sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to figure out timing for our day of arrival. Does anyone have an average time to get through customs, etc. at Gatwick and then from there to take the express to Victoria station? I have read that the express takes about a 1/2 hour and departs pretty frequently, but not sure how long to plan at the airport. Thanks again!
Posted by
Fort Wayne, IN, USA
2349 posts
I arrived at Gatwick at the end of March this year. I didn't clock it, but from getting off the plane, walking down long corridors, going thru passport control, buying tickets for the train, finding a toilet and an ATM, and getting to the train, I'd say it took about an hour, maybe just a bit more. We had no delays, just seemed to walk a hell of a lot. We were also a little confused about where to go when. Is it really that big of a problem for airports to put up some signs?? We got to the train platform and one pulled up about 5 minutes later. You then pull into Victoria Train station, and make your way to Victoria Underground if you want to go on the tube. Our plane landed around 8 am, and we got to our hotel in South Kensington by 11 am. If your rooms are not ready (ours were) you can always leave luggage there and head to lunch.
Have a great time!
Posted by
Brighton, UK
1387 posts
Amber
Gatwick's my local airport and I use it quite a lot. About an hour to get through and get to the railway station is probably about right.
Gatwick Express is one option and runs every 15 minutes to Victoria taking 30 minutes.
The normal scheduled service runs every 30 minutes and takes slightly longer to Victoria but is cheaper.
Depending on where in London you are heading Victoria might not be your best option. You can also get the scheduled service to London Bridge if you are staying in that area.
This link might help
Cheers
Alan
Posted by
Pacific Northwest
347 posts
I agree that it took us about an hour front to back, including finding the train we wanted (we went to St. Pancras instead of Victoria). We arrived on Virgin Atlantic, though, so 90% of the passengers were British and they waited in a much longer line than we did. If you are coming in on an American carrier, the "all other passengers" line may be longer.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32200 posts
Amber, it's difficult to predict the time going through Passport control, etc., as that depends somewhat on how many flights they're processing at the time and whether the majority of passengers are E.U. nationals or "other".
I flew into Gatwick last fall, and as I recall it took about 1 - 1.5 hours to disembark (there was a problem getting the door open on the the plane), walk the long hallways to Passport control and finally get to the Victoria Express.
Happy travels!
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
Maybe we've been lucky, but in more than 20 years our average time in Gatwick has been closer to 30-45 min. A few times it has only taken 20-30! We do the carry-on only, so that saves time, too. And Yes, a few times is has been over an hour, but that's not the norm for us. Time of year and time of day make a difference. When our flight arrives around 7:30 am it is much quicker than when we arrive around 10:30-11:00. The number of other flights disembarking at the same time seems to be the "controling" factor.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Southern trains run at least every 15 minutes from Gatwick to Victoria, the trip takes around 40 minutes, and the fare is £8.90. First Capital Connect trains run about every 15 minutes to London Bridge, St. Pancras Domestic, and beyond. They also are cheaper than the Gatwick Express to Victoria.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
We went into Gatwick on British Airways. I didn't pay a lot of attention to my watch. The line at customs was literally nothing but getting from plane, ATM, bathroom, etc., to bus connection, to hotel, checked in and settled was more than two hours and may have been three.