Is it a pain to change airports in London?

Hi!

I am trying to book flights to Europe and found one that I really like, but it would involve a layover with airport change: We would be flying into London Gatwick and leaving from London Heathrow (or the other way around ). The layover time would be 3 hours.

Does anyone familiar with these airports know if this is a pretty smooth process or something that I should avoid if at all possible? I assume they have some sort of bus service? Also, will our checked luggage be forwarded for us?

I will be traveling with my wife and our 5 year old, so any advice would be appreciated.

Florian

Google is far faster and a better search engine than POTN's collective AI.

http://www.londontoolk​it.com …hrow_gatwick_tr​ansfer.htm

Great link, thanks!

cosworth wrote in post #3636342
Google is far faster and a better search engine than POTN's collective AI.

http://www.londontoolk​it.com …hrow_gatwick_tr​ansfer.htm

Not sure I agree with you there, cosworth....

I live near Heathrow and my sister lives near Gatwick so I have some considerable experience of this journey.

The bus company web site says:
"The National Express service takes around an hour in normal traffic conditions. Airlines recommend you have at least 3 hours between landing at one airport and checking in at the other."

I say: NO WAY.

I don't know what they think is "normal traffic", but at any time between about 6am and 8pm I would say 75-90 minutes for the journey.

Plus you need to allow:
- an hour to pick up your baggage on arrival;
- say 15-30 minutes to even find the bus terminal (Heathrow and Gatwick are BIG!!!);
- another 15 minutes or so if your bus needs to visit the other terminal at your arrival airport before heading off to your departure airport;
- half an hour on the road to allow for delays over and above the normal congestion;
- another 15 minutes or so if your bus needs to visit the other terminal at your departure airport before dropping you off;
- two hours to check in and clear security.

So that comes to... let's see... six hours.

And no, your baggage won't be checked through.

My last time through the needle there I whizzed through there in a nicely constructed bus lane. Didn't take too long.

cosworth wrote in post #3636750
My last time through the needle there I whizzed through there in a nicely constructed bus lane. Didn't take too long.

Heathrow to/from Gatwick? I don't think so, except for the last 1/2 mile into Heathrow. There's a bus lane on the M4 from Heathrow (perhaps the most misunderstood piece of traffic engineering ever created in this country), but it goes in towards Central London, not out onto the M25 orbital.

Gatwick to Heathrow in 3 hours with a 5 year old? - I am with Stewart!!!

You do need to check in at least 1 hr ahead in Heathrow so you only have 2 hours, but it is posible.

If you are travelling into Europe from Heathrow you might be able to book your luggage all the way through - check with the airline. This would help considerably.

The alternatives are: transfer bus; Taxi; Train

The train service is very good. There is a fast train transfer from Gatwick to London, and another from Londonthe Heathrow. You need a Tube journey to join them up. This could take about one and three quarter hours - assuming the tube is running smoothly.

The bus transfer says allow three hours from landing to check in - I would say this is ralistic, although it could be faster - trouble with London orbital motorway is that it is unpredictable.

It is very sensitive to your time of day travelling,
What time do you arrive in Gatwick?

Search google for Gatwick express and Heathrow express to find info on train transfers.

From the BAA Heathrow web site:

"It is advised to check in as early as possible using the guide below:
* Long-haul flights – three hours prior to departure (Including El Al passengers).
* European flights – two hours before departure.
* UK and Ireland flights – 90 minutes prior to departure."

If you are still in the 'trying to book flights' stage you should really just find one that bounces in and out of the same airport. Sure it may save you some money or let you pick a favorite airline, but that is put against the cost of getting from one airport to the other (a cab would be the quickest and most expensive, around 60 pounds, or $120) and the extra time it would add to the journey.

Your current 3 hour layover is pushing your luck if you have to get from LGW to LHR in that time. All it would take is a late landing, traffic jam, extra security or such and you've missed your flight.

Where are you flying to and from?

I've never had to bounce between Heathrow or Gatwick, but that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Baggage would be hell also. I had enough trouble getting my luggage from Delta and American Airlines going to Dulles, Dallas and Atlanta. That's just coming from EITHER Heatrow or Gatwick. I can only imagine the horror of the LGW-LHR switch. Best wishes though.

Thanks for all the information guys, always good to hear some personal experiences which are not found on any website.

The flight I was looking at was Dallas to London Heathrow (arriving mid-morning) and then Gatwick to Berlin/Germany.

But after what you told me I guess it would be advisable to look for a different connection. I am not too keen to make this transfer with my daughter after she has just been on a plane for several hours.

Thanks for your advice!
Florian

I quite often drive the bit of the M25 between Heathrow and Gatwick, well at least half of it. Journey times vary from 1/2 hr to hour and a half even at the same time of day each time!

I flew through Heathrow on BA and spent 2 hours just changing terminals . . .

M25 - Londons orbital car park !