Car Service Recommendations From Heathrow to London Hotel

[Solara]

I'm looking for recommendations for a car service from Heathrow to our precruise hotel in London. Thanks!

__________________

[orchestrapal]

With over 4000 posts one would think you know haw to use "search " for the many many threads on this subject.....

However,we use http://Www.totallydriven.co.uk and have for many years. Very good service at good prices.

Edited August 4, 2015 by orchestrapal

[Globaliser]

With over 4000 posts one would think you know haw to use "search " for the many many threads on this subject.....

It's like Prime Minister's Question Time: "I refer the honourable member to the recommendations we gave a day or two ago."

[orchestrapal]

It's like Prime Minister's Question Time: "I refer the honourable member to the recommendations we gave a day or two ago."

 

Lol !

[Pet Nit Noy]

With over 4000 posts one would think you know haw to use "search " for the many many threads on this subject.....

However,we use http://Www.totallydriven.co.uk and have for many years. Very good service at good prices.

 

If you use Totally Driven, and you're arriving at Terminal 2, just be aware that they specify the meet-up point as the Information desk. In reality, there is no structure that I'd call an information desk. Even the map of the arrivals hall, (See URL below) confirms my comment, and my recent difficulty wasn't simply a matter of being sleep deprived.

 

Looking at the arrivals hall map, there is a U-shaped area. That's a wall with the word "Information" posted there. Also, number five on the map, labeled the Information desk is in fact a clock on a pole. Now, a clock on a pole is a perfectly fine meet up point, but it is not an Information desk.

 

In the important ways -- showing up on the agreed-upon date/time and a correctly sized car -- Totally Driven was fine. And, knowing about the Information desk issues in Terminal 2, you'll probably have no problems using their service. (I can't speak about the existence or lack of existence of an Information Desk in other Terminals.)

 

http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/Heathrow/Static/PDF/Transport_and_directions/Heathrow_T2_Map.pdf

[phabric]

I have used http://www.justairports.com from LHR-London hotel, London hotel- LHR a few times. To get a quote use your hotel's postal code.

[Solara]

If you use Totally Driven, and you're arriving at Terminal 2, just be aware that they specify the meet-up point as the Information desk. In reality, there is no structure that I'd call an information desk. Even the map of the arrivals hall, (See URL below) confirms my comment, and my recent difficulty wasn't simply a matter of being sleep deprived.

 

Looking at the arrivals hall map, there is a U-shaped area. That's a wall with the word "Information" posted there. Also, number five on the map, labeled the Information desk is in fact a clock on a pole. Now, a clock on a pole is a perfectly fine meet up point, but it is not an Information desk.

 

In the important ways -- showing up on the agreed-upon date/time and a correctly sized car -- Totally Driven was fine. And, knowing about the Information desk issues in Terminal 2, you'll probably have no problems using their service. (I can't speak about the existence or lack of existence of an Information Desk in other Terminals.)

 

http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/Heathrow/Static/PDF/Transport_and_directions/Heathrow_T2_Map.pdf

Thanks for your help. So exactly where did they meet you in the U-shaped area or by the pole with the clock? We are arriving at terminal two

 

Thanks!

[pmjnh]

We just returned from our cruise and we used 247 Airport transfer to and from the cruise ship in Harwich.

 

They met us at the Travelex in Terminal 2. They drove us to Harwich to embark on our cruise and 2 weeks later they picked us up in Harwich and drove us to a hotel at Heathrow. We have absolutely no complaints. The drivers were prompt, courteous and friendly. We received a 10% discount as first time users. Their pricepoint was less than many transport services I queried.

 

 

https://www.247airporttransfer.co.uk/

[PORT ROYAL]

I'm looking for recommendations for a car service from Heathrow to our precruise hotel in London. Thanks!

__________________

 

Speak to the Cincierge at your booked hotel, as they will have an approved list, and will be happy to arrange a car for you.

