Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon midweek and will be
flying out of Gatwick the next morning at around 11 am.

Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area and taking a bus to train
to Heathrow the next morning or heading to central London so we can do a
little in town and then taking the Heathrow Express into Heathrow the next
morning or else just heading for a hotel near Heathrow immediately after
landing at Gatwick and then taking a cab or airport shuttle to Heathrow the
next morning?

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 15:30:56 -0700, "Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon midweek and will be
    >flying out of Gatwick the next morning at around 11 am.
    >Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area and taking a bus to train
    >to Heathrow the next morning or heading to central London so we can do a
    >little in town and then taking the Heathrow Express into Heathrow the next
    >morning or else just heading for a hotel near Heathrow immediately after
    >landing at Gatwick and then taking a cab or airport shuttle to Heathrow the
    >next morning?
Traffic conditions around UK airports can be very
chaotic in the mornings, head out from Gatwick to
Heathrow on one of the connecting airport busses
when you land, and overnight near Heathrow.
I take it you meant you arrive at Gatwick and
leave from Heathrow the next morning.
But, if as you posted above you arrive at Gatwick at
3pm and leave Gatwick at 11am the next day, there are
good hotels in the Gatwick airport area.

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

    >>>>> We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon midweek and
    >>>>> will be
    > flying out of Gatwick [you meant Heathrow] the next morning at around 11
    > am.

If it were me, I would go into the city and get either the Victoria Thistle
(which is directly in Victoria Station, but the prices there have risen
dramatically since I got a room for 50 quid last year) or another hotel on
the Circle or District tube line heading west (e.g., Gloucester Road or
Earls Court). The tube is pretty direct (you may have to change at
Hammersmith, but you just walk across the platform to the Heathrow train--it
is really easy) and one whole lug-nut of a lot cheaper when you are
travelling from the Victoria, Kensington, or Earls Court area to Heathrow
the next day. To pick up the Heathrow Express you first have to head all
the way up to the Paddington area to overnight anyways, which will be a
hassle. My last stay in London was an $80 4* directly at the Gloucester
Road tube booked through Priceline. That would be ideal--and if it were me,
I'd give it a try--you can see what luck with London hotels people have been
having lately at www.biddingfortravel.com But if you can get the Victoria
Thistle at a decent price ( www.thistlehotels.com ) then you'll make the
most of your time in London that evening.

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 15:30:56 -0700, "Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon midweek and will be
    >flying out of Gatwick the next morning at around 11 am.
    >Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area and taking a bus to train
    >to Heathrow the next morning or heading to central London so we can do a
    >little in town and then taking the Heathrow Express into Heathrow the next
    >morning or else just heading for a hotel near Heathrow immediately after
    >landing at Gatwick and then taking a cab or airport shuttle to Heathrow the
    >next morning?

Besides your obvious typo(s), I would say not to ever rely on the
buses if they travel anywhere near Heathrow. Delays are almost
certain, and times are unpredictable. The resultant stress will negate
any cost saving of staying out of town.

Take the train into London, pay for a hotel for a night, and tube it
to Heathrow the next day. Easiest thing you could do, and you can have
a look around the every amazing town that is London.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 15:30:56 -0700, Kevin wrote:

(assuming Heathrow next AM)

    > Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area and taking a bus to train
    > to Heathrow the next morning or heading to central London so we can do a
    > little in town and then taking the Heathrow Express into Heathrow the next
    > morning or else just heading for a hotel near Heathrow immediately after
    > landing at Gatwick and then taking a cab or airport shuttle to Heathrow the
    > next morning?

Don't stay at Gatwick - though there are nice places there, the trip to
Heathrow on a weekday morning will be stop-and-go (mostly stop).

Whether you go into town and the to Heathrow depends on how much you want
to go into town. You'll have to pay to keep your luggage at Victoria
station, then lug it on the Tube to Heathrow. Just heading straight to
Heathrow will be quick...not sure what there is to do the rest of the day.

