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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:11 PM
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Gatwick Taxi

I am looking for a cheap but reliable taxi service to get from Gatwick to Heathrow Airport in London. Could you help me out? Any recommendations?
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:26 PM
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It seems that most would take the bus. Check out the airport sites for details. Not sure, but private taxi's most likely do it. Check out "Just airports" as well.
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:26 PM
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A taxi from Gatwick to Heathrow would cost you a small fortune. Take a direct National Express coach (highway bus). Your bags go in the luggage bay. For timetables and fares, go here: www.nationalexpress.com.
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:34 PM
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I am travelling with my family, National Express would cost us: 4 x 20GBP= 80POUNDS !!! and after a long flight a coach isn't quiet what I'm looking for ;-)
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:40 PM
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&quot;<i>4 x 20GBP= 80POUNDS !!! </i>&quot; Well - a taxi would cost a lot more than that. It is a very long way from LGW to LHR.

But for just a bit more than the coach you could get a car service.

I'd personally take the coach (it isn't a crowded city-type bus - more like a large, comfortable tour bus) . . . . .
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:42 PM
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I would email Just Airports for an estimate. I recently used them for pick up from Heathrow into London, and was very happy with their service. They are often recommended here on the boards, which is where I learned of them.

http://www.justairports.com/
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:43 PM
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I meant to add, a pre-arranged car service will be much more cost efficient than getting a taxi at the airport.
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:45 PM
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Sorry to have to tell you this, but &pound;80 is the MINIMUM you'll pay for any means of travel directly between Gatwick and Heathrow for the number of people in your family.

For a private inter-airport taxi service, go here: http://tinyurl.com/8urlku.
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:51 PM
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And speaking of minimums, you need to allow a MINIMUM of four hours between your scheduled arrival at Gatwick and your scheduled departure from Heathrow. The M25 is the busiest motorway in the UK so traffic congestion can be a problem.
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 02:53 PM
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And note from Tim's link: &quot;<i>With 4 adult passengers there is room for 3 large cases only plus hand luggage in the passenger cabin.

If you do bring more luggage than this allowance there will be a delay in your transfer whilst alternative transport is arranged which will incur <u>significant expense.</u></i>
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 03:08 PM
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That same site has this sentence: &quot;Transfers are suitable for up to four adults travelling with one suitcase and hand luggage each.&quot; I PRESUME this means that four carry-on bags plus hand luggage would be acceptable, but I'm only guessing here.
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 03:13 PM
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I caught that too - plus the &quot;<i>If you are from North America the size of the boots (trunks) are smaller than you are used to.</i>&quot; bit -- So I'm guessing it means 4 small bags is OK -- but don't <b>dare</b> think 4 gargantuan suitcases will fit
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 04:02 PM
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Is there a difference between taxi and car service? I find it a bit difficult to digest and understand. I 'Googled' two businesses--&gt; 'licensed private hire car service'…for less than 60GBP... enlighten me, please.
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Old Jan 17th, 2009 | 05:12 PM
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Think of a private car hire service as similar to a car service in the States. I guess sometimes we call them limo services when usually it's just a town car or similar.

Unlike a taxi or cab, the cars won't have roof lights and don't have a meter. They are not allowed to pick up on the street or to get into the taxi ranks/queues.

Most services will meet you in the arrivals hall with a sign with your name on it. Occasionally, they will send you to a specific meeting point.

The main difference from the States is the size of the cars. Janis and others are right that you need to be very clear with them how much luggage you will have and the size. The services usually have larger cars they use as needed but it's better to get that clear before you get to Gatwick.

I complain about National Express bus service and I'm actually not sure who runs the bus link between Gatwick and Heathrow but it's not bad. It is, however, not cost effective for several people traveling together.

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Old Jan 20th, 2009 | 03:02 AM
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Our family of four used Premier Airport cars last summer to go from South Kensington to Gatwick and then on return from Gatwick to Heathrow. I did a lot of checking around while we were in London and found their service to be cheaper than other competitors. (that actually caused me some concern at the time,) Everything went according to plan however and we had no problems at all. If you Google the name it should lead you to their website. I understand that they have been around for a few years and they take credit cards.
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Old Jan 20th, 2009 | 04:16 AM
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&lt;&lt;&lt; I PRESUME this means that four carry-on bags plus hand luggage would be acceptable, &gt;&gt;&gt;

What's the difference between carry-on bags and hand luggage?
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Old Jan 20th, 2009 | 01:01 PM
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It probably would be best to ask the people operating the car service what they mean by &quot;one suitcase and hand luggage each&quot; for four people. However, I will make another presumption and guess it means one carry-on bag and a second piece no bigger than a daypack or messenger bag. But it's only a guess!
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Old Jan 21st, 2009 | 02:20 AM
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The car services I have used in the UK have been Volvos or similar sized cars. Could you get the four of you and your luggage in a Volvo V70?
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Old Jan 21st, 2009 | 02:57 AM
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We did this last year for our family of four (2 kids, 2 adults) and used www.Heathrow2gatwick.com. They charged 59 pounds. It was cheaper for us than the bus and we were actually going from Gatwick to the Heathrow Marriott to spend the night before we flew out of Heathrow the next morning so it was nice to go directly to the hotel and not the airport. Anyway, it worked fine and we had 4 suitcases and at least 3 pieces of hand luggage.
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