[FritzG]

We were very happy with Simply Airports, and we're using them again in two weeks.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Thanks for your help. So exactly where did they meet you in the U-shaped area or by the pole with the clock? We are arriving at terminal two

 

Thanks!

 

If you look at the arrival hall map, you'll see that the clock essentially lies along one edge of the U-shaped area.

 

As to where we met, here's a link to a post in which I detailed our story.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47318607&postcount=30

 

You wrote "our" so I assume you're traveling with someone who, presumably, isn't blind and can help you look. That, combined with my advance warning and map, should make your meet-up easier.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[Cotswold Eagle]

This video has a panning shot of the area Pet Nit Noy describes in T2 (at about 1:30 to 2:20) - it may be useful for people to see beforehand if they are concerned about meeting places :)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6pcQShDjtc

[Pet Nit Noy]

This video has a panning shot of the area Pet Nit Noy describes in T2 (at about 1:30 to 2:20) - it may be useful for people to see beforehand if they are concerned about meeting places :)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6pcQShDjtc

 

This is a great resource for people arriving at T2.

 

At the 2:00 mark, the camera pans off WH Smith, which I have been referring to as Smith's, if you look to the right, in the background, you can see the word "Information" -- along with the typical lower case "i" that is the symbol for information -- on the wall. Also if you're very sharp-eyed, you'll be able to see the clock peeking out to the left of one of the shiny metal pillars in the hall. (It's not the pillar that bisects the word "Information" but the one to the right.) I watched until the 2:20 mark and never found a better view of the clock.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[Solara]

This video has a panning shot of the area Pet Nit Noy describes in T2 (at about 1:30 to 2:20) - it may be useful for people to see beforehand if they are concerned about meeting places :)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6pcQShDjtc

Thanks so much!

[Solara]

With over 4000 posts one would think you know haw to use "search " for the many many threads on this subject.....

However,we use Www.totallydriven.co.uk and have for many years. Very good service at good prices.

 

If you look at the arrival hall map, you'll see that the clock essentially lies along one edge of the U-shaped area.

 

As to where we met, here's a link to a post in which I detailed our story.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47318607&postcount=30

 

You wrote "our" so I assume you're traveling with someone who, presumably, isn't blind and can help you look. That, combined with my advance warning and map, should make your meet-up easier.

They give you 30 minutes of free waiting time would you think an extra 15 minutes would be enough waiting time?

 

Thanks!

[Pet Nit Noy]

They give you 30 minutes of free waiting time would you think an extra 15 minutes would be enough waiting time?

 

Thanks!

 

If you're talking about Totally Driven, their on-line form asks about extra free minutes and then gives you choices ranging from 15 to 90 minutes. As I found out, if you specify 60 minutes, the driver doesn't show up until 60 minutes after you land. If you're NOT in the arrival hall at that point, you start eating into the 30 free extra minutes.

 

It appears you're asking about scheduling a pick up 45 minutes after the plan lands. We landed at a non-prime time (7:45 PM) and it took us 70 minutes to go through passport control and to claim our luggage. If you'll be taking an overnight flight, many, many more flights arrive in that early morning time frame, and you'll find the lines are longer and the luggage pick up may be slower.

 

If you want more advice, you'll have to provide additional details like arrival time and the country whose passport you'll be carrying.

[Solara]

If you're talking about Totally Driven, their on-line form asks about extra free minutes and then gives you choices ranging from 15 to 90 minutes. As I found out, if you specify 60 minutes, the driver doesn't show up until 60 minutes after you land. If you're NOT in the arrival hall at that point, you start eating into the 30 free extra minutes.

 

It appears you're asking about scheduling a pick up 45 minutes after the plan lands. We landed at a non-prime time (7:45 PM) and it took us 70 minutes to go through passport control and to claim our luggage. If you'll be taking an overnight flight, many, many more flights arrive in that early morning time frame, and you'll find the lines are longer and the luggage pick up may be slower.

 

If you want more advice, you'll have to provide additional details like arrival time and the country whose passport you'll be carrying.