--
-BB-
To e-mail me, unmunge my address

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

"BB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 15:30:56 -0700, Kevin wrote:
    > (assuming Heathrow next AM)
    >> Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area and taking a bus to
    >> train
    >> to Heathrow the next morning or heading to central London so we can do a
    >> little in town and then taking the Heathrow Express into Heathrow the
    >> next
    >> morning or else just heading for a hotel near Heathrow immediately after
    >> landing at Gatwick and then taking a cab or airport shuttle to Heathrow
    >> the
    >> next morning?
    > Don't stay at Gatwick - though there are nice places there, the trip to
    > Heathrow on a weekday morning will be stop-and-go (mostly stop).
    > Whether you go into town and the to Heathrow depends on how much you want
    > to go into town. You'll have to pay to keep your luggage at Victoria
    > station, then lug it on the Tube to Heathrow. Just heading straight to
    > Heathrow will be quick...not sure what there is to do the rest of the day.
    > --
    > -BB-
    > To e-mail me, unmunge my address

Yes, I meant I will be flying out of Heathrow on a Wednesday morning to get
flight that departs at 11AM.
I will only have one carry-on bag.

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

Kevin <[email protected]> wrote:

    > We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon...

Thanks for making that clear. :-) Otherwise, we might have thought
that you meant 3PM in the morning.

cheers,

Henry

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

"Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon midweek and will
    > be flying out of Gatwick the next morning at around 11 am.
    > Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area and taking a bus to
    > train to Heathrow the next morning or heading to central London so we can
    > do a little in town and then taking the Heathrow Express into Heathrow the
    > next morning or else just heading for a hotel near Heathrow immediately
    > after landing at Gatwick and then taking a cab or airport shuttle to
    > Heathrow the next morning?

I'd suggest you head in to London and put up near Paddington.

If you stay at Gtawick you'll have a nasty trip round the M-25
to Heathrow in the morning rush hour and if you stay at Heathrow
you'll be kicking your heels with not much to do.

Far better to check in to a London hotel, have dinner and
a stroll then head to LHR in the morning when most of
the traffic is coming in to London

Keith



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Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

Following up to Kevin

    >We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon midweek and will be
    >flying out of Gatwick the next morning at around 11 am.

so you will be out of the airport about 4, into London by 6,
check in, take a walk, have dinner, visit a pub then breakfast
and down to Heathrow

    >Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area

There are country pubs, but how would you get there? Horley is
very near, but there's not a lot there.
Then youre under pressure in the morning to get to Heathrow, the
M25 motoway is horrendous in the morning rush so don't go that
way.
Make the trips by train and tube, into London, out of London.

I seem to remember there is a helicopter airport link? No doubt
expensive, or did I imagine that?
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-Photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

"The Reids" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Following up to Kevin
    >>We will arrive in Gatwick at about 3PM in the afternoon midweek and will
    >>be
    >>flying out of Gatwick the next morning at around 11 am.
    > so you will be out of the airport about 4, into London by 6,
    > check in, take a walk, have dinner, visit a pub then breakfast
    > and down to Heathrow
    >>Are we better off hanging around the Gatwick area
    > There are country pubs, but how would you get there? Horley is
    > very near, but there's not a lot there.
    > Then youre under pressure in the morning to get to Heathrow, the
    > M25 motoway is horrendous in the morning rush so don't go that
    > way.
    > Make the trips by train and tube, into London, out of London.
    > I seem to remember there is a helicopter airport link? No doubt
    > expensive, or did I imagine that?

Its long gone, IRC they closed it when the M-25 was completed
on the grounds of the noise nuisance to the communities overflown
but it would complicate the situation for ATC too.

Keith



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Re: Better off staying near Gatwick , Heathrow or Paddington?
 

Take the train into London, find a hotel near the tube line to Heathrow
and take the tube out next morning. You'll be travelling against the
flow of commuters so it should be OK - certainly after the first few
stations.

It will work out cheaper than heading straight to Heathrow. Even if you
take the Heathrow Express there's not a lot of difference costwise -
the direct bus Gatwick-Heathrow is very expensive. Hotels at Heathrow
are as expensive as central London and all charge for a shuttle.