Taxi to Heathrow Airport

A taxi to Heathrow from central London covers only about 15 miles, but anyone who has sat on the M4 at half past five knows distance means very little here. The airport is wedged between the M4, the M25 and the A30, and how long your trip takes depends far more on time of day and which terminal you are using than on mileage.

We run Heathrow transfers in both directions, every day: house to terminal for departures, and arrivals hall to your door when you land. Here is what you need to know before you book.

Taxi to Heathrow Terminal 2, 3, 4 and 5

Terminal 1 closed in 2015, so a taxi to Heathrow will go to one of four terminals. Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 are the busiest for our passengers. Check your booking or the airline’s website, because airlines do move between terminals.

Terminal	Location	What to know
Terminal 2 (The Queen’s Terminal)	Central area	Shared approach road with T3. Mainly Star Alliance airlines.
Terminal 3	Central area	Long-haul heavy. Same central tunnel access as T2.
Terminal 4	South side	Separate road off the A30 / Southern Perimeter Road. Allow a few minutes more if you are coming from the north.
Terminal 5	West side	Used mainly by British Airways. Reached directly from M25 junction 14.

If you give us the wrong terminal, it is not a disaster. Moving between the central area, T4 and T5 by road takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes. But it is time you may not have on a tight connection, so double-check.

Taxi from London to Heathrow: how long to allow

From most of central London, expect 45 to 75 minutes. Early mornings before 6am can be well under 40. Weekday evenings heading west can stretch past an hour and a half if the M4 or A4 is having a bad day.

Pickup area	Typical drive to Heathrow
Westminster / Mayfair	45–70 min
City of London	55–85 min
Canary Wharf	60–90 min
Wimbledon	35–55 min
Richmond	25–40 min
Watford	30–45 min
Reading	40–55 min

For long-haul flights we normally suggest arriving three hours before departure, two for short-haul, unless your airline says otherwise. Tell us your departure time and we will suggest a pickup.

Taxi from Heathrow Airport to London

Booking a taxi from Heathrow to London is the easy part. Once you clear passport control and collect your bags, walk through into the public arrivals hall. Your driver will be waiting there with a name board. If you cannot see them, call the number on your confirmation and we will connect you.

We track your flight using the flight number, so an early landing or a delay is already accounted for. Free waiting time starts from the moment your plane actually lands, which gives you time to get through immigration and baggage reclaim without watching the clock. Heathrow passport queues can be long at peak times, especially at Terminals 2 and 5 mid-morning.

You can read more on our meet and greet page.

Drop-offs and the Heathrow forecourt charge

Every vehicle dropping passengers at a Heathrow terminal forecourt pays a charge, currently £7, with a limited time allowed on the forecourt. Your quote includes it. We will not ask you for extra at the kerb.

Heathrow to other airports and destinations

Plenty of our Heathrow runs are not to London at all. We regularly drive Heathrow to Gatwick for connecting passengers, as well as to Southampton and Dover for cruises. See airport-to-airport transfers and cruise port transfers.

Choosing the right car

A saloon takes four passengers but only two large suitcases. Long-haul travellers usually have more luggage than that, so families often need an estate or MPV. For groups of seven or eight, an 8-seater minibus is cheaper than two cars. Business travellers can choose an executive car.

Car, Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express?

Heathrow has better rail links than any other London airport, so it is fair to ask whether you need a car at all. The Heathrow Express runs non-stop to Paddington in about 15 minutes. The Elizabeth line goes through central London to the City and Canary Wharf without a change. The Piccadilly line is slow but cheap.

Rail wins if you are travelling alone, with a single bag, and staying near one of those stations. A car tends to win when:

• you have more than one large case each, or children and car seats
• your final address is a walk or another change away from the station
• you are travelling very early or very late, when trains are less frequent
• there are three or more of you, so the fare per person drops below rail

Popular Heathrow routes

Central London hotels, the City and Canary Wharf; Windsor, Reading and Oxford to the west; Surrey towns such as Woking and Guildford; and longer runs to Gatwick, Southampton and Dover. If yours is not listed, ask: the fare is worked out on the actual route.

Taxi to Heathrow from Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and beyond

A lot of our Heathrow work starts outside London. These are typical drives for a taxi to Heathrow from the towns and cities we are asked about most, and we run the same routes in reverse for arrivals, such as a taxi from Heathrow Airport to Southampton, Oxford or Bristol.

Taxi to Heathrow from	Approx. distance	Typical drive
London King’s Cross	17 miles	50–80 min
Guildford	25 miles	35–50 min
Oxford	45 miles	60–75 min
Milton Keynes	50 miles	60–80 min
Southampton	65 miles	75–90 min
Northampton	70 miles	75–95 min
Portsmouth	70 miles	80–100 min
Brighton	70 miles	90–110 min
Cambridge	75 miles	100–120 min
Birmingham	110 miles	1 hr 45 – 2 hr 15
Bristol	115 miles	1 hr 50 – 2 hr 15
Nottingham	125 miles	2 – 2 hr 30

Heathrow taxi prices: what a taxi to Heathrow costs

How much is a taxi to Heathrow? It depends on three things: where you start, the size of car you need and whether you add stops. There is no meter and no surge pricing. Every Heathrow taxi quote is one fixed price that already includes the £7 terminal drop-off charge, so the cost of a taxi to Heathrow is exactly what we tell you up front.

Looking for a cheap taxi to Heathrow?

• Choose a saloon if your luggage fits. It is the cheapest taxi to Heathrow we offer.
• Book your return at the same time so both legs are fixed together.
• Keep to one pickup address; extra stops add to the fare.
• Book early for Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 departures in school holidays, when cars get busy.

Heathrow checklist

• Confirm the terminal. British Airways uses Terminal 5 for most flights, but some depart from Terminal 3.
• Long-haul? Leave three hours. We work your pickup back from that, plus the drive.
• Friday afternoons are slow. The M25 and M4 build up from around 2pm; we add slack.
• Booked airport assistance? The airport’s assistance team brings you through arrivals and we meet you there. Tell us so the driver knows to wait for them.
• Landing from abroad? Make sure your phone has UK roaming or Wi-Fi so the driver can reach you.

Who books our Heathrow taxis

Long-haul families coming home with three weeks of luggage. Consultants on the 6am to Frankfurt. Grandparents arriving for a visit who should not have to work out the Elizabeth line. And a lot of people going straight on to a cruise at Southampton. The car and the timings change; the fixed price and the name board in arrivals do not.

Heathrow taxi questions

How much is a taxi to Heathrow?

It depends on the exact address, vehicle and time of day. Ask for a quote with your postcode and we will give you a fixed fare that includes the airport charges.

Can I book a taxi to Heathrow Terminal 5, 3, 2 or 4?

Yes. We run taxis to and from all four Heathrow terminals. Give us your flight number and we will check the terminal too.

My flight lands at 5am. Is that a problem?

No. We run early and late pickups, and the roads are usually quiet at that hour.

Do I pay the Heathrow drop-off charge separately?

No. It is built into your fare.

What if I am held up at immigration?

Your waiting time starts when the flight lands, not when you reach arrivals. If it looks like being a very long wait, call us and we will keep the driver informed.