To think I can do all of this in one day? (In London)

[chatenoire]

I land in Gatwick at 845, then take the train to London bridge station and drop my bag there and then continue my way to trinity square to have a haircut at 10. At 12 I have a meeting at Southwark bridge. Meeting ends at 2 and then there's another meeting at the Shard at 2:30. Then leave just before 5 and catch the train back to Gatwick to take my flight back, which departs at 6:45.

I can stay overnight (as I think catching that flight back might be a bit too risky). I wouldn't have anything with me beyond my handbag with my laptop.

Cancel the haircut 🙂

I’d be a sweaty, shaking mess if i knew I had that day ahead of me!

is the haircut critical? Is it a salon you’re very familiar with? I find since covid, hair and beauty places have been a bit squiffy with things like customer service/time keeping. If you did get to the salon at 10, I wouldn’t be an inch surprised if you didn’t get sat in the chair with your stylist until 10:15/10:20.

You sound like a mate of mine. Love her to bits, but if we arrange to meet at eg: 10am, she will then try and fit in 67 other things beforehand and finally pitch up 3 hours late. It's utterly infuriating...

Yeah, I mean I know my way around. Although not so much east London, as my turf used to be Marylebone -Soho Square.

I also don’t think it’s fair to book an appointment that requires you to rush the stylist, or that you aren’t confident you can show up for.

Ita not really cricket to book it knowing you’ll ‘just cancel’ maybe give her the heads up first.

They'd still bill me regardless, so she doesn't lose a penny, just her time!

Possible but highly improbable.

What day are you doing this? There are some train strikes coming up.

If you don't have passport control or baggage reclaim, it might be doable with a fair wind behind you but there's no slack in your day. Depends whether you're someone who doesn't mind a bit of stress and the risk of a missed appointment. Presumably you will still need to pay if you don't show up for the hair cut.

Reading this made me feel flustered!

If you land on time and the airport isn't busy you have a little chance.

Check the train strikes.

Can you fly the day before and stay in London so you can get to your haircut and not be rushing, otherwise your going to beflustered, hot and sweaty for your meetings which isn't a good look if youre meant to be impressing someone.

On our flight from Rome last night, the pilot said that Gatwick had over-scheduled flights this summer and most were delayed. We sat on the tarmac for over an hour waiting for a slot at Gatwick.

Love your optimism! But I really don’t think you’ll make the hair appt. If I landed at 8.20 my haircut wouldn’t be until 2pm. I’d be too stressed otherwise!

I just saw the rail strikes (which is why I'm not taking the train), but also saw that I'd have to take an Uber/taxi to Gatwick the following morning.

Why do you need to do a bag drop if you are traveling with a handbag and a laptop?

I don't think the haircut is going to work w
at 10.00 or 4 30.
And I dont think you'll be on the 6.45 plane.

How about cancelling the haircut and bringing both meetings forward by an hour. That would work!

Flightaware will give you a rough idea on how on time a particular flight is. For example, the 8.40 arrival into LGW from Dublin is, on average, 20-40 minutes late this summer

EI230 (EIN230) Aer Lingus Flight Tracking and History - FlightAware

I wouldn't risk it, and you won't make the return if you don't leave London until 5pm either.

The meetings in the middle of the day will be fine (although will either of them offer you sandwiches?) but the haircut is pushing it.

I don't have to necessarily, it would just to not be smelly the next morning.

Not a prayer.

London Bridge to Gatwick should be about 45 minutes. Will an hour be long enough to check in at the other end?

Not a cat in hell’s chance! But I’d like to follow a live account of how she gives it a go anyway!

I work at Gatwick sometimes, and generally expect that it will take me nearly an hour from landing till getting in my car, which is parked in the closest car park. Assuming the flight lands on time, parks on a stand near to the main terminal, the OP is sitting near the front of the aircraft, there are no queues at security, she’s landed into the south terminal not the north, and she’s a fast walker who knows exactly where she is going and the traffic lights change quickly to let her cross the road, she might just make it onto a train that could get her into London Bridge for 9.45, but it’s still nearly a mile walk or 2 separate tube lines to Trinity Square.

The return journey - leaving the office at ‘just before 5’ would mean that if the OP has a problem-free journey the earliest her train could be pulling in to Gatwick would be 17.34. That gives her 11 minutes to get from the train station to the check in desk for her flight. The cut off times for check in at Gatwick are hard cut offs, no pleading or negotiate will get you through if you are even a minute late - the staff cannot get into the computer.

OP’s whole plan hangs on everything running like clockwork and there not being a single thing to cause even a 5 minute delay. Or any other people trying to travel in a rush at the same time. We all know London and Gatwick don’t work like that. But it will be fun to watch her try!

I just did that and so far all of them have been on time or early apart from one (which was delayed by 40mins)

Please let us know how it all goes OP.

My late DP commuted to London for a while and his train went through Gatwick.

He never got through a whole week without at least 2 journeys being fucked up for one reason or another, and people stressing about missing flights or moaning that they'd been waiting ages and ages.

The trains are really unreliable imo, I can't remember the last time I got one without some sort of delay or other.