I apologize if I’m repeating previously discussed questions, but I wonder if someone can estimate for me the cost of a cab ride between:

Heathrow Airport and Holiday Inn Hotel – Oxford Circus

and

Paddington Station and Holiday Inn Hotel – Oxford Circus

Thank you !!

RailEurope says cab prices from Heathrow to central London are well over $100! A new law in London allows haggling with cabbies over fares, previously not permissable.

Before starting to haggle with taxi drivers, understand the law.

You may, BEFORE A JOURNEY STARTS, agree with the driver a lower fare than what's on the meter. I suspect your chances of getting agreement to a lower fare on a journey from Heathrow to the centre, during normal hours, are about the same as those of Jacques Chirac being welcome in Finland.

The driver may not attempt to negotiate a higher fare.

Once the journey starts, that's it. If you didn't agree a lower fare beforehand you have to pay the full metered fare. In pounds sterling.

So, given the fact we're not good negotiators, what is an approximate full fare between (LHR & Oxford Street) and (Paddington Station & Oxford Street) in British pounds?

Thank you.

I think the price of a cab and the time it takes to get from the airport to the hotel could vary depending on the amount of traffic.
Holiday Inn-Oxford Circus web site says a cab from LHR to the hotel will cost £45 and take 35 minutes.

I think the bottom line to this question is "if you're taking a cab, why do you care what it costs?"

Taking a taxi from Heathrow to a London Hotel is probably the biggest waste of money I can think of. For about half the price you can hire a car to meet you at the airport and take you direct to your hotel.
There are tons of posts and suggestions here for car transfers from Heathrow -- the most popular and seemingly LEAST expensive being Justairports.com

Meanwhile I'm sorry no one has helped you with the answer to the cost between Paddington and the Holiday Inn. Suffice it to say that last year when we took a taxi from Paddington to Liverpool Station it cost us about 25 pounds -- double what we expected as traffic was incredibly slow.

If I'm guessing right you're trying to compare the cost of taking a taxi all the way from the airport to taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then a taxi to your hotel. If there are two or more of you, it will be far cheaper to take a car service the entire way than the Express plux taxi method -- and when all is added up, it will probably be just as quick also.

As Patrick said, just book ahead. We pre-booked London Transfers on a trip 2 years ago. Heathrow to Hilton on Park Lane, so not far from your hotel. 38 pounds. Private car.

See http://www.london-transfers.com/

Easy to book online.

Ian

I've had a cab from Paddington to South Kensington cost anywhere from 9 to 20£
depending on traffic!

Take a private car , if there are 2 or more of you!

flanneruk: Or even less odds, Chirac being welcomed in the UK - well maybe a bit more now that Olympics are London's. Flanner - do you agree with the figures i heard some government Olympic wonk spewing about for every 1 pound the government spends on the Olympics the UK will get 4 pounds back? Pie in the London Eye? Think Millenium Dome - wonder what role in Olympics that will play? Will Cockneys survive the East End gentrification?

The londontown.com site has several options for private travel, from vans to limos.

Thank you, folks. Very-very helpful.

two words - just airports.

I recently took a cab from Paddington to Tottenmham Court Road which is just slightly further that Oxford Circus and the cost was £17, but this could vary depending on how heavy the traffic is.

One other variable is the time of day. the costs of a black cab go up by about a third after (I think) 10pm.

The Airbus isn't bad and goes into the heart of London.