London-getting around-Gatwick
 

We will be spending the last 3 days of our trip to England in London. To start (because of a great discount) we are staying at the Madre Vale Marriott. The plan is to drive in from Wiltshire county, dropped of the wife and kid at the hotel, and then retrun the car to Gatwick. This is where we need help. From Gatwick what is the best way to get back to Madre Vale Marriott. Also we will be taking flight out on a Saturday (plane leaves 1230). Any suggestions on how to travel to and from Gatwick would be appreciated. How much time we should allow to get a 1230 flight on a Saturday. Thanks

The straight answer to your question is easy, assuming you mean the Marriott Maida Vale: get the Southern train from Gatwick to Victoria, then the tube (Victoria line to Oxford Circus, cross-platform change to the Bakerloo) for Kilburn Park. The Marriott that claims to be in Maida Vale is a couple of miles from Maida Vale, and is actually in Kilburn.

Now the question that matters. Why on earth are you doing this? The straightforward way from Wiltshire to Kilburn is to leave the car at Heathrow, get the Heathrow Express to Paddington then a cab if you're flush, or the Piccadilly Line to Piccadilly Circus then the Bakerloo Line if you're as hard up as we all are after Christmas.


Driving from Wiltshire to Kilburn and then to Gatwick isn't a nightmare. But it'll take about as long as an average night's sleep, and by the time you've paid Congestion Charge (it IS avoidable without driving 25 miles back west, but I bet the hotel won't know the route, and it'd take hours to explain it) it'll almost certainly cost as much as a night in a hotel.

Your proposal, from the M4/M25 junction to Kilburn, to Gatwick and back again would take me at least 5 hours. It'll take you at least an extra three.

I agree - lunasy apart from cost which with prtrol and train fares will be in the region of £30 or more. Drop the car at Heathrow or even in Central London, OK you may have to pay a fee for returning to a different office BUT Its better than wasting a day travelling round London for 5 or 6 hours

PS: Even if there's a really, really strong case for driving to Kilburn (and getting there from Wiltshire's not the HUGEST of problems)

Drop the car at Heathrow (or the central London branch of your hire company) anyway. The return drive to Heathrow from Kilburn is actually straightforward (A41 south, A40, A312 south), and entirely outside the congestion charge area. Even so, most posters on this board get all old maidy at the thought of it.

But it's driving from Kilburn to Gatwick that's the spectacular problem. Especially if - as your post implies - you've not been to London before.

Listen to everyone, this plan borders on the insane. If you are in Wiltsire you can drive straight into Heathrow and return the car there. You can then take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and the Tube to your hotel OR you can hire a car service to pick you up at the car rental drop off and drive you to the hotel....or you can take the tube all the way in (not my first choice, but could work for you).

You could also return the car in one of the larger towns in Wiltshire such as Salisbury and then take the train into London.

Any of these options make more sense then your plan to drive to the hotel and then drive ALL the way to Gatwick and then make your way back into London. That's totally crazy - and please do not take that the wrong way, it just does not make sense.

To be at Gatwick in time for a 12:30 flight figure you need 3 hours for international checkin (usually) which brings you to being there at 9:30 a.m. You will need to take the tube or cab to Victoria Station and then the train to Gatwick. Figure another hour or so depending on how fast you and family move in the a.m.

Your hotel is not exactly central to tourist sites, etc. (I understand you have a discount) so you should find out exactly how far (blocks) it is from nearest tube. Can you and family manage luggage on the tube ? If not look into a car service to get you down to Gatwick, or at least to Victoria Station. Since you are leaving on a Sat. traffic won't be too bad, but it is a LONG drive to Gatwick so a car (or Tube) to Victoria Sta. and then the train is probably more time effective.

Just thought of something else - if you absolutely must (for whatever reason) return that rental car to Gatwick drive to Gatwick from where you are staying in Wiltshire. Return the car and you, wife & kid just take the train into London from there. Why go all the way to Maida Vale to drop them and drive all the way back to Gatwick to drop the car. None of this makes any sense to me, sorry. Have you really looked at a good map? Maida Vale is North of London proper and Gatwick is quite far south. Lots of city, suburban sprawl, etc. inbetween.

OK - FIRST of all, contact your rental car agency and arrange to drop the car at Heathrow instead of Gatwick. There should be no extra charge. If there is (or if for some reason they won't let you change) then cancel the car and rent from a different company.

As the others say your plan/question is basically nuts. Driving in from Wiltshire to north central London, then driving 35 miles across some of the most congested roads in all of Europe to drop you car at Gatwick is truly insane.

We may sound harsh - but TRUST us here. You <b>DO NOT</b> want to do this.

And yes, it is the Maida Vale (not Madre)

OH - and IF you can't change/cancel the car return at Gatwick (like if you pre-paid and it is a small local firm w/o a Heathrow location) then DEFINITELY follow Lori's second post. All of you drive together to Gatwick and then take the train to London.

Thank you everyone for setting us straight.
I guess I should have mentioned that our teenage daughter wears a leg brace and that was the reason for going to the hotel in Maide Vale first and then only my husband return the car to Gatwick. Trying to avoid the extra walking. Also the discount at Marriott is 68 pounds with breakfast, that is the reason for getting that hotel(seems like a very good price for London).

