• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

cheapest way to do the Gatwick Express

Status
Not open for further replies.

168lover

Member
Joined
2 Aug 2013
Messages
587
Location
Chiltern Mailine Land
Hi all, I'm looking at experiencing the 442s on the Gatwick Express before they leave. I'm planning on doing a return trip to Gatwick airport at some point in the next few weeks. I will be combining it with a travel card so is wandering what is the cheapest way with a 16-25 railcard? I will happily travel back on a thameslink train if it is alot cheaper.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Kite159

Veteran Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
19,157
Location
West of Andover
If your already on a paper travelcard then a Boundary Zone 6 - Gatwick Airport will probably be the best ticket @ £4.10 :)

Although be quick as the 387/2s are meant to be start taking over the 442s next week
 
Last edited:

Nippy

Member
Joined
13 Aug 2013
Messages
645
Ha ha. Can of worms opened! I'm sure someone will be along to assist shortly!
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,439
Location
Yorkshire
Hi all, I'm looking at experiencing the 442s on the Gatwick Express before they leave. I'm planning on doing a return trip to Gatwick airport at some point in the next few weeks. I will be combining it with a travel card so is wandering what is the cheapest way with a 16-25 railcard? I will happily travel back on a thameslink train if it is alot cheaper.
The cheapest way to extend an already existing Travelcard is a Boundary Zone 6 - Gatwick Airport CDR, priced at £4.10 with your Railcard.

This is routed "any permitted" though in practice there is only one geographical route (with the option to go via Redhill station on the slow lines, or avoiding it on the fast lines) and one train operating company (with the option of taking any of their route brands running on the route at the time).

While not answering your question, for the benefit of anyone stumbling across this thread and wanting a literal answer to the question in the title, assuming no pre-existing ticket is held, the cheapest way to do a single journey on the company's Gatwick Express route brand, from Victoria to Gatwick, is to wait until any of their trains is scheduled to depart from any platform other than platforms 13 & 14 and use contactless or Oyster PAYG, at off peak times this costs £8 (undiscounted).

By the way, the cheapest way to "experience the 442s" for a Zones 1-6 Travelcard holder is to simply travel between Victoria & East Croydon. I mostly tend to make this journey late evenings, around 2230-2300 and nearly always the train is booked to be a 442. Though this may not last for much longer. There's also at least one evening peak departure from London Bridge (to Eastbourne) which is booked 442.
 

devon_metro

Established Member
Joined
11 Oct 2005
Messages
7,715
Location
London
The cheapest way to extend an already existing Travelcard is a Boundary Zone 6 - Gatwick Airport CDR, priced at £4.10 with your Railcard.

This is routed "any permitted" though in practice there is only one geographical route (with the option to go via Redhill station on the slow lines, or avoiding it on the fast lines) and one train operating company (with the option of taking any of their route brands running on the route at the time).

While not answering your question, for the benefit of anyone stumbling across this thread and wanting a literal answer to the question in the title, assuming no pre-existing ticket is held, the cheapest way to do a single journey on the company's Gatwick Express route brand, from Victoria to Gatwick, is to wait until any of their trains is scheduled to depart from any platform other than platforms 13 & 14 and use contactless or Oyster PAYG, at off peak times this costs £8 (undiscounted).

By the way, the cheapest way to "experience the 442s" for a Zones 1-6 Travelcard holder is to simply travel between Victoria & East Croydon. I mostly tend to make this journey late evenings, around 2230-2300 and nearly always the train is booked to be a 442. Though this may not last for much longer. There's also at least one evening peak departure from London Bridge (to Eastbourne) which is booked 442.

Do the GatEx platforms not have oyster/contactless readers? I was under the impression that Oyster is now valid!
 

devon_metro

Established Member
Joined
11 Oct 2005
Messages
7,715
Location
London
Outrageous!!

