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Heathrow to Gatwick by National Express
My husband and I are flying to Venice soon, but must first stop in London to switch airports. From Heathrow to Gatwick and vice versa on the return.
I know there is the national express bus, but they suggest booking ahead in "peak travel season". I would rather just hop on a bus whenever we come out of the airport with our luggage than risk missing a scheduled bus. Has anyone done this? any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated. |
Your ticket is valid for any National Express bus travelling between Heathrow-Gatwick. The bus company realise that flights get delayed and so you may not make the bus you're booked on. So order your tickets and then just make your way to the Bus Station once you're through Customs.
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I'd put this slightly differently.
Tickets may be used for a different journey from the one you've booked only if there's space on the bus. In midsummer, or whenever peak season is, it could happen that a given bus is full. Almost uniquely among British public transport systems, coaches won't accept standing passengers. So the wise thing is to have a booking on a particular service, then if you get to the bus station earlier try to get on the next one out. At peak times (which I'd guess would be 0700-0900 on summer Saturdays and Sundays), without a specific prior booking, you run a risk of there not being a spare seat. |
Book a later coach based on "worst case" then if you get there early grovel nicely and ask if you can be put on the next coach.
How much time are you allowing between flights - anything under 4 hours and the odds are you won't make it and anything under 5 hours is risky in cases of "things going wrong" |
Can someone chime in on this schedule to let me know if I'm in trouble?
Arrive in Heathrow from JFK Tue 18 Sep 2007, 07:40 Depart from Gatwick To Naples, Italy Tue 18 Sep 2007, 10:45 Is that not enough time to get from Heathrow to Gatwick to make my connecting flight? If not can I hire a private car to get me from Heathrow to Gatwick, and if so how much would it run me? The British Airways agent told me this would be ok but now I'm having doubts :( |
We just did the same 3 hour connection between Gatwick and Heathrow. We were very concerned about missing our flight. I booked National Express giving us a hour to get through customs and immigration. We were at the National Express in 30 minutes after landing. They had no problem letting you on the earlier bus. Also, if you are running late, you do not want to stand in a line getting tickets when the bus is there already.
The 3 hour connection was not an issue going to Paris, however, it was harder when we were coming back. Simply because of the recent failed terroist attacks in Scotland. Immigration had a very long line and if it was not for us having small children, I do not think we would have made it. My advice would be to check in online 24 hours before as we were not able to and BA nearly bumped my mum off our flight back home. |
jacrichanne,
alanRow's comments are right on. IF you arrive at Heathrow on time, and IF you get through immigration and claim your luggage in a timely manner, and IF you don't run into heavy traffic on the M25, then you have a chance of making your connection. But if you run into a snag with any one of those, you won't. And taking a taxi to Gatwick wouldn't be any faster than the ooach--and would cost a small fortune. |
jacrichanne,
So does that mean you arrived in Heathrow at the same time we will and leave Gatwick the same time as well and made it? So we should buy a ticket for the last possible time to catch the express to Gatwick and get on an earlier express? |
azzurribaggio
Yes, we had the same 3 hour connection between Gatwick and Heathrow. We arrived at Gatwick at 5:40 a.m. and our flight to Paris left Heathrow at 8:40 a.m. We were at National Express pickup by 6:05 a.m. I had bought a ticket online for the 6:40 a.m. bus but we were able to get on the 6:10 a.m. bus without any problems. Remember you have to be at the airport 1 hour before the flight leaves. |
jarichanne, what did it happen?
