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.

Lol. That's all. Utterly crazy op.

When are you planning this crazy day? Have you checked for train strikes? The day before and after a train strike are also affected.

Because we all come from different bits, west country, up north, midlands, and east Anglia.

The strikes are the day after (the 1st) so I'll just have to take a taxi to Gatwick

Sleeper train each way would be the most relaxed option.

Gatwick is really short of ground crew at the moment (and there is an ongoing industrial dispute), so as others have mentioned actually getting off the plane is taking a while! We waited 30 minutes when we landed at Gatwick at the start of August to get off the plane. There was also a delay on Thameslink. We ended up being two hours late into London vs our expectation.

Posting so I can follow the live updates on the day. Good luck op!

But there's no sleeper train on the way back because of the strikes....

I went there many times when it was an insurance firm - no sign of a hairdresser then!

I remember that too. Willis.
We must be in the same industry!

Driving will take twice as long as the train.

Yeah, but that's fine I have all morning to get to Gatwick. There's no other way for me to go back home.

Apart from risking getting a 6 o'clock train the day before, but if I miss it I'm stuck in London.

How about 10.47pm from St Austell, sleep on train. Arrives 5.04 giving loads of time to freshen up, drop bags, leisurely early haircut appt, the meetings whizz by. Then back to Paddington for the 6pm return to St Austell. Taxis in Cornwall for the local transfer.

@chatenoire what if the haircut goes horribly wrong? You will have to turn up to the meeting looking like Weird Barbie!

Because what if I miss that 6o clock?? There's only one. What if there's issues with the bakerloo line (which from.memory are not uncommon) or of the meeting overruns, etc...

There's also apparently no berth cabins ATM (I'm going to check at the train station) and if not in one of those that train is hell as the light is always on.

I have a more bulletproof way to get back which is by plane the next day.

Because there's also the chance I wouldn't be able to grab dinner, and that would be hell too. Especially as I don't fill-up on biscuits and cakes which is the normal offering on that train..

That could happen too! But I have a quirky style, so I potentially could pull it off...

I'm planning to wear my shorts tailored suit after all!

Yeah, looks doable to me. I'm a frequent Gatwick flyer.

You could likely do all that if you're flying domestic but I'd add 15 minutes to the haircut appointment time. You'll arrive into London Bridge 60 minutes from wheels down if you're ready to move smartly about (no luggage, no passport control, no delays or train strikes).

Trinity Square is that bit further away than London Bridge and you might end up having to walk it.

The rest of your appointments all look fine but you will have to be ready to leave on time for the next one, even if they start late etc.

Flight back should be ok with one small bag and as a solo traveller. Gatwick is pretty efficient- I left work at 6pm last Wednesday, arrived on the train at 6:45 and was through security by 7pm for my 8pm flight. Loads of time. Unless you're flying on a Friday night or accidentally forget your hand sanitizer in your bag and have to wait for it to be checked again, it should really be fine.

I don't usually leave more than 1h30 at the airport for a domestic flight with no luggage. Look up the gates you'll typically fly from and plan your time accordingly. I go south terminal gates 1-5 and they're super quick to get to. North terminal; add ten minutes. And so on.

Bakerloo line is fine? If not you'd get the circle line, or bus to Elizabeth line, or swap bus to get buses the whole way, or a taxi. Multiple options that are all doable in 30 min, so you'd struggle to miss the train. The flight in the evening was the one you'd miss. Ignore the poster above, they missed that you've only got 1hr 45 including travel time, not 1 hour 30 at the airport. 45 min is the check-in restriction, so that leaves 1 hour to get there of which 40 min is on the train, which is what makes it much too tight.

Anyway, taxi and flight the next day work too.

@chatenoire

Use Citymapper rather than Google, much better.

You need to be on the 9:06 Bedford train latest to make FS Trinity Square for 10. It's do-able as long as plane lands on time - it's been a while since I've done domestic to Gatwick but planes parked up off terminal then you had a bus that seemed to drive round the entire airport to get to the domestic entrance. Took at least 10-15 minutes.

Coming back, you'd need to be walking out of The Shard at 5 on the dot to stand a chance of arriving at LGW train station at 6. Sure you've checked in beforehand but you still have to get from the station to the terminal, through security and to the gate in about 20 minutes - and if the gate is one 10-15 walk from the terminal you've no hope. Departure time is exactly that, the plane will start boarding at 6.

How realistic is it that your meeting will be wrapping up at 4:30 so all the handshakes, pleasantries and leaving the meeting room will be done to allow you to be on your way by 5pm?

God a quirky hairstyle too, I love this thread.

My experience with Bristol, Edinburgh, and Manchester

You really can't extrapolate from those to Gatwick!

Although even those should tell you about the risk of a long walk to the gate and a half-hour queue at security. But some the Gatwick gates are as long a walk as between the furthest terminals at Manchester.

And you'll be trying to get on and off trains and tubes at rush hour. That can more than double the time it takes to get through each station.

The guy we're meeting has to catch an international flight at 7 (not sure from where) so I'm assuming we'll definitely be done by 5. My colleagues might want to hang out though.

Tbh I think you can do it. You sound like you can do pretty much whatever you put your mind to.
Also, your life sounds amazing! I’d like to watch a film about it!

That's a very sweet thing to say! Believe me my life is quite boring!

Why the rush to get back the same day? Upthread you were saying your company will pay for a hotel that night, so why not avail yourself of the option? I get that if they won’t pay for a room the night before you’re comfortable with taking a chance on the haircut rather than definitely not do it, but the rushing on the way back is completely avoidable.

Personally I think your employer is being shortsighted not paying for the night before too. It’s not exactly an infrequent occurrence that delays are so bad your hours late. Happened to me on a domestic flight there and back in a day - I was very late, flustered, didn’t get to eat anything. Should have just gone the night before.

Totally agree with you! So I think I'll definitely stay overnight (I can justify that one). The night before not so much, which is why if I were to day, I'd have to pay for it.