Getting to Gatwick

I wrote this in the thread you just deleted (it was a good move) so I've copied and pasted:

You can either head over to St Pancras station and get a train direct to Gatwick - the station at Gatwick is directly under one of the two terminals - or head over to Victoria station and get either Southern or Gatwick Express train service to that same station.

Gatwick is not a large place - just 2 terminals linked by a nearly continuous people mover that takes a very short time, and only 1 runway.

The trains mentioned above run nearly 24 hours a day and are very frequent. The Thameslink from St Pancras is the slowest, the Gatwick Express is the fastest, but only about 5 minutes faster than the Southern. Gatwick Express is also the most expensive.

At the time of day you are going the commuter traffic will be light, especially leaving London.

Thanks, Nigel
I was jumping back and forth between the Italy Forum and the England Forum!
Would it make any sense to head down there the night before and stay in an airport hotel?
What about just taking a taxi – any idea how much that would run?

I was a total newbie to traveling in London and I recently went on the Underground starting in Wood Green, made my way to Picadilly and then to Victoria Station, where I took the Gatwick express, an above ground train. It goes toward Brighton, but stops at Gatwick. This was early in the morning, around the same time as your trip. I used my Oyster Pass, which I highly recommend purchasing. It was very easy! The express puts you right in front of the terminals. My total trip was about an hour and 15 minutes, I imagine yours would be shorter.

I have taken a couple of early morning flights out of Gatwick and chose to stay at a hotel at Gatwick. Less hassle in the morning.

The problem with a taxi from central London to Gatwick is that there is no motorway or other fast road from the capitol to the south until you get most of the way there. It is inner city and inner suburban roads with traffic lights and 20 and 30 mph camera controlled roads most of the way. It will take ages, and cost a fortune.

Trains from Victoria make either no stops (Gatwick Express) or 2 stops (Clapham Junction and East Croydon on Southern) and travel at 90 mph much of the way. Gatwick Express goes at either 30 minute or 15 minute intervals depending on time of day and takes 30 minutes, Southern takes about 35 minutes and goes several times an hour. Thameslink from St Pancras takes 44 minutes on a direct train - the 5:50 would have you there at 6:34. It calls at 3 stations in The City, then London Bridge and East Croydon before the airport.

No way a taxi could even be close.

I stay the last night (s) in a B&B in Kings Cross. The train ride from St Pancras on the Thames Link takes one hour from the time you board until you get off. I calculate on that duration. In the morning be it at 0530 or 0900, etc, I walk over to St Pancras, use the Oyster Card to pay, then wait for the next train to Gatwick. Of course, I do have the schedule from the night before.

We took the train from St Pancras to Gatwick when we were there a few years ago. No problems, except an unanticipated change on the Tube line from Bayswater to St Pancras. Yikes and panic! But we had allowed some extra time, and it worked out just fine. We had bought our train tickets ahead of time, which allayed some of our fears.

I'm risk averse so despite being within easy reach of Gatwick by train or car for an early morning flight I would typically stay overnight at the airport. It also means I can get up a bit later.

“We'll be flying on British Air". Isn't that what you breathe when you're here? 😊

harleydonski, they'll also be flying in British Air.

"they'll also be flying in British Air." Only at the start until French air, possibly Swiss air and finally Italian air.

At least the OP is using British Air. At one stage, people kept trying to book on "Brit Air" - which took them to a very small regional airline in Brittany, France.