Gatwick Airport to Harry Potter Studio Tour near Watford Junction

I took the Harry Potter studio tour last summer. When you book tickets it will give you times to enter the studio. We had a time slot for late afternoon and spent about 3 hours at the studio. (and had plenty of time). We actually arrived quite early and were allowed to enter about 45 minutes ahead of our scheduled time slot. It is very well organized and staff were very friendly. There is a decent cafe at the entrance. If you are traveling in the later part of July through August when students are out of school in England, then book early. It sometimes get sold old. We traveled by car, so I won't comment on the train question. Hope the other information helps with your planning.

Seahunt, you are in luck, there is an hourly connection from Gatwick to Watford Junction with only one change (Clapham Junction) and you don't have to cross central London on the tube. Journey time 1 hour 14.
There are also other trains where you go Gatwick - London Victoria - (Cross London by tube) - London Euston - Watford Junction. The Clapham Junction option will be a lot easier.
You can look up times here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

The studio is not by the station, it is some miles away on the edge of Watford. But there is a shuttle bus between the station and the studio. Info here: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/plan-your-visit/getting-here

It appears from one of your other threads that this may be in August?

If so, perhaps the permanent industrial strife at Southern Railways will have died down by then. I'd hope so because the Clapham Junction connection mentioned above is Southern to Southern, and the train you'd connect to is the hourly slow train from East or South Croydon to Milton Keynes via Watford Junction.

During the strikes and work-to-rules that has been one of the very first trains to be cut in order to keep the main line "flowing".

I'd check the temperature of the dispute before counting on it.

Agree with Nigel that the direct Southern link is extremely unreliable during the current industrial action and other problems.

What you could do is get a Thameslink train from Gatwick to Saint Pancras, leave your luggage at the St Pancras station left luggage facility, and walk to Euston to get a train to Watford and back. Euston, St Pancras, and Kings Cross are separate stations but all within walking distance, so that would be convenient for your train to Scotland as well.

The nice thing is that our overnight train will pick us up at Watford Junction so we do not plan to go back into London. The Studios website claims that is has a coat room where you can check bags. We are backpack travelers so we won't have any large suitcases so I don't think it will be an issue.

Thanks for all of the tips so far. Sounds like this is doable.

And yes, this will be in August.

I am assuming that I should invest in a Family & Friends railcard? It looks like I could buy this at Gatwick airport? Anyone know where?

Has anyone ever bought one in Gibraltar? We will be there the week before and wasn't sure if they would sell them there? It would be nice to have beforehand but since we live in the USA, they only ship to UK addresses.