Soho, in the middle of it all

Where can a car stop in Soho?

Not everywhere. Several Soho streets close to traffic in the evenings for outdoor dining, and many are narrow, one-way and lined with loading restrictions. Old Compton Street, Dean Street and Frith Street are busy with people as much as with cars from the afternoon onwards.

Give us the exact address or the name of the hotel, restaurant or studio. The chauffeur will choose the nearest street where it is legal and safe to stop, which may be Soho Square, Wardour Street or one of the boundary roads, and message you with the spot. For hotels, the chauffeur will wait at the entrance where the hotel has a set-down point.

Is Heathrow or London City quicker from here?

Off-peak, they are close: London City is about 34 minutes east via Holborn and the City, and Heathrow about 38 minutes west via Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner and the Cromwell Road. In the rush, both take around 50 to 55 minutes.

For short-haul business travel to Europe, many Soho clients prefer London City for its short walk from the kerb to the gate. For long-haul flights, Heathrow is the airport, and the drive is predictable outside the weekday peaks.

When is the Elizabeth line the better choice?

Often, if you are travelling alone with a small bag. Tottenham Court Road station, on the north-east corner of Soho, has the Elizabeth line, with trains running directly to Heathrow. At busy times, the train will usually beat a car across west London.

A car is the better option with heavy luggage, equipment cases or several travellers, and for flights at hours when trains are infrequent. It also avoids the walk from the Heathrow platform to check-in, which at some terminals is long.

Does the Congestion Charge apply?

Yes, for journeys during charging hours. Soho is well inside the zone, so a pickup 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. It is included in your fixed price when it applies. An evening departure after 18:00 avoids it.

Can you move equipment for shoots and post-production?

Yes. Crews heading to a location abroad often travel with flight cases, hard drives and camera kit. Tell us the number and size of the cases, and we will send a vehicle that takes them safely; the V-Class has space for equipment alongside passengers. The chauffeur will wait at the studio’s loading entrance where there is one.

Production companies can book on account, with one invoice for all the journeys on a project.

What about late-night and theatre pickups?

Many Soho departures are for late-evening flights or the first flights of the next morning. After a show on Shaftesbury Avenue or a dinner in Soho, the chauffeur will wait near the venue at the agreed time. Late at night, the West End’s roads are busy with taxis and buses, but the routes out to Heathrow and London City clear quickly once the car reaches the boundary roads.

How early should you leave on a Friday afternoon?

Earlier than feels natural. On Friday afternoons, the West End fills with shoppers, theatre-goers and people heading out of town, and the roads around Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park Corner and Holborn slow from about three o’clock. A Heathrow journey that takes under forty minutes at eleven in the morning can take over an hour at five.

For a Friday evening long-haul flight, we suggest a pickup about three and a half hours before departure. For a short-haul flight from London City, allow about two hours. If the roads turn out clear, you arrive early; if not, the margin is already there. Your price is fixed either way.

How do Gatwick, Luton and Stansted compare?

All three are well over an hour away. Gatwick is about 75 minutes off-peak via Vauxhall and the A23, Luton about 64 minutes via the Euston Road and the M1, and Stansted about 80 minutes via the A12 and the M11. For Gatwick, the train from Victoria and, for Luton, Thameslink from St Pancras are the rail alternatives.