Arriving Heathrow at 9am on a Saturday and wondering about "cost/benefit" ration of Heathrow Express to Paddington then cab to hotel nr Kensington High St. and Warwick Rd. vs. cab direct from airport to hotel.<BR><BR>Any thoughts, please, would be greatly appreciated. We are 2 adults traveling w/ luggage slightly more than a wheelie, carron each and 2 tote bags, I think.<BR><BR>Cheers.

I've been recommending Ray Skinner's driver pick up service for quite some time on this forum - we just returned from London the other day and used him back and forth to Heathrow. Website is www.london-tranfers.com - it's 35 pounds into London, 29 out (plus tip). You cannot beat the convenience and Ray is a marvelous guy to work with. By the time you do the express for 2 and taxi you can ride in comfort and not schlepp luggage on and off trains and wait in long lines for a taxi. Tell him Lori & John recommended him!! He personally picked us up and the driver that took us out was very polite, and punctual.

We've made reservations to use Ray when we're in England this summer and have had excellent service, quick responses to queries, etc. Although we haven't actually met him yet, we'd recommend him so far.

Marnie - you will love Ray, he's a character. Tell him Lori & John said HI.<BR>Enjoy your trip, I hope you have as marvelous a time as we just had and great weather too.

Based on recommendations from this board, I just booked online with London-Transfers for 4 of us traveling to London next month. It was the same price for pick up at Heathrow as 4 Heathrow Express Train tickets and I really like the convenience.

I took Lori's advice and booked London Transfers this past March. I was very pleased. The drivers were prompt and courteous and it sure beats hauling your luggage around after a long flight.<BR><BR>You can book a pick-up online using a credit card, but they do not accept credit cards for payment.<BR><BR>M.<BR>

Hi Lori,<BR>what a great find&gt; I've emailed them already and thanks for this great tip; makes such good sense. Maybe we'll get lucky to meet Ray and bring your regards, but at this late date (we get there on Sat.) I doubt it.<BR><BR>

Hello. I tried the website, and was told it's non-existant. Is it www.london-airport-tranfers.com? Also, can you comment on the pros and cons of renting a limosine service vs. taking a taxi? Thank you.

http://www.london-airport-transfer.com/<BR><BR>

Does London Transfers service Gatwick?

Yes, London Transfers wlll pick you up at Gatwick. They'll also spend the whole day with you, galavanting about the Cotswolds, whatever you like. Our driver even gave my sister a driving lesson, since our home exchange included a minivan ("people mover") just like our driver's, and she had never driven in England before!

I believe the web site you want is www-london-transfers.com (i.e., no "airport" in there).

Lori, I just checked the Web site and it quotes Heathrow pick up lowest price at 40 (33+7) GBP. How did you get it for 29?

Sorry, Lori, I meant, how did you get it for 35 out and 29 back?<BR>Thanks

I have always used and recommended Swiss Cottage Cars for personal pick up. They don't have a website and you have to call them direct to reserve 207-431-2700. But they only charge 25 pounds to meet you at Heathrow and deliver you to your hotel in central London -- no extras. I have always been very happy with their drivers and cars, although there was once a complaint from someone here who didn't like their driver and was upset that the driver didn't know where their hotel was. Normally they ask you at the time of the booking the address of the hotel, so I've never understood why they had a problem, unless they didn't give the driver the name of the hotel at the time of booking.<BR>Incidentally, once our flight was delayed over two hours, but the driver was waiting for us when we arrived and there was no extra charge -- he had checked with the airline and knew about the delayed arrival.

Mel, I'm confused by your confusion. I've just checked the London Transfers web site and it lists &pound;29 (+&pound;5 for pickup) as the going rate for Heathrow for pickup in a sedan, and &pound;44 for a minivan. Were did you see &pound;40?

We just returned yesterday. Used Ray's service from Heathrow to hotel. It wasn't Ray, but the driver was wonderful. There were many drivers there with signs and many were hand written and hard to read. They used a large font on the computer and we saw it readily. I did not see any limos in London or Paris. They use alot of large Mercedes for pick-up cars. There may have been limos there, but I thought about it when we came home and landed in Chicago. Every other car is a limo. Not there. Ray's company is great.

The price is a little lower going to the airport because there is no waiting time added (5 pounds) for those who wanted an answer to this question. The drivers have to pay to park at the airport and then wait for you - that all adds up. Ray was wonderful to us, he waited far longer then he needed to because he knew we'd be there (he knew us anyway from other trips) - truly this is a good service and beats public transportation when you have luggage and jet lag.

I just want to get to town fast! At 9 Am I would take express and a cab..you could be tied up for an hour or more in rush hour traffic between airport and town.<BR><BR>does Lori get a cut from ray?

ellen the London Transfers URl doesn't work for me, but the London-airport-transfers does. Are they the same? That's the one that quotes 33+7. It's under "Tariffs" on the left-hand menu.