Expert: David Stewart White - 2/26/2004

Question
Hi, Mr. White: My mother and I are traveling to England in May and I am confused over what would be the most cost efficient travel methods in and out of London. Our itinerary is:

Tues, May 4: 8:15am arrival at Gatwick. Need transportation from Gatwick to Deal (near Dover) or Dover. Do trains travel directly to Deal or would we have to go through London first?

Thurs, May 6: Travel r/trip from Deal to Canterbury (return to Deal same day).

Sun, May 9: Morning departure from Deal to London.

**Would need an Underground Pass for unlimited travel in zone 1 while in London for two days, 5/9 & 5/10. Also, interested in nice, but low cost hotels around Victoria Station.

**Possibly a day trip to Windsor during London stay.

Tues, May 11 - London Victoria to Gatick (10:30am internationl flight - need to arrive at Gatwick at 8:30am).

Is it more economical to purchase point-to-point tickets on the trains or a some form of a BritRail Pass? Does BritRail Pass include London U'ground or does that need to be purchased separately? Finally, does a BritRail Pass include the Gatwick Express?

I hope this isn't too overwhelming!! We are staying with family in Deal which is why we're going back and forth. The train travel schemes are so confusing to someone unfamiliar, so I would love to know any feedback you can provide on what to do, which websites to visit for info, etc. Many, many thanks!

Vickie  

Answer
Hi Vickie,

You do not have to go through London to get from Gatwick to Deal by train (the good news) and there are multiple possible train connections with between 1 and 3 connections required (the so-so news).  But the trip does take 2 hrs 15 minutes to nearly 3 hours (the bad news).  Rather than try to relay details here, I suggest that you visit this website:

   http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

click on "timetables on the net", enter Gatwick as your starting point and Deal as your destination.  "Dover" is "Dover Priory" on this system, I believe.  This should also get you info on other routes . For example, I see very limited service from Deal to Canterbury...so maybe a bus trip is an alternative.   If so, try:

   http://www.nationalexpress.co.uk

This assumes you do not wish to consider renting a car while on your visit. I don't recommend it for travel in metro London though.

Some other thoughts:  the London Transport Visitor Travelcard (and most transport cards) are usually for longer than two days, but you can buy daily passes once in London.  These are good after 9.30 a.m. on weekdays.  

I'm not convinced that you have enough rail segments to warrant a Britrail Pass.  The cheapest option is to purchase lower cost Advanced Purchase point-to-point rail tickets, which can be done through services like Qjump.com and Thetrainline.com.  However, these services usually do not mail tickets outside the UK, so your first journey from Gatwick to Deal would not work.  (other tickets could be sent to the home where you are staying in Deal).  The Britrail passes are not good on the Underground in London.

Your return to the airport from London is probably best done via the Gatwick Express:

  www.gatwickexpress.co.uk

It is expensive, but really the fastest way to get from downtown to Gatwick (which is almost 30 miles south of the city center.)

I don't have a personal recommendation for an inexpensive hotel near Victoria, but you might check this website for reviews by other travelers:

  www.tripadvisor.com

Enter "London hotels victoria rail" as your search criteria.

I hope this information is helpful.  Feel free to check my website:

  www.KidsToLondon.com

and/or email me directly if you have more questions:

  mail@KidsToLondon.com

Regards,

David White