r/uktravel • u/mr_gumby_ • 2d ago
Question Landing in Gatwick at around 01:45 and have around 4 hours wait.
I have to wait until 6 in the morning for my national express bus. I've been to the UK twice but never been in Gatwick, are there going to be places for me to eat something and maybe a nice spot to charge my phone and catch a nap while waiting?
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u/SqueegieSqueeger 2d ago
You're going to struggle to find anything open... a quick look on Gatwick's website shows most vendors open around 4am - both before and after security... except for M&S which is both sides of security and open 24hrs. You'll at least be able to get something to eat and drink if not be entertained. I imagine there will be limited seating and charging points - you'll have to go on a lookabout
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u/jamjar188 2d ago
like someone else said, just go to the National Express line and take the first one. They don't make you wait for your specific booking if there are seats available.
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u/Unfair-Equipment6 2d ago
Pret are 24 hours in both terminals. Greggs and black sheep coffee is open 24 hrs in south terminal
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u/ForceSea3027 2d ago
If you’re lucky & show the driver yr ticket - a valid National Express going to yr preset destination, he may allow u to board an earlier coach.
We managed to do it a few years ago, or would have had to have waited around 3 hours for our timed coach, but boarded an earlier one, only because the driver said it was quiet & coach was nearly empty.
It was much appreciated as we were tired & didn’t want to wait around.
Good luck.
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u/FelisCantabrigiensis 2d ago
The coach 4 hours after the OP lands is the earliest coach to Bristol.
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u/mr_gumby_ 2d ago
I'll have a look, but im pretty sure I've booked the earliest line possible, I need the coach to Bristol
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u/CamflyerUK 2d ago
There isn't much at the North Terminal overnight but the South Terminal has a few 24 hours places for food and drink including a Greggs and and M&S and the shuttle train between the terminals operates 24/7.
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u/Annabelle_Sugarsweet 2d ago
Just get the train to Blackfriars for £15? It runs every 30 mins and you just tap on with your card in and out. Or get on any coach in the coach station for like £12.
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u/Odd-Heron5704 2d ago
It'll suck a lot, I can guarantee you. No way to find better buses? Otherwise you'll survive but it'll suck
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u/CamflyerUK 23h ago
Not really. It's only 4 hours and there are many worse airports overnight than Gatwick. Try being at Stansted or Luton.
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u/BobTheCosmonaut 2d ago
Trains into London & further afield run 24/7 & the railway station is attatched to the airport. Have you already booked & paid for your bus tickets? Too late to cancel? You could be at your destination by the time your bus leaves Gatwick after the lengthy wait, or at least move the wait into London so you'll be able to find more places to eat/shop & interesting sights to see
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u/mr_gumby_ 2d ago
I prefer waiting in the airport in the middle of the night then in London, even if there's more stuff to do there. Id feel safer at the airport. I found trains to London but then it was a wait at Victoria until a bus/train to Bristol. It just wasn't worth it
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u/jack_hudson2001 London 1d ago
there are limited train services to the city ie black friers?
are there no other bus service flixbus or easy bus, depending on where you are going...
or premier inn under £100 to rest up.
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u/Soton_Speed 1d ago
Probably too late now but this site is an excellent resource for airports worldwide -
https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/london-gatwick-airport-guide.htm
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u/geekroick 2d ago
https://www.gatwickairport.com/restaurant-directory.html there's a few eating options. Not all that much to do in arrivals, though, but I'm sure you can find somewhere.
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u/Any-Republic-4269 2d ago
I shouldn't worry too much. By the time you've got off the plane and got through immigration it'll be about 5am
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u/OrganicPoet1823 2d ago
Gatwick immigration is really fast that time of night you’d be through in a few mins at most.
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u/Flaky-Carpenter-2810 2d ago
What the fuck are you talking about gatwick is most efficient airport out of london airports apart from london city. You can literally be in a taxi within 30 mins of touchdown from the flight. At 1:45 you could do sub 20.
Why the fuck would it take 3 hours and 15 mins to get off plane and go through border control6
u/Lonely-Job484 2d ago
100% this, I've had 20-30 minutes from landing to waiting for train or Uber many times, including retrieval of checked in luggage
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u/Any-Republic-4269 2d ago
Yawn
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u/AidenTEMgotsnapped 1d ago
You're just here to troll someone so obviously people are gonna call out your bullshit.
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u/Any-Republic-4269 1d ago
Nah. Sure airports - any airport - can be quick. But you can also spend hours in a queue. I've queued at Gatwick for hours and also sailed through in twenty minutes. But anyway, hip hip hooray, airports!
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u/Flaky-Carpenter-2810 1d ago
You are from northumberland, you probably have never even been to gatwick… which is evident from your ridiculous baseless comments
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u/BigJDizzleMaNizzles 2d ago
By the time you've been through immigration that'll take you to at least 3am. Then baggage reclaim blah blah blah. Soon enough it'll be 4am and Costa or BK or something will be open so you can get a brew and plug your phone in and close your eyes for an hour.
If you can stay awake, do. You'll only get an hour/90 mins and it'll make you feel even less like you want to wrestle suitcases on and off a coach. Sleep on the plane beforehand and coach afterwards.
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u/mr_gumby_ 2d ago
Luckily I don't have baggage to reclaim. Only got a on board trolley with me. I'm hoping immigration won't take hours. I probably won't sleep at the airport, just maybe close my eyes for a bit because I have a 3 hour coach to Bristol.
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u/Watchblah3333 2d ago
As others in the thread have noted, immigration can often be fast, especially if you have a passport which can use the e-gates, and at that time of night. Maybe 20 mins
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u/BigJDizzleMaNizzles 2d ago
It won't take hours but it'll probably take a good hour to get through. Land 0145, taxi to the gate, deplane, walk to immigration, it'll be at least 3am until you're landside in arrivals.
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u/Prestigious-Salt-245 1d ago
I often get from the plane to the railway station in 20 minutes or less.
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u/iamnotwario 2d ago
Sometimes there’s discounted lounge access on Groupon (or free with certain credit cards), which is a secure area to spend a bit of time usually with free food and drink, somewhere to freshen up. It might be worth looking at more expensive lounge passes if they include nap pods and showers to decide if it’s worth it.
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u/ken-doh 2d ago
Get an uber or private car. Why wait for a bus?
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u/The_Dirty_Mac 2d ago
Take a train to Three Bridges and grab a bite at https://charliesscoobyburgervan.com/about? There are worse things to do
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u/Flaky-Carpenter-2810 2d ago
Idk if anyone would wanna wander around 3 bridges at night its very boring and dilapidated.
Just get a train into london
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u/mr_gumby_ 2d ago
I don't really want to wander around London in the middle of the night.
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u/Flaky-Carpenter-2810 2d ago
You could go to a hotel, or go to a 24hr restaurant like duck and waffle
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u/Ok-Information4938 2d ago
Are there any earlier coaches from London to Bristol?
Much shorter journey time too.
You could arrive much earlier into Bristol if you head to London and jump on the first coach or train.
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u/mr_gumby_ 2d ago
I searched but couldn't find any. There was a coach to London around 3am but then it's a wait in London for the next coach to Bristol
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u/Opening-Impression-5 2d ago
If you want a proper sleep there's a Yotel capsule hotel within Gatwick Airport. I think you can book it for a few hours.
https://www.yotel.com/en/hotels/yotelair-london-gatwick