Hillingdon, where Heathrow lives

How long does it take to reach Heathrow?

From Hayes, Harlington, West Drayton or Sipson, about 13 minutes off-peak and 17 minutes in the rush. From Uxbridge and Ickenham, allow around 20 minutes. From Ruislip and Northwood, around 25 to 30 minutes, via the A312 or the M25 and the M4 spur.

With such a short journey, it is tempting to leave late. For a long-haul flight, we still suggest arriving at the terminal about three hours before departure, because check-in, bag drop and security at Heathrow’s larger terminals can take longer than the drive. For a short-haul flight, two hours is usually comfortable.

Do you run transfers from the Bath Road hotels?

Yes, often. The hotels along the Bath Road and around Terminal 4 are close to the terminals, but walking with luggage is not practical, and hotel shuttle buses do not always match your timing. A car collects you from the hotel entrance and drops you at the right terminal’s departures kerb.

Tell us the hotel and your terminal. For early departures, the chauffeur will be waiting at the hotel door at the booked time, and the journey itself usually takes ten minutes or less. The Heathrow drop-off charge is part of your fixed price.

Can you move me between Heathrow terminals?

Airside connections are handled by the airport, but if you have landed, collected your bags and need to reach a different terminal for a separate booking, a car is the simplest option with luggage. The chauffeur meets you in arrivals and takes you to the departures kerb of the next terminal.

The free Heathrow rail transfers link the central terminals and Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, and for a traveller with light luggage they work well. With a family or several cases, the car saves the lifts and the platforms.

Can you meet private flights at Northolt?

Yes. RAF Northolt is about six miles from Uxbridge and around 13 minutes away. Civil business aviation uses a dedicated terminal, and access is controlled, so we need the handling agent’s name and the passenger details in advance. The chauffeur will wait at the civil terminal and adjust to the aircraft’s arrival time.

For connections between Northolt and Heathrow, the drive is short, and a car is the usual choice for passengers moving from a private flight to a scheduled one.

What about the other London airports?

Hillingdon is well placed for the M25, which makes several other airports quicker than they would be from central London. Farnborough, the business aviation airport in Hampshire, is about 43 minutes away. Luton is about 46 minutes via the M25 and the M1, and Gatwick about an hour via the M25 anticlockwise.

London City and Stansted are the long journeys, at over an hour and nearly an hour and a half respectively, because both lie on the far side of London.

Are you able to connect Heathrow with Gatwick?

Yes. It is one of the most common inter-airport journeys in the country, and from Heathrow it runs round the M25 to the M23 in about an hour off-peak. Plan connections generously; a delayed arrival followed by a slow M25 can erase a tight margin. We will tell you honestly if the time between flights looks too short.

How do pickups work around the borough?

Uxbridge town centre has pedestrianised streets and a bus station close to the shopping area, and the chauffeur will meet you at the nearest point where a car can stop. In Ruislip, Ickenham and Northwood, most homes have a driveway or a quiet road outside. For houses in Harefield and on the rural lanes near the Colne Valley, add directions in the notes.

For flats in the new developments around Hayes and West Drayton stations, give us the building name and the entrance with a drop-off area.

Which car should you book?

For the short Heathrow run, the Mercedes E-Class is the usual choice, and airline crew often book it for early starts. Families with holiday luggage should book the V-Class, which takes six passengers and six large cases. For groups arriving together and heading to a hotel or an event, the V-Class keeps everyone in one vehicle.