Will be coming into Gatwich, and need something to do during an 8 hour layover. I've never been to London and would like to take in as much as possible.
2006-09-08 06:16:08 · 7 answers · asked by Sugarfoot 2 in Travel ➔ Europe (Continental) ➔ Other - Europe
I had a 10 hours layover in london last year coming from Spain. I took the train to Victoria station. They have a train station in the airport, very convenient. They have many different train companies running on the same tracks. The cheapest and fastest i could fing was a train called "Gatwick express". You can buy tickets on your VISA from a ticket machine, no need to change money. Once you are in Victoria station, look for the schedule for return trains, plan to be back in the airport at least 1.5 hours before departure, calculate your time and go see London! The closest interest point to Victoria (that's why I broght you there) is Buckingham pallace - the queen's residence. It's just a 10 minutes walk. If you still have time, you wanna go Thames waterfront to see the other cool places the other guys are talking about. Ask for direction. You can take the bus, a cab, or you can walk and see everything on your way, but that's gonna be a very long walk (maybe 3 hours). That's what I've done, and it was good because I could sleep better on my flight afterwards. My layover was overnight, so I was walking the historical streets in the dark , really fun. I was taking pictures all the time to surprise my friends back home and to show them I've been in London. :) But don't do that without a map!
2006-09-08 11:30:50 · answer #1 · answered by Zeke 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gatwick is 28 miles south of the center of London....the quickest connection is via the Gatwick Express train services (www.gatwickexpress.com) to Victoria Station. Takes just over 30 minutes. From Victoria, you can walk to Buckingham Palace, St. James's Park, even Westminster Abbey, or connect with the London Underground and bus network. There are even some bus tours that depart from Victoria station.
But DO keep in mind the time you will need to clear arrivals and check back into your departing flight, plus commute to/from London. If, after subtracting all that you have more than 4 hours you can squeeze in a quick look at London. But usually, an 8 hour layover doesn't really give enough time to venture into London....
2006-09-08 10:06:09 · answer #2 · answered by kidstolondon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have not much time, but I suggest to do a tour with the open bus (even 2-3 times, you can use the same ticket ) and you'll see the "must see" places in London.
2006-09-08 07:43:42 · answer #3 · answered by paris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Big Ben Parliment
2006-09-08 06:21:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gatwick isnt really centeral London and by the time you have done passport control and immigration you wont have time to do much.
2006-09-08 06:25:02 · answer #5 · answered by dumplingmuffin 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Westminister!
2006-09-08 16:20:00 · answer #6 · answered by Julia S 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Get drunk at the airport bar.
2006-09-08 09:45:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