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Cheaper Stopping Trains Between London & Gatwick

Southern Trains A Cheaper Alternative To The Gatwick Express, But Slower And Less Room

Southern Train at Gatwick - Central London Stopping Train

Local train services run by Southern Trains between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria offer a lower cost alternative rail option to the widely marketed Gatwick Express train service. Only you can judge whether it offers better value.

The Southern Trains stopping trains to Victoria use the same rails as the Gatwick Express but are essentially stopping commuter trains. On average taking 10 minutes longer than the Gatwick Express.

None of the Southern Trains start at Gatwick Airport, unlike the Gatwick Express. Trains are routinely crowded, standing room only at commuter peak times and often surprisingly full at other times, even on Sundays. You may have to stand for 45 minutes if you are unlucky.

However frequencies are at least as good as the Gatwick Express which goes every 15 minutes.

In addition to Southern Trains there is also another line from Gatwick that goes through the City Of London, the business area of London run by First Capital. This line goes through London and out the other side without terminating. Its route largely avoids the districts of London where the main attractions and hotel districts are. St Pancras is perhaps the exception, a major budget hotel area and also terminus for the Eurostar trains. This service is also much cheaper than the Gatwick Express.

Clapham Junction is one station that all Southern Trains stop at, this is one of the UK's busiest railway junctions. From here there are frequent trains every couple of minutes to London Waterloo, which is next to the London Eye and may be more convenient than Victoria Station.

Logistics Of Using Southern Train Services From/To Gatwick

At Gatwick Airport the train station is integrated into the South Terminal of the airport. From exiting customs into Gatwick Station is about 100 yards

If you are flying into the North Terminal a free monorail link shuttles between the North and South terminals every few minutes and is free of charge. At the South Terminal its terminus is adjacent to the train station.

At Gatwick Airport station there are lifts and escalators down to the platforms, at Victoria the platforms are at street level.

Southern Train Interiors 4 or 5 seats across

As no Southern Train starts at Gatwick Airport you will have to wait a few minutes for the next train to London and check the departure boards for which of Gatwick's 5 platforms it will arrive on.

At Victoria Station all trains terminate here, but there are 19 platforms so again you will need to search the departures board.

There are no seat reservations on any train from Gatwick, (even on the Gatwick Express). Your ticket is for the journey between Gatwick and Victoria on a schedule of your choice. Ticket types are quite complex, (see below) and any discounted tickets will probably have restrictions on the times of day you can use them.

At Gatwick when a train arrives you just a grab a seat that is available on a first come first serve basis. Luggage is limited to what you can carry, don't expect any assistance. There may be no dedicated luggage racks unlike the Gatwick Express on Southern Trains and only a small parcel shelf above the seats.

If you have luggage you may well be the last one aboard as many passengers will not have luggage and much of the train will already be occupied on arrival.

There may be a small first class compartment at one end of a carriage, probably just two rows where you have a little more room, do not sit in first class if you have a standard ticket even if its standing only in second class - a ticket inspector will come around to check.

Southern Trains Ticketing Fares & Timetables

You can buy tickets on the day at the ticket offices at both Gatwick and Victoria railway stations. All major credit cards are taken. However if you buy on-line not only do you avoid any queues but you have a much. much better chance of getting one of the cheap fares. The very cheapest fares are normally advance single fares bought in advance.

If you live inside the UK you can have them sent to your home address, if you are overseas you can collect them from a dedicated machine at both Gatwick Station and Victoria Station or have them sent to your home address (for a fee).

The three types of tickets are outlined below. At weekends there is a good chance that an off-peak or super off-peak fare will be available, during the week in all probability only the anytime fares. It is rare that an advance purchase ticket is made available on this run.

• Advance Purchase: Buy in advance, sold in limited numbers and subject to availability. These tickets will have restrictions specified when purchasing.

• Off Peak: Buy any time, travel off-peak. The definition of off peak can vary from ticket to ticket. These tickets may require you to travel at specific times of day, days of the week or on a specific route. Where there is more than one Off-Peak fare for a journey, the cheaper fare with more restrictions will be called Super Off-Peak.

• Anytime: Buy any time, travel any time. (the standard ticket). Anytime fares are fully flexible tickets, with no time restrictions on when you can travel. You can make the return journey within one month of the outward journey.

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London - Gatwick Airport Comparison of Fares
Service	Standard Adult Fare*
	One-Way	Return
easyBus To West Brompton	£2-£10	£4-£20
National Express Bus To Victoria	£6.50†	£13.00†
Southern Train To Victoria	£7.50/£14.40~	£15.00/£28.80~
First Capital Train To St Pancras	£10.00	£19.00
Gatwick Express Train (Advance on-line)	£17.75	£31.05
Gatwick Express Train (Purchased at station)	£19.90	£34.90
Saloon/Sedan Car (2 People)	£84	£168
Small Bus (12 People)	£230	£460
* Standard adult ticket. Other promotional fares may appear from time to time. † On-line fare. £1 Booking Fee. ~ Cheapest Off Peak or Advance Purchase Fare/Anytime fares

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Victoria As A Place For Your Accommodation In London

Victoria has a central location n London and is a major hotel district with all grades of accommodation. Victoria is major transport hub and a great base for sightseeing. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive district to stay. Cheaper during working week. If you are flying into Gatwick, the district is a benchmark to beat.

Victoria commands a central location on the fringes of the West End, ( it has two West End theatres). Residents include J.K.Rowling and Google, and of course the Queen has a pad here at Buckingham Palace..

The full breadth of accommodation from cheap and nasty to top of the range. You pay a premium to districts like Kensington and Paddington but much less than West End. Room rates are volatile, but the working week is normally cheaper than at the weekend. Peak weekend months the whole area can be sold out.

Victoria is a major transport hub both for within London and far afield. Many tours start from Victoria, especially day tours out of London. If you are flying into Gatwick this should be one of the districts you check out. Airport buses run to all 4 major London airports and there are direct trains to Gatwick and Dover cruise and ferry port. London's only long distance bus station is at Victoria.

Victoria - What Is The District Like?

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