London Airports?

[rebeccajo 14]

That works!!

It's the surprise aspect of the idea that I like! Plus I like the way you think.....

Nothing can be simple...

I can see myself lost in London already...

I might have to rethink this and just surprise him in merseyside and call in some help from his mum and pops to help with the surprise and just drive to London with him.

Oh, I don't know....

I think it'd be WAY worth it all to walk up behind him in the line at the Embassy and poke him on the shoulder and ask him if he needs a lift after he's finished....

The poke on the shoulder would be nice while hes in line at the Embassy..

But the more I think about it with mum and pops help in Merseyside, When he gets in from a long day of work on the 7th I could be in his bed getting a poke before his interview on the 8th and we could both be alot more relaxed before the interview Thanks Rebeccajo

Edited November 21, 2006 by rebeccajo

[Lou Lou 1]

I'm a Gatwick fan too. Heathrow is a pain in the ####### and slower to get to central London on public transport. They may have an express train to Paddington but it spends more time sitting on the track than going anywhere, believe me. Victoria to the Embassy is a much cheaper cab ride. I once lived in Maida Vale so know the cab fares like the back of my hand.

Delta has just been added as another International airline into Gatwick, so Gatwick isn't your teeny charter flight airport by any means. US Air are a crappy airline but if you upgrade they have the most fantastic shower rooms when you arrive. Feels great to get back home all clean and refereshed.

[featherB 1]

Heathrow's definitely closest - the Heathrow Express runs every 15 minutes into Paddington (west/central London) and the journey takes something like 14 or 15 minutes (it takes a bit longer to get to and from terminal 4, but I've never flown in or out of terminal 4 when I've been travelling to/from the States). It is the most expensive train journey in the world, apparently - a single ticket is £14.50 (and about £2 more than that if you buy it on the train, but it might be a tiny bit cheaper if you buy it online).

Definitely the quickest way into London - the trains from Gatwick all take 30/40 minutes, but that's still not bad...

You could get the Tube from Victoria (if you fly into Gatwick and get the Gatwick Express) or Paddington (if you fly into Heathrow and get the Heathrow Express - wouldn't advise getting the tube from Heathrow all the way into central London, because it's soooo slow) and save the cab fare - but it would involve changing lines (I think Marble Arch, on the Central Line, is closest to the Embassy) and a bit of walking at the other end, and is therefore probably more hassle than it's worth! A cab from Paddington or Victoria to the Embassy would only cost about £10 - 15, it's really not far at all. And as others have said - a cab from either airport into central London would cost a small fortune!

Edited November 21, 2006 by featherB

[Mags 112]

I'm a Gatwick fan too. Heathrow is a pain in the ####### and slower to get to central London on public transport. They may have an express train to Paddington but it spends more time sitting on the track than going anywhere, believe me. Victoria to the Embassy is a much cheaper cab ride. I once lived in Maida Vale so know the cab fares like the back of my hand.

Delta has just been added as another International airline into Gatwick, so Gatwick isn't your teeny charter flight airport by any means. US Air are a crappy airline but if you upgrade they have the most fantastic shower rooms when you arrive. Feels great to get back home all clean and refereshed.

Delta has been flying into Gatwick North for a while. Flies into/from Altlanta and Cincinnati.

I have used them to fly to Cincinnati a couple of times. Excellent service.

[missy_antha 0]

Mags when are your two cats flying with Delta and taking you and your son as carry on?

Are you flying from Gatwick?

[featherB 1]

I live in Maida Vale now!

I've obviously been lucky with the Heathrow Express because it's always run perfectly on time when I've used it - and so it should, considering how much they charge you for the privilege of travelling on the damned thing!

But thinking about it, for anyone trying to get into Central London rather than anywhere north/west/anywhere else, it really doesn't make that much difference whether you fly into Gatwick or Heathrow... the Gatwick Express is only a tiny bit of a longer journey than the Heathrow Express, and Paddington/Victoria are both only going to be a short cab ride to the Embassy - not much in it at all. And Gatwick in itself is less hassle as a airport than Heathrow - going to Heathrow always seems to involve vast amounts of walking, because it's so huge, and it's not as easy to find your way around than Gatwick.

So I'd say... just go with whichever flight is cheapest/most convenient - the journey at the other end will be easy!

