Getting from LGW to Edinburgh (and back) in October - Options

Have them meet you in London?

What time is the plane arriving? Sleeper to Edinburgh may be an option as you can get your own cabin. Normal train is doable but after being on a plane for 8 hours I don't think I'd fancy being on a train for another 4 hours.

Alternative is to hire a car and drive.

Edit: Possibly need to take into account that lots of rail strikes have been happening recently. Don't know if they'll go into October.

Driving you're looking at circa 8 hours.

Train. No contest. And it’s a nice journey.

Also, I wouldn’t try to squeeze a child into hand luggage, something is bound to go wrong.

Are you flying to LGW then need to go straight to EDI or are you going into London first to stay then needing to fly? If the former I would just jump on a domestic flight. You are already there and there's plenty of flights available, takes just over an hour. If it's the latter you could take the train or you could fly from the nearest airport. You can get decent weekday flight options from London City if your closer to the centre of town.

If you're already booked for the transatlantic part it's too late I guess to add on a connecting flight from LGW to Edinburgh? Through-ticketing is preferable just in case your incoming flight is delayed and you miss the onward flight, you could leave a safety margin between flights, but end up having to kill time at LGW, which is no fun (unless you have loads of time spare in which case hop on a train to Brighton for a few pints at the Evening Star... and then get back to LGW for the onward flight).

So if it were me I'd be booking a train to Edinburgh, from KX, though Euston-Edinburgh (Avanti West Coast-- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/--is doable too.

Get the Thameslink LGW to KX train (not Gatwick Express), it's cheap and direct-- https://livemap.thameslinkrailway.com/#/TL/mapview

Then enjoy the journey north to Edinburgh (c 5hr) by LNER ( https://www.lner.co.uk/), though watch out for the strike days coming up in the autumn.

If you're at gatwick and hand luggage I would fly. I have done gatwick, city, lhr etc in last few weeks and largely ok.

So in answer to questions:

They're not coming to London. For various reasons I have to get to Edinburgh.

I'm flying WestJet and so through ticketing isn't possible plus I have low confidence in baggage handling...

Flight lands at 11:30am in London.

Keep the ideas coming!!

you can get directly from gatwick to kings cross/st pancreas on thameslink (probably 1 hour, fairly miserable commuter train) then from there up to edinburgh (probably 6 hours?), but its easiest just to fly. Easyjet are direct I think, and probably 3 or 4 flights per day. You want to allow a big window if you're self-connecting as if your first flight is late, you're on your own. easyjet will let you on a later flight but the £110 fee per person is punchy. Book a lounge and have a sit-down

I fly EDI-LGW return a fair bit and it's largely painless. I'd take that, especially with a check in bag, in preference to train of any type. LGW to Kings Cross is going to take an hour at best, then the fastest train to Edinburgh is 4:22. The sleeper is an option, but it's expensive and you'll still have to get to Euston.

Easyjet to EDI would be my advice.

I you're already at Gatwick, just fly to Edinburgh.

Luggage can always follow 🙂

All else being equal if I was doing this I'd prefer the train because (imho obviously) it's a much more pleasant way of getting about, plus the carbon impact of domestic flights. The previous suggestion of going Gatwick -> London St. Pancras, then London Kings Cross -> Edinburgh is also how I'd do it. I reckon probably a journey of roughly 6 hours (hour into London, hour for the changeover to allow for faff even though the stations are right next to each other, then four hours to Edinburgh) so not the quickest though.

I can imagine the London -> Edinburgh train ticket being a fair bit pricier than the equivalent flight though.

You are at LGW. You will need to catch the Gatwick Express to Victoria and then Northern Line to Kings Cross with all your luggage for the train. I'd just fly from LGW. I've been through there a few times recently (and that's summer hols time) and it's much better than LHR at the moment. Also probably cheaper than the train with EZY.

Adding to the fly camp. Even with the baggage collection factored in it will be way quicker than getting up to London to get the train.

plus the carbon impact of domestic flights

I’m shocked at the number of people who would choose to fly. Surely the time has come to stop all domestic flights.

I’d fly TBH. I think the chances are the airport situation will be significantly better come October.

You are at LGW. You will need to catch the Gatwick Express to Victoria and then Northern Line to Kings Cross with all your luggage for the train.

you don't. as above, there are direct trains from gatwick to kings cross.

Far enough in advance you stand a reasonable chance of a decent price first class train ticket.
I would go for that. Easy trip from gatwick to Kings Cross and then pig out in the 1st class lounge/on the train.

gauss1777
Free Member

plus the carbon impact of domestic flights

I’m shocked at the number of people who would choose to fly. Surely the time has come to stop all domestic flights.

You mean people who actually need to get from A to B in a reasonable timescale without hanging around for our totally non integrated transport system to get them around don't you?

I'm getting the overnight sleeper to London tonight, but only because it let's me see the kids to bed before heading off. I'm flying home tomorrow night, to see them before they go to bed. This journey is not achievable using other means. Sorry but the "no flying" mindset just doesn't work a lot of the time.

And before anyone preaches about the duration of my stay, don't.

In response to the OP. Just fly, it's way less hassle than the trip into central London and back out again.

You mean people who actually need to get from A to B in a reasonable timescale without hanging around for our totally non integrated transport system to get them around don’t you?

I’m getting the overnight sleeper to London tonight, but only because it let’s me see the kids to bed before heading off. I’m flying home tomorrow night, to see them before they go to bed. This journey is not achievable using other means. Sorry but the “no flying” mindset just doesn’t work a lot of the time.

Yes, people who use the excuse ‘need to’, for arguably questionable reasons. The option with least hassle, is not necessarily the best way to choose.

Just fly.

Train.

Station right there at LGW direct to St Pancras, cross the road from St Pancras to Kings Cross, Direct trains to Edinburgh.

Flights might be cheaper, but who knows what's going to be happening with them by then.

Timetable will have changed a bit by October but looking at direct trains from Gatwick to Kings Cross there is one about every 10 minutes. More often if you want to change.
http://traintimes.org.uk/Gatwick+airport/Kings+cross/12:00/today/changes=0

As above not the Gatwick Express as it costs double and goes to the wrong side of London.
We've done train from Gatwick to NE England (same train as to Edinburgh) with big ski bags and was pretty easy. I'd use that route again.

Unless you are planning a tour definitely don't drive it. V. Long way and the East coas t main train line is pretty quick, particularly after the joy of a long haul flight.

Train and two together railcard. This far out you should be able to get a cheap deal on the tickets.

Truly shocking the number of people suggesting the train.

If they really were living the green life they would be walking.