Let's all go to London!
 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...703-story.html

Very good rates starting in March!

Thanks for this; now I have to look up Gatwick Airport.

>>now I have to look up Gatwick Airport.<<

What info do you need? It is a major airport and is a 30 minute train ride from central London.

Don't know about Nyse but I've got at least two questions:

What train line and is it cheaper to book ahead?

What station is terminus, so I can figure out tube connection?

After six or seven trips coming in to LHR, I feel like the Piccadilly line is an old friend. It takes me without fuss to Gloucester Tube Station and my hotel is right there. I am extremely fond of my Oyster card!!

BUT, for those prices this old dog can learn a new Gatwick trick and I have plenty of time to figure it out.

Gatwick is not on the tube network but there are three easy ways to get into central London by train:

The Gatwick Express direct to Victoria station (most expensive)
Cheaper & marginally slower, Southern train to Victoria station
Similar price/speed to above, a Thameslink train to St Pancras station.

The Express takes about 50 minutes, I think, the other trains take about an hour. Both Victoria and St Pancras are good places to stay and are also well-connected to London's tube and bus network.

Don't even think of booking a car service from Gatwick to London: it'll take forever (at least 90 minutes) on some very busy roads.

Oh, also - no need to book trains ahead (although I guess Gatwick Express prices might be cheaper if you do?) I've only ever done Thameslink to St P.

>>What train line and is it cheaper to book ahead?<<

The Southern Line - but not to worry -- that is the only train company at LGW other than the Gatwick Express. . No need to book ahead.

>>The Express takes about 50 minutes, I think,<<

No - it takes 30 mins. But no need to pay the extra for the Express. The regular train only takes 5 minutes longer to Victoria and is cheaper. Though there IS more luggage space on the Express than on the commuter trains. You can catch trains to Victoria, London Bridge, or St Pancras. Which is better depends on where exactly you are staying.

The Gatwick Express takes about 30 minutes and goes to Victoria station. If it takes 50 minutes, there was a fark-up on the line somewhere. And even though it's not a high-speed train, the Southern Line will go to London Bridge in all of ... 31-32 minutes with a stop at East Croydon (usually) unless you bonk and catch a local.

The Southern Line option to Victoria will stop at East Croydon and Clapham Junction, which are the two busiest non-London commuter stations.

Gatwick is very easy to get to and from

http://gatwickairport.com/to-and-fro...ick-to-london/

No need to book your train tickets in advance, there are kiosks right at the train station.

Come to London! We would love to have you!

Thanks very much for all the helpful responses - I see it's an easy connection from Victoria to my favorite tube station as well.

An added bonus (I believe) is that the Southern Line return ticket qualifies one for the 2for1 offers, so it's all good..thanks again!

We took the train from St Pancras to LGW last month:

https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/de...atwick-airport

I thought it cost about $8 each for the three of us on a shared ticket booked in advance through trainline.eu

Very satisfactory trip.

Wonderful! Hope the competition will help decrease fares on my preferred airlines, as well. Though, just to brag a little, I've paid $586 the past two times (in the past 2 years) I've flown to London Heathrow, on AA and UA by monitoring airfares--which included free seat selection, checked bags and drinks/meals. Still, like the idea that I may have more flexibility in getting to wonderful England, and connecting flights into Europe.

I discovered these airfares before my July 1-8 trip to and from London. However my daughter accompanied me and the timing didn't work with her schedule (Norwegian Air's one flight from London to Florida was so late at night, we'd have to fly out the next day to connect to Tx airport/home).

The return trip - FIRST CLASS, mind you, would have been under $900 and instead we paid Amer. Airlines over $1500 to fly back (coach) to TX in one day.

I was glad to see in initial posting that they are flying out of Austin, Tx, now! Going to check that out immediately!

I got a special first class fare for $299 return -on February 29 -only one seat left at the time and I grabbed it - something seems fishy about that being so cheap?

thanks 29FEB for the tip!

Oh so fishy - offerings start in March.

Also, the next February 29 is in 2020, not 2018.
Believe me, I keep track of these things!

PQ thinks he's a comedian ;)