Battersea, from the Power Station to the runway

How long does it take to reach Heathrow?

About 34 minutes off-peak and around 49 minutes in the weekday rush. The usual route crosses the river at Battersea Bridge or Wandsworth Bridge and heads west along the A4 to the M4, or follows the South Circular to the A316 and joins the M4 near Chiswick.

For long-haul flights, a pickup around three hours before departure is usually right. On weekday mornings, the approaches to the river bridges are the slowest part of the journey.

How does Gatwick compare?

Gatwick is about 27 miles south and takes around 59 minutes off-peak, or about 86 minutes in the rush, via Clapham and the A23 or Wandsworth and the A3 and M25. Clapham Junction station, on the southern edge of Battersea, has fast trains to Gatwick, which suit a traveller with light luggage who lives nearby.

For families, heavy luggage or early flights, a car from your door avoids the busy platforms and the stairs at Clapham Junction.

Can you connect with a helicopter at London Heliport?

Yes. London Heliport, on the river at Battersea, is the capital’s only licensed heliport, and it is used for charter flights to country estates, to other airports and to events. Many passengers arrive at an airport by jet and complete the journey by helicopter, or the other way round.

Tell us the heliport booking time and the operator, and we will time the car to meet you at the terminal building. For connections with Heathrow or Farnborough, the car can take you between the two, and the chauffeur will follow both the flight and the helicopter schedule.

How do pickups work at the Power Station and Nine Elms?

Battersea Power Station has its own road layout, underground parking and pedestrian areas, and many of the new apartment buildings around it are reached from service roads rather than the riverside walk. Give us the building name and the entrance with a drop-off point, and the chauffeur will go there. The concierge can usually tell you when the car has arrived.

For the US Embassy and the buildings around it, security restrictions apply to stopping near the entrance. The chauffeur will agree a meeting point on an open street nearby.

Travelling to a visa appointment at the US Embassy?

Many visitors come to Nine Elms for an appointment at the United States Embassy, some straight from Heathrow and some on the way back to the airport. The embassy does not allow large bags or luggage inside, and it has no storage, so it is worth planning where your cases will go before you arrive.

The simplest arrangement is to drop the luggage at your hotel first, or to have the chauffeur keep it in the car while you attend the appointment nearby, if the timings allow and the chauffeur can wait legally close by. Tell us the appointment time when you book, and we will suggest the best plan. For a return to Heathrow afterwards, allow for the appointment to overrun; queues at the embassy can be long.

What about the terraces behind Battersea Park?

The streets between Battersea Park and Lavender Hill, and around Northcote Road, are narrow, heavily parked and often one-way. The chauffeur will stop as close to your door as the street allows and come to you for the bags. On Saturday mornings, Northcote Road’s market and cafés make the street busy, so the chauffeur may wait on a side road.

How do events in Battersea Park affect journeys?

Battersea Park hosts concerts, fireworks in November and other large events, and the roads around the park, including Queenstown Road and Prince of Wales Drive, can be busy before and after. If your pickup falls on an event day, we will suggest a time or a route that avoids the crowds.

What about London City and the other airports?

London City is about 12 miles east and takes around 43 minutes via the Embankment and the Limehouse Link. Luton takes about 72 minutes and Stansted around an hour and a half. For short-haul business travel, Heathrow is usually the easier choice from Battersea, even though City is closer in miles.

Is Battersea inside the Congestion Charge zone?

No. The zone lies north of the river here, and Battersea and Nine Elms are outside it. Journeys to Heathrow and Gatwick do not enter it.