to London mid-week and I can't remember about the home trip. We're likely to have more luggage than we normally travel with -- probably one checked bag and one carry-on each, so I think a car would probably be our best bet no matter which airport we land at. And also after a long flight.

"West Hampstead" just means you wish you lived in real Hampstead: it's not a precise location." Well, I do have a precise address. I wasn't planning to live in all of West Hampstead wandering around like Heathcliffe on the moors.

What's a Just-Airports car? Is that what we would call an airport limo service?

If you think a car would be best then I suggest LHR.

Just Airports will pick you up at the airport and take you directly to where you are staying, and vice versa on the way home. They are very reliable.

www.justairports.com

Thanks so much, P_M. I'll save that link.

hi gtg -
We have used justairpors.com several times, both arrival and departure, and have been very satisfied.
When will you arrive? We'll be there in April

Oh Seamus,
Do you think you can come back in September? How about October, November or December? April's just a little to early for us.

gtg: There is no difference in the airports as such - some like one some like the other - but for convenience to central London they are about equal.

But there IS a difference in your situation if you have too much luggage to manage the trains. A car from Gatwick will cost a fortune. LGW is 30+ miles south of London and your flat is in the NW of 'central' London. Plus, on a weekday morning it would take <u>forever</u>.

So if you have the choice, go w/ LHR and use a car service - the already mentioned justairports -- or Ray Skinner at http://www.london-transfers.com/

You must pre-book either one and I'd get quotes from both.

Thanks, janis. I'll look into that service as well. We're thinking of shipping some stuff ahead of us -- that's undecided right now, but I think the trains even with just one carry-on or one larger piece will be too unwieldy especially since we'll be new to the system.

<<< but I think the trains even with just one carry-on or one larger piece will be too unwieldy especially since we'll be new to the system. >>>

Tens of thousands of people do that every day of the week. A large number of them don't even have English as their first language.

Choose the airport where you can get the cheapest fare. One case and one carry on isn't a lot to carry on the train. We do it all the time getting 2 buses from Glasgow to Edinburgh airport...

>>Well, I do have a precise address. I wasn't planning to live in all of West Hampstead wandering around like Heathcliffe on the moors.<<

I think my esteemed compatriot's point was that what was sold to you as "West Hampstead" might actually be nearer some other station. If we knew exactly where you're going we'd be able to advise on the public transport options.

I'm sorry, I don't know how to give you the link on google maps. It just keeps giving me google maps in general. In any case, we're going to be at 129 West End Lane, London, NW6 2PE, if you'd like to google it but please don't feel obligated to.

As I look at the map, it seems to me that the closest tube stop is West Hampstead.

"Choose the airport where you can get the cheapest fare." The fare and the schedule will likely be the deciding factor but if the fare/schedule factor is similar enough at both airports, convenience will come into play.

You can do Gatwick to West Hampstead Thameslink (very near to West Hampstead Undergound station) by train with a change at Clapham Junction. You don't need to change onto the Underground.

Thanks so much, ali.