BA - Heathrow - Gatwick time

[Peacemaker]

I have been looking at flights and BA is coming out at a very good for the fly-drive price if we fly via Manchester. It is £600 more direct from Gatwick. (We live 3 miles from Manchester Airport so would also cost fuel hotel and parking on top of that £600) The price is for October half term and anything from Manchester is at the moment double the cost.

The flights that I am looking at give us just over 5 hour transfer time between the 2 airports, so before I book, would like to get advice if this is this enough time?

Our youngest child will be almost 5 so do not have toddlers to manage.

[AmexVflyer]

Ok, I am assuming this is based on arriving LHR at 0810. and then departing LGW 1325.

If so, remember you have to factor in collecting your bags at LHR - lets say 20 minutes after landing, I wouldn't imagine many passengers actually check bags in. So for arguments sake say you are with bags by 0900 latest.

The day of the week can be a HUGE factor in travel time between LHR and LGW. That great car park known as the M25 as we all know can be a nightmare at the best of times. Whenever we have done LHR to LGW the journey has been 50-60 minutes and that's on a Friday around 1800. On a good day you could be looking at 40-45 minutes. You'll still need to drop your bags at LGW - so factor that in as well, you really want to be there 90-120 minutes prior.

How do you intend on getting between the 2 airports? If by coach then you are dependent on the schedules. My suggestion would be book a car to get you between them. We've used a company called BAtransfer on numerous occasions, never had an issue with them - batransfer

You should be ok, but bear in mind all it takes is for the MAN-LHR to be delayed and your buffer starts coming under pressure.

[disney babe]

Originally Posted by Peacemaker

I have been looking at flights and BA is coming out at a very good for the fly-drive price if we fly via Manchester. It is £600 more direct from Gatwick. (We live 3 miles from Manchester Airport so would also cost fuel hotel and parking on top of that £600) The price is for October half term and anything from Manchester is at the moment double the cost.

The flights that I am looking at give us just over 5 hour transfer time between the 2 airports, so before I book, would like to get advice if this is this enough time?

Our youngest child will be almost 5 so do not have toddlers to manage.

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done it twice, once at 9am and once at 1pm, the 2nd time at 1pm we had less than 2hrs due to delay and made it just in time, transfer took less than 1hr both times

[toonarmani]

Have you priced up flying direct from LGW into Fort Lauderdale? These were very cheap for direct flights and it's a simple drive up to Orlando when you arrive (immigration took us under 20 mins this summer).

[pluto99]

were doing this route and times in August as we got dirt cheap flights and think theres a fair few others doing it too think there will be ample time and booking transfers with ba transfers

[sky13]

5 hour transfer time between landing at Heathrow and departing from Gatwick sounds very doable to me, especially if your first leg is a domestic flight and you don't have to clear immigration at Heathrow!

I've done a 6 hour transfer time between Heathrow and Gatwick twice, but I had to clear immigration at Heathrow as a non-UK/EU citizen which took a fair amount of time. Had plenty of time to spare though and even had time to do some shopping and eat at Gatwick before the flight. Both times I took the National Express bus - it seemed like there was a bus departing every 15 minutes or so so I wasn't too worried about schedules.

Edit to add: don't forget to factor in the cost of the transfer between Heathrow and Gatwick. The National Express journey was quite pricey I felt. Not sure how much Uber or other companies might cost?

[Peacemaker]

Ok thank you all, so I have gone ahead and booked as the price was £2245 for 3 adults and 2 children during half term inc a car, got it even cheaper by moving the holiday by one day back. I don't think we will get a better price. Excited and nervous now.

[jane2211]

We are doing this route in August and we only have 3 hours transfer but flights were very cheap so taking a chance x

[Scottishmam]

I see you've booked already and not sure if you are able to make any changes, but we're doing a similar thing but flying down the night before to stay at gatwick so we have less stress. We have booked a very cheap room in premier inn. It is all on a through ticket although obviously we have to collect luggage at heathrow. We will use gatwick twilight checkin. We were the same - saved £800 pounds by flying indirect

[Sew109]

Anyone who lives along way away from the M25 seems to think the traffic dreadful it’s not great but aside from the bridge it’s not all that bad certainly no worse than the majority of northern cities off the M1 at rush hour. Of course the time of day has a factor but the drive brweneen the two should never take more than two hours unless you are very unlucky which like every route can be the case.