AstraVanMan wrote:

the hassle and cost of
driving and parking at Gatwick.

If it's the terminal closest to M23 - can't remember if it's North or South -
then car park is very close to terminal and there's little hassle.

E.

In message of Mon, 29 Jan
2007 15:00:59 in uk.transport.london, AstraVanMan
writes
"David F" wrote:
Think I'd prefer to either go for the driving option, or find a cheapo
hotel near the airport and travel the night before.Jeez, why? It's only
50min from Kings Cross to Gatwick by Thameslink.

The sheer quantity of bags my lovely wife will bring.

I take it from you mentioning that the large amount of bags is going to be
on the return leg that she's abroad already and you'll be returning with
her, or something similar?

In which case, then surely Thameslink from either Farringdon, King's Cross
or London Bridge (depending on exactly where you are in Islington and the
nearest mainline/tube station to you), just going on foot, and then return
from London Bridge via taxi, would be far easier than the hassle and cost of
driving and parking at Gatwick.


I agree with those who say "Don't go by car". I only know the route via
the A23 and Croydon to work for cars early on Saturday morning. If you
must, I suggest you go via the Blackwall Tunnel, A20 (I think there are
still works at the A2/M25 junction) and M25. If M25 seizes at 5 to 6,
use the A25 on which you can average nearly 40.
Radio traffic information is very useful for finding such seizures. If
there is a speed restriction on the approach to Junction 5, get off and
use the A25. It takes several minutes longer than the clear motorway
route but the motorway is rarely clear. I am mystified by the extreme
tendency of 5-6 to seize. It even seizes sometimes near Clackett Lane
Services. I would budget 90 minutes from N1 to Gatwick.

By train, I would avoid the peak and get off at London Bridge. Ramps off
platforms 1-6 leads to a good taxi rank. Sadly, you will find neither
luggage trollies nor porters unless you supply your own. There are many
steps up at both Farringdon and Kings Cross Thameslink. I don't know
Kentish Town or points further north.
--
Walter Briscoe

In message , eastender
writes

If it's the terminal closest to M23 - can't remember if it's North or South -
then car park is very close to terminal and there's little hassle.

The South Terminal car park is reasonably handy (although usually a
ten-minute walk) but very expensive. The North Terminal car park is
cheaper but requires getting a bus to the terminal.

But the real hassle is crossing London during a Thursday morning rush
hour. I certainly wouldn't drive to Gatwick - and I live on the south
side of the Thames. The train is a much better bet and is what I shall
be taking to and from Gatwick in a few weeks time.

(I hope the OP has checked the baggage allowance for the return flight -
some of the excess charges made by the cheaper airlines operating out of
Gatwick are *extremely* punitive.)
--
Paul Terry

Paul Terry wrote:

But the real hassle is crossing London during a Thursday morning rush
hour.

Zipping out via the A2 is against the flow.

I certainly wouldn't drive to Gatwick - and I live on the south
side of the Thames. The train is a much better bet and is what I shall
be taking to and from Gatwick in a few weeks time.

I've been doing a fair amount fo business travel recently to Europe and always
take the car when I can especially when I get back in the late evening. I did fly
out of Heathrow and back to Gatwick recently and got an unspeakably slow and
dirty Thameslink back to town - not good. I do like the Heathrow Express though.

My next trip is to Slovenia and i think this means Stansted - this is easy by car
from Hackney and they have a mid-priced car park fairly near the terminal.

E.

"Michael Hoffman" wrote:
Or, thinking about it, you could go from King's Cross Thameslink - though
coming back London Bridge would probably be easier if you've got lots of
bags.

This point should be emphasized--getting up to the surface at KXTL if you
have lots of bags is not fun.

Also at certain times of the day it might be difficult to squeeze a lot of
bags onto a Thameslink train.

Yup, KX Thameslink is underground, I'm fairly certain, and London Bridge is
a fairly easy cab ride from N1.

Though having said that, heading out via the Blackwall Tunnel wouldn't be
too bad either as you'd be against the flow all the way out of town, and
probably late enough to have missed the worst of the queueing around the
J5-Clackett Lane services stretch.

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

On Jan 29, 3:00 pm, "AstraVanMan"
wrote:
"David F" wrote:
Think I'd prefer to either go for the driving option, or find a cheapo
hotel near the airport and travel the night before.Jeez, why? It's only
50min from Kings Cross to Gatwick by Thameslink.

The sheer quantity of bags my lovely wife will bring.I take it from you mentioning that the large amount of bags is going to be
on the return leg that she's abroad already and you'll be returning with
her, or something similar?

In which case, then surely Thameslink from either Farringdon, King's Cross
or London Bridge (depending on exactly where you are in Islington and the
nearest mainline/tube station to you), just going on foot, and then return
from London Bridge via taxi, would be far easier than the hassle and cost of
driving and parking at Gatwick.

Good thinking. If only I weren'y quite so dumb... already booked the
parking! D'oh!

And yes, you're spot on - long weekend in NY. So empty bags there,
full back!

getting up to the surface at KXTL if
you have lots of bags is not fun.

It doesn't have to be bad... There's a bit of a secret route if you
don't want to go up the steps. Instead, when getting off a northbound
train, go to the front of the platform (past the steps), and find the
down staircase, pointing to the underground. At the bottom of this
there is then an escalator which takes you back up, all the way to the
top, to street level.

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 18:36:22 +0000, eastender
wrote:

Paul Terry wrote:

But the real hassle is crossing London during a Thursday morning rush
hour.

Zipping out via the A2 is against the flow.

According to the traffic news, there is almost always congestion from
J5 (M26) to Clacket Lane and beyond in the morning until after 9 a.m.
I've noticed it when going anti-clockwise after 9 a.m. Likewise, the
congestion is anticlockwise in the evening, from J7 (M23) or J6
(Godstone A22) around to J5, while the clockwise is then free-flowing.
--
Terry Harper
Website Coordinator, The Omnibus Society
http://www.omnibussoc.org

Terry Harper wrote:

According to the traffic news, there is almost always congestion from
J5 (M26) to Clacket Lane and beyond in the morning until after 9 a.m.

That's true - I've often gone slowly through this bit even at the weekend
but it was always moving and at this point it's not too far to the M23.

E.

"David F" wrote in message
ups.com...


On Jan 29, 3:00 pm, "AstraVanMan"
wrote:
"David F" wrote:
Think I'd prefer to either go for the driving option, or find a
cheapo
hotel near the airport and travel the night before.Jeez, why? It's
only
50min from Kings Cross to Gatwick by Thameslink.

The sheer quantity of bags my lovely wife will bring.I take it from you
mentioning that the large amount of bags is going to be
on the return leg that she's abroad already and you'll be returning with
her, or something similar?

In which case, then surely Thameslink from either Farringdon, King's
Cross
or London Bridge (depending on exactly where you are in Islington and the
nearest mainline/tube station to you), just going on foot, and then
return
from London Bridge via taxi, would be far easier than the hassle and cost
of
driving and parking at Gatwick.

Good thinking. If only I weren'y quite so dumb... already booked the
parking! D'oh!

And yes, you're spot on - long weekend in NY. So empty bags there,
full back!

You'll have a job to fill your bags with only £145 worth of goods each, as
that is the duty free limit. I assume you'll be declaring the rest on your
way back.