We will arrive at Gatwick on aug. 9th and I’m wondering how difficult is it to get out of the Gatwick airport area in a car rental and drive to Canterbury. It’s either this or we take a train to Canterbury (four of us) and then get a car rental there. I’ve checked prices and they seem reasonable. However we definitely don’t want to get in big city traffic. My husband will be driving and is familiar with driving on the left as we have gone to Grand Cayman a few times. I think renting a car an additional day will save money v. train tickets for four but I’m not as concerned with savings as I am traffic. Advice?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Gatwick airport to Canterbury is 110 Km, will take about 1½ hours. Click here for route. This does involve going around part of the infamous M25 London Orbital motorway, which can get "interesting".
Getting out of the airport is easy, just follow blue signs to M23.
Going by train you can also avoid going in to central London, but that would probably involve more changs and take longer.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32824 posts
The M23 is a construction zone, all the way from the airport to the M25, while they install a "Smart" motorway. That means slow traffic and 50 or 40 mph speed-averaging cameras for the whole length. It is, I'm afraid, at the moment, a right pain in the neck.
Forewarned is forearmed.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Please don’t get off a long flight and hire a car to drive on some of the busiest roads in the UK. It’s dangerous for you and the other road users. Let the train take the strain. I haven’t been to Grand Cayman, but I can’t imagine that driving there bears much resemblance to south east England!
Posted by
Galt, Calif., UK
214 posts
I found LGW really easy and fast to rent a car and get going. The Grand Cayman experience will give you a leg up, just try to be a bit rested before driving.