We arrive at LHR on a Thursday morning and leave for Venice from Gatwick the following morning. We are staying at a hotel at Gatwick overnight and need transport between the two airports. I know there is a bus but I prefer a car service. Does anyone have a recommendation of a service to use? Any idea of cost to transport 2 people?

Since we come down on the "take a nap on arrival" side of the jet lag discussion we may not feel up to going into London on arrival day, but just in case, I see that there are some choices of transport, i.e. easyBus, National Express, Terravision. Any recommendations for how to get into the city if we do go? Or any ideas of how to spend a few hours in the Gatwick area?

If you don't want to go to London you could go to Arundel.

Don't know where you're staying but the B&B I use is walking distance to the train station.

Have no idea about the car service, I use the coach (bus).

OK -- IMO a car service between the two airport makes very little sense . . just take the coach -- couldn't be easier.

As for going into London if you feel like it -- >> but just in case, I see that there are some choices of transport, i.e. easyBus, National Express, Terravision.<< none of these make sense at all. The train from Gatwick to several areas of London (Victoria, London Bridge, Kings Cross, etc) will be much MUCH faster than any form of car/bus.

From LGW you can take trains to several places -- London, Brighton, Arundel, etc. London takes approx 30 mins, Brighton about 40 mins, and Arundel about 50 mins.

But if it was me -- I'd stay in London - not at LGW. You could stay near Victoria and be 30 mins from the terminal. Head to London by tube (or Car service - which DOES make sense from LHR > central London), check in, nap if you feel like it, or go out -- have a great dinner, see some sites, . . . then take the train to LGW the next morning. In reality, a Victoria hotel is only about 10 or 15 minutes (max) farther from LGW check in counters than a nearby hotel/B&B.

The train platforms are closer to the terminal than any of the hotels.

We have used BA Transfer (www.batransfer.com - not affiliated with British Airways) several times and have always been pleased.

Well no, let's get real. Victoria is definitely further than that! The B&B I use is less than two miles from the airport, with free transport both ways.

>>Victoria is definitely further than that! <<

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I didn't mean <i>Victoria</i> is closer -- I meant the train platform at LGW is essentially IN the terminal, and much closer than any B&B or hotel - even the hotels adjacent to the airport.

So in real life - from leaving a Victoria hotel to the train, the journey, and walking from train to the check in counters will take maybe 15 minutes longer than from a B&B 2 or 3 miles away.

The train itself takes a minimum of 30 minutes, plus you have to get from whereever you're staying to Victoria, and I haven't noticed that walking from the drop off point is significantly longer than from the train.

Plus there's always the Yotel, actually IN the terminal:
http://www.yotel.com/en/hotels/london-gatwick-airport

Yep -- the Yotel is really convenient. But surprisingly awfully expensive for overnight - they charge by the hour so a great Idea for a few hour layover, but not so much for a full overnight.

I didn't mean the Victoria is more convenient than staying near LGW . . . but mainly that staying at Victoria really isn't more complicated and takes hardly any more time than staying at LGW.

Mostly depends on if one just wants to crash, recover and relax . . or IF one might want to walk around London/see some sites and have a special dinner.

Both are perfectly fine

dweislaw, thanks for the referral to BA Transfer!

Janisj and thursdaysd, thanks also, but I probably wasn't clear. We don't really WANT to go into London on arrival day, it just occurred to me that on the off chance we felt human in the afternoon we might do that for a couple of hours rather than hang around the hotel.

Our flight the next morning leaves relatively early and being at the airport already is much the better idea for us I can assure you, rather than having to get ourselves up, out and away from central London after not sleeping most of the night, which is what invariably happens our first night.

After I posted initially I noticed that the Gatwick Express has added service as of last month and I now assume we can get a train into London every 15 minutes or so for a 30 minute journey. Is that correct?

Janisj, I wasn't sure what the various forms of transit I mentioned actually were, I just pulled them off a website listing possible transport. Thanks for pointing out the train is the best option, it's certainly what I prefer.

I'm with you on needing a nap the day I arrive.

This is the B&B I use:
http://springwoodgatwick.co.uk

There's an atmospheric old pub with good food walking distance one direction, and a number of other places to eat walking distance the other direction. Last time I stayed I celebrated my last night in the UK by eating Indian.

The continental breakfast isn't anything to get excited about, but you can get a not bad full English at Gatwick.

You'll find the train schedules at nationalrail.co.uk. If you stay at the B&B (or one of the others on the same street) you'll use Horley station.

Thanks thursdaysd. We are booked at the Sofitel which says it is at the North Terminal, from which our flight departs. We would be too woozy after a long flight to appreciate atmosphere I'm afraid.