In message , at 15:21:05 on Tue, 16
Nov 2004, Terry Harper remarked:
A year ago I had to plan a trip that involved an international flight
into Gatwick early morning, then getting to Brussels by lunchtime. There
was only one flight, which was too early. A train to Ashford was too
slow to make a useful connection with any of the few trains that stop at
Ashford. So I could only make it via Gatwick Express, Victoria and
Waterloo.

But my inbound flight was very late, and the next best plan was to drive
to Ashford and get to Brussels by teatime ahead of the second day of the
meeting (at least then I could drive straight home from Ashford on the
way back, rather than getting a train to Gatwick then driving home).

Integrated transport! Don't make me laugh.

You would have done better to use Thameslink and change at London bridge for
Waterloo East.

That would have been a possible route to Waterloo, if the plane hadn't
been late. (Remembering that several rush-hour Thameslinks don't go via
London Bridge). But given the circumstances it was better to drive to
Ashford to pick up the next (several hours later) train to Brussels,
rather than go via London and therefore have a car marooned at Gatwisk -
something which would have been a necessary sacrifice if I was getting
to Brussels in time, but not after having missed the afternoon session.

Anyway, train from Gatwick to Ashford is not one of the
natural routes to follow, especially if you don't live on the airport.

It's a direct line between two transport hubs. Like I said "Integrated
transport! Don't make me laugh."
--
Roland Perry