Let's just get back to the basics:

Listen to janisj

From Gatwick to London, the simplest and the fastest bet is the train. You don't have to think a lot and you just get on board, kids or no kids. Trains are very frequent. The kids will be mesmerized as they just landed.

Going to Heathrow, the last thing I would do is take the Tube. Three words, LONG AND SLOW. Look around where you are staying, you will see many signs advertising companies that will arrange transportation to LHR at a good price. They will know what time to leave to get you there on time. Either that, if you're lucky, you can check in your bags at Victoria Station if you're on the right airline.

I've used Hotelink in the past, however, the only thing they do is assist you to the Gatwick Express train. When you get into London, there will be a uniformed driver waiting to assist you and your party to a mini bus that will take you to your hotel. I used them in Nov/2006. I think it was 23 BPS per person. I did not think it was worth it, but I was traveling alone....it may be worth it for you since you're traveling with kids. I think you should just take the Gatwick Express, and catch a cab when you get into London. What's the difference between picking up your luggage and going to the train yourself, or getting your luggage and following someone to a mini bus? Either way, you've got to get yourselves and your children to a designated area.

HotelLink does work from LHR - straightforward coach but you do need to ride around while others are dropped off. Unless you are lucky and are staying at the first hotel drop.

But from LGW HotelLink makes no sense.

I agree janisj. It made no sense. I was expecting a shuttle that would take me directly to the hotel...the way they do it from Heathrow.

Here's another idea. exclusiveairports.com
You can hire an 8 passenger minivan for 92BPS

On both the Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express you don't even have to wait to buy tickets, they take credit cards right on the train.

Going to Heathrow, the last thing I would do is take the Tube. Three words, LONG AND SLOW....

Not always true...depends on where you are staying in London, whether you can manage reasonably well with a moderate amount of luggage.

But most important, it is far and away the cheapest way to get there...with a 7 day zone 1 & 2 travelcard, outside of 0700 to 1900 on weekdays, it costs £1...even during the peak periods it is only 80p more.

I can get from Earl's Court to Heathrow in 35 minutes...using the Heathrow Express true takes 15 minutes but when you add on the time to get to Paddington, what is the big time savings...10 minutes for an outlay of £14.....

No the tube is not luxury but I take it whenever I come into or out of London and have had very little trouble...the cars on the Picadilly line serving Heathrow have room for baggage and since Heathrow is the first stop, one can always get a seat...trains run fail\rly regularly and like I said, depdning on where you're going it is far from long and slow.

I also have had difficulty with a reply to Just Airports for an online inquiry. After two attempts I finally called them this morning and made my booking.

I have used them many times before and have found them to be very reliable. My daughter lives outside of London so I call her frquently. If you are calling from the USA i have found using the pre-fix 10-10-987 or 10-10-297 to be a very economical way to make international calls. To call Just Airports I dialed 10-10-987-011-44-20-8900-1666.

Hope this is helpful, good luck and have a wonderful trip.

"On both the Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express you don't even have to wait to buy tickets, they take credit cards right on the train"

Only if you want to make the operator richer. And since the Heathrow Express operator is bloody BAA, who make more than enough from undermanning airport security so we all have to queue for years, enriching them's a crime.

The Heathrow Express imposes a surcharge of £2 if you pay on the train, and a discount of £1 if you pay online.

So buy the ticket online, and think how much poorer you'd make those exploitative Spaniards at BAA if eferyone else did likewise.

Ah but, flanneruk, if everyone did the cheaper version, how long do you think it would be before they got wise to the lost "revenue" and just increased the fare on all tickets by a couple pounds? Please some of you continue buying on the train so the cost will remain lower for the rest of us.

Plus of course you can use the discount code if you book online

Please does anyone know a discount code for taking the train from LHR to Stansted?
Thanks for helping!

There is no train from LHR to Stansted . . .

ttt

I was in London 3 weeks ago and arrived at Gatwick with 10 people. We used Hotelink and were most pleased. A representative meets you outside customs, guides you through the airport to the Gatwick Express train. Another representative meets you at Victoria Station and loads your luggage to a van and takes you to your hotel.. The same for the return trip.

If you come to your senses and decide on the train from Gatwick to London, you might like to know that 2-for-1 fare codes for the Gatwick Express are all over the travel sites.

If you can't find a twofer for Gatwick, I recommend Southern Trains - same route, five minutes longer, £5.60 cheaper.

Leaving Piccadilly Circus at 4PM would precede the afternoon commuter peak, and probably wouldn't be too bad.

I feel for you. Traveling with children, long flight, tired...I love having man with sign at the airport. Plus he knows where to go, can direct you to an ATM to get pounds, bathroom, snacks. Go for the private car transportation, it's well worth the money.

<<<If you can't find a twofer for Gatwick, I recommend Southern Trains - same route, five minutes longer, £5.60 cheaper.>>>

Not much room for luggage though is there? I travelled on that line last week to Brighton and was not happy that I couldn't get a seat because so many people travelling to Gatwick had luggage stacked up in front of the seats. That's what the Gatwick Express is for in my opinion.

The choice boils down to:

Sitting in a car with tired, cranky children for two hours.

- or -

Riding a train for 35 minutes for less money.

The only additional overhead of using the train is getting on and off it. The logistics of either car ride is a wash.

I hope you are happy with your decision, whatever it may be.

there are no more 2 for 1's on the GEX or HEX - the golden goose seems to have been killed due to fraudulent useage/sharing of the codes. . . . .

While this information may come in handy for others, it seems a little silly to be talking directly to the original poster who has already gone to London, and presumably even come home by now (early April they said). Perhaps we'll hear how they did the transfer.