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Paris to London to Kent

I’m planning a family trip to France and England for this summer. We’ll be arriving in London from Paris on the Eurostar and will be looking to immediately head to Kent to explore SE England for a few days, staying near Sevenoaks. We need a rental car, but as this will be my first experience with left-side driving, I’m thinking picking up the rental outside of London would be best.

So it looks like after arriving in London, we can take a train out to Gatwick Airport from the same station. I’d pick up the rental there and be on our way. After a few days in the countryside, we’ll reverse the process, return to London for a few nights before eventually flying out of Heathrow.

Is this a reasonable plan? Better ideas welcome.
Thanks

Posted by
81 posts

The Trainlink service will take you to the south terminal of Gatwick.
Most major car rental firms have offices at both North terminal and south terminal - there is a rail shuttle between the two.
Make sure you book with a company that is on site, rather than having to get a shuttlebus away from the airport.
Leaving Gatwick is really easy and dual carriageway, which lets you get used to left hand driving.
The motorway M23/M25 takes you through to Kent and Sevenoaks is not far off the motorway.
Driving in central London is not much fun these days, even if you know where you are going, so I think your solution is a good one.

Posted by
8708 posts

Or HS1 from St Pancras to Canterbury then rent there.

There is an Enterprise office at Sevenoaks- most of the day that is train St Pancras to London Bridge, change for Sevenoaks, but there are a few evening peak hour direct Thameslink trains from St Pancras to Sevenoaks.
There is also a Hertz a couple of stations further down the line at Tonbridge.

Posted by
34503 posts

if you get your car at Gatwick (probably my choice) just a little advice if you consider going cross country on the roads and lanes to Sevenoaks instead of using the motorways, as it is your first time driving in England, you should know that the route starting around Worth and other east-bound lanes is narrow and winding, with some fairly hilly bits. One time I was surprised by a steam traction engine entertaining the traffic (slow, a little smokey, great fun) which delayed me making my train.

The route by motorway is very straightforward.

You will likely have no problem getting an automatic if you need it, and various sorts of cars at Gatwick.

The train station at Gatwick is under the terminal, and at St Pancras International it is downstairs in the northwest corner of the station, just a few minutes walk from the frosted doors you pass though leaving Eurostar arrivals into the main station.

If you follow Stuart's advice to use HS1 , the Southeastern high speed Javelin service, it is upstairs in the northeast corner of the station, across the street from Kings Cross station.

Posted by
2 posts

Great info, thank you all for the tips. Looks like Gatwick it is. (Though I definitely want a manual - I miss it !)

Posted by
1407 posts

If it's your first time driving on the left, I wouldn't recommend a manual transmission.

Posted by
1153 posts

Too bad Ashford International wasn't still open. That was your easiest way from Eurostar to Sevenoaks.