Gatwick - Wembley - Luton

[Train Pilchard]

Due to flight times I need to make this journey in the same day, anyone advise what ticket I need, where to buy it and how much it costs? A single Gatwick to Luton Airport Parkway is £24.20 but I'm guessing the tube part of that won't get me out to Wembley?

It's on a Sunday.

 

[W-on-Sea]

As it's a Sunday, do check engineering work (on both FCC and the tube), but I'd probably get that ticket, and get a separate tube ticket (Oyster PAYG would be cheapest) to go from West Hampstead to Wembley Park and back. West Hampstead tube is about 3 mins walk from West Hampstead Thameslink, and the jubilee line journey from there to Wembley Park shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes.

 

[yorkie]

Gatwick Airport is a Routeing Point (RP)
Watford Jn is an appropriate RP for Luton (for this journey).

Therefore you can travel:

Gatwick-Victoria (any train will do, but non-stop trains every 15 mins are generally empty in the rear coach unless they have come from Brighton so are worth going for) then LU (Victoria Line) to Oxford Circus, then LU (Bakerloo Line) to Wembley Central. Break of journey. Then LO Wembley Central to Watford Jn, LM Watford Jn to St Albans Abbey, walk to St Albans, Thameslink to Luton Airport Parkway.

A variation on that is to take SN to Clapham Jn and then SN from Clapham Jn to Wembley Central, then as per the above.

All the above are subject to engineering work. It will be quicker to do the itinerary offered by W-on-Sea above with an additional ticket (Oyster PAYG is best).

 

[causton]

Also if following Yorkie's routes, if you have luggage I wouldn't do the St Albans Abbey - St Albans City (Thameslink) walk. You can however take a short bus ride (5-10 mins, £1ish) using service S4 (every 30 mins on a Sunday) or the 724 (every 2 hours, more expensive)

 

[NSE]

It's less than 3 minutes between all West Hampsted platforms. Really close to each other.

 

[causton]

Agree, LO <-> Thameslink are really really easy, with the Jubilee a temperamental pedestrian crossing away!

 

[Train Pilchard]

I'm only in London once or twice a year so don't have an Oyster and can't be bothered with the hassle of getting one.

 

[yorkie]

I'm only in London once or twice a year so don't have an Oyster and can't be bothered with the hassle of getting one.

Once or twice a year is often enough to save the hassle & expense of getting Travelcards and cash singles on paper. Anyway, if you prefer to get a paper ticket I would suggest a Travelcard as 2 x paper singles would cost more.

Single fares West Hampstead - Wembley Park:
Oyster PAYG £1.40 *
Cash £4.30

(* This increases to £2.20 at peak times; not applicable here)

 

[John @ home]

1. The Tickets
   It's cheaper if you buy a ticket from Gatwick Airport which limits you to using only one of the train companies. This restriction only applies for your journey from Gatwick Airport to the first stop in the Travelcard Zones 1-6, usually East Croydon. I suggest you buy either
   • £12.50 Gatwick Airport - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak One Day Travelcard route FCC only, or
   • £14.40 Gatwick Airport - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak One Day Travelcard route Southern only
   and at the same time buy a £8.40 single Boundary Zone 6 - Luton Airport Parkway. This combination will give you unlimited travel within Zones 1-6 by any operator by train, tube, bus, tram or DLR and a third off boats on the Thames.
   
   The bus from Luton Airport Parkway to the Airport used to be free but now is charged separately. I understand you can buy a railway ticket which includes the cost of the bus, but can't find the details at the moment.
   .
2. The Route
   The best route will depend on which routes are being disrupted that particular Sunday due to engineering work. We can't give reliable advice until we know the date.

 

[north]

1. 
   
   The bus from Luton Airport Parkway to the Airport used to be free but now is charged separately. I understand you can buy a railway ticket which includes the cost of the bus, but can't find the details at the moment.
   

I think that tickets to Luton Airport (3667) instead of Luton Airport Pw (3645) include the shuttle bus.

Boundary zone 6 to Luton Airport SDS is £9.90.

 

[island]

I think that tickets to Luton Airport (3667) instead of Luton Airport Pw (3645) include the shuttle bus.

Boundary zone 6 to Luton Airport SDS is £9.90.

That's correct. You may well need to quote the code 3667 to the ticket clerk if you aren't buying at a station that usually issues tickets to Luton Airport.

 

[Bedpan]

The fare from Luton Airport Parkway to Luton Airport is £1.50, so you're not saving yourself anything by getting a ticket from BZ6 to the airport as opposed to Parkway. Depending on the amount of luggage you have, and how much time you have available, you can walk from the station to the Airport in about 1/2 hour, but is is uphill.

 

[island]

The fare from Luton Airport Parkway to Luton Airport is £1.50, so you're not saving yourself anything by getting a ticket from BZ6 to the airport as opposed to Parkway.

You're saving yourself a small amount of time and fiddling with change at the station, and 55p if you've a Railcard.

 

[Train Pilchard]

1. The Tickets
   It's cheaper if you buy a ticket from Gatwick Airport which limits you to using only one of the train companies. This restriction only applies for your journey from Gatwick Airport to the first stop in the Travelcard Zones 1-6, usually East Croydon. I suggest you buy either
   • £12.50 Gatwick Airport - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak One Day Travelcard route FCC only, or
   • £14.40 Gatwick Airport - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak One Day Travelcard route Southern only
   and at the same time buy a £8.40 single Boundary Zone 6 - Luton Airport Parkway. This combination will give you unlimited travel within Zones 1-6 by any operator by train, tube, bus, tram or DLR and a third off boats on the Thames.
   
   The bus from Luton Airport Parkway to the Airport used to be free but now is charged separately. I understand you can buy a railway ticket which includes the cost of the bus, but can't find the details at the moment.
   .
2. The Route
   The best route will depend on which routes are being disrupted that particular Sunday due to engineering work. We can't give reliable advice until we know the date.

That sounds like the best bet for me because I think I'd rather just make my way back to St Pancras by tube and then get a train from there to Luton Airport to save having to traverse numerous interchanges and short walks in north London. It'll also give me the chance to skip round the inevitable engineering works without being worried if my ticket is valid or not.

Why there is an early morning flight Glasgow-Gatwick but no late one and no early Glasgow-Luton but a late one on a Sunday I have no idea, bit of a pain.

I don't have any luggage but will have had numerous beers.

 

[island]

Why there is an early morning flight Glasgow-Gatwick but no late one and no early Glasgow-Luton but a late one on a Sunday I have no idea, bit of a pain.

Customer demand.

 

[sonic2009]

Why there is an early morning flight Glasgow-Gatwick but no late one and no early Glasgow-Luton but a late one on a Sunday I have no idea, bit of a pain.

Customer demand.

Agreed, I believe this to be EasyJet who run this route. At the end of the day it's all down to Customers. Businesses build services around Customers.

 

[Bedpan]

I was just wondering, can you be penalty fared on the bus? I've never seen anybody check any tickets, and I'm not sure there is anything at the airport, when travelling back down to the station, to say that you now have to pay, nor any ticket machine near the bus stop.