Heathrow Taxi
 

Hi, hope someone can help me. I will be arriving at Heathrow and will need to get to my hotel in London. Is it better/cheaper to 1)just grab any taxi at the airport or 2)arrange ahead of time with one of the taxi companies for transportation where they will "meet and greet" you? Thanks!

Neither!!! I have taken cabs from Heathrow into London and back...they are horribly expensive. Unless you are getting reimbursed for the taxi expenses(I was!) I would recommend taking the Heathrow Express. It is something like 12 or 15 pounds, and it gets to Paddington in 20 minutes or less. I've taken it twice and it is fabulous. From Paddington you can get to any other place by changing lines or taking a cab. Just so you know, the cab ride can take anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour! My first ride was around noon, it was fairly fast (35 to 40 minutes) and it cost me about 60 pounds...the second time was over one hour (lots of traffic on a Sunday afternoon) and I paid over 70 pounds. Do the math and you will see that it can cost more than 100 dollars...

Taxis from Heathrow to central London are expensive, and usually slow, as the traffic out of Heathrow is horrendous. <BR>The best way is to catch the Heathrow Express train for Ten Pounds to Paddington, and taxi to your hotel from there. <BR>There is a cheaper way on the Piccadilly Line Tube train, but pretty slow and uncomfortable. <BR>Taxis all the way are only really viable if there are three of you or more to share the cost.

Please forgive my ignorance on this subject. Our first trip to England will be in March. We are staying at the County Hall Travel Inn & I know that is near Waterloo Station. I had thought we'd take a cab from Heathrow... but not now after reading how expensive they are! Is it possible to take some type of train or shuttle from Heathrow to Waterloo Station?? What would be a good way for us to get from LHR to our hotel at the County Hall? <BR>Gwyn

Gwyn. <BR> <BR>As mentioned above the best way is by Heathrow Express from the airport to Paddington. From Paddington you have the choice of a moderately priced taxi ride to your hotel, or a direct tube ride to Waterloo - the Bakerloo line I think. On your own the Bakerloo line would be cheapest, for two or more I'd use the cab from Paddington.

Gwyn, the best way to get from Heathrow to County Hall is to take the Air-Rail Link bus to the Feltham train station and then the train direct from there to Waterloo. The cost is whatever a 6 zone day travel card costs these days and you will have free London transport for the rest of the day. You can find information about this service on the Southwest Trains website.

Honestly I've done it both ways and if I was first time out of the US and packing some luggage I would opt for a taxi any time! This past October, Heathrow express was great to get into the city for a walk around Hyde Park (we stored dropped our bags off in a luggage holder) but honestly for 2 people with the addition of the tube fair to Hyde Park and back round trip, it wasn't that much more then a taxi. I always like chit chatting with the cab drivers as well particularly in London, it adds to the overall London experience for me. Now don't get me wrong I am a big fan of public transport. But after an 8-11 hr flight, pour me into a taxi and drop me at my hotel door, it's worth the extra 10-20 bucks for me. If you do decide on taxi's there are big signs in Heathrow on where to catch them, just follow the signs and go stand in line. Besdies a London cab is fun in and of itself, IMO.

Matt, <BR>DO NOT take public transportation if you have luggage - it's insane. Contact a driver pick up service (not a taxi) to pick you up. Charge is 30-35 pounds (plus tip) and it's money well spent. You are starting a vacation, why haul luggage up and down stairs, in and out of the tube like a pack mule when you can go door to door! We always do this and it's marvelous, particularly coming off a 10 hour flight. You may save money going public transportation but it's a hassle unless you have l bag. The Paddington Express is fine put it is not cheap either and you will still have to take a cab. By the time you total it all out you will spend nearly as much as door to door comfort.

As a Londoner I can advise you please god don't get the Air Rail coach to Feltam - it'll take hours!!! The Heathrow Express is great, then take a cab from Paddington. You could prebook a cab from Heathrow (c.£30) but these cabs are just ordinary cars and so very uncomfortable if you've got luggage. The black cabs are the best cabs in the world for comfort, but way too expensive to take from Heathrow as it's quite a long way out of town.

Your message has seemed to change since it was first posted. The way it was originally worded seemed to indicate that you were a single traveler, but your later post seems to indicate that there are at least two of you. If you call Swiss Cottage Cars at 011-44-207-431-2700, a driver will meet you with a comfortable car as you come out of customs at Heathrow. He will help you with your luggage and take you directly to your destination. The total time will be around 1 hour. The price will be approximately 24 pounds. If anyone can tell me how you can beat this by two people buying tickets on Heathrow Express, managing their own luggage, then transferring your luggage at Paddington, waiting in line for a taxi, then paying the taxi to take you from Paddington across the river to your hotel, I would sure like to hear about it. I would be willing to guarantee you that door to door the express/taxi combination will cost you more than a private car and take just as long total or even longer. There is nothing so great as arriving in London and seeing a friendly face holding a sign with your name on it and helping you to your final destination. Incidentally I just received a thank-you email from someone who just returned from London and used this service from central London to Heathrow for a price of 21 pounds. The lower rate is because they do not need to include the parking and waiting time at Heathrow which the slightly higher rate for pick-up does include.