Gatwick -Harpenden-Gatwick

[lotta72]

Ok, Now I am confused: When going to Harpenden from Gatwick Airport, you just go straight, without having to chainge to the tube or such. Just 1 train, all the way.
But when going back, from Hrpenden to gatwick, i have to change from train, to tube, and again to train. How come?
Example of return:

TRAIN: 14:56 Harpenden to London St Pancras International 15:24
TUBE: 15:24 London St Pancras International to London Bridge 16:09
TRAIN: 16:12 London Bridge to Gatwick Airport.

Is this the only alternativ or anyone with other ideas.

 

[FGW_Lad]

Ok, Now I am confused: When going to Harpenden from Gatwick Airport, you just go straight, without having to chainge to the tube or such. Just 1 train, all the way.
But when going back, from Hrpenden to gatwick, i have to change from train, to tube, and again to train. How come?
Example of return:

TRAIN: 14:56 Harpenden to London St Pancras International 15:24
TUBE: 15:24 London St Pancras International to London Bridge 16:09
TRAIN: 16:12 London Bridge to Gatwick Airport.

Is this the only alternativ or anyone with other ideas.

Depends when your going, if you are going Mondays-Fridays you'll get a direct train, if you travel at weekends you're more likely have to change at London Bridge for the tube to St Pancras.

All to do with the Thameslink Programme works.

 

[transmanche]

In general, there are no Thameslink trains running through central London at nights or at weekends because of the Thameslink Programme.

 

[Firestarter]

when are you traveling?

 

[yorkie]

Ok, Now I am confused: When going to Harpenden from Gatwick Airport, you just go straight, without having to chainge to the tube or such. Just 1 train, all the way.
But when going back, from Hrpenden to gatwick, i have to change from train, to tube, and again to train. How come?
Example of return:

TRAIN: 14:56 Harpenden to London St Pancras International 15:24
TUBE: 15:24 London St Pancras International to London Bridge 16:09
TRAIN: 16:12 London Bridge to Gatwick Airport.

Is this the only alternativ or anyone with other ideas.

I am going to guess that you are travelling on a Saturday with engineering works (a quick look at today's timetable shows a 14:56 Harpenden to St Pancras) and that means that Thameslink trains are not going through central London.

You didn't state your ticket type, but I looked up Gatwick to Harpenden, and the only route is +Any Permitted. This means that you can, if you wish, go to Victoria instead of London Bridge.

If you do not want to use a tube (I know some people don't like deep level tube lines due to either claustrophobia, or the escalators, or whatever reason), you could use the Circle Line (London Underground but not a tube) to Embankment which is a short walk from Charing Cross, or to Victoria. However that would extend the journey time compared to taking a tube.

If you wish to go on foot, that is permitted, although the shortest walk would be around 2 miles.

If you wish to go by bus, you would need to pay an additional fare for the bus, as buses are not included in cross-London transfers. The 73 goes to Victoria, and the 17 goes to London Bridge.

A TfL hire bike is another possibility, and the final possibility I can think of (which is worth considering if there's a group of you) would be taxi.

 

[radamfi]

If you wish to go by bus, you would need to pay an additional fare for the bus, as buses are not included in cross-London transfers. The 73 goes to Victoria, and the 17 goes to London Bridge.

You may cross London on certain routes for free:

At weekends tickets will also be accepted on the following London Bus services:

- Route 17: St Pancras Intl - London Bridge
- Routes 45, 63, N63: St Pancras Intl - Blackfriars - Elephant & Castle

- Route P5: Elephant & Castle - Loughborough Junction
- Route 68: Elephant & Castle - Herne Hill - Tulse Hill

 

[lotta72]

we are planning to go back to Gatwick, the 1st May, so it is as you all say: a weekend. For how long will this be going on? Is it for ever or will there be direct lines later on this year? (we are going several times to Harpenden and return in the next 2 years, from an Gatwick/ Stansted or Hethrow), and when I saw that there were a direct line from Gatwick, this was my choice.

 

[radamfi]

we are planning to go back to Gatwick, the 1st May, so it is as you all say: a weekend. For how long will this be going on? Is it for ever or will there be direct lines later on this year? (we are going several times to Harpenden and return in the next 2 years, from an Gatwick/ Stansted or Hethrow), and when I saw that there were a direct line from Gatwick, this was my choice.

St Pancras to London Bridge is closed almost every weekend (and overnight the rest of the week) and Bank Holidays until 2012.

A list of weekends in the next few months when there is a through service is shown on the National Rail site:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/ene683e02d2b4e4b9c5502631520a508/details.html

Currently it says there will be a cross London service on Sundays 27 March, 3 April and 17 April.

 

[lotta72]

Super thanks'!