Hi all

Travelling from New Zealand to London later in the year, need to get to
Chatham upon arrival, and have the choice of flying to either Heathrow
or Gatwick. Gatwick arguably easier as just up to Victoria and out, but
probably more expensive than LUL from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Victoria
then surface rail. Time-wise looks about the same. Any thoughts? Any
cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into town?

Appreciate the help
Marty

Travelling from New Zealand to London later in the year, need to get to
Chatham upon arrival, and have the choice of flying to either Heathrow
or Gatwick. Gatwick arguably easier as just up to Victoria and out, but

True. You'd just be walking from one side of the station to the other,
possibly via a ticket machine or the ticket office.

Heathrow to Victoria isn't so bad though. You can change at Hammermith or
Barons Court (and probably Acton Town though you get more trains at the
other two) from Piccadilly to District Line just by walking to the other
side of the island platform. Victoria end will have a short flight of steps
or two to ground level but you wont be walking substantially more than you
would be from one side of Victoria to the other.

probably more expensive than LUL from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Victoria
then surface rail.

Well the Heathrow Express would make the Heathrow option more expensive but
assuming use of the Underground a single ticket from Heathrow to Victoria is
£3.80 and then Victoria to Chatham will be around £10 or £11 so call it £15.
Don't know if you can book the through journey from Heathrow and possibly
save a little time and perhaps a little money. Gatwick to Chatham would be
around £19 avoiding the Gatwick Express as that costs more. There may be
return tickets available that would save money but I'd imagine if anything
they would narrow the difference.

Time-wise looks about the same.

I'd think so. Going to take a couple of hours either way. Don't know how
the relative efficiency of the terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick will effect
that calculation.

Any thoughts?

At worst going via Gatwick is going to cost you about £5 more there and back
again (if you are returning!). I should imagine that is pretty
insignificant compared to the cost of flights from New Zealand and may even
be absorbed by price differences between flights.

I'd have thought the decision should be based on the cost and time of the
flights to either Gatwick or Heathrow.

Any cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into
town?

Not unless you want to make three or four changes and it would probably take
longer and not save any money either.


G.

True. You'd just be walking from one side of the station to the other,
possibly via a ticket machine or the ticket office.

I don't know why I said that as you'd likely have bought a through ticket!

"Marty" wrote in message
...
Hi all

Travelling from New Zealand to London later in the year, need to get to
Chatham upon arrival, and have the choice of flying to either Heathrow
or Gatwick. Gatwick arguably easier as just up to Victoria and out, but
probably more expensive than LUL from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Victoria
then surface rail. Time-wise looks about the same. Any thoughts? Any
cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into town?

You're flying from the other side of the planet on an 18-24 hour flight
which likely costs £600+, and you're worried about saving 20 minutes and/or
£5?
--
Everything above is the personal opinion of the author, and nothing to do
with where he works and all that lovely disclaimery stuff.
Posted in his lunch hour too.

Paul Weaver wrote:
"Marty" wrote in message
...

Hi all

Travelling from New Zealand to London later in the year, need to get to
Chatham upon arrival, and have the choice of flying to either Heathrow
or Gatwick. Gatwick arguably easier as just up to Victoria and out, but
probably more expensive than LUL from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Victoria
then surface rail. Time-wise looks about the same. Any thoughts? Any
cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into town?


You're flying from the other side of the planet on an 18-24 hour flight
which likely costs £600+, and you're worried about saving 20 minutes and/or
£5?

After spending that much time and money in the air, I'd want to get home
as quickly and cheaply as possible! :-)


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

Paul Weaver wrote:
"Marty" wrote in message
...

Hi all

Travelling from New Zealand to London later in the year, need to get to
Chatham upon arrival, and have the choice of flying to either Heathrow
or Gatwick. Gatwick arguably easier as just up to Victoria and out, but
probably more expensive than LUL from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Victoria
then surface rail. Time-wise looks about the same. Any thoughts? Any
cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into town?


You're flying from the other side of the planet on an 18-24 hour flight
which likely costs £600+, and you're worried about saving 20 minutes and/or
£5?
--
Everything above is the personal opinion of the author, and nothing to do
with where he works and all that lovely disclaimery stuff.
Posted in his lunch hour too.



Yes I see your point!! Wasn't so much about money as what's easiest
after about 27 hours in transit.

Thanks for everyones' thoughts.

M

Paul Weaver wrote:

"Marty" wrote...
Hi all

Travelling from New Zealand to London later in the year, need to get to
Chatham upon arrival, and have the choice of flying to either Heathrow
or Gatwick. Gatwick arguably easier as just up to Victoria and out, but
probably more expensive than LUL from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Victoria
then surface rail. Time-wise looks about the same. Any thoughts? Any
cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into town?

You're flying from the other side of the planet on an 18-24 hour flight
which likely costs £600+, and you're worried about saving 20 minutes and/or
£5?

Five years ago I flew KLM from Australia to Heathrow Terminal 4. At
Singapore I heard a boarding call for the QANTAS flight to Heathrow.
Despite my having to hang around Amsterdam airport for a couple of hours
while I changed planes, by the time I reached Heathrow T4 tube station
I'd caught up with several people from that flight. This was mainly due
to them saving cash by waiting until 0930 before they caught the
train...

So what time you get there is really just as important as what route you
take, if you take the train. I suspect there's also a bus alternative
BICBW.

"Roy Stilling" wrote in message
.. .
Marty wrote:

Travelling from New Zealand to London later in the year, need to get to
Chatham upon arrival, and have the choice of flying to either Heathrow
or Gatwick. Gatwick arguably easier as just up to Victoria and out, but
probably more expensive than LUL from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Victoria
then surface rail. Time-wise looks about the same. Any thoughts? Any
cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into
town?

We live in Gillingham, next door to Chatham, and prefer Gatwick
because of the ease of the transfer at Victoria. In theory you can
travel Gatwick - Chatham via Redhill, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood and
Strood avoiding London altogether, but this would require changes at
all those places and would take ages.

If going via Gatwick you have a choice between the Gatwick Express,
which is non-stop to London, and the Southern local services, many of
which only stop once or twice between Gatwick and London. The local
trains cost 2/3 of the Gatwick Express fare. However, if you have
lots of luggage, you may find the Gatwick Express worth the extra
money as it has plenty of luggage space which the local trains don't.

Just buy a Standard Day Single via London and AFAIK you can use this on the
Gatwick Express. One thing I've found is some cheap tickets bought at
Victoria state "Not Gatwick Express". However, when travelling on a through
ticket, Gatwick Express staff had no problems with my tickets - Saver
Returns and Business Savers. I even had a Standard Day Single from
Dartford - Haywards Heath and I travelled on the Gatwick Express. Or maybe I
was just lucky?

Marcus

Any
cross-country way to get from Gatwick to Chatham avoiding going into town?

You may be able to find a way of doing it changing at just
Redhill/Tonbridge and Strood, but I don't think there'll be too many
trains a day doing this.

Roy Stilling writes:
If going via Gatwick you have a choice between the Gatwick Express,
which is non-stop to London, and the Southern local services, many of
which only stop once or twice between Gatwick and London. The local
trains cost 2/3 of the Gatwick Express fare. ...

Really? What are the current fares? Some years ago it was more like
9/10, not 2/3.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "Anyone who can handle a needle convincingly can make
| us see a thread which is not there." --E.H. Gombrich