Heathrow or Gatwick?
 

I could use some good advice. I am planning a trip to London for the end of April and trying to decide which of the airports to fly into - Heathrow or Gatwick. Heathrow is closer and I believe has more direct, quicker and cheaper transportation to downtown London. It is also a little more expensive to fly into and none of the airlines out of Atlanta have direct flights available to Heathrow only to Gatwick. Taking a little more time in-transit is not too much of an issue. Convenience, time and ease getting in and out of the airport is. I don't want to spend hours getting from the airport to the hotel after the flight if the price difference on the airfare isn't worth it. Based on all of this, what is my best bet - Heathrow or Gatwick?

I'd fly into Heathrow since it offers the most inexpensive options for getting quickly and easily to downtown London. Can you get a cheap flight to New York and fly out of JFK to Heathrow? Good luck with your plans!

There is nothing in it - both airports have definite pluses and minuses. And neither one would take &quot;hours getting from the airport to the hotel&quot;. <BR><BR>Each has a fast non-stop train connection - 15 minutes LHR to Paddington and 30 mins LGW to Victoria. But Victoria is more convenient than Paddington to most areas - so door to door is about the same.<BR><BR>LHR has a cheap tube connection - but that is pretty hectic jet lagged and toting luggage.<BR><BR>LHR is HUGE and very crowded (4 massive terminals), LGW is smaller and easier to navigate. The train is no walk at all from LGW, the LHR train is a little longer walk from the terminals.<BR><BR>So basically - it is six of one half dozen of the other. Take whichever one gets you the best fare or most convenient connections from your home.

If your fare is better to Gatwick,go with it. You can easily take the Gatwick Express train right from the airport to Victoria Station with easy access to your hotel via tube or taxi. The train runs frequently, cost was about 11 pounds when I last used it 1 1/2 years ago. If you're flying British Airways you can check in for your return flight at the BA counter at Victoria Station and not hassle taking luggage on the Express to the airport.<BR>.

I was informed at Victoria station in November that the luggage check-in is no longer available. Has this changed?

I would go for the direct flight; changing planes at JFK or elsewhere would certainly be more hassle than a slightly longer commute from LGW to London, IMO.

If you arrive at Gatwick, consider the local train which is cheaper than the express. It takes about 10 minutes longer. Usually, tourists are not in such a hurry. If they arrive in the morning, their hotel room may not even be ready. I forgot how much you save but it's more than 2 pounds.

Hello,<BR>The British Airways check-in at Victoria is closed.

If you can fly direct from Atlanta to Gatwick, DO IT. I've done it both ways, and Gatwick was so easy. The train to Victoria Station is a piece of cake. Plus you get to avoid JFK which is always a plus.<BR>

I'd go for the cheapest fare which is usually Gatwick.The train is just downstairs and 30 min to Victoria. You can also get a local train to other areas if needed. Seems Gatwick always beats Heathrow in fares.<BR>

Sorry Chrisp - but you can't generalize about fares into the two airports. Different airlines serve each and different airlines have better connections in the US. From some cities LHR has much cheaper fares, and from other areas LGW does.

, Correct Janis, But today the cheaper fares from my part of the USA are to Gatwick..They may change in an hour....However I meant to say whatever is the cheaper destination at the moment....Sorry, If I misled anyone. I'll go sit in the corner for 30 minutes as self imposed punishment. L8er

Flying in and out of Gatwick is very con venient. As has been mentioned, the Gatwick Express train is easy and efficient. If you are worried about getting to Gatwick for a morning flight back to the US, you can always stay at one of the hotels attached to the airport. There is a Hilton, and a Meridan. Neither is a bargain, but it is very nice to just get up in the morning and walk to your flight.

There is also an express train now from Heathrow. Only 15 minutes from the airport to Paddington. (Looked like there was a British Airways Xpress check in when we were there two weeks ago, but I didn't notice whether or not it was open.)<BR><BR>Either way, it's pretty easy to get into the city from both of the airports.

Let's see, I can fly where I have to make a connection with the chance I won't and I can double my chances of luggage going awry or I can look at the websites for Heathrow and Gatwick. What was the question again?