Transfer from Heathrow to central London by ... taxi!

There is a lot of discussion on this forum about companies for transfers from Heathrow to central London. But what about the good old reliable standby: the taxi?

On Monday morning, for purely personal reasons I decided to splurge and get a taxi home. After joining the queue of - well, nobody, as there's almost always a plentiful supply of cabs at Heathrow - I got into one at 0650. Exactly 55 minutes later, I was at home on the south side of the river, just east of Tower Bridge - so I had travelled significantly further than most people would need to in order to reach their hotels. The fare on the meter was £65.60. There was a £2 Heathrow charge. The cabbie was happy with this being rounded-up to £70.

To reach most central London hotels, the fare would be something in the region of £15-20 less than this.

Advantages of a taxi:-

- No finding a company in advance, or wondering whether it's reliable or trustworthy.

- No payment in advance needed.

- No frustrating attempt to locate "your" driver amongst the hundred or so always crowding around the exit from customs (no exaggeration).

- No waiting time to be paid if your flight is late or your bags are late out.

- No car park fees to be paid.

- Comfortable, clean, spacious and safe vehicle, with a driver whose "knowledge of London" is tested and proven.

- Use of the bus lane on the M4 motorway into town, bypassing several miles of queuing traffic during the morning peak.

The only major disadvantage is that the cabs are designed more for people than for luggage, but two people can only bring so much luggage however hard they try, and there is space to put it.

A few CCers have been suggesting taxis in the last few weeks, so I thought I could now usefully bring some hard numbers to the discussion. It may be an option for you that's better than a private car transfer.

Thanks for posting this. It's more reasonable than I would ever have guessed. Question, do they charge you based on a meter running which is dependent on stop and go traffic or is it a set fee based on what area of London you are going to?

Again, thank you for posting all of this valuable information.

Keith

Question, do they charge you based on a meter running which is dependent on stop and go traffic or is it a set fee based on what area of London you are going to?

First, taxis can use most bus lanes. Normal private car transfers can't. So taxis are less often stuck in traffic because they can queue-jump the traffic. Second, cabbies know pretty much all the rat runs to get round unexpected traffic jams. Although it doesn't solve all problems, many of the private car drivers simply don't know London that well.

Your comments make a lot of sense. We will need transportation from hotel to Gatwick...........how much more do you think it would be to Gatwick? Don't want to take home too many pounds. :) Would we be able to call a taxi the morning of departure from the hotel?

Thanks,

Carol

We will need transportation from hotel to Gatwick...........how much more do you think it would be to Gatwick?

Unless you would really have great difficulty doing a little manoeuvring of your own luggage, your best bet would be to get a taxi to Victoria station and then get the Gatwick Express from there. It'll be faster and cheaper. I think that even the most high-profile shared van service (Hotelink) does this - the van drops off at Victoria and puts you onto the Gatwick Express.

Thanks Globaliser.......will scratch the taxi idea.

Carol

Globaliser:

Useful post, Thanks.

I thought they had (were) stopping the Knowledge test scheme. Do I misremember or did the Powers That Be decide to keep it after all?

Paul

taxi vs car transfer...Yes with a taxi you just go to the 1st car and you are off & running. However, as it is metered, if there are any traffic problems (accidents, etc) you will be paying for those delays. The fee I saw online was an "average" quote was $50GBP for central London. I can hire a driver for $40GBP. Round trip that is $80GBP vs $100GBP or $40US. I could use that extra money too pay for lunch for 2 - or is that wishful thinking in the UK?

Many London cabbies accept Credit Cards too.

The start of this thread is one of the most sensible and useful tips I have seen for visitors arriving from the US or elsewhere who need to transfer from Heathrow to their hotel.

taxi vs car transfer...Yes with a taxi you just go to the 1st car and you are off & running. However, as it is metered, if there are any traffic problems (accidents, etc) you will be paying for those delays. The fee I saw online was an "average" quote was $50GBP for central London. I can hire a driver for $40GBP. Round trip that is $80GBP vs $100GBP or $40US. I could use that extra money too pay for lunch for 2 - or is that wishful thinking in the UK?

I use cabs a lot in everyday life, and there are very few bad cabbies in London. As a breed, I happily entrust life, limb and money to them. Personally, I think they're worth paying a little extra for. Yet I often see or hear of people who have paid more for poorer service from some other private car company. So I hope this injects some balance from another perspective.