We are arriving at 6:00 AM with a US passport. Last year when we arrived at that time we were thru customs really quickly as the airport was empty. Just wondering if that was the norm? The receipt I received states the driver will meet you 15 minutes after your plane lands & you have an additional 30 minutes of free waiting time.

[Pet Nit Noy]

We are arriving at 6:00 AM with a US passport. Last year when we arrived at that time we were thru customs really quickly as the airport was empty. Just wondering if that was the norm? The receipt I received states the driver will meet you 15 minutes after your plane lands & you have an additional 30 minutes of free wait time.

 

Since 15 minutes is the minimum, I suspect you did not use the pull down menu to customize your meet up time with your driver. Totally Driven has a web form for contacting the company and having a real time live chat to discuss a problem. I recommend you get in touch with them ASAP and work this out.

 

For your sake, I'm thrilled you once got through Passport control and luggage collection quickly and easily. However, I think of 6:00 AM as prime time so I'm a bit bewildered by your empty airport. YOu haven't heard from anyone else on this thread, I recommend you ask for my personal estimates. I can only provide a recommendation based on my experience.

[Cotswold Eagle]

There are a lot of variables in play, for example similar timed arrivals at your terminal, which stand you get to use (and therefore distance to immigration hall) and so on. But there are very few flights arriving before 6 am (that is, I think, still the cut-off for the Night Flying regime quota, which is limited to a small number of movements for the whole airport).

 

So at 6 am you could well be among the first in and no delays will have built up. By 6-30 am half the world has landed at LHR :)

[Globaliser]

But there are very few flights arriving before 6 am (that is, I think, still the cut-off for the Night Flying regime quota, which is limited to a small number of movements for the whole airport).

 

So at 6 am you could well be among the first in and no delays will have built up. By 6-30 am half the world has landed at LHR :)

But if you're banking on this, then what you need to do is to book a flight that is scheduled to arrive before 6 am. Then you are on a quota flight, and it can land at any time from 0432 onwards.

 

If you are not on a quota flight, then you cannot land until 0602. Whatever your scheduled arrival time, the actual time at which you enter the London terminal manoeuvreing area is a bit random - it will depend on how long it took you to get away from your departure airport, what the winds were like en route and whether they matched the forecast, etc.

 

By 0602, the London stacks will already have quite a lot of aircraft that managed to reach the TMA early. The stacks are filled on a first-come first-served basis. So the same flight might one day reach the stack at 0545, hold for 15 minutes and be one of the first to land at or just after 0602. The next day, it might reach the stack at 0615 and be about number 30 to land, so not actually landing until 0645 or so.

 

Then you have the completely random factors inside the terminal building.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Indeed, I was trying to make the same point - certainly not suggesting anyone bank on anything. In fact, having once been on a quota flight that got delayed at the far end and found ourselves in the stack I wouldn't bank on 4-32 am either :) But one poster found themselves in an empty airport just after 6 am (so was clearly ahead of the pack) and someone else couldn't understand why - I was trying to shed some light.

 

I have often wondered where the extra 2 minutes comes from - is it a compliance safety margin introduced by ACL?

[Pet Nit Noy]

But one poster found themselves in an empty airport just after 6 am (so was clearly ahead of the pack) and someone else couldn't understand why - I was trying to shed some light.

 

Yes, thanks. I truly didn't understand the profound difference between the 6:00 and 6:30 AM arrival conditions. Except for the two times in thirty years we've taken a day-time flight and arrived at night, we've always arrived in "half-the-world" conditions.

[Globaliser]

But one poster found themselves in an empty airport just after 6 am (so was clearly ahead of the pack) and someone else couldn't understand why - I was trying to shed some light.

 

I have often wondered where the extra 2 minutes comes from - is it a compliance safety margin introduced by ACL?

I see what you mean. I suspect that they may have arrived on a quota flight. Because of the time that it usually takes to taxi to the terminal after landing, there's a gap in scheduled arrivals after 0555 - the next arrivals in the current timetables are at 0610. So if you were to disembark at 0600 exactly, the chances are that you have arrived on a quota flight and no non-quota flights have yet arrived. Quota flights might land slightly late, but non-quota flights will not land earlier than 0602.

