Heathrow to Gatwick
 

Help. Our group of 5 booked some great air rates, only to find that we fly into Heathrow and out of Gatwick and vise-versa on our trip to Rome. Any suggestions on the best/fastest/not necessarily the cheapest way to do this? Will we have to go through customs at both airports when landing and changing planes in England? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Linda

p.s. I really need help with this. Please reply with any info or web sites that may help. Thanks. Linda

For 5 I would book a private transfer as this would be a cheaper option than the bus or taxis.
www.londontown.com has some great info on transfers.
Also, if you check bags you will have to collect them at the airports and take them with you. With private transfer I would allow at least 2.5 hours between flights and that's still close. You should be able to get boarding passes for the entire trip when checking in at the departure airports, unless you are hooking up with a budget airline, but regardless you still have to go through security at the other airport which could take some time.
Have a great trip!

There are 5 of you and if any or all check luggage I would allow more than 2.5 hours. I would recommend 3.5 hours and feel even better with 4 full hours. that is because with 5 there is more chance for something to go wrong or be delayed. All five suitcases will not likely come down the carousel at the same time - it could take as much as 45 minutes just for everyone to collect their bags.

But if none of you are checking luggage - then AA's 2.5 hours might be doable - JUST.

To answer your "Customs" question.

Inbound at Heathrow, non-EU citizens can typically be delayed at UK Immigration, especially during the early-morning peak period for arrivals from North America and Asia. Customs, however, is almost always a non-event (just walk through the green channel: there's none of that "fill in this form to tell us how much money you've got" nonsense)

Outbound from Gatwick, there's obviously no Customs (does any developed country have outbound Customs checks?), and no outbound passport check, except by the airline. But security queues can be serious. If in difficulty, politely push your way to the front, continuously apologising and mumbling about delayed train connections (the British are much more tolerant of people delayed by trains than of any other kind of queue-jumper).

Details of the minutiae of LHR/LGW connections are at the BAA site (you'll find help at both the Heathrow and Gatwick sections). Even greater detail is at the British Airways site (go to the bit about connections)

Unfortunately your situation is not uncommon. The advice you've gotten is good. Even if you're staying on the same airline, since 9/11, you have to claim baggage take it with you & recheck. There is no train service between the 2 airports, only a bus. So for 5, I agree a private car service that will be waiting for you with a sign is best. London-transfers.com is one option. Swisscottagecars.com is another.

DO try to get your on-going boarding passes (LGW to Rome) at your original departure point. Lines for just checking baggage are shorter than lines for baggage AND boarding pass.

"Outbound from Gatwick, there's obviously no Customs (does any developed country have outbound Customs checks?)"

In a matter of speaking Canada does. When flying from Canada, you clear US customs in the Canadian Airport. At least that is true at Winipeg and Toronto.

Keith

If possible, I'd allow five hours. A private transfer can get caught in heavy traffic as easily as a bus. Combine that with a late arrival at Heathrow and you've used up your margin in a hurry.

Jeith,

You're confusing two different issues. Outbound customs means the country you're leaving from, and I agree with flanneruk, there is no outbound customs, but nonbody said there will be in the first place.

What you're talking about Keith is US immigration and customs which is set-up in the Canadian airports. Once you're through that, you're technically in the US, so the plane lands in the domestic terminals in the US destination city. It's an inbound customs, it's just done before you board, not after you land. Simply, it's the US that's checking you in, not the Canadians checking you out. I hope that makes sense.