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Gatwick to Forest Hill
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charsiew


Posts: 21
Joined: Aug 2012
Post: #1
01-07-2014 03:22 PM

Hi guys,

What is the best mode of transport to get from Gatwick back to Forest Hill? I was thinking of a train or a taxi.

Thanks
J

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Duckling


Posts: 23
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #2
01-07-2014 03:28 PM

Train, as long as it is running (check in advance!) is great. Gatwick to East Croydon, hop platform, Caterham train to Forest Hill, done. We travelled into Gatwick that way about a month ago on a weekday morning, and marvelled that we'd walked no more than 5 minutes between front door to check-in

If that option isn't available, the changes can be horrific (as they were on our weekend journey home) and you'll wish you'd got a cab!

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plasticniki


Posts: 6
Joined: Jul 2013
Post: #3
01-07-2014 03:34 PM

Train ALWAYS runs from Gatwick to East Croydon. From there if the trains aren't running, just get the 197 / 75?

If it's early and there are no trains / buses at all (they start pretty early from Croydon IIRC) then you'll have to get a taxi.

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Baboonery


Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #4
01-07-2014 03:41 PM

Taxi to Gatwick is almost always a waste of time if there are trains running (and unless your luggage is unamanageable), given the slowness of the road route. I do it about 15 times a year and only ever get taxis if I'm on really early morning flights. Or if a client's paying Smile (and not always then).

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AMFM


Posts: 306
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #5
01-07-2014 03:53 PM

Agreed - train very definitely the best option, with good connection, it's generally around 40/50 minutes.

I drove down to Gatwick on Friday morning to pick up my sister but only because she was arriving in at 8am and was travelling with 2 small children and we didn't fancy travelling on the train at rush hour with toddlers.... I did the journey in 50 minutes but that was a good run and it was early morning. It took us about an hour on the way back, but again, there were no traffic issues, which you can never count on.

My other tip on taxi/driving to Gatwick - go through Bromley, so A21, M25, M23 - longer by distance but very definitely quicker (at least, it is if you live on the Perry Vale side of Forest Hill).

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charsiew


Posts: 21
Joined: Aug 2012
Post: #6
01-07-2014 03:58 PM

Thank you my fellow Forest hillers! I am coming from Dubai on a Sunday morning. Having looked at the National Rail Enquiries, it looks a bit ominous. Maybe my best is to get a train and then cab to be on the safe side.

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #7
01-07-2014 04:08 PM

AMFM - I've often wondered if going through Bromley to reach the M25 was a good option. Do you ever get stuck on the M25? We go Penge-South Norwood - Croydon - Purley and join the A23 at the big Tesco roundabout. Traffic usually moves fine apart from a bit of shuffling in South Norwood in the return direction.

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charsiew


Posts: 21
Joined: Aug 2012
Post: #8
01-07-2014 04:42 PM

I think i am unlucky. I think there are train issues on that day as I have to change about 4 times to get home.

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Duckling


Posts: 23
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #9
01-07-2014 09:27 PM

We were looking at that sort of scenario. Have you checked how many changes there are to Crystal Palace? We ended up there on our "no trains to forest hill" day, and they have a good cab service from outside there which cost significantly less than a taxi the whole way would have done.

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Mr_Numbers


Posts: 513
Joined: May 2012
Post: #10
02-07-2014 05:05 AM

Sunday morning can certainly be a problem but otherwise I have to say the FH-LGW connection is fantastic! I often manage to get from front door to Gatwick and through security in about 60 minutes or less, if EasyJetting with hand luggage only .

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Baboonery


Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #11
02-07-2014 09:14 AM

AMFM - from our side of the tracks, a local taxi firm of some familiarity generally goes along the South Circ to the A20, then down there to the M25, during the night - definitely quicker than trundling down through Croydon. Not sure I'd fancy it during the day - things can go more badly wrong that way.

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plasticniki


Posts: 6
Joined: Jul 2013
Post: #12
02-07-2014 10:36 AM

charsiew: GOING to Gatwick if there are no trains to East Croydon from FH, get a BUS to East Croydon (Fairfield Halls, the 197 or the 75) and then get a train. There are usually always trains from East Croydon unless it's very early or very late.

Coming back, just do the reverse if there are no trains from East Croydon to FH.

Much cheaper than a taxi.

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Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #13
02-07-2014 11:44 AM

Off peak driving is fine, but driving yourself NOT getting a rip off cab. That said I am a big fan of the train when not carrying too much luggage.
Return from Europe after a short light trip great, coming back from Europe snowboarding or a couple of weeks away, train is a nightmare.

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #14
02-07-2014 12:07 PM

Baboonery - that's what worries me about the A20 / M25 option. Once you're stuck, you're stuck. Going through Croydon, I can always find an alternative. I've never needed to, though. While it's busy, the traffic does move pretty well. Croydon is actually the quickest bit - straight through the underpass and out, then down the Brighton Road.

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Baboonery


Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #15
02-07-2014 03:12 PM

Absolutely - I was using 'Croydon' as shorthand for 'the route that goes via Croydon, including the horrible slow bits through Penge and Norwood and Thornton Heath and that' Smile

Anyway, the train.

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #16
02-07-2014 03:36 PM

If you're going through Thornton Heath, you're going the wrong way.

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AMFM


Posts: 306
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #17
02-07-2014 03:52 PM

To be fair - I've never done the drive during the day - it's always been either early or late. I just find it so much quicker getting down to Briomley and through that way rather than the stop start of Norwood Junction/Selhurst and down to A23 near IKEA - and Purley is a PAIN. And as for Coulsdon... Basically, I hate the A23 and will do almost anything to avoid it.

Never been caught on the M25 but I agree - t's always a risk...

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Baboonery


Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #18
02-07-2014 05:00 PM

Can you be a little bit pickier, please? I don't think you're being quite picky enough. Smile

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #19
02-07-2014 05:42 PM

Not being picky. There is a big difference between going through Thornton Heath and going through Selhurst. It completely changes the way you negotiate Croydon.

AMFM - If you go through Selhurst you shouldn't get anywhere near Ikea. You should turn left at Staples. You are then five minutes away from being through the Croydon underpass and at the roundabout on the other side of Croydon. And now there's the Coulsdon bypass, that's pretty sweet too.

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mrcee


Posts: 128
Joined: May 2010
Post: #20
02-07-2014 11:48 PM

Drove to Gatwick on Monday morning from hop, left at 6.15 and arrived at 7. Went cp, followed by Whitehorse road to Croydon then south Croydon rather than the a23.


Arrived back at Gatwick @ 4.30pm today and went back the same route so hit hop at 6pm.

Normally take train though
Either direct to east Croydon and change or
Hop to new cross, new cross to norwood junction, norwood junction to Gatwick which opens up additional train slots/ arrival times to gatwick if your carrying light luggage

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