Gatwick Airport to Hotel in Tower of London area

My party of 4 will be arriving at Gatwick at 2:00pm on a Friday and need transportation to our hotel near the Tower of London. Would you recommend we take the Gatwick Express to Victoria and then a taxi (or prearranged shuttle) from there to the hotel? Or, do you think the Thameslink would be a better alternative?

I'm traveling with my mother in her late 70's and two teenagers so I'm looking for convenience for my mom after the long flight from Los Angeles. None of us have been to Europe before so I don't know how long getting through customs usually takes and if we'll be in the commute time getting to the hotel. We'll all have one piece of luggage each and a carry-on to maneuver.

And, we won't be returning to Gatwick, we'll fly out of Heathrow to Athens a few days later...if that makes a difference.

Any transportation suggestions would be appreciated.

Definitely do Thameslink to London Bridge, then a taxi to your hotel. Best combination of cost and convenience. The Gatwick Express, while quite efficient, puts you in the wrong part of town for the Tower.

Customs will be a doddle - just passing thru a 'Declare' or 'Nothing to Declare' corridor. It's immigration/passport control that takes time, and how much depends entirely on how many international arrivals there are at the same time as your flight. I've never arrived at LGW (only departed), so I'll leave it to others to tell what to expect.

As Twickenham says, use the ordinary Thameslink or Southern service to London Bridge. Should be about £10 each. http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

Use Gatwick as your departure and London Bridge as arrival.

The station is in the South Terminal, so if you arrive at North Terminal you will need to use the free shuttle train between terminals. As said, customs/immigration should be relatively painless. You will probably be aiming to get a train about 3 - 3:30, so might just hit rush hour, but everyone else will be going the opposite way (out of London!!).

Grab a cab to hop over Tower Bridge to your hotel...should only take 10 mins.

Simon

Going back, the best option is to take the tube to Paddington Station and then the Heathrow Express. If, as I suspect, this would be too much for your group with cruise luggage, then you should book a private hire car. This should cost around £50 and I think a much better option for your family. You should probably set off about 4 hours before your flight time.

Thank you all so much for the help. I'll plan on the Thameslink for the trip in and a private car for the trip out. This is going to be such a fun trip! Thanks again!