jeff49

When we booked our trip from the US to Venice with FF miles, the only option was a 12 hour layover in London that included an airport change from Heathrow to Gatwick. Not wanting to waste the 12 hours, I explored transfer options other than the National Express bus which costs £50 for two. I looked into renting a car but every company except one charged an enormous drop off fee. The exception was Sixt which for £26 provided us not only with a less expensive way to Gatwick, but a way to see some sites along the way. After picking up the car at Heathrow, we first toured Windsor for most of the morning and then meandered towards Gatwick exploring the countryside and having a leisurely lunch in a little town along the way. The unmanned car rental return is in the terminal at Gatwick. You simply find a parking space; drop the key in a box, walk a few steps and you’re at check in.

I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone rushing to make a connection, but for those with a longer layover like we had, you might want to consider this cheaper alternative, especially if you are more than one person traveling.

Lastly, I have a question about taxi fares from Heathrow. Our return trip included a 12 hour layover at Heathrow (no transfer to Gatwick this time) with an arrival around 11 pm. I decided to book a room near the airport for the night as our flight didn’t leave until 11am the next day. The Heathrow Travelodge Terminal 5 seemed like the perfect solution at £24. On arrival at Terminal 3, we proceeded easily through passport control (empty at that hour) straight to the taxi stand for the short ride to the Travelodge at the edge of the airport property. The young lady at the taxi stand asked our destination and when I told her, she said the fare was a fixed £35. I couldn’t believe that a less than 5 minute journey was £35. I asked the young lady about alternatives and she said there were none at that hour. I decided it was too late to hunt for a bus so we bit the bullet for the £35. For those of you familiar, please tell me why this short trip is a fixed £35. I know there is a logical explanation. I just need to know what it is so I can plan an alternative the next time. Thanks.

janisj

For terminal 3 you probably should have stayed at one of the hotels on the north side if the airport along the Bath road. Not sure the fixed fare to those hotels but it is bound to be less than £35.

flanneruk

I imagine the logical explanation for the £35 is that the standard system at LHR is taxis taking short fares are normally allowed to fast-track their next pickup. That doesn't work at 11 pm, so without a safety net for short fares, drivers would go straight back into town after the last dropoff (around 9 pm) and there'd be no taxis for late arriving planes at all

Typically, cab drivers need to queue for an hour or two at LHR between dropoff and pickup (peak arrival and departure times are different, and there's next to no cabbies living, or routine black cab business, within 10 miles of LHR). If they get a short fare, there's a system allowing them a shorter queue afterwards: Heathrow cab drivers are required to take fares to any destination within 20 miles.

At 11, the "queue jump" system wouldn't work, since once the late transatlantic flights have arrived, the airport's closed till the early morning flights from Asia arrive.

The "£35 rule" (if it exists, because I can't find any trace of it) would be a logical way of ensuring some service - but it's obviously both outrageous to its "victims" and not adequately explained. There's no doubt, though, that without such a system, no cab driver would accept a short fare at 11 pm - and a real risk cabbies would collectively desert LHR late at night.

The simple alternative is to discuss alternatives with the reception desk at your hotel (not by email, and not with the group's central reservation system) on the phone before leaving home. There are buses, though at 11 I believe service to some Heathrow area hotels is patchy, which is why you need to be careful in your selection of hotels, as janisj says.

bilboburgler

I've spent some time emailing TFL about the £35 fee (£40 in my case) for a 5 minute journey. The TFL guys were helpful and explained that for some reason TFL is not in control of Taxi fairs that do not end in Greater London and that the area around Heathrow is not in Greater London. Hence the cabs can charge what they like. So the only solution to this closed shop is to use the buses (there are many) or order a transfer service before you arrive at Heathrow. "Time to destroy the guild"

bilboburgler

fares!

jeff49

Thanks Flanner for the explanation and Bilbo for your comments. I knew there must be a reason but just couldn't figure it out. I knew there was bus service but wasn't sure I wanted to transfer to Terminal 5 at that hour and try to find it. We did use it the next morning back to the terminal at a cost of £4.