Victoria Station to Gatwick on the Gatwick Express

Yes that should be plenty of time. As Gatwick is a smaller airport (compared to Heathrow) it runs more efficiently, and it a also takes less time to walk from A to B.

We took the Gatwick Express from Victoria Station in March. We allowed for three hours upon arrival at the airport (arriving at 8:30 a.m. for our 11:50 a.m. flight), rather than the two hours that was recommended at the time. I am soooooooooo glad we did!

Gatwick was horrible. The only thing that was quick was checking our baggage at the Continental counter. Then it was multiple, confusing, long, long lines to get to the first security screening. The staff there thought my carry-on was too big even though it met the requirements, so we had to check it. The staff member did let us get back in line at that point rather than starting over.

From that point we fanned out into several more long lines, which funneled down to a few less (big mess)for another security point, and then expanded again before narrowing again for the final security. It was an exercise in futility. We made it to our gate with 15 minutes to spare.

It was not a pleasant way to end a very enjoyable trip.

We have traveled from Victoria to Gatwick on the Gatwick Express twice a year for more than 12 years. We usually have an 11:00 flight and we try to catch the 8:00 train. We always have more than enough time. You should be fine.

We could also take a 11:30 flight from Heathrow. Would that be better, easier? I keep reading horror stories about Heathrow.

By the way, we plan on flying Continental non-stop to Houston.

Sharon,
I would take whichever flight is more convenient for you. While Heathrow is always busy, there is no guarantee that Gatwick will be better than Heathrow on any given day. I've had good and bad experiences at both airports. The last time that I was at Heathrow, I was through both check-in and security in less than 15 minutes. In fact, I generally find Heathrow security to be better organized than most airports in the U.S. What I find crazy at Heathrow is the waiting area (especially in terminal 3).

I have checked with Continental. They fly out of Terminal 4, at least at the present time.
Thanks for all the advice, everyone.

We flew Continental non-stop from both ways (Houston to London and home again). Read my previous post about departing Gatwick. Arriving there, however, was a breeze.

Also, Continental's inflight service was excellent and we flew economy. Enjoy!