what time to leave hotel

Hello peeps,we're flying out to St lucia next Sunday and will use the twilight check in the night before.We are staying at the Gatwick Hilton which has a walkway directly to the terminal.
We want to use the duty free after security.The gate closes at 8 in the morning.What time should we leave the hotel at to do all this?[:?]
How long to get through security do you all think?.Any replies appreciated.Thanks,Katie

If you use twilight (or OLCI) the MINIMUM you can be back at the terminal is 1 hour before the flight or you are in danger of being offloaded. If you want to allow for shopping, and the gate closes at 8am (8am??!! what time is the flight???!!) leave plenty of time.

and there is now usually a queue for security, so you need to allow for that, too.

depends on how much sleep you need.... how excited are you? [8D]

(edited to correct grammar)

Originally posted by Juliet
If you want to allow for shopping, and the gate closes at 8am (8am??!! what time is the flight???!!) leave plenty of time.
(edited to correct grammar)

St Lucia is a 9 am flight. When we flew earlier in the summer they were showing "gate closing" just after 8 am.

Paul

wow. 9am. That's early! guess if I were the traveller and I wanted to shop, I'd head over about 7am.

Thanks folks ,thinkwe'll head over about sevenish,not that I'll sleep much for fear of sleeping in[|)]

[mitchja]

Do what I do and set at least 3 alarms. I use the hotel room clock (if provided), my mobile phone alarm clock, telephone wake-up call and sometimes even my own travel clock as well [:w]

Regards

I still think I'd be too excited to sleep at all !!!