Transfer from Heathrow to Bath
 

DH and I will arrive at Heathrow after an overnight flight and would like to travel to Bath and stay for several days. We are looking for ease after a long flight so I have been researching private car services but haven't found reviews on any of them. Can anyone provide information on Express Airport Transport, Chariots of Leisure, Airport Pickups London, Sky Travel or any others? We expect to pay about 125 GBP for a one-way trip.

I've never hired a driver to Bath, but IMO The express coach would be just as comfortable as a car service and at a fraction the cost.

The coaches are run by National Express. Direct coaches run only from the Central Bus Station between T1 & T3 and cost from around £20 one way per person. There are other services that typically require a change at Bristol but they normally cost over £30 each and will take longer overall

If you are arriving at T4 or T5 then you can use the free shuttle train to take you to the Central Bus Station or there are free buses between the terminals

http://www.heathrowairport.com/heath...ween-terminals
http://www.nationalexpress.com

If you still want to use a car service then Google for Bath based companies (phone number beginning "01225") as they will generally be cheaper and, more importantly, know where you will be staying

At least one of the companies quoted, Chariots of Leisure, is a Bath-based company. I agree that a Bath-based company will probably be best. They are likely to be cheaper, and will know their way round Bath. All such drivers know their way round Heathrow.

I know that there is an approach among some Fodor posters to always go for the cheapest option. Personally, I think you have to balance cost with ease and comfort. Booking a car to travel from Heathrow to Bath would suit many people's needs best. Arriving tired and bewildered after an overnight flight and suffering from jet lag, it must be nice to met by a smart driver carrying a card with your name, who will take your bags and drive you carefully and quickly directly to your final destination. The cost is not excessive for the distance and the comfort.

You will be lucky to find independent reviews, but how bad can it be?

I regularly use local taxis for the 70 mile journey between home and Heathrow (no trickier to do by public transport than central Bath, but as chartley says there are times you just don't want to wait for the next bus or haul your bags through Reading station).

I can't imagine anyone wasting energy filing a review of them - and I wouldn't believe a word of any review anyone filed anyway: certain to be professional whingers, near-criminal blackmailers who failed to get their ride free when the driver forgot to wear a peaked cap, or the driver himself trying to drum up business.

As others say, just google for a Bath-based company.

Thanks Chartley and Flanneruk; after an 11 hour flight we are not going to worry about the cheapest mode of transport and definitely will not want to haul bags to a bus or train. I will go with one of the Bath companies.