[Closed] M1 to Gatwick travel time?

Yep, about 5 hours. Traffic and roadworks will not be friendly.

Took the OH 4 hours to do Nott'm to Farnborough this morning.

Oh, flippin' heck - looks like I'll have to get a new alarm clock! Thank for the info. (I'd forgotten about the 50mph zones on the M1).

better to be earlier and have a leisure stroll thru the Terminal than...

That bit of the M25 can be a shocker! And on a Friday...
5hrs doesn't sound unreasonable from up there, and much less stressful If you are an hour or so early.

I'd consider staying over the night before.

Find a hotel with a parking deal and stay the night before. No point starting a holiday stuck in a traffic jam and stressed.

I think that 5am is not unreasonable. Frequently you will be queuing from Maple Cross to past the M3 junction on the M25. Also factor in the queues on the M1 in the morning too.

I'm often going the opposite way from junction 9 to Nottingham and the traffic is horrendous.

Work colleague went Northampton to Gatwick last week, left at 9am (so after rush hour), was checking in at airport just before 1pm and that included getting to off site parking, bus to terminal etc so given he is already a good hour and a half further south and apparently 'flew down no real hold ups' (he won't have gone over 70 at all knowing him) I'd say 5 hours door to check in is about right/pushing it a little at that time

It really is a pig of a journey, especially with M1 roadworks at the mo
186 miles Chesterfield to Gatwick, you will be lucky to average 40/50mph at that time in the morning so that's around 4 hours before you factor in the faff of parking, transfers to terminal etc

You may also be better at that time going M1, A43 (or even M69 if roadworks around Coventry are finished?), M40 to skip the worst of the M1/M25

Hitting the M25 at rush hour with a plane to catch?

I'd be going down the night before.

Though if not possible follow your wife's advice and be on the road at 0500hrs. If you turn up early just have a relaxing breakfast and read the paper.

Hmm, the hotel with parking idea sounds appealing (ta for the suggestion), I'm going to look into that.

Chesterfield Station 6:15
Gatwick airport 9:44
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/chesterfield-to-gatwick-airport/24-aug-2015/0600

We've stayed at the Ibis Gatwick before and it was good value, close to the airport and the food in the bar was perfectly adequate.

Premier Inn at Gatwick is often £39 - quiet too, and easier than 5am and stressing

If my missus can wangle an early finish from work, I think we'd be better off staying over - we've had a couple of last minute panics before, and they were awful. I guess there wouldn't be too much of a problem with us taking our Evoc bike bags into the hotel(?):)

I often have to get the Heathrow (from Brighton), so going passed Gatwick...
Shortest - 1 hr 10 mins
Longest 3 hours

Last year I was going up to MK every other week , leaving Monday, coming back Thursday evening ( so Gatwick would be - 30 mins). Shortest (in an 8 month period) 1.hour 55 mins. Longest 4.5 hours

I'd set off at 4am at the latest, and belt it for the first few miles, you could be stuck in an M25 jam for a couple of hours easily. The night before would be worth it for peace of mind.

Google maps on a PC lets you choose time to predict future traffic when you do routing.
Most of the hotels round here do park and fly deals that can work out cheaper than paying for parking. Avoid the Europa, according to trip advisor it won the dirtiest hotel in the UK three years running.

Hitting Luton any time after 6:45 will result in a long 40mph drive all the way to past the M3.
Get to Junc. 11 of the M1 before 6.30am, and you'll be fine, it'll slow down a little around Heathrow to the M3 at 7am, but traffic is usually flowing.

An alternative may be to spear off the M1 and go across the M69 or A43 to the M40. Then down to the M25. From Chesterfield to High Wycombe takes 2.5 hours. High Wycombe to gatwick can be anywhere from 1 hour to 3 his. Still a pig of a journey like others have said go down the day/night before of possible.

I always use aph.com for airport hotel and parking deals.

I used to live in Crawley, next to Gatwick, now up in Ilkeston. Takes 5 hours most trips down to the in-laws, who are a bit below Gatwick now),rarely less. Record is 9 hours. Twice.

I'd be getting down the night before. Every hotel round Gatwick and Crawley does parking deals.

I used to have a steady stream of friends, family and acquaintances crashing in my spare room and leaving cars on my drive down there, in return for a steady stream of duty free!

Living south of Gatwick I've never done your journey. However, if I have to travel any part of the M25 on a week day, I want to actually be on it by 7am at the latest, or leave it till after 10.

The traffic is typically worse clockwise on the SW corner but you will get delays anticlockwise especially around the M4.

Leave v early and have a drink / breakfast or stop over.

Get the train and stay opposite the airport. I lived in Bromley and wouldn't even consider driving to Gatwick!

Thanks for all the info. Based on what we've read, the Mrs has booked us into a 'boutique' guest house ...heehee....Result! :))

p.s. If we weren't travelling with so much luggage (bike bags, climbing gear etc), I think we'd take the train.

It's not the waterhall hotel is it?
http://www.crawleynews.co.uk/Overwhelmed-owners-Waterhall-Country-Hotel/story-20893970-detail/story.html

I've driven down to Fradley, Dorking etc, a few times for meetings, at that time.
Usually leave Lichfield around 6-6:30.
Would never use the M1, it's a joke.
M40 every time.

HOtel is the right choice.
I do this most weeks at the moment and won't go near the M1 at all.
Up and down - M69, A45, A46, M40 - then for me down the A34 and M3.
I'd still do that but vear off for either the M4, then M25 or go further and cut across from the A34 and pick it up on the M3, M25.
Either way the M1 roadworks are murder - the average every morning is below 30mph south and I haven't had a journey yet where there hasn't been an incident.