Since Aug 10, 2006, airport security has stepped up and the queues are much longer. The check-ins close one hour before the flight departs. They are now asking for people to be there at least 2 hours before. |
Blue Sea, yes your right on the two hours; there are also signs informing you that you must clear security one hour before departure time. However our experience has been that there appears to be a lot of flexibility in these rules. In the long lines to the check-in counter for instance BA staff go through the lines picking out passengers for various flights leaving in as little as 20 minutes. I don't know if its different with other airlines and to be honest I would'nt rely on our experience.
alanRow and TimS also make a valid point, IF everthing goes smoothly you'll make it but if there any flight delays or problems (like heavy traffic)you won't. In our connections everything seemed to be the best case (especially at Heathrow immigration) and we made it - also our flights were early morning, that may have helped. So, 3 hours is definitely cutting it too close for comfort but BA kept insisting it was fine. I would suggest you book the bus for about 45-60 mins after you arrive if possible, and try to take an earlier bus if you get out quickly. If you don't get onto the bus within an hour you likely wont make your connection unless your second flight is delayed (which is common but you can't rely on that!) |
jacrichanne - I think there are two big differences in your journey. The first is that you arrived early at Gatwick - In my experience this is usually quicker to get out of than Heathrow.
The second is the later arrival time for azzurribaggio. The M25 at 6:10 am is a very different thing from the M25 at 8:30am. |
<<< I would suggest you book the bus for about 45-60 mins after you arrive if possible, and try to take an earlier bus if you get out quickly >>>
On a normal day at Heathrow you'd be lucky to have got through immigration within 45-60 mins let alone have collected luggage, found your way to the bus station & bought tickets. |
unfortunately jacrichanne's experience has absolutely <b>no</b> relevance to azzurribaggio's. Different time of day, starting from a different airport.
That is the trouble getting anecdotal reports from people who have done something once or twice. Not a criticism of jacrichanne at all - to them their 3 hour connection is reality because it worked. But in the vast majority of cases - w/ a morning arrival at LHR, 3 hours only works if EVERY single thing goes like clock work - you are first off the plane, first through immigration, first to collect your luggage (or you only have carry on but that is difficult w/ the 1-bag rule), and the Nat'l express bus leaves right when yout get there. Any one of these things can and will blow you out of the water. And even IF things did fall into place perfectly - making your flight in 3 hours is very unlikely. |
We're flying business class on this flight so I hope that carries a bit of weight so that British Airways will take care of us incase we miss our connecting flight? Or try their best to get us through the queues because of the urgency. Just something!!!!!
:( |
Sorry - business class helps you w/ check in and maybe getting off the plane quicker. But it won't help you get to the bus on time, or w/ travel 40+ miles around greater London.
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I guess every little minute gained helps...I'm going to talk to BA.com tomorrow to get some re-assurance. I was going to take a later flight out to Naples and just relax in the BA lounge at Heathrow but the BA rep who worked with me to get this itinerary worked out said the earlier flight was do-able. :(
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Azzurribaggio: You'll be fine. The whingers are feeding you a ton of duff information.
If people with limited experience of this transfer want to spread alarm and despondency, they might at least try getting some of their facts straight. First the timing. Azzurribaggio is travelling from T4 to Gatwick North. Under normal circumstances, about half the journey time for an average LGW/LHR transfer consists of faffing about between terminals at the two airports. This won't be needed on the poster's journey: the scheduled time for that journey on Sep 18 is 50 mins Which is how long its going to take, give or take 10 mins, as long as there hasn't been an accident Forget all this nonsense about how bad the traffic is. None of the posters going on about it live here, or appear to have taken this trip at rush hour since the motorway was widened. Azzurribaggio, if non-European, gets accelerated passage through immigration on a BA premium ticket. There's no need to be at Gatwick at hour early: azzurribaggio will already be checked in, have a boarding pass, and will get FastTracked through security after dropping off bags at a bagdrop. The poster needs to be on a bus that leaves Heathrow T4 by 0915. This will present no difficulties at all as long as the flight's on time. If it's not, then BA will take responsibility, assuming all this is on one ticket. |
Yes this will be all on one ticket...so we're a little over a week to go for this trip, should I purchase tickets online this weekend for 1 hour after we arrive in Heathrow (8:40am)?
Great postings guys! Thanks! |
I'm also doing the LGW-LHR transfer, in mid-Oct. I'm scheduled to arrive at LGW at 7:00 am and leave LHR at 14:00, so I wasn't stressing too much. But it hadn't occurred to me to buy a ticket ahead of time. When I've used the coach before, I've just bought a ticket after I cleared customs and had no problem. Any reason I should buy it ahead of time?
