Hi Folks - hopefully someone can help me. I'm travelling to Gatwick
Airport on Thursday morning. My flight leaves at 12.30 and am supposed
to be there about 2.5 hours before departure. So I need to be walking
into the terminal at about 10am.

I don't really fancy taking the Gatwick Express and would prefer to
drive, likely to have lots of bags on the return is the primary
reason. I suppose I should leave 30 minutes to park, and get form the
long-stay car park to the terminal - so arriving at the car park for
9.30.

I live in Islington, and although all the journey planners seem to
think the best journey is an hour and a quarter through the City,
Brixton, Purley etc. From experience, this is gernerally a bad idea -
especially at the time I am travelling - so I thought the A13 out to
the M25, round a bit then on to the M23 would be much faster.

BUT - since I never drive to work, and don't know those roads very
well I've no idea how long this journey could take. Would I need to
leave at 7am? Earlier?

Any help you can give would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
David.

"David F" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi Folks - hopefully someone can help me. I'm travelling to Gatwick
Airport on Thursday morning. My flight leaves at 12.30 and am supposed
to be there about 2.5 hours before departure. So I need to be walking
into the terminal at about 10am.

I don't really fancy taking the Gatwick Express and would prefer to
drive, likely to have lots of bags on the return is the primary
reason. I suppose I should leave 30 minutes to park, and get form the
long-stay car park to the terminal - so arriving at the car park for
9.30.

I live in Islington, and although all the journey planners seem to
think the best journey is an hour and a quarter through the City,
Brixton, Purley etc. From experience, this is gernerally a bad idea -
especially at the time I am travelling - so I thought the A13 out to
the M25, round a bit then on to the M23 would be much faster.

The M25 clockwise from 4-6 tends to be a bit grim in the morning rush hour.

BUT - since I never drive to work, and don't know those roads very
well I've no idea how long this journey could take. Would I need to
leave at 7am? Earlier?

If you could get yourself onto the A3 or M3 out to the M25, that might be a
bit better
Also, the M23 southbound gets rather slow with traffic queueing to get off
at Gatwick. Probably OK by 9am though.


Any help you can give would be much appreciated!
Thanks,

The Highways Agency web site shows predicted traffic flows on the motorways
at certain times of day:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/traffic/forecast.aspx

"David F" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi Folks - hopefully someone can help me. I'm travelling to Gatwick
Airport on Thursday morning. My flight leaves at 12.30 and am supposed
to be there about 2.5 hours before departure. So I need to be walking
into the terminal at about 10am.

I don't really fancy taking the Gatwick Express and would prefer to
drive, likely to have lots of bags on the return is the primary
reason.

Even so, have you thought about the Thameslink, which takes you straight to
Farringdon or Kings Cross?

On Jan 29, 1:13 pm, "Graculus"
wrote:
"David F" wrote in ooglegroups.com...

Hi Folks - hopefully someone can help me. I'm travelling to Gatwick
Airport on Thursday morning. My flight leaves at 12.30 and am supposed
to be there about 2.5 hours before departure. So I need to be walking
into the terminal at about 10am.

I don't really fancy taking the Gatwick Express and would prefer to
drive, likely to have lots of bags on the return is the primary
reason.Even so, have you thought about the Thameslink, which takes you straight to
Farringdon or Kings Cross?

No, I hadn't thought of that. Definitely better than the Express -
could get a taxi between Kings X and home.

Think I'd prefer to either go for the driving option, or find a cheapo
hotel near the airport and travel the night before.

David F wrote:

I live in Islington, and although all the journey planners seem to
think the best journey is an hour and a quarter through the City,
Brixton, Purley etc. From experience, this is gernerally a bad idea -
especially at the time I am travelling - so I thought the A13 out to
the M25, round a bit then on to the M23 would be much faster.

I live in Hackney near Islington border and frequently drive to Brighton.
I go east to pick up the A102 (or whatever that motorway class bit was
called) at Hackney Wick , south down thru Blackwall Tunnel, down the fast
A2 to M25 then round to M23. This is usually a nonstop drive and you're
going against the main flow in the tunnel.

E.

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.

On Jan 29, 1:55 pm, "TimB" 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.

"David F" wrote:
Hi Folks - hopefully someone can help me. I'm travelling to Gatwick
Airport on Thursday morning. My flight leaves at 12.30 and am supposed
to be there about 2.5 hours before departure. So I need to be walking
into the terminal at about 10am.

I don't really fancy taking the Gatwick Express and would prefer to
drive, likely to have lots of bags on the return is the primary
reason.

Probably not the answer you want to hear, but if I were you I'd forget
driving. Any hassle saved by having the car ready at the other end will be
far outweighed by the cost of parking, the journey itself, the fact that
you'd have to leave pretty early to get a reasonable run (as opposed to
about half an hour from London Bridge that takes you straight to the centre
of the airport, plus 15-20 minutes getting to London Bridge from home). 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.

On your return, whether you go by car or train you'll still have to get all
the bags to the car, and it won't be much less hassle getting them to the
train and onto that, and you could possibly get a taxi company to meet you
at the train to help you with your baggage, overall costing you a lot less
than the fuel/parking costs of driving to the airport and leaving the car
there.

Just my 2p worth.....

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

"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.

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

AstraVanMan wrote:
"David F" wrote:
Hi Folks - hopefully someone can help me. I'm travelling to Gatwick
Airport on Thursday morning. My flight leaves at 12.30 and am supposed
to be there about 2.5 hours before departure. So I need to be walking
into the terminal at about 10am.

I don't really fancy taking the Gatwick Express and would prefer to
drive, likely to have lots of bags on the return is the primary
reason.

Probably not the answer you want to hear, but if I were you I'd forget
driving. Any hassle saved by having the car ready at the other end will be
far outweighed by the cost of parking, the journey itself, the fact that
you'd have to leave pretty early to get a reasonable run (as opposed to
about half an hour from London Bridge that takes you straight to the centre
of the airport, plus 15-20 minutes getting to London Bridge from home). 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.
--
Michael Hoffman