Please help! Traveling to Gatwick during Monday Morning rush hour

[CocoCarrie]

I need to travel from Oxford to Gatwick very early on a Monday morning. In an ideal world I would love to get there 3 hours before takeoff to play it safe (anxiety gets the better of me and the airline I am traveling advises to get there three hours early with take off at 10am). I am new to this, never travelled before, sorry if I am being silly, stupid etc.

I'm taking the local coach, one an hour, that goes via the M25 and stops off at Heathrow Airport before Gatwick.

Departing times from Oxford - Arriving at Gatwick
3.30am - 5.56am
4.30am - 7.09am

Is there anyone who can advise on how bad the M25 is at this time in the morning for a Monday ?
Which time would you suggest?

Thank you :)

I would book an airport hotel and go the day before.

Travelling is crazy nowadays.

Small price to pay as opposed to missing your flight.

I think that is early enough to miss most of the traffic. Also tends to be worse clockwise on the Gatwick/Heathrow section.

We always book an airport hotel the night before. Just saves the stress and we include the cost with the price of our trip. Plus it feels like the trip starts a day earlier!

Go the night before!

Book an airport hotel for peace of mind. Its a gamechanger

I would also book a hotel the night before if you can, if not, you'll miss the majority of the traffic at that time but the M25 being what it is, one incident can change that in an instant.

If you can afford to book a hotel the night before, as PPs suggested, you also would get a good night's sleep! Leaving at 3.30am or 4.30am would be a nightmare.

I wouldn't get the one arriving at 7.09 as any delays - and car accidents can cause big delays - is already eating into your check in time. But the 3.30 one seems ok as it surely arrives before traffic starts building up.

I know a lot of people are saying book a hotel. This would add another £100 + onto an already expensive holiday.

What are your experiences with M25 rush hour?

Mondays are a lot quieter on roads round us than Tues, Weds or Thurs. you will be fine with the 4.30 time. It doesn't take long from Oxford so hour 45 ish. From Xford you get on M25 just before Heathrow. After that the M3 junction can be a bit revolting but at that time you will be fine. Roads round Gatwick will be empty.

I wish the journey was that quick, the website states over 2hr 30 mins door to door!
maybe I'm just overthinking, over planning etc...

You won't be ok the M25 at rush hour on either of those, your'll be on the M23 for the final part. I'd take the 3.30am one.

If it's already an expensive holiday what proportion of the trip is the extra £100 ? I'd much rather a few extra hours in bed and know I'm at the airport than a get up before I've gone to bed situation and then worrying all the way to the airport.

Premier Inn are charging £69 for an overnight on Sunday - book it and start the holiday early and relaxed

That's what I'm thinking... What time does Monday morning rush hour start?
I'm from the country and work from home.

If you can get the earlier bus, just do it. So you hang around the airport a bit longer, better than being in a panic or even risking being late. Try and get extra sleep the night before but defo get the earlier bus.
(Disclosure, I am known for being early. I'd probably get an even earlier one! 😂)

Honestly get an aIrport hotel the night before. If the holiday is expensive another £100 is nothing. You really don’t want to miss your flight.

No one can tell you unfortunately as know one knows! Could be ok, could be horrendous or anywhere in between

OP ignore the hotel bookers. Those times will be fine, I collected my mum from Gatwick where I arrived at 6am and I sailed there, even with a surprise closure on part of the motorway.

The second one will be fine, I'm often on the roads at 7 and they're decent.

I drove past the M25 this morning at just before 7am and there wasn't the usual huge queue to get on it so I think both are fine. If those are the times published by the coach company they must be well used to traffic conditions and be fairly accurate.

Just had a quick look and you can get a hotel room for about £50-60 for a Sunday night in March. Echo what others have said, it's much less stressy.

These rooms are at the airport so no stress involved - theynhave a discount on the price. much easier to make your way there, sleep over and then no taxi needed as right at airport

https://www.blochotels.com/gatwick?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw-rNhZHChAMV6ZNQBh1ifwFrEAAYASAAEgKrqPD_BwE&utm_campaign=18353572207&adgroupid=143062377004&utm_content=564642928243&device=c&adposition=&utm_term=yotelair%20london%20gatwick&gad_source=1

M25 morning rush hour starts around 6am and in fact there can be delays at any time or lane closures due to maintenance work in the early hours. I've known whole sections of the motorway be closed overnight / early morning too. I'd get the earlier bus or book a hotel.

I am cautious so I would take the earlier coach, for the sake of an hour, it shouldn’t be too bad at all at that time in the morning, traffic usually flows quite well, mostly busy with traffic travelling towards London rather than south.

I'd take the 4.30 one

Take the earlier coach. The M25 can be unpredictable (I write this as someone who was stuck on it for 12 hours for what should have been a 25 min journey). Make sure you have travel insurance.