We will surely drop the car at Heathrow, take the express train and then a cab to the hotel. Thank you all for the advice.

Is it doable to leave Maide Vale area and get to Gatwick for a 1230 flight. Our plan was cab ride to which ever station has the Gatwick Express, then take the Gatwick Express. Let us know your thoughts, time we should leave the hotel (on a Saturday), etc?

I mentioned earlier, take a cab from your hotel to Victoria Sta. and then the Gatwick Express. Train is about 30 min. (more or less), not sure about taxi but on a Sat. a.m. there will not be alot of traffic. Perhaps 1/2 hr ride ??? I am sure someone will know. You will need to be at Gatwick 3 hrs early for international so just back up your time from there.

I agree the Marriott rate is good but it's not very convenient (which is why it is so good I'm afraid). Be sure you find out how much walking is involved to get from hotel to Tube. Call the hotel and ask would be my advice, or perhaps someone on this board who is familiar with that neighborhood could clue you in. I am sorry I do not know.

Boy, if she's in a leg brace, I'd seriously reconsider your hotel location, especially since you really can't take a quick taxi or bus ride from your hotel in Maida Vale to the main London sites. Like the previous poster pointed out, you may be a long walk to the Tube station...then there are the Tube stations themselves...if the sometimes looooong escalators aren't working, you'll be forced to schlep up stairs. Not fun and surely not worth the so-called bargain price of the Marriott. In fact, it sounds like torture to me, if I was physically challenged.

If it's possible, I'd change your hotel to one that's more centrally located. PriceLine is excellent for London, you can probably find something similar to what you're paying in Maida Vale.

Or, there are budget hotels like St. Margaret's Hotel in Russell Square, which is no frills, but perfectly fine. It occupies several Georgian townhouses, has a rather ample breakfast included, and the rooms are basic, but most have high ceilings and nice historic woodwork, etc. If you don't mind sharing a spotless (and I mean spotless) bathroom with your fellow guests, you can get a decent-sized double room for 68GBP per night. Ask them about a triple without bath, they aren't listed on their website, but I'm sure they'd be reasonable if you inquire. St. Margaret's is right on several good bus routes and about 2 blocks from 2 tube stations. Hard to beat, especially if you need to take a break during the day and rest...much more convenient.

Just my two cents, for what it's worth.

planksters, I see you have posted this question several times .. it looks like all the answers are under this post tho (that is a good thing !!).

Depending upon your daughter's level of disability you really may want to re-think the Maida Vale location, I know it's a great price ... but ... There are many hotels in London that will be far better location wise. Granted they are not as cheap (and while the last poster recommended a budget hotel with a shared bath that is the LAST thing on earth I'd recommend, particularly with a teen.

You might check out Priceline but ONLY if you are comfortable using it. I do not use it, but we normally stay in an apt. in London.

There are a few more Marriott's around if you are stuck on them :-) but you can also check Holiday Inn and HI Express (there is one right near Victoria Sta.). if you are looking for a U.S. style hotel. Also check the Millenium Gloucester or Millenium Baileys. Thistle Hotels may also be running specials, they sometimes do.

Only you can determine how it will work for your daughter, but a few yrs ago on one of our trips to London I was suffering from a foot problem and found walking up and down stairs, dealing with crowds on the Tube, etc. difficult. Thankfully my foot is OK now, but I still remember how totally misersable I was trying to deal with stairs.

Planksters: The savings you are getting by staying in Maida Vale will be MUCH more than spent taking taxi's to/from that hotel. You could easily pay &pound;20 per day more for a different hotel and still come out ahead.

I'd look for a hotel at/near Victoria Station - there are many budget properties near there. You can find a place (and definitely not w/ shared baths) for &pound;75-&pound;90 per night and be right at a major transport hub - many bus routes (BTW, buses are much easier in London than the tube for those w/ physical challenges), a taxi rank, the tube if you must, and teh express train to Gatwick.

planksters: You have started 5 threads about this same topic. It is better to add to the existing thread instead of starting new ones every time you think of a new detail/wrinkle. Otherwise people will be answering you in a bit of a vacuum - not knowing the rest of the discussion/recommendations.

This thread has the best/most info . . . . .

Planksters: Listen to these people. How hard is it to conclude that your plan just won't work? Take the car to LHR, bite the bullet for a cab, and, if cost is an issue, go to Priceline.com for a room near Victoria (convenient for getting to Gatwick) for a decent price.

If I didn't drive, I would get to Maida Vale by:

Drop the car at Heathrow
Car service to the hotel
- OR - (if cheaper)
Drop the car at Gatwick
Southern Trains to Victoria
#16 bus to Maida Vale (13th stop - Kilburn Park Road. Marriott.com says the stop is in front of the hotel)

I would sightsee by:

Bus #16 or #98 from Maida Vale stop to Marble Arch
Ho/ho or city bus (#98 goes on to central London)

To get to Gatwick, I would:

#16 bus from Maida Vale station (see above) to Victoria - 40 min.
Southern Trains to Gatwick - 35 min.

Here's the bus layout at Marble Arch:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/...rchdr-2168.pdf

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