My husband and I are going to Ireland for a week in March. On the returning flight to the U.S., we have an overnight layover in London. We arrive at Gatwick at 9:50 PM and depart the next mornin
My husband and I are going to Ireland for a week in March. On the returning flight to the U.S., we have an overnight layover in London. We arrive at Gatwick at 9:50 PM and depart the next morning at 9:30 AM. We have booked a room for the Gatwick Hilton since it is the only attached hotel to the airport. However, we have never been to London before and it seems a shame to sleep through our visit. We will have plenty of time to sleep on the plane back to the states the next day.
We were wondering what might be a good plan, once we get our bags deposited at the hotel, to see some sights and then have time for a quick nap and shower before departing the next morning. We know NOTHING about transportation, city layout, what may be closed, areas that would be fine to walk in at night vs. those that you might regret walking thru :)
We are complete novices - so any help from those of you familiar with London would be appreciated. Also, it would be good to bear in mind that we will be on a budget so a $300 taxi ride around the city may not be the best suggestion. :)
It may be a lost cause, and maybe we should just sleep - but there are so many beautiful sites there I think it would be tragic not to see any of London before our return. May be just wishful thinking on my part tho. I would love opinions of those of you who are in the know!! Thanks
Probably not very practical. Gatwick is 30 miles south of the centre of London. Travel by road is over an hour, by express train 30 minutes.
Arriving ay 21:50, you would be very lucky if you were able to catch the 22:50 train, arriving London Victoria at 23:20. The next scheduled train would arrive at 23:52.
I suppose you could get a taxi at Victoria station and ask the driver to give you a tour past Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, through Trafalgar Square and/or Piccadilly Circus to St Paul's cathedral and the Tower of London, then returning you to Victoria for a train back to Gatwick. There are trains at 00:30, 01:00, 02:00, etc.
Thanks! We may try it, practical or not! :) I'll share the info with my husband and we will decide. Months away so who knows? Thanks so much for the help!
Call the airline and see what it would take to take an outbound flight two or three days later.
If you are arriving into London and departing with the same airline, sometimes there is some flexibility with a forced layover; you do not have to take the next flight out.
If you are traveling in and out on different airlines, it is still worth asking what might be involved in flying out on another date. If there are costs, it will be a lot less than another trip to London in the future.
I agree with TravelandNature! If you have your heart set on it so much you'll figure a way to do it! It would also be a better experience then trying to rush through all the sites at night and just drive past them.
See if you can stay a few days longer and really enjoy it!
Time is an issue since I only have a set amount off work, otherwise I would definitely try that! We are going to watch next weeks "The Layover" and see if we can pick up some pointers from Bourdain. Thanks for all the help!
Go! What do you have to lose besides a bit of sleep? You have two train options -- the more expensive Gatwick Express to Victoria Station or the cheaper First Connect (Bedford, way north of London, is the final station) -- get off at Blackfriars, walk to St. Paul's, take the pedestrian bridge over the Thames to the Tate Modern and walk along the Thames to the bridge that takes you back over the river to Embankment, walk some more into the Covent Garden area ... I bet there will still be lots of people about. It's safe. If you're a big walker, you can walk to Buckingham Palace via Leicester Square, Picadilly Circus and St. James' Palace; otherwise cab it.
I agree with Ron W's statement: not practical. If you were going into and out of Heathrow, you're not all that far from Windsor, which is a charming town.
Thanks centraljersey- that is exactly what I was thinking. Who cares about losing a little sleep or how practical it is - it's London and I would love to see it - even if is walking late or through a taxi window. These maps will be most helpful!!
Ea la spada - thanks for the webiste - sounds like their situation is very similar to ours!
I'm with Jersey on this one. London is a great experience. Piccadilly Circus and Leceister Square are great places to be at any time of the day. I can write to a few of my friends there and see if they have any ideas on what would be the best way for you to get there. If you're not planning on sleeping, I would suggest giving up your room and just checking your bags all the way through to the US so you don't have to leave them at the hotel. That would free up a few extra dollars for shopping. I will keep you posted.
Wow! Thanks Debz! That would be a HUGE help to have some info from someone who lives there! I will keep checking back to see if you have recieved any word from them. We really appreciate that!!
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I had a forced layover in Chicago about two years ago and stayed up all night. It was a blast.....and I'm in my 50's!
Check your luggage all the way through, cancel the hotel, and plan on being out all night. Wander the streets, and stop in at pubs. We went from pub to pub and just talked and walked. Great fun! If the only problem seems to be getting downtown from the airport, I would splurge and take a cab. You can take public transport back to the airport in the morning.
!!
