Please sign in to post.

Help with tight connection to Gatwick

Posted by on

Hello all,

I have a bit going on here. I'll be in London in October. For my inbound flight, I'm not too concerned about whether to take the Gatwick Express or the Thameslink, passport control, etc. I have time.

However, on my return, my flight leaves Gatwick at 9:50 a.m. I am staying a block from the Shadwell DLR station.

My concern: If I take the Thameslink back to Gatwick that morning, I'll need to take the DLR to the Bank station, then the Northern line down to the Tower Bridge station to catch the Thameslink (if I am reading it right). Or, I could take the DLR/Underground to Victoria Station and take the Gatwick Express.

Considering the Underground starts up at 5-5:30 a.m., does anyone have any thoughts about the best options? Thinking outside the box is OK too, but I'd rather not spend a small fortune.

Thank you everyone!

Posted by
357 posts

Take a taxi to Blackfriars station and then the Thameslink train to Gatwick.

Posted by
885 posts

Following on from Miranda, taxi or Uber to Victoria and Gatwick Express from there.

If you are traveling to the States you will likely need to be at Gatwick the full three hours in advance as their security can be super busy, especially at that hour of the morning with business travelers headed to Europe. I assume you will check in online and be doing carry on? If not you need to allow a lot more time for that.

Personally I would change my accommodation so that I spent the night before my flight at an airport hotel. Premier Inn have a number of locations close to the airport running at £35 to £75 per night. Much less wear and tear on the nerves!

Posted by
11174 posts

I am with Lesley, stay near the airport the last night.

Posted by
4518 posts

Victoria station is on the opposite side of the city.

You can do this route by train only, no DLR or tube:

06:00 Shadwell [SDE] London Overground train
Clapham Junction [CLJ]
06:35 0h 35m

06:53 Clapham Junction [CLJ] Southern train
Gatwick Airport [GTW]
07:20 0h 27m

If 2-1/2 hours before flight is early enough for you. Note that the Shadwell overground rail line is underground at this location.

This is Mon-Friday, Saturday has faster connections, Sunday doesn't work. About 22 pounds. There's a slightly cheaper three train option that leaves at 5 AM arriving Gatwick 06:48.

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.