Leading the duckies through Gatwick
 

Hi! I will be leading a small group of ladies through Gatwick airport. I know to go through Customs, but can't exactly remember where I buy the train passes. Do we need a small photo for the pass? Everyone asumes because I was there five years ago, I will remember. Not so. Do we take the train to Victoria station and then do we go up the escalators to get tube passes? Can anyone help me carry this off? Thanks in advance for any information. We will have flown all night so we will be sleep impaired. Thanks again.

You can just herd your duckies right on to the train - because you can buy your tickets on board.

And at Victoria you can go down the stairs from the main station concourse into the tube station (look for the red circle w/ the blue stripe across it London Underground sign) and buy your travel passes at the ticket windows.

But instead of that - you could just herd your group out onto the sidewalk (look for the "taxi" sign) out front and catch a cab(s) at the taxi rank.

sorry about that silly emoticon. I typed cab with (s) and it ended up sticking its tongue out at you. Sorry about that . . . . .

Janis, I don't think I made myself very clear. We will one of those train passes that last for seven days. Sorry about that. Thanks, I wish it were as easy as you said.

When you ask if a photo is needed for a train pass, are you referring to the seven day travelcard which is good for the tube, National Rail trains, and the DLR within the zones it covers--and for the entire London bus system? If so, a photo is no longer required. As Janis says, buy the pass (travelcard) at the Victoria tube station. Or are you asking about some other kind of railpass?

OK - do you mean some sort of Brit Rail train pass, or are you talking about a "tube pass" (which is actually good for all of London Transport - buses, trains and the tube) ?

If you do mean a 7-day London Transport pass - You can get that at Victoria or most any tube station.

But that pass is not good on the Gatwick express. Just buy your Express tickets once you are on board.

If on the other hand you are talking about some sort of Brit Rail-type rail pass - tell us and we can try to work things out for you . . . .

As I read it, you want a seven day pass for tubes, busses and local trains in London zones one and two, and also a ticket from Gatwick to central London. Neither needs a photograph these days. I do not think there is a British Rail seven-day pass for travel in London, nor that your party want to buy a pass to travel daily between Gatwick and London.

As Janis says, if you plan to pay a pound extra and take the Gatwick Express from Gatwick to Victoria you can buy that on the train from the conductor. If you take five minutes extra and a pound less for the journey you can buy a ticket valid on Thames Rail Link and Central Trains. You must buy this before you take the train, and can buy it at the tickets windows in Gatwick railway station, right next to the airport: you go there with your luggage trolleys. There are queues (lines) at those windows, so you do better to gather in the airport a hundred pounds-worth of ten pound notes, and use those at a ticket sales machine. (A good place to get those is if you stop at a newsagents to buy a copy each of Time Out and What s On listings magazines, to read on the dull rail trip to London). The same sales machine sells the two-zone London travel card for 18 pounds 50 pence a person, so you need ten-pounds notes enough for those too.

You form two solemn processions through Gatwick. Two of you leave the baggage area or shuttle train, buy magazines, and get enough ten pound notes. Most of you take the luggage to the ticket sales machines at the railway station, and start to see from which platform you will go, and how the sales machine works. When the purse-bearers arrive at the machines two of you watch the luggage, while others start the big buy-in of your tickets to London and your 2 zone London travel cards. Now down to the platform, settle on the train, and breathe deeply.

Now, where are you going ? For Victoria and usually for Kensington or Gloucester Road you take Gatwick Express (a pound more) or Central Rail. For Trafalgar Square, Gloucester road, Mayfair Convent Garden and the Strand you take Thameslink to London Bridge, and at the same platform (platform 6) take any train eight minutes to Charing Cross, and a taxi from the front f the station. For Bloomsbury and Euston you tale Thameslink to Kings Cross Thameslink, and a taxi from in front of the station. To do that please ignore the Way Out signs, follow the Underground direction for stairs down, walk under the lines (tracks), and take the escalator straight up to street level. There you flag down taxis to the hotel. For Kensington or Gloucester Road you look for any train going soon to Kensington Olympia. These run only hourly or less, so you may need to go to Victoria instead. If you do reach Kensington Olympia most of you stay with the bags, while two of you go to the main road 100 yards away to flag down taxis to your hotel.

I can say more if you will kindly give me your arrival time and date at Gatwick, and your hotel name and if possible address. Welcome to London

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Wow, Mr Haines, that was incredile.
I think you must surely have it wrapped up.

I am afraid I can wrap it up only when Shanart kindly gives me arrival and hotel detail.

Ben Haines

Shanart,

To simplify a bit, your group could order London Transport Visitor Travelcards before your trip...avoiding one step in the Gatwick-to-central London "duck walk."

Here's a link that explains the passes and includes another link to a website that sells the passes online:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/promo-visitor-overseas.shtml

No photos are required for these passes either. They visitor passes do come with some discount offers, which are of limited value to most visitors. No other inherent advantage, other than the fact that you arrive in London with passes already in hand.

Dave White
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....one more thought:

The Gatwick Express has a "4 for the price of 2" offer that might work well for your group. For info, see the Gatwick Express website:

http://www.GatwickExpress.com

Thanks for all the information. We will go to Victoria Station and travel on to Sloan Square Gardens. We will exit the tube at Sloan Square and walk across the street. Thanks again for being so very helpful. It has been five years and as one ages it become more vague. I will print this infomation and carry it with me.