I've just been looking for when I next travel to Gatwick. (Both are period returns)

Victoria - Gatwick is £23.05 (16-25 railcard)
Victoria - Three Bridges is £20.75 (16-25 railcard)

Presumably it is perfectly valid to buy the ticket to Three Bridges and "break my journey" at Gatwick?
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,439
Location
Yorkshire
Outrageous!!
It's a "premium service" :lol: (the "premium" is not because it's a quicker journey, as it's no quicker and is slower at peak times, but simply avoiding the Clapham Jn and East Croydon crowds)

Worse than that, the £8 fare is extendible, with relatively sensible price increases, to/from anywhere in the Oyster area, with the OSI at Victoria, and caps apply. But the £19.80 fare is standalone. If anyone wants a shock, try Stratford Intl - Gatwick via HS1 and Gat Ex, and you could be paying about 3 times the cost of a paper ticket.


I've just been looking for when I next travel to Gatwick. (Both are period returns)

Victoria - Gatwick is £23.05 (16-25 railcard)
Victoria - Three Bridges is £20.75 (16-25 railcard)

Presumably it is perfectly valid to buy the ticket to Three Bridges and "break my journey" at Gatwick?
Do you want a cross-London transfer, and are you able to avoid travelling before 0930 M-F? If so, FPK-GTW at £21.40 is worth considering.
 

devon_metro

Established Member
Joined
11 Oct 2005
Messages
7,715
Location
London
It's a "premium service" :lol: (the "premium" is not because it's a quicker journey, as it's no quicker and is slower at peak times, but simply avoiding the Clapham Jn and East Croydon crowds)

Worse than that, the £8 fare is extendible, with relatively sensible price increases, to/from anywhere in the Oyster area, with the OSI at Victoria, and caps apply. But the £19.80 fare is standalone. If anyone wants a shock, try Stratford Intl - Gatwick via HS1 and Gat Ex, and you could be paying about 3 times the cost of a paper ticket.



Do you want a cross-London transfer, and are you able to avoid travelling before 0930 M-F? If so, FPK-GTW at £21.40 is worth considering.

Amusingly I will be travelling from Stratford so will use the £22.70 off-peak return, since I no longer have an Oyster (ideally i'd travel from Stratford International but they only offer day returns which is pretty pointless in this case). Having used said ticket before I can report that the Victoria GatEx platforms refuse the ticket (not that I was surprised).

I do find the pricing of Gatwick Express pretty outrageous. Then again i've just shelled out for a single on Heathrow Express and that takes the biscuit!
 

button_boxer

Established Member
Joined
12 Nov 2009
Messages
1,270
I used Gatwick Express to Brighton and back last weekend on a £13.60 Cricklewood to Brighton Super Off-Peak Day Return (this wasn't a loophole, I was actually staying at Cricklewood travelodge and visiting Brighton). These super off-peak tickets are intended for use on Thameslink - London Terminals to Brighton (£10.60) is routed "Thameslink Only", and CRI-GTW (£11.60) is "+not Gatwick Exp", but CRI-BTN is routed "+Any Permitted".

It didn't work the barrier on the express platforms at Victoria but I was let through the manual barrier without comment.
 
Last edited:

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,984
These super off-peak tickets are intended for use on Thameslink - London Terminals to Brighton (£10.60) is routed "Thameslink Only", and CRI-GTW (£11.60) is "+not Gatwick Exp", but CRI-BTN is routed "+Any Permitted".

The Super Off Peak Day Return is only available at weekends and Bank Holidays. I don't think it was intended to only be valid on Thameslink.

FCC introduced these fares, I guess 7 or 8 years ago now. FCC couldn't introduce FCC only fares on a route where they set the Any Permitted fare. Consequently they had to be Any Permitted.
 

radamfi

Established Member
Joined
29 Oct 2009
Messages
9,267
The Super Off Peak Day Return is only available at weekends and Bank Holidays.

However the weekday equivalent is £22, which could be some use especially after 10:00 if you have a Network Railcard, which would bring the fare down to £14.50.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top