 

I've never had a straight answer about the 2 minutes. I suspect that it's probably because the last 2 minutes of the flight are the noisiest for those on the ground, so it means that if the first landing time is 0602, the noise nuisance begins at 0600 sharp.

[Globaliser]

To put some flesh on the bones, here's the list of a typical morning's arrivals at LHR up to and including 0700. The narrowbody aircraft are identified. Everything else is a widebody of some sort, including many A380s and B747s.

 

Quota flights:-

HKG	0445	A380
SIN	0505	B747
RUH	0525	B747
LOS	0525	B747
HKG	0525	B787
JNB	0525	A380
KUL	0525	B777
SIN	0530	B777
HKG	0535	B777
HKG	0540	B777
KUL	0550	A380
SIN	0555	A380
ORD	0555	B777

Non-quota flights to 0630:-

DXB	0610	B747
AUH	0610	B777
DEL	0615	B777
CPT	0615	B747
ACC	0615	B747
HKG	0620	B777
JED	0620	B777
BAH	0620	B777
EZE	0620	B777
NBO	0620	B777
JFK	0620	B777
IAD	0620	B777
DXB	0625	B787
BAH	0625	A330
YYZ	0625	B777
JNB	0625	A330
DTW	0625	A330
JFK	0630	B747
NBO	0630	B787
BOS	0630	B777
EWR	0630	B777

Non-quota flights to 0700:-

YYT	0635	A319 (narrowbody)
JNB	0635	A340
YYZ	0635	B777
ORD	0635	B777
PHL	0640	B777
MIA	0640	B747
BOM	0645	B777
EWR	0645	B767
JFK	0645	A340
BOM	0650	B777
IAD	0650	A380
JFK	0650	B777
HAJ	0655	A319 (narrowbody)
DXB	0655	A380
DFW	0655	B777
JNB	0655	A330
IAH	0655	B767
DXB	0700	A380
JFK	0700	B747

[peg013]

If you use Totally Driven, and you're arriving at Terminal 2, just be aware that they specify the meet-up point as the Information desk. In reality, there is no structure that I'd call an information desk. Even the map of the arrivals hall, (See URL below) confirms my comment, and my recent difficulty wasn't simply a matter of being sleep deprived.

 

Looking at the arrivals hall map, there is a U-shaped area. That's a wall with the word "Information" posted there. Also, number five on the map, labeled the Information desk is in fact a clock on a pole. Now, a clock on a pole is a perfectly fine meet up point, but it is not an Information desk.

 

In the important ways -- showing up on the agreed-upon date/time and a correctly sized car -- Totally Driven was fine. And, knowing about the Information desk issues in Terminal 2, you'll probably have no problems using their service. (I can't speak about the existence or lack of existence of an Information Desk in other Terminals.)

 

http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/Heathrow/Static/PDF/Transport_and_directions/Heathrow_T2_Map.pdf

 

If you look at the arrival hall map, you'll see that the clock essentially lies along one edge of the U-shaped area.

 

As to where we met, here's a link to a post in which I detailed our story.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47318607&postcount=30

 

You wrote "our" so I assume you're traveling with someone who, presumably, isn't blind and can help you look. That, combined with my advance warning and map, should make your meet-up easier.

 

So is the clock to the right of the word Information where we are to look for the person from Totally Driven if we end up booking with them for October? We are supposed to arrive at 11:30 AM Sunday morning- how long after arrival should I tell them to meet us (specifically - what should I choose at the drop down box). I understand we will have 30 minutes after that time to actually meet them before they start charging more.

 

Please anyone that has a clue, please give me an estimate of how long it might take us to clear Immigration, pick up luggage and clear Customs and get to the meeting place with 3 US passports and 1 Canadian Passport. I don't want to sit around forever waiting for them but I also don't want to pay for extra time if we are late to the meeting place. I realize it is only a guess depending on the actual day.