Barclay's ATM

Hi everyone!  I arrive in England for a visit next Wednesday at Gatwick rather early in the morning, around 7 am.  The train from Gatwick to where my BF lives is fairly easy and as he doesn't drive, I don't want to make him trek out to pick me up so early in the morning so I'm just going to take the train and he'll meet me at the station.  I bank with BoA in the states and always use a Barclay's ATM in the UK to avoid pesky ATM fees ($5 per transaction on the BoA end!  Outrageous!).  I don't have more than a little loose change left from my last trip so I'll need to pay for my train trip somehow.  I don't remember if my cards worked in the ticket machines for the train, but I know they didn't work on the tube in London because they don't have a chip and pin.  So, I'm wondering if anyone knows if there's a Barclay's ATM near the international arrivals area at Gatwick so I can pull out cash and pay for the ticket that way.  I'm arriving on US Airways (uuuggggh), if that makes a difference.  Or, alternatively, if my US cards will work in the ticket machines.  I'll be taking Southern Railway with a connection ultimately to Southeastern Railways to Tunbridge Wells.  Thanks! 

You could always buy your train ticket ahead of time online. Then you wouldnt have to stress about money right away.
http://www.southernrailway.com/

I just did a search on the Barclays website for cash machine locations at Gatwick. It looks like there are 2 in the airport: one in North Terminal (near the Check-in desks) and one in South Terminal Departures (apparently in the Upper Level, according to the www.link.co.uk ATM locator). US Airways arrive into South Terminal so you'd probably be best looking for the South Terminal one.

You could always buy your train ticket ahead of time online. Then you wouldnt have to stress about money right away.
http://www.southernrailway.com/

Do you know if they ship to the US?   

I just did a search on the Barclays website for cash machine locations at Gatwick. It looks like there are 2 in the airport: one in North Terminal (near the Check-in desks) and one in South Terminal Departures (apparently in the Upper Level, according to the www.link.co.uk ATM locator). US Airways arrive into South Terminal so you'd probably be best looking for the South Terminal one.

Hmm, thanks for the info.  I hope that they're actually there.  I know that at some airports, they list ATM locations that really aren't actually accessible.  Like, at JFK, there's a citibank somewhere but it's not actually accessible without a car.  So I'm hoping that someone who has been through Gatwick recently to chime in with, yea, there's one in x location and here's how to find it.  If no one does, I'll definitely look for the one in departures. 

You can usually pick up the tickets at the station when you arrive. They are cheaper anyway if you book ahead of time.

You can usually pick up the tickets at the station when you arrive. They are cheaper anyway if you book ahead of time.

There's some info on the website regarding how to pick up your ticket from the station:

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/buying-tickets/ticket-on-departure/

Or Thomas Cook does a prepaid cash card if you want something with a chip-and-pin. 

http://www.cashpassport.com/1/en/thomascook/

There's some info on the website regarding how to pick up your ticket from the station:

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/buying-tickets/ticket-on-departure/

Oh, sweet.  I might do that.  Thanks. 

Thanks for your help. It really does look like that a Barclay's ATM exists across from international departures so I'll have to wonder over there before getting the train.  No biggie if I know where to look.   

Oddly, BF's bankcard doesn't work in the NY Subway ticket machines because he doesn't have a zip code to enter, obviously, so I had to mail him a Metrocard last time he came here because I didn't think I was going to be able to pick him up (I ended up being able to but wanted to make sure).  It worked fine in NJ Transit ticket machines, though.  Most of the time, ATMs/credit cards work beautifully and are a great way to change money when traveling but sometimes...they're not.  I didn't see a Barclay's machine when I arrived at Heathrow last time, for example, and my card definitely didn't work in the machine for the tube.  It was fine, though, because BF came to get me.  Didn't want to be stranded at Gatwick, is all.  I like to plan ahead for some things, when I can.  I thought I could use my ATM card no problem in Korea, for example, since I'd always used it everywhere, included third world countries like Peru and Morocco but very few machines accepted foreign cards, something that had never occurred to me!  I could only take out 100,000 won (~$100) at a time at the machines in 7/11s and other convenience stores or find a CitiBank to get cash.  So, you never know.   

The tube machines are funny.  Sometimes I can get them to take my non chip and pin cards, and sometimes I have to wait in line and top up with an actual person.  If there are windows with humans, that might be another option.

That's weird about Korea, I never had any problems getting money out there.