Ray Skinner or Gatwick Express to hotel?
 

I have seen the name Ray Skinner a few times in some of the other postings and how much they've enjoyed his shuttle service (http://www.london-transfers.com/) and I was wondering if I could get some opions for when we arrive.

My mom and I will be arriving at the Gatwick airport and will be heading right for our hotel in the Kensington area right near the Gloucester Road tube station. We've been told the best way to get there is take the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station and then take a cab to our hotel.

Would it be cheaper (and easier) to book with Ray Skinner (I think the price from Gatwick is 54 pounds for 2 people plus a 5 pound airport charge) or would it be better to stick with the Gatwick Express?

We will be arriving from Canada on a 7 hour overnight flight and probably will be a bit groggy from flying so we want to make our transfer from the airport to our hotel hassle free but cost effective at the same time.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Megs

Another car service to consider is Swiss Cottage Cars. Their service from Heathrow-London is quite a bit cheaper than Ray Skinner's. Assuming they also operate between Gatwick and London, I would expect their price to be correspondingly lower. I don't know what your taxi fare is likely to be, but if you want both economy and convenience, I think the Gatwick Express-taxi combination would cost you less than even Swiss Cottage Cars. (Someone with personal experience here is welcome to correct my assumptions.)

Footnote to my previous post. Swiss Cottage Cars doesn't have a Web site. Their phone number is +44 (0)20 7794 5556.

Taxi fare from Victoria to South Ken tube area ususally runs between 5-9 GBP, depending on traffic..The taxi drivers I've had use the back streets and we are there in under 10 minutes..don't know the current price for the GE , but it was around 11 GBP as I recall

There's no one simple answer.
The G'wick Xpress is 11 GBP one way: cab Victoria-Gloc Rd about 10. Train goes every 15 mins: takes c35mins.Connex is slightly cheaper, but you need to check at airport. Car LGW-Gloc Rd: 1.5 hrs early on Sat or Sun: at least an hour more on a weekday, unless you're through customs before 0630.
Train prob: if one of you is not totally nimble, getting luggage from the arrival level @LGW to the train is a pain. And luggage trolleys are available @ Victoria for the 5 min walk to the cab rank, but you need a 1 pound coin (returnable) to liberate them
Train inevitably faster and cheaper: if I had bulky luggage, or doddered a bit, I'd take the car
PS. I always take the train. Most Londoners regard the road from LGW into town as the nastiest approach of all.

We always ride with Ray and I've recommended him many times. In fact we just had him drive us to and from Heathrow this month. He's reliable and quite witty so he can keep you amused on the ride in should you want to chat.

I prefer a car service because of jetlag and not having to "think" about trains, schlepping luggage on and off, etc. I'd rather pay a little for convenience, it makes the arrival/vacation process a lot nicer. While the Gatwick Express and then a taxi may be a little cheaper it's not worth the hassle to me, you still have to drag your bags on and off a train, out to a taxi stand, etc. For two people and baggage I'd stick to a service.

Sundays excepted, a further option is a train from Gatwick Monday to Friday at 0552, 0937, and hourly, and on Saturdays at 0615 and hourly, that takes 47 minutes to Kensington Olympia. There one if you waits in the lounge whilev the other walks fifty yards to the main road and hails a taxi to the hotel. If bags are modrate and you strong, you can cross the platform at Kensington Olympia to the District Line underground train to Earls Court, cross the platform there, and reach Gloucester Road next stop, but at Gloucester Road you face stairs to street level.

Welcome to London

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I agree with Lori. The Express/taxi may be cheaper ( not by that much) , but it's a hassle , especially after a long flight.

Megs, you ask for hassle free but cost effective. The train taxi combo would cost about GBP32 for you and your mother. The hassle involved would be catching a train and waiting in a taxi queue. Ray Skinner would cost you GBP65, assuming you would give a modest tip. I guess only you can judge whether it is worth over CDN$75 to avoid that hassle. mdv thinks that amount is not much, this Canadian thinks it is a lot, I would be interested in what you think.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. But I would have to agree with Ron, $75CDN does seem a bit too much of a difference just to avoid taking the train and switching over to a taxi.

Thanks again!

Megs

I would agree with the poster who said it's a rotten drive into London, depending on the day you arrive and the time, you could find yourself exhausted by the drive, whereas the train is comparitively smooth and fast.
BTW, I've arrived on that flight a few times myself, and know how you're going to feel.....my sympathies in advance !!

I have to chuckle at you guys who think the 6-7 hr flight from the east coast is so bad, you need to try the nearly 10-11 hour flights some of us (like me) endure from the west coast! When you stumble off one of those things you want a car waiting .. it doesn't matter if the traffic is good or bad, it's a chance to relax and not worry about luggage or crowds (as on a train) and not to have to worry about things for a bit. We had a sample of taking luggage on a train when we went on Eurostar a few weeks ago -- even light/small bags were a hassle, but each to their own - that what makes travel us all unique.

Wow that last sentance made no sense - what I meant to say is that is what makes us all unique and travel a unique experience. I guess I've had too much jet lag the last few days.

megs, I wish I could remember the price difference between Ray Skinner and Swiss Cottage, but Swiss Cottage was less. I can recommend them as friendly and patient.

Lori, I'll go along with you there. Flight time is all in perspective. Our last trip from the mid-US to Melbourne was over 20 hours ON the plane. And that's without delays and not counting airport time to change flights. I'd love a 6 hour flight!

I am flying in to Gatwick from US and plan to take the Thames Link to West Hampstead and have someone meet me there. I have been told that it is one train all the way but when I look at the website it says I need to change at Kings Cross, so will see once I get there.

For Sue5250. I don't know which Web site you checked, but I recommend you look at www.qjump.co.uk. You'll find that, depending upon the day of the week and the time of day, you'll have several options, some involving more than one train line. Click on "No. of changes" for each listing and you'll get a complete breakdown.

bringing this to the top -

Family of 5 (3adults and 2 young kids) arriving in Gatwick from Ciampino/Rome.

Gatwick express has a current promo for 22GBP for up to 4 adults. My 10 year old's fare is 1/2 the adult fare 5.50GBP = total fare: 27.50 GBP.

The snag: Taxi from Victoria Station to our hotel (near Harrod's).

1) How much will the taxi fare cost?
2) Will we need 2 taxis since there are 5 of us plus 3 luggages?
3) Would this option still be cheaper versus a private airport transfer?

Thanks for the input.

I can't answer every one of your questions, but I can tell you to check the car service justairports.com for prices. They are relatively new & people have been posting lately that they're inexpensive & dependable. Best prices are gotten by paying cash rather than credit card. (Do a text search here for comments).

Most taxis & car services can seat 5 regular sized passengers-3 on the regular bench seat & 2 in "jump seats." Luggage then goes either next to the driver in front or in the boot (trunk). If your 3 cases are too big for the boot/front seat then you'll need a mini van.

BTW, you've picked quite an outdated string on this subject to "top." All these prices have proabbly gone up & Swiss Cottage car now has a website (swisscottagecars.com) & their prices have risen.