BudgetQueen

I am looking at booking National Rail, Gatwick to Kings Cross. I have a 0610 arrival, would it be likely to make a 0822 train? I'm coming in the South terminal on Zoom. Traveling on a budget and this is the cheapest. OR is there a bus that has more open booking??

alanRow

You could try Easybus or National Express - but getting into London by road from Gatwick is not a pleasurable experience and in any case will go to Victoria which is on the other side of Central London from KX, so you'd need to add on the cost of a Tube ticket to KX

Personally I'd have breakfast / tidy up at Gatwick and get the train direct to St Pancras which is next door to KX after 9:00am when the commuters hve gone.

If it's a weekend then the 8:22am train will be suitable

rogeruktm

There is no train called National rail. Both Southern trains and the Gatwick Express train depart every few minutes from Gatwick to Victoria train station in London. You can take the tube or taxi to Kings Cross station from Victoria station.

TimS

The direct trains from Gatwick to St. Pancras (Domestic) mentioned by alanRow are operated by First Capital Connect. Trains run about every 15 minutes, travel time is just under an hour, and the fare is £8.90. No need to book in advance. Buy your ticket at Gatwick and take the first available train.

janisj

I agree - there is no reason to pre-book this regular commuter train from Gatwick to St Pancras.

And you don't want anything to d w/ a coach. You would be traveling from Gatwick to Victoria and then Victoria to Kings Cross during the height of the commute and LGW is about 30 miles south of the city. It would take FOREVER . . . . .

W9London

Also don't take Gatwick Express. It's more expensive and only gets you to Victoria. Take FCC train, which is cheaper, to St Pancras which is right across Kings Cross.

BudgetQueen

Well this site says National Rail??? The price is also listed as different for different trains, and reservations, and goes to Kings Cross??

Is there another train??

TimS

There are 27 train companies under the National Rail umbrella.

Virtually right next to each other are three mainline train stations: St. Pancras International, St. Pancras Domestic, and King's Cross. The Underground station that serves all of them is King's Cross St. Pancras.

I'm assuming that you used the Journey Planner on the National Rail site. I'm guessing that you got different fares because some suggested routes included taking the Gatwick Express to Victoria and some didn't.

See my previous post. Take a First Capital Connect train directly from Gatwick to St. Pancras Domestic and then a very short walk to King's Cross.

PalenQ

Point is there are trains about every 15 minutes from Gatwick to St Pancras, adjacent to Kings Cross - just buy your tickets at the Gatwick train station - no need to buy in advance and there are no train-specific tickets it seems.

It's so simple - you can use the automatic ticket machines at the Gatwick train station with a credit card if lines are long as they oft are IME

Forget national rail, etc.

BudgetQueen

Thank you all for the clairfication. It was confusing to me.