In message , at 12:24:30 on Sat, 16
Feb 2013, Clive Page remarked:
I should think that the Gatwick to London route has just about the most
complicated ticketing situation in the UK: just the thing to cause
maximum confusion to arriving strangers, possibly jet-lagged.

Except perhaps it isn't the most complicated, as it has just occurred
to me that the Heathrow to London route is just as bad, where there are
fares on the tube, Heathrow Express, and Heathrow Connect all to take
into consideration. And what with options for One-day Travelcards and
Oyster purchase options, maybe it's even worse.

That really provides a pretty awful welcome to visitors to this
country, doesn't it?

In one sense it's a symptom of the wide variety of passengers arriving,
with different expectations about the cost/performance of a trip to the
centre. It's much the same at other big airports, with numerous carriers
vying for the business.

If you aren't trying to knock the last 50p off the price[1] then get the
Off-peak travelcard "all routes except Gatwick Express".

For those feeling like being pampered, get the GatEx, and then rebook at
Victoria.

[1] which a commuter might, multiplied by 200 working days, but is lost
in the noise for an international traveller.
--
Roland Perry