Making the most of your stopover at Gatwick Airport

 You know the feeling – you’re a high-flying travel extraordinaire, but there you are, trapped in Gatwick airport as you await your next flight. It’s a situation that’s inevitable for the frequent flyer, where sometimes you just can’t get your flights to conveniently match up and provide for smooth travel.

And, although Gatwick airport is replete with a number of facilities and features – bars, restaurants, Gatwick valet parking and childcare facilities – there’s nothing better than getting out of a stuffy airport and into the great outdoors.

For the lover of the countryside, the area surrounding Gatwick Airport is replete with a set of stunning scenery and wondrous locales, meaning you won’t even have to travel to London to enjoy killing some time.

So, we’ve rounded up some of the finest features in the Gatwick area to help you enjoy your stopover in the way you want to.

Nymans Estate

A picturesque garden just a 30 minute drive from Gatwick, the Nymans Estate is a stunning ode to horticulture and natural beauty.

Originally purchased by Ludwig Messel in the late 1800s, this once plain grassland was transformed by a selection of plants imported from all around the world. Now, there are daily guided tours of the area, a cafe and souvenir shop, and the chance to simply wander through this bastion of beauty and breathe in the fresh country air.

Polesden Lacey

An Edwardian mansion originally designed for entertaining guests of the highest calibre, Polesden Lacey is now open to the public to peruse its opulent pleasures.

With a vast set of halls all still maintaining their luxuriant flair, Polesden Lacey features rooms imbued with gold, as well as an extensive set of artworks and ceramics to enjoy.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a breath of fresh air, the Polesden Lacey estate is also surrounded by 1400 acres of well-kept pastures that provide an excellent view of the nearby Surrey Hills.

Crawley

The nearest town to Gatwick Airport, Crawley is a great place to hang out if your next flight isn’t until the next day.

Playing host to an extensive array of shopping centres, bars, restaurants and a multiplex cinema, it acts as the ideal place to take in a little bit of the English countryside lifestyle, and enjoy your time away from the travails of the airport.

The Surrey Hills

For those of you searching for a great vista view, a short trek up the Surrey Hills will treat you to vast expanses of greenery, stately homes and all the flora and fauna that comes with the English countryside.

Box Hill, in particular, offers stunning views and features a visitor zone and a shop at its summit, so you can buy yourself a souvenir to remember that time when you made the most of your stopover.