Paddington, train or car to Heathrow?

Car or Heathrow Express?

For a single traveller with a small case, heading to a Heathrow terminal served directly by the train, the Heathrow Express is very hard to beat. It is non-stop, frequent and unaffected by traffic. The Elizabeth line is cheaper and a little slower, with stops along the way.

A car is the better choice when you are travelling as a family or group, when you have more luggage than you can manage easily on escalators and platforms, when you arrive at Paddington on a long-distance train and do not want another change, or when your flight is before the first trains or after the last. It also takes you to the departures kerb of your terminal, which at Terminal 5 in particular saves a long walk from the platform.

How long does the drive to Heathrow take?

About 34 minutes off-peak and around 49 minutes in the weekday rush, via the Westway and the A40, or the A4 and the M4. From Paddington Basin and Merchant Square, the car can be on the Westway within a few minutes, which makes this one of the quickest Heathrow drives from central London.

How does a connection from a Great Western train work?

Many travellers from Wales and the west of England come into Paddington and fly from a London airport, often not Heathrow, which is reachable more directly from Reading. For a flight from Gatwick, London City or Luton, the car from Paddington avoids a journey across London by Tube with luggage.

Give us your train and your flight. The chauffeur follows the train and meets you at the end of your platform or under the clock on the main concourse, with a board showing your name, and walks you to the car at the nearest legal stopping point.

Coming in on the Night Riviera?

The Night Riviera sleeper runs overnight from Penzance and the Cornish coast to Paddington, arriving early in the morning. For travellers from Cornwall and Devon with a flight the same day, it is a relaxed alternative to a very early start or a domestic flight, and it puts you in London before the morning rush builds.

Give us the service and when you plan to leave the train, and the chauffeur will meet you on the platform. At that hour, the Heathrow Express will also be running, so for a solo traveller the train remains a good option; for a family with cases, or for a flight from Gatwick or London City, the car is the easier connection.

Can you collect from St Mary’s Hospital?

Yes. St Mary’s Hospital on Praed Street, beside the station, treats patients from across London and beyond, and its private Lindo Wing receives families from abroad. Tell us which entrance you will use and whether the passenger needs help, such as a wheelchair or extra time to get into the car, and we will plan the pickup around it. For new parents heading home or to a flight, we can fit a suitable infant seat if you ask when you book.

Can you meet private flights at Northolt?

Yes. RAF Northolt, which handles civil business aviation, is about 12 miles from Paddington and around 29 minutes away via the Westway and the A40. It is one of the closest business aviation airports to central London. Tell us the handling agent and the flight details, and the chauffeur will wait at the civil terminal.

What about Luton, London City and Gatwick?

Luton is about 35 miles and around an hour away via the Edgware Road, the North Circular and the M1. London City is about 43 minutes east, across central London. Gatwick is the longest, at about 74 minutes via Hyde Park Corner and the A3 or the A23. For Gatwick, the car avoids a change at Victoria with luggage.

How do pickups work around Paddington Basin?

Paddington Basin and Merchant Square have pedestrian towpaths and bridges, and many buildings are reached from the roads around the edge, such as North Wharf Road or Harbet Road. Give us the building name and the entrance, and the chauffeur will wait there. For the hotels on Praed Street and around the station, the chauffeur will stop at the entrance where it is allowed, or on a nearby side street.

Is Paddington inside the Congestion Charge zone?

No. Paddington is west of the Edgware Road, which forms part of the zone’s free boundary. A pickup here does not incur the charge, and the routes west to Heathrow and Northolt stay outside the zone.