Neal623

We will be landing next Saturday morning at Gatwick (10:30 am). We will then take a 2:30 train from St Pancras to Edinburgh. With 3 kids, ages 5,7,8 in tow, (probably tired from a night on the plane) what should we do for a few hours? What is the best way to get from Gatwick to St Pancras? How long will this process take? Any advice is appreciated!

janisj

what "few hours" are you talking about?

W/ a 10:30 touchdown you will be lucky to be on the train to King's Cross/St Pancras by noon. The First Capital Connect train to King's Cross/St Pancras takes between 30 and 55 minutes (depending on exactly which train you board).

So if every things lines up perfectly you will be at King's Cross (the station you want BTW - not St Pancras) around 1 PM. Enough time to look for platform 9 3/4 and have lunch.

yk

Like janis said, you won't find yourselves with much free time.

Assuming you are flying into London from the US (since you mentioned "a night on the plane), upon arriving to Gatwick, the immigration line for non-EEC pax can be long. Also, will you have checked luggage to pick up? All this can easily take up 1 hour from the time you land.

Do you know if your flight arrives into North or South Terminal?

If North, you'll need to take a connector train to South Terminal - that's where the main train station is.

From the South TErminal, you want to take the First Capital Connect train and get off at St Pancras Station. It runs every 15 minutes and takes about 50 minutes.

Are you sure your train to Edingubrg leaves from St Pancras? Or is it King's Cross? King's Cross is across the street from St Pancras.

Anyway, you probably will only have time for lunch at the station before your train to Edinburgh departs.

I assume the options for food will be better at St Pancras since it's newly renovated.

Neal623

I was told a few months ago when I made these reservations that the Kings Cross Train to Gatwick was not available during this time, as they often use Saturdays to fix trains/tracks. As a result, we are departing from St Pancras with a short stop in Sheffield. I do not know which terminal we are landing in. I'll try calling the airline (Northwest). Does each airline always fly into the same terminal, or does it vary? Thanks for your help - Next Saturday will be quite an adventure, but a long day!

Neal623

PS - I was referring to lunch plans around the station when I previously wrote "a few hours". I realize we will not have the time at this point to hop on the tube and go sight seeing.

It sounds like we should just stay put within St Pancras and have lunch there at the station, rather than venturing out and looking for a place close by the station. Thanks for the help.

caroline_edinburgh

I assume you've already booked the train ? You could have flown direct from Gatwick to Edinburgh - much less hassle.

You're right, it is from St Pancras - there must be work on the line. And it takes 6 hours !?! =

Is it too late to change your plans ?

If yes, then at least make sure you get the 1425 which involves one change at Sheffield, rather than the 1430 which involves two changes and a bus.

Cholmondley_Warner

Yes stay in St Pancras. There's lots of restaurants and bars in the complex. There's nothing outside to justify the walk. There's also enough shops for an hour's potter about.

As has been said - see platform 9 3/4 if you are a harry potter fan. If you believe in real history Boudicca is buried under platform 8 of Kings Cross.

Neal623

In retrospect, I probably would have looked into a flight, but I thought it would have been too costly with a family of 5. Oh well, we'll be able to catch our first glimpse of the countryside by train. I did check - we are on the 14:25 - phew!

janisj

OK - sorry. Kings Cross is the usual station for this route. St Pancras is right next door so your travel to the station from Gatwick is exactly the same.

Lordy - is that going to be a looooong day. Overnight flight, train from LGW to Kings Cross, walk across to St Pancras, quick lunch, board the train, change in Sheffield, and arrive in Edinburgh 6 hours later - after 8PM.

based on your departure time zone, you won't be getting to Edinburgh until the afternoon of the second day after you left home. And w/ 3 little kids.

The train is usually the easiest way to get from London to Edinburgh. But you aren't traveling from London - you are starting out 35 miles south at Gatwick.

Not trying to rain on your trip - honest. You will have a great time -- but your first couple of days is going to be a real slog.

Flying straight up to Edinburgh would have been so much easier in this situation. You could be there and checked in to your hotel before your train leaves St Pancras.

