Camden, from Holborn to the Heath

Which airport is quickest from Camden?

London City is the quickest by the clock, at about nine miles and around 34 minutes along the A13, or 49 minutes in the rush. Heathrow is about 18 miles and 44 minutes off-peak via the Marylebone Road and the A40, and just over an hour at busy times.

Luton is about 37 miles and 65 minutes via the M1, and Gatwick and Stansted are both well over an hour. The table further down the page gives every airport we serve, with rush-hour allowances, from our road routing.

Does the Congestion Charge apply to a Camden pickup?

It depends on which side of the Euston Road you start. The southern part of the borough, including Holborn, Bloomsbury and the area around Covent Garden, is inside the Congestion Charging Zone. Camden Town, Kentish Town, Hampstead and the rest of the north are outside it.

A journey that starts inside the zone between 07:00 and 18:00 on a weekday, or between 12:00 and 18:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, incurs the £18 daily charge. When it applies, it is included in your fixed price. A pickup north of the Euston Road does not incur it, even if the route to Heathrow runs along the boundary road.

When is the train a better choice?

Camden is one of the best-connected places in London by rail, and we would be doing you no favours by pretending otherwise. From St Pancras, Thameslink trains run directly to both Luton Airport Parkway and Gatwick. From King’s Cross, Russell Square and Holborn, the Piccadilly line runs to Heathrow without a change. Tottenham Court Road, on the borough’s edge, has the Elizabeth line.

A car is the better choice when you have more luggage than you can carry up and down station stairs, when you travel as a family or group, or when your flight leaves before the first trains or lands after the last. It is also worth considering for Heathrow from Hampstead or Highgate, where the nearest station with a direct train is some distance away.

How do pickups work in different parts of the borough?

In Bloomsbury and Holborn, many streets are one-way, and some garden squares have restricted access. Hotels usually have a set-down point at the front, and the chauffeur will come to reception if you ask. For offices, tell us the entrance you want to use.

Camden Town is busy at almost every hour, particularly on weekends around the markets, and parts of Camden High Street and Chalk Farm Road have bus lanes and loading restrictions. The chauffeur will often wait on a nearby side street and message you with the spot.

In Hampstead and Highgate, the streets are narrow, hilly and heavily parked. Add clear directions for houses on private roads or down lanes, and the chauffeur will walk to your door for the bags.

How early should you leave for Heathrow?

For a long-haul morning flight, a pickup about three hours before departure is usually enough from central Camden. The Marylebone Road and the Westway are the slow parts of the route in the morning rush, and the M4 can be heavy from Chiswick outwards.

For an evening departure, particularly on a Friday, allow more. The roads out of central London are busiest between 16:00 and 19:00, and a slow start at King’s Cross can add twenty minutes before the car reaches the A40.

Can you connect a train arrival with a flight?

Yes, and it is one of the most common journeys we run from Camden. Travellers arriving at Euston from the north-west and Scotland, at King’s Cross from the north-east, or at St Pancras on the Eurostar often need to reach an airport the same day, usually Heathrow.

Give us the train number and the time it is due. The chauffeur follows the train, meets you at the station exit you choose, and takes you straight to the terminal. If the train is late, the pickup moves with it, and we will tell you honestly if the delay puts a flight at risk, so you can decide early whether to rebook.

Which car suits a Camden journey?

For one or two travellers, the Mercedes E-Class handles narrow Hampstead streets and busy Holborn junctions with equal ease. For families, the V-Class takes six passengers and six large cases, and it avoids splitting a group across two cars.

If you are coming off a long-haul flight and heading home to the north of the borough, the S-Class is the most comfortable way to finish the journey.