BTW, £20 will buy you lunch for two, but I wouldn't expect much more than a sandwich and a beer each.

Globaliser you must have been reading my mind! Starting to plan trip to London next June before boarding a cruise and was wondering cost of taxi from Heathrow to London. We don't relish lugging suitcases onto trains, buses, etc. so a taxi sounds much nicer. Plus the last time I was in London, the taxi drivers were one of the highlights of my trip!!

I usually travel light and take the £4 tube in from Heathrow, however, cruises require a whole lot more luggage than most people would want to schlep on the tube.

taxi vs car transfer...Yes with a taxi you just go to the 1st car and you are off & running. However, as it is metered, if there are any traffic problems (accidents, etc) you will be paying for those delays. The fee I saw online was an "average" quote was $50GBP for central London. I can hire a driver for $40GBP. Round trip that is $80GBP vs $100GBP or $40US. I could use that extra money too pay for lunch for 2 - or is that wishful thinking in the UK?

I think you'll find that your exchange rates are a bit off

£80 = just over $160 $40 = just under £20

£ Pound $ Dollar

I would emphasise that it's the black cabs/taxis we are talking about here - very reliable and safe. DON'T accept lifts from anyone touting at the airport as these won't be black cabs.

Marge M

Thanks for all the information about transfers. It's really helpful. We are a party of four with three large and four 22" carry on bags. Are there any taxis that would fit all of us? If so, do they charge extra?

Thanks for your help!

It would be a squeeze, but I think it could probably be done. One suitcase in the boot, one (possibly even two) next to the driver. Then it would be four people in the main compartment plus carry-ons, maybe sharing it with one space. Unless the suitcases are outlandishly outsized, this ought to be just possible.

I don't think that there are extra charges any more for baggage or extra passengers. You rent the cab, basically.

Globaliser makes some good points about the urban roads between central London and Gatwick Airport. However, if the journey is at the weekend, particularly early morning, the journey can be quite quick. It is also worth considering some private hire companies. There are many reputable ones ( I used to work for one!) who will quote you a price and then it doesn't matter which route the driver takes or how long it takes. The driver will want to do the journey quickly and safely, both to get a decent tip and to be available for his next job.

There is a lot of discussion on this forum about companies for transfers from Heathrow to central London. But what about the good old reliable standby: the taxi?

 

On Monday morning, for purely personal reasons I decided to splurge and get a taxi home. After joining the queue of - well, nobody, as there's almost always a plentiful supply of cabs at Heathrow - I got into one at 0650. Exactly 55 minutes later, I was at home on the south side of the river, just east of Tower Bridge - so I had travelled significantly further than most people would need to in order to reach their hotels. The fare on the meter was £65.60. There was a £2 Heathrow charge. The cabbie was happy with this being rounded-up to £70.

 

To reach most central London hotels, the fare would be something in the region of £15-20 less than this.

.

So, you're saying that you think $140-$150 (US) is a good deal from Heathrow to London? YIKES, STRIPES!!!!

~d

So' date=' you're saying that you think $140-$150 (US) is a good deal from Heathrow to London? YIKES, STRIPES!!!![/quote']Oh, it was definitely a splurge for me. Usually, I'd take the Tube and it would have cost me £3.50.

 

It wouldn't cost most visitors as much as that, because I was going further than most visitors need to. And yes, you can do it cheaper by road - but taxis have some advantages that are not obvious to the London novice.

Thank you for the wonderful information, Globaliser. We'll consider it for next year's cruise.

Great thread as always Globalizer! Can we add the other options to the equation so that we have a full list of options and the plusses and minuses of each?

Hypothetical here. My wife and I are quite fit, and if we were each to have a rolling bag and a backpack, how difficult would it be to take the tube. I have ridden the tube several times around London, but at the time I had at most a backpack or shopping goodies, and I really didn't think too much about a suitcase and lugging it around the escalators and stairs and hallways of the London underground. I do remember seeing occassional people with suitcases or their worldly possessions, but I didn't really watch them struggle or have success negotiating the underground. Is the tube doable for a healthy tourist who isn't taking a ton of suitcases? Obviously, the primary advantage is that it is cheap.

