If you’re visiting the UK, and London specifically, you may be conducting a bit of research on the state of public transport in preparation for your visit. This is especially the case if you’re going to plan any day or weekend trips to regions outside of London that you can reach by the way of the train. Regardless of your plans once you arrive in London, you’re very likely to make use of London’s Victoria Station at least once during your visit. This is particularly the case if you’re flying into, or out of, Gatwick airport. Besides its connection to Gatwick, the Victoria Station in London is the second busiest train station there is. As such, it handles about 1.5million transporters each and every week. The majority of whom are commuters from the suburbs and the South East of England. London’s Victoria station is only second to Waterloo station which is the busiest station in London.
As a major transportation hub, the Victoria Station in London will surely find its way into your travel itinerary. Knowing a thing or two about the Victoria station beforehand will help you navigate the terminus once inside.
Popular Destinations From Victoria Station
One of the most popular destinations to and from Victoria station is, obviously, the Gatwick airport. But we’ll cover that a little bit later. Brighton and Canterbury are two of the other popular destinations that are accessible from London’s Victoria station. Beyond that, many of the brilliant coastal resorts that line the South East coast of England are accessible from trains in Victoria station.
There are also many commuter trains that funnel into Victoria station in London. All-in-all there are about 19 platforms in London’s Victoria station, each with their own ticket gate. For the travelers convenience, departures and arrivals are all clearly marked on screens throughout the station.
The Underground Station
The underground Victoria station is a whole different beast from the above ground railway network. In the South East sections of England there is a lot more railroad than there is subway. However, the exact opposite is the case if you’re looking to travel through and around the city of London. The underground Victoria station is located directly beneath the overground railway network, but the entrance is just across the street.
Once beneath ground, you’ll have access to a variety of ticket booths that are all automated in today’s day and age. Many people, even temporary visitors, opt for some type of travel card when using the subway system in London, as it becomes much more expensive to continually purchase individual ride tickets. The underground Victoria station is also linked to a variety of other popular subway stations throughout London which makes it extremely easy to get exactly where you need to be from the Victoria underground station.
The three lines that run through the Victoria underground station are the blue line, the yellow line, and the green line. Not only that, but these subway systems run from 5am to midnight during the week, and operate 24/7 during Fridays and Saturdays. This makes it an extremely convenient method of travel, especially during the weekends.
The Facilities
With such a high commuter population, again 1.5million people per week, plenty of convenience facilities have been set up within the confines of the Victoria station. For instance, there are both coffee shops and fast-food shops that litter the halls of Victoria station and offer quick bursts of caffeine or sustenance to regular commuters in a rush.
Going even further, there is a convenience store titled, Victoria Place, a couple of pharmacies and drug stores which are convenient for tourists just arriving, and there are even a variety of pubs and full service restaurants. There is even a hotel entrance located within Victoria station, so if you book a stay there, you can just head right on in.
Commuting to Gatwick
It was mentioned earlier, but one of the most convenient aspects of Victoria station is that it offers such immediate access to Gatwick airport. There are a variety of express trains and shuttles that commute passengers to and from Gatwick airport.
Purchasing a Ticket
The nice thing about train-schedules is that they’re made available to the public about 3-months in advance. While shorter trips see no savings with pre-purchased tickets, it can make a world of difference when planning longer journeys via train. Purchase your tickets as far in advance as is reasonable, and you’ll see a significant amount of savings, especially on longer journeys.
Wrapping up on Victoria Station
If you’re flying out of Gatwick, but you want to explore some of the area around Victoria station before your flight, you can make use of luggage storage near Victoria station so you aren’t burdened with dragging your luggage around with you everywhere during your day before you depart.
