Gatwick Airport - Sheffield

[j_walker1804]

Hi all,

I'm arriving into Gatwick Airport at 1630 on Friday 10/2 and need to get back home to Sheffield.

I've purchased (through Scotrail) an advance for a very reasonable £26.40

That priced ticket was for the 1840 Thameslink to STP (1933) and then the 1955 EMT HST home.

In the terms of the ticket it states that the ticket is valid for specified trains only and for EMT and connecting trains only - does that mean I'm able to get an earlier train from Gatwick (Gatwick Express?) and then use my oyster up to STP?

Cheers!

 

[Harpers Tate]

Not about ticket validity - I'll leave that to others - but in terms of logistics, I'd always use Thameslink through to St P. in preference to anything involving the tube. Easier (esp with luggage) and less things to go wrong....

 

[Timrud]

+1 on Thameslink, I do Sheffield to St Pancras every week.

 

[yorkie]

I recommend changing at St Pancras to avoid the deep tube Victoria line.

Next time, if you specify via: VIC, the booking engines should give you an itinerary that way. GTRs fast "Southern" branded trains have an Advance quota so you may want to avoid these. (Trainsplit allows you to increase the minimum interchange time if this happens; progressively increase this if necessary to ensure a non-reservable GTR "Gatwick Express" train is included in the itinerary)

Providing the itinerary doesn't include any of the company's longer distance "Southern" trains with a quota, you won't get a reservation coupon for Gatwick to London. This leaves you unquestionably free to take any appropriate train en route.

I personally don't see why it matters whether your itinerary suggets you go via VIC or via STP, as either are appropriate, providing you are at Gatwick in good time and providing your intended trains adhere to the minimum connection time.

The ticket should be routed +EMT & Connections which allows the use of any appropriate connecting train operated by GTR from Gatwick, and a cross-London transfer which can either be made by remaining on a GTR Thameslink service or by London underground.

Providing you don't do anything to invalidate the minimum connection timed, it should be fine.

So the 1836 Gatwick to Victoria would be a valid connection, providing it's running, but a later one wouldn't be. That said, I am not sure I'd want to be asking for assistance at St Pancras if you got delayed and the 1840 ran on time as you may be asked why you didn't follow the itinerary.

 

[j_walker1804]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

The only reason I don't want to do Thameslink in particular is the amount of time it takes (get bored easily and did it last year with luggage and I almost ended up crowning a few pillocks!)

This time it'll just be me and my rucksack which is why I was questioning about using the GatEx and then tube to STP.

So if if read this right, on paper/in theory I should be able to use the GatEx to VIC and then use the ticket/Oyster to STP?

Ta!

 

[Clip]

If you go via Victoria on Gatex then be prepared to waste time at the barrier line there - many stories on here of pax getting grief for trying to use valid tickets there. In all honesty just go on thameslink. Far less hassle and right to where you need to be.

 

[island]

Yes, you won't have a problem with that. If the ticket has the Dagger symbol (like a + but with the bottom line extended) then you can use it on London Underground. Otherwise you have to pay.

However, Thameslink is going to be more convenient. Victoria station is horrid at the moment.

 

[johntea]

When I came back from holiday via Gatwick, I found Thameslink was the least of my post holiday blues as mentioned it directly gets you from the airport to St Pancras and the trains seemed quiet enough that you would get a seat too.

Orlando > Gatwick > St Pancras > Sheffield > Castleford without much sleep was a fun journey, after I got home I hit my bed straight away and even slept right through the sonic boom that occurred that evening!