Heathrow express is another option, but for most people this means that although you get whisked quickly to Paddington Station, but from there you must get on the tube, or find a cab, or catch a bus. What is the cost for HE and then a cab to a nearby hotel, say at the Marble Arch?

I assume that the National Express Coaches will take you from Heathrow to Victoria Station and then again you are forced to take a cab, or the tube, or the bus. What is the cost of this plus a cab?

Private car a bit cheaper than a cab, but not a lot and has the potential to have hidden fees and not as fast as a cab.

Is there anything I am missing?

Thanks in advance to everyone's brilliance to these dumb questions! Feel free to correct any of my erroneous assumptions.

jc:D

Great thread as always Globalizer! Can we add the other options to the equation so that we have a full list of options and the plusses and minuses of each?

 

Hypothetical here. My wife and I are quite fit, and if we were each to have a rolling bag and a backpack, how difficult would it be to take the tube. I have ridden the tube several times around London, but at the time I had at most a backpack or shopping goodies, and I really didn't think too much about a suitcase and lugging it around the escalators and stairs and hallways of the London underground. I do remember seeing occassional people with suitcases or their worldly possessions, but I didn't really watch them struggle or have success negotiating the underground. Is the tube doable for a healthy tourist who isn't taking a ton of suitcases? Obviously, the primary advantage is that it is cheap.

 

Heathrow express is another option, but for most people this means that although you get whisked quickly to Paddington Station, but from there you must get on the tube, or find a cab, or catch a bus. What is the cost for HE and then a cab to a nearby hotel, say at the Marble Arch?

 

I assume that the National Express Coaches will take you from Heathrow to Victoria Station and then again you are forced to take a cab, or the tube, or the bus. What is the cost of this plus a cab?

 

Private car a bit cheaper than a cab, but not a lot and has the potential to have hidden fees and not as fast as a cab.

 

Is there anything I am missing?

 

Thanks in advance to everyone's brilliance to these dumb questions! Feel free to correct any of my erroneous assumptions.

 

jc:D

Great questions! Actually, can we add to the equation ... DH is fit, I'm not so much. So, can we take the tube, bus (or something cheaper than a taxi ;) ) to get into downtown London with all of our bags?

ANOTHER QUESTION: we travel with a 28" suitcase each ... with a carry-on or two a piece. Will Nat'l Express accept our bags as long as they weigh less than 50#?

~d

Great questions! Actually' date=' can we add to the equation ... DH is fit, I'm not so much. So, can we take the tube, bus (or something cheaper than a taxi ;) ) to get into downtown London with all of our bags?[/font']

 

ANOTHER QUESTION: we travel with a 28" suitcase each ... with a carry-on or two a piece. Will Nat'l Express accept our bags as long as they weigh less than 50#?

 

~d

Hi Dianne,

A fellow Alaska cruiser responding:

The tube is fine, as long as you don't need to make many changes to get where you want. Some of the stations have looooooong corridors and some have steps that you have to lug your cases up and down. You might prefer not to use the tube during rush hours.

The Heathrow express will get you quickly to Paddington station, where you will need to either get a taxi our take a tube to your hotel. It all depends where you are staying as to which you choose to use.

I can't speak from experience, but I think National Express would take your cases.

Hope that new grandbaby arrives soon - I have been lurking on the Happy Coconuts thread!

Best wishes,

Caryl

Hey, Caryl ~

Thanks for the info! I'm thinking we need to get a couple of 25" suitcases each (or maybe 24") ... This is going to be a long trip, I'm not sure how I'm going to pack! :eek:

~d

We just came back from the British Isles, so i thought I'd chime in here. When we arrived, we arranged transportation through Princess. We waited for nearly an hour and a half before the bus finally arrived. The ride to the hotel took about the same amount of time. The cost was $35 pp (others paid more, we initially paid 35 pounds pp, then were refunded $35 pp. It was very strange.).

On the way back to Heathrow, we booked a taxi through our hotel. There was a set rate of 55 pounds and the ride took about 40 minutes. It delivered us right to our airline. We were three with four suitcases and three carry ons. There was not a space issue with the luggage.

We enjoyed riding the Tube and noticed that there were a lot of folks taking it to and from Heathrow on the Picadilly line. The only complaint we heard was that it was a looong walk from baggage to the Tube station at the airport. If we each had had one suitcase, I think we would have tried it, but just didn't want to fit rush hour traffic with what we had.

Charlie