How Long Through Gatwick?
 

I know its a but rubbish to be thinking about coming home before we've even got to our 60 day FP window but...

We land at Gatwick at 6.55am on the Thursday after half term. We are travelling by rail and advance tickets are being released for our return journey.

Can you kind folks who have flown into Gatwick before please advise how long roughly it takes to get through immigration collect baggage etc.

I don't want to book a train at Lunchtime if I really don't need to, but I don't want to book onto an early train if we've no realistic chance of catching it...

Thanks for your help...

We have always found LGW fairly efficient for the arrival immigration. We transfer to Glasgow so don’t collect bags but immigration is usually quick. That’s probably not much help, sorry!

Tends to be pretty quick in our experience, say 40 mins after getting off the plane.

We have done it lots of times and from landing to out of the airport usually within the hour. Obviously factor in that your flight might be running late, there can be delays getting onto a stand, delays getting through passport control should flights land immediately ahead of you, and even delays collecting the luggage.

Last September I was off the plane at 7.10 am and on a train at 8.30. That included getting the monorail from north to south terminal. So pretty quick.

Our plane landed at 10.10 (later than the 9.30 expected arrival due to storms). We managed to get our cases, all get changed in toilets and make our earlier train at 11.35. We only had a few people on our flight though (the plane was almost empty!), so customs and luggage was quick.

We transfer through Gatwick a lot even if we have to collect bags on the way home it’s 40 mins to an hour
But on the way out not collecting bags or on the way home not collecting bags they are on a through transfer
Having to get off do immigration and then do security again a flipping nightmare at times as bad as MCO as you have to exit walk miles well it seems like take after a9 hour flight go back through security
Even changing from the Glasgow flight it’s a nightmare as off the plane on a bus walk miles stairs after stairs or one tiny lift then miles elevator another walk and stairs or lift or escalator then security again
As noflight connections at BA terminal a right flipping pain at times

if you land at 6:55am, I'd not be looking at booking a train for anything before 8am - possibly 8:30am to give a slight time safety-cushion. All you need is a delay in Orlando or baggage container jamming on the aircraft delaying baggage offload at Gatwick and you're stuffed.

Rather than looking at a specific train (which is always the cheapest option), it may be worth investigating what time the cheaper train fares start to kick in. Assuming the OP will need to head towards London - the Gatwick Express takes half an hour & local stopping services will obviously take longer. This makes any departure from Gatwick after say 8:15am useless to a commuter who needs to be at their desk in London for 9am. This might be reflected in the fares (or might not!).

Or, if the cheap fares kick in at say 9:30am, book the first available train after that time (which you'll more than likely make) and have a decent breakfast somewhere at the airport in the arrivals area after customs to kill time. I know all you'll want to do is get home though after the overnight journey back.