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With that generous of a time allowance, I probably wouldn't bother to buy a ticket ahead of time. I might even choose to go into London for a bit.
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I was reading the conditions for E-ticket purchase with Nation Express and noticed item #2 below, so does this mean I can't take an earlier bus if I pre-purchase an e-ticket for a later departure?
e-Tickets Conditions When electing to take advantage of our eTicket facility instead of the postal or collection options you should carefully note the following Special Conditions: These Special Conditions apply to the issue of e-Tickets. They are in addition to the National Express Coach Division General Conditions of Carriage (click HERE to view), the Eurolines (U.K.) Limited General Conditons of Carriage (click HERE to view) and any special conditions relating to your selected fare, and take precedence over them. 1) You may only select an e-Ticket option if you can print the e-Ticket on a printer. Hand written tickets setting out the confirmation screen or a simple note of the e-Ticket number will not be deemed to be a valid ticket and will not be accepted by our coach drivers. 2) e-Tickets are non-transferable and are only valid on the journey for which they were booked. 3) You may make amendments to your e-Ticket for a charge of £3. An excess fare will also be charged where a higher fare category applies. You may not make amendments to a funfare e-Ticket. 4) We will not be obliged to refund to you any fare for your e-Ticket :- If you cancel your ticket If you do not wish to use your e-Ticket, or Where your e-Ticket is a return and you have only made one journey. 5) You may claim a refund in the case of a cancellation of the coach service on which you were booked to travel, or where you are unable to travel due to a medical condition and provide us with proof of your inability to travel (such as a medical certificate), and in both instances by you returning your e-Ticket to our Refunds Department and otherwise complying with the general refund provisions set out in Clause 6 of the National Express Coach Division General Conditions of Carriage and Clause 6.1 of the Eurolines General Conditions of Carriage. 6) You must take your e-Ticket with you whenever you travel on a service, and you must produce your e-Ticket for inspection by the driver when boarding the coach. For Eurolines funfare tickets you must print your e-Ticket and present it at the Eurolines check-in desk in order to obtain your boarding card. If you do not take your ticket with you when you travel, or do not produce your ticket when asked in the printed form required, you will be considered to have traveled without a ticket and you will have to purchase another ticket and pay the full appropriate fare as specified by the driver for the journey you are making. 7) e-Tickets are only valid for travel on the following National Express Services:- National Express National Express Shuttle National Express Airport; and Eurolines (when booking a funfare) You may not use e-Tickets on any other services. 8) If we have reasonable grounds for considering that an e-Ticket has been fraudulently used, we reserve the right to confiscate the e-Ticket and prevent you from travelling on our services. You shall not be entitled to a refund in respect of any e-Ticket confiscated in accordance with this special condition. Please Note: we do not recommend that you purchase a funfare e-Ticket if your travel details are likely to change due to factors beyond your control. If you believe this to be the case you should choose a more flexible fare. |
"<i>I was reading the conditions for E-ticket purchase with Nation Express and noticed item #2 below, so does this mean I can't take an earlier bus if I pre-purchase an e-ticket for a later departure?</i>"
if you read #2, I'll assume you also read #3 "3) You may make amendments to your e-Ticket for a charge of £3. An excess fare will also be charged where a higher fare category applies." So it seems you can take a different bus for an addiltional £3 (plus any applicable fare increase) |
Man I actually stopped reading after #2! hahha, I guess the extra $ is worth it to make my connection in Gatwick.
Thanks!!!! Booking today! |
Hey we're in Sorrento now!!!
So the transfer went great. I think it helped that we were in Buisness class and got these "fast-track" vouchers for customs that took us to a shorter line. National Express was also conveniently located right outside the exit from the airport. The trip to Gatwick was traffic free and we arrived in Gatwick to find our flight was delayed for 45 mins! So we were able to grab a bite to eat before heading to Sorrento. This 3+ transfer window worked for us I must say. |
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