Can you get a refund on the train tickets? If not - just take it REAL easy and try to sleep on the plane - even if it takes medications.

janisj

OH - I see you are the family staying near Callander. You will love all the castles/scenery. BUT - I notice from your other thread that you are asking about a day trip to Edinburgh from there. That would seem to mean you are not going to stay in Edinburgh but up beyond Stirling. That is just going to make your day even longer.

Is your plan - LGW > London > Train to Edinburgh > pick up car and drive to Callander? If so, by the time you arrange the car paper work, make your way out of Edinburgh and drive to Callander it will be nearly 10PM.

Neal623

I purchased rail passes for us to use throughout our trip, but did reserve seats on the 14:25 train. I would love to purchase plane tickets, but at this point, I feel as if I've already spent enough. I wish I had asked that question several months ago on Fodors...

Back at Christmas, it took us 19 hours to reach Arizona, due to mechanical problems, delays and cancellations, and our kids were little troopers. I'm hoping that all of the excitement will keep them occupied and happy throughout the day.

In the future, I will definitely ask a few more questions to Fodors before making reservations!

GreenDragon

So what dates are you going to be in Edinburgh? Sounds like we may cross eachother's paths - we'll be there the 14, 15, 16th of June.

Neal623

Yes - You are correct about our plans. I, too, thought our ETA would be around 10 or 11. Yikes!

janisj

OK - another question . . .

You mention rail passes. So does that mean you are not renting a car when up in Scotland? If not, some of your proposed day trips are not doable by train.

janisj

oops - our posts crossed. OK - you'll have a car - good.

BUT now there is the issue of driving after an over night flight and all day train. Don't worry about driving in the dark - it will be light VERY late so even at 11PM it will still be dusky.

But driving after that exhausting day - not my choice for sure.

Neal623

GreenDragon - Yes- We'll be in Scotland from the 14th until the 19th, and then we will return to London, and do the tourist circuit for 2 days before returning home on the 21st. We can't wait! What daytrips have you planned?

JanisJ- I had heard about it being light until 11, and we'll have a GPS to help us navigate once we finally do get out rental car. I'm hoping we can sleep on the train to re-energize. One other caveat - we have to get from the train station to the airport in Edinburgh to rent our car, as the train location will be closed when we arrive. Should we take a taxi? How long a drive is that?

noe847

Neal623, I've read a few of your various threads, and I'm totally exhausted. If I have this straight, your trip is a bit longer than 1 week, and you are heading up to Scotland where you will stay just a few days before taking the train back to London, plan to see the tourist sights in London for just 2 days (then fly home). And this is with 3 fairly small children.

For your short time in Scotland, after all that travel, it seems that you are thinking about lots of day trips. My advice, and I mean this in the best possible way, is to consider scaling back your touring around and give your family a bit of time to breathe and experience Scotland. Give yourself a day or two to rest up and just find things close to Callander.

And when you get back to London, pick one or two things to do per day. You could have spent the whole trip in London and still not covered all of the tourist things, much less the other riches London has to offer.

rogeruktm

The only suggestion I have, assuming your train ticket are for standard class, once aboard ask the conductor if seating is available in first class. At times you can upgrade for just a few more pounds. Worth asking .

yk

For lunch options, apart from eating at one of the cafes/restos at St Pancras, another thought would be either you or your wife (the other stays behind w/the kids and luggage at the station) head to North Sea Restaurant for some fish and chips takeout. It is at 7-8 Leigh Street, about a 5-minute walk from St Pancras Station. It has a sit-down resto but next door is a take-out only shop front.
It is open 12noon-2:30p.
http://www.northseafishrestaurant.co.uk/

Neal623

Thanks for your thoughts. After posing many questions regarding places to see, I have greatly scaled down our plans, so we can enjoy the area pretty much right around where we will be staying near Stirling. As far as things to see in London, we will be doing strictly kid-friendly sites (eg hop-hop off bus tour, wax museum, etc.) I understand there are many more beautiful things to see, but that will be for another trip. I had time to visit the cultural and historic side of London as a college student staying abroad for a semester many years ago.

BTW, our rail passes are first class!