Gatwick airport hotel?

[andrewmckay5]

Maybe a trip down to the South Coast. I'm fairly sure the train goes from Gatwick to Brighton.

andrew

[jojo]

Simple decision - Hilton if we fly Virgin Sofitel if we fly British Airways. Hilton in South Terminal and Sofitel in North Terminal at Gatwick. No buses needed just walk in covered walkways into the terminals. Virgin's evening check in is great too. We pack a carrier bag with disposable overnight things ie toothbrush picked up on previous trip and underwear that needed an excuse to be disposed of!!! That way it is leisurely and hassle free which, with four kids is a complete necessity in my book.

[jolliffee]

We have stayed in the Hilton & Sofitel, we prefered the Sofitel but have stopped using both of the on airport hotels since they increased their prices to a point we don't think it worth it.

[Katys Grandad]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by jolliffee
We have stayed in the Hilton & Sofitel, we prefered the Sofitel but have stopped using both of the on airport hotels since they increased their prices to a point we don't think it worth it.
[/quote]

You certainly pay for the convenience don't you? When you add £18 each for breakfast at the Sofitel (it's £20 at Heathrow), a 1 night stay can all too easily add up to £200.

[Nina A]

Nathalie, you don't need to use the Gatwick Express for London, there is a cheaper train which takes a little longer.

We usually stay at the Sofitel by the North terminal but we have also used the new Arora International Hotel Gatwick in Crawley. It is an 8 minute train journey. The train comes into the terminal at Gatwick and the hotel has direct access from the railway platform at Crawley.

There is also a Premier Travel Inn just across from the North terminal. There is a shuttle bus but it only takes 5 minutes to walk.

I was born and lived near Crawley and still have family near there, so I know the area fairly well. There is not a great deal to see in Crawley and I certainly wouldn't bother with Horley. Crawley is a 'new town' built in the 60's as an overflow town for London. The old part of the town is very tiny. The County Mall Shopping Centre is just near the Arora International Hotel but is not brilliant.

If you have time to spare I would recommend getting a train from Gatwick to Brighton. This is a lively city by the sea with plenty to do and see and is easy to get around on foot. It was made popular by the Prince Regent (later George V) who built Brighton Pavillion, an amazing Indian style palace by the sea that is open to the public. The pier is another attraction and is free, great fun and quite unique. There is also an area known as The Lanes, tiny mostly traffic free streets full of interesting small shops. The newer North Lanes are fully of trendy boutiques and is where The Body Shop began.

Have fun![msncool]

[lafifille]

Thanks everybody,
I took a look at the Hilton website and they had a great deal on family rooms plus breakfast, so I booked there. We all like the idea of being right on the spot. We'll decide what we do of our afternoon when we get there, mainly depending on the weather... and if our plane is on time!!
Brighton sounds nice, my daughter and I are big fans of Hercule Poirot and we've always wanted to visit the pier you can see in the movies. [msnwink]
I tried to check the price for a train (not Gatwick Express) to London (or Brighton for that matter), but got lost on the websites[msnembarrased]... I think we'll just see when we're there [msnembarrased].
Thanks anyway for all your advices!