I'm a Gatwick fan too. Heathrow is a pain in the ####### and slower to get to central London on public transport. They may have an express train to Paddington but it spends more time sitting on the track than going anywhere, believe me. Victoria to the Embassy is a much cheaper cab ride. I once lived in Maida Vale so know the cab fares like the back of my hand.

Delta has just been added as another International airline into Gatwick, so Gatwick isn't your teeny charter flight airport by any means. US Air are a crappy airline but if you upgrade they have the most fantastic shower rooms when you arrive. Feels great to get back home all clean and refereshed.

Yeah, Delta always seem to have much cheaper deals than anything you can get flying from Heathrow, so I've flown with them from Gatwick a few times... and I'm impressed that they do have the UK's one-and-only daily flight to Cincinnati - hooray for Delta! I've been travelling to/from Columbus up 'til now, so have always had to get connecting flights... but now (ever since Fiance was informed the other week that his office is moving), it's going to be Cincinnati. He's not keen on flying and especially hates the little commuter planes that are unavoidable when travelling to/from Columbus, so he was sooooo happy when I told him he'll be able to avoid all that by just flying here direct from Cincinnati.

Oops - sorry, didn't mean to derail this thread with my ramblings!

Delta has been flying into Gatwick North for a while. Flies into/from Altlanta and Cincinnati.

I have used them to fly to Cincinnati a couple of times. Excellent service.

[Mags 112]

Mags when are your two cats flying with Delta and taking you and your son as carry on?

Are you flying from Gatwick?

Yup I am flying from Gatwick North to Cincinnati with Delta on the 8th December. Yes, the cats are taking my son and I as carry on luggage....

Edited November 21, 2006 by mags

[featherB 1]

Mags when are your two cats flying with Delta and taking you and your son as carry on?

Are you flying from Gatwick?

Yup I am flying from Gatwick North to Cincinnati with Delta on the 8th December. Yes, the cats are taking my son and I as carry on luggage....

[no name 1]

Delta has just been added as another International airline into Gatwick, so Gatwick isn't your teeny charter flight airport by any means. US Air are a crappy airline but if you upgrade they have the most fantastic shower rooms when you arrive. Feels great to get back home all clean and refereshed.

Delta has been flying into Gatwick North for a while. Flies into/from Altlanta and Cincinnati.

I have used them to fly to Cincinnati a couple of times. Excellent service.

Use that Cincy-Gatwick flight quite often - have since 2003 - not recently as implied above.

Gatwick is HEAPS EASIER & I will not do Heathrow.

[Lou Lou 1]

Delta has just been added as another International airline into Gatwick, so Gatwick isn't your teeny charter flight airport by any means. US Air are a crappy airline but if you upgrade they have the most fantastic shower rooms when you arrive. Feels great to get back home all clean and refereshed.

Delta has been flying into Gatwick North for a while. Flies into/from Altlanta and Cincinnati.

I have used them to fly to Cincinnati a couple of times. Excellent service.

Use that Cincy-Gatwick flight quite often - have since 2003 - not recently as implied above.

Gatwick is HEAPS EASIER & I will not do Heathrow.

Sorry folks, it's the new route of JFK-LGW that's the big news from Delta. I don't diddle with the mid-west routes to know they already have one for years. Oops.

We're all in agreement that LGW is the way to go. Stress free.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

You know, this argument about which is "closest" is silly because it all depends on where in London you are heading. If you are heading to Victoria or Liverpool Street, Heathrow sure isn't going to feel "closer"

[fozzie 41]

You know, this argument about which is "closest" is silly because it all depends on where in London you are heading. If you are heading to Victoria or Liverpool Street, Heathrow sure isn't going to feel "closer"

Yes true, but everyone on this thread is talking about getting to central london and the US embassy in particular. So Heathrow.

[no name 1]

You're right, it is a silly argument - yet everyone jumped in.

It boils down to personal preference.

If flying into Gatwick saves me 30 minutes in Customs & various other Heathrow NIGHTMARES, yet takes 15 mins more to get to Victoria, it's worth it to me.

-diddling in the midwest

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

i assume the OP isn't insane and won't be taking her jetlagged self and suitcases straight from the airport to the embassy -- pick a hotel first! then we can argue about which airport works best -- if it is in, say, Victoria or Kings Cross, Gatwick will be easier

[Mags 112]

I wasn't aware this was an argument...thought we were just debating our personal preferences and experiences with the airports in general.

From Kelle's earlier post I think she is now going to travel up to her fiance, have some rumpy pumpy the night before ( ) and then travel down to London for the interview the following day.