(that is ashford international, correct?)

if so, it appears there are several places you can change, tonbridge being one of them, but you have to change.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Depending on time of day there is usually a direct train every hour from Gatwick to Tonbridge for most of the day. At Tonbridge change for Ashford but it is a walk up and over the footbridge across the tracks.

At certain times however you have no alternative than to change at Redhill also

On weekdays and Saturdays during the daytime you also have the option of a train Gatwick - Redhill; change there, down the subway and over to the other platform for the train to Tonbridge then as before.

Redhill - Tonbridge is every 30 minutes until around 7pm.

On Sundays all trains are direct Gatwick - Tonbridge every hour.

Check out prices but it may be almost as cheap to do it by Taxi as pay two railfares and much easier if you also have luggage. Medway Towns to Heathrow is about £65-£70 so I would expect Gatwick to Ashford to be about the same

i wouldn't bother with the train you have to change and also not much space for luggage. why don't you book for a car to meet you and bring you to Ashford. A prebooked car is better than taxi as cheaper and will take details of flight so if delayed will wait for you. We use Ken at county cars he is very reasonable and reliable. he is based in Canterbury area but he always takes us from Ashford

Gatwick can be an akward one from/to Kent by train, as many posters have said above. Every journey without exception involves at least one change at Tonbridge (and that involves a footbridge). Redhill is also a possible 2nd change if yo uget unlucky. Sometimes the trains from Gatwick to Tonbridge are not the most comfortable either as they are not the newer Electrostar trains that run on the main London-Kent coast lines (however i think they are beginning to phase them in on the gatwick line slowly as i saw one the other day at Tonbridge).

If you are adamant about the train i might recommend getting the Gatwick Express to London Victoria (~30mins) and changing at Victoria for a train to Ashford via Maidstone East (~1hr20mins). The victoria route will not involve any footbridges or stairs of any kind as it is all on one level, and the train from Victoria to Ashford does not involve any changes either. However this route is more expensive due to the Gatwick Express costs (i think it's about £15 single?).

Just to mention, for the benefit of future readers, that there are passenger lifts at Redhill (down to the tunnel) and at Tonbridge up to the bridge across the tracks, so if you are encumbered by luggage etc there is no problem except to allow a couple of extra minutes.

And, yes, some of the trains from Redhill to Tonbridge are not all that wonderful (old and worn out class 508 units operated by the South-Eastern Railway) but the direct trains from Gatwick are nice and shiny new ones - service operated by the Southern Railway.

Incidentally it is being said that when Southern take over the Redhill - Tonbridge line later this year the service will be reduced from twice an hour to once an hour. I shall be in the area in a couple of weeks and will see what I can see, as this is the route I take when travelling between Gatwick and former home.

I am travelling from Tonbridge to Ashford on Sunday 17th August 08 to connect with the Eurostar train to Paris. What train can I catch from Tonbridge to achieve this My Email address is as follows ron.king8@taktalk.net

Follow the link for train times that I posted earlier in this thread.

I travelled Tonbridge - Ashford to do exactly the same a month ago. (I did the journey many times while living in Tonbridge.)

You don't say what time your Eurostar train leaves but remember you are supposed to 'check in' 20 minutes before your train leaves.

On Sundays, trains leave Tonbridge at 0815, 0915, 0943 then at 15 and 43 minutes past every hour. the xx15 take 37 minutes to Ashford, the xx43 take 29 minutes. Then you've a two or three minute trudge down the tunnel to the Eurostar side.

I always took the train from Tonbridge at least 90 minutes before my Eurostar time to allow for any delays. That might mean 45 minutes wait at Ashford (it did in June) but that's better than getting anxious as your train is stuck on signals just outside Ashford and the clock is ticking round...

At least there were more trains from Ashford when i did the trip regularly, now if you miss your time at Ashford you have to wait nearly all day for the next one.

So far as I can see there are no engineering works likely to affect trains that Sunday but I suggest you double-check nearer the time at www.southeasternrailway.co.uk

By the way, referring to my earlier post, I am back in UK and Tonbridge at the end of August and will update as best I can on the Tonbridge - Gatwick situation.