London-Gatwick airport 8 hour layover- things to do?

[rays2001]

My wife and I will be flying from NYC to Barcelona for a Disney Mediterranean cruise. We have one stop at the London-Gatwick airport with an eight hour layover. Is that enough time to leave the airport and see anything in the London area or not? On google maps, it shows an express train from Gatwick Airport Station to Victoria Station in London? Are the trains timely and reliable? Or are there any sites near the airport that would be interesting to see?

 

[aggiedog]

If you don't get good answers here, ask this over on cruisecritic. There's probably a larger percentage of travelers that have gone thru Gatwick there. It's been 20 years since I flew thru Gatwick, so can't help with specifics.

 

[rays2001]

Thanks for the advice, I will try that!

 

[dcassetta]

My wife and I will be flying from NYC to Barcelona for a Disney Mediterranean cruise. We have one stop at the London-Gatwick airport with an eight hour layover. Is that enough time to leave the airport and see anything in the London area or not? On google maps, it shows an express train from Gatwick Airport Station to Victoria Station in London? Are the trains timely and reliable? Or are there any sites near the airport that would be interesting to see?

Eight hours is a long time to spend in the airport, while also not being quite long enough to see much of London. The Gatwick express does run regularly, and takes between 30 and 45 minutes to get to London Victoria. However, there is a significant amount of construction going on right now that will alter the timetables. So you would want to check those carefully are the dates that you're traveling. Upon arriving at the airport, you'll need to clear customs and immigration, and make your way to the South terminal. This is where the left luggage hall is and also where the Gatwick express is located. The area around Victoria station is walkable, you can easily go to Buckingham palace and Green Park, or wander around Belgravia. Also, close to Victoria station is Westminster Cathedral, not the Abbey which is further, and the Cathdral is an interesting example of Byzantine architecture. You'll want to keep an eye your time though, as it's recommended that you are back at the airport three hours before your flight. If you wanted to stay close to Gatwick, the town of Horley is kind of interesting. They have a lot of traditional architecture there.

 

[rays2001]

Eight hours is a long time to spend in the airport, while also not being quite long enough to see much of London. The Gatwick express does run regularly, and takes between 30 and 45 minutes to get to London Victoria. However, there is a significant amount of construction going on right now that will alter the timetables. So you would want to check those carefully are the dates that you're traveling. Upon arriving at the airport, you'll need to clear customs and immigration, and make your way to the South terminal. This is where the left luggage hall is and also where the Gatwick express is located. The area around Victoria station is walkable, you can easily go to Buckingham palace and Green Park, or wander around Belgravia. Also, close to Victoria station is Westminster Cathedral, not the Abbey which is further, and the Cathdral is an interesting example of Byzantine architecture. You'll want to keep an eye your time though, as it's recommended that you are back at the airport three hours before your flight. If you wanted to stay close to Gatwick, the town of Horley is kind of interesting. They have a lot of traditional architecture there.

It sounds like going to London is possible for a couple of hours, unless our first flight is delayed. If we are delayed the option to Horley sounds interesting. Thanks for the detailed response!

 

[Hundredacre]

If you feel confident leaving, do. We have been in a similar situation and did not leave. No fun!