Gatwick - Have one day - What to do?

There's a lot more to do in London, of course. But that is a really early departure time on Sunday and raises the question of whether it is worth it to stay at a hotel only to have to wake up in the middle of the night in order to get back to Gatwick by 3 a.m.

You have plenty of time to check out London. Take the Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.com) train to Victoria Station-you can check your luggage. From Victoria it is a short walk to Buckingham Palace, then another short walk to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the London Eye. All other attractions are easily reached via the Underground or the Hop on/off tour buses. As your just going to be there for a day purchase the "Top Ten London" guidebook. Since your flight out of Gatwick is early you should stay at one of the airport hotels. Another option is the new Japanese style capsule hotel which just opened inside the terminal---www.yotel.com

Definitely spend the day in London! Here's your best transportation deal. Book a Southern trains DaySave ticket well in advance (only available online) for £10. Go here for information and booking: http://tinyurl.com/2konho. Take a Southern train to Victoria. Buy a one-day zone 1-2 off-peak travelcard (£5.10) at Victoria for unlimited rides on the tube, bus, Docklands Light Railway, and National Rail trains within those zones. Take a Southern train back to Gatwick in the evening. Your total transportation costs for the day will be £15.10.

One more thing. Here is a link to a two-page map which you can print: http://tinyurl.com/25p633. One page is a tube map and the other is a central London bus map that shows the location of major tourist attractions.