Heathrow to Covent Garden

How long does it take?

About 39 minutes off-peak and about 57 minutes in the weekday rush. The route runs along the M4 and the Cromwell Road to Hyde Park Corner, then along Piccadilly or through St James’s to Trafalgar Square and up to the Strand or Long Acre. The last two miles, through the West End, are the slowest part of the journey at almost any time of day.

An early-morning arrival, before 07:00, is quick. A Saturday midday arrival can be slower than expected, because the West End fills with shoppers and visitors.

Where can the car drop you?

Not in the Piazza or on the pedestrian streets around it. The chauffeur will use the nearest open road, such as Long Acre, Bow Street, Henrietta Street or the Strand, and walk you to your door if it is close. For the hotels on the Strand and around Aldwych, the chauffeur will pull into the forecourt or set-down point at the entrance.

Tell us the exact address when you book. For flats above shops, which often have a small street door beside a busy shopfront, a clear description helps the chauffeur find it quickly.

Landing on the day of a show?

If you have tickets for a matinee or an evening performance on the day you land, give yourself room. A long-haul arrival at 11:00 can mean reaching Covent Garden at 13:30 after immigration, baggage reclaim and the drive, which is tight for a 14:30 matinee.

The chauffeur can take you to your hotel first to drop the luggage, or straight to the theatre with the bags going on to the hotel afterwards. Most hotels will hold luggage before check-in. Tell us the plan when you book.

Is the Piccadilly line a good alternative?

The Piccadilly line runs directly from Heathrow to Covent Garden station, which sounds ideal. In practice, it is a slow journey with many stops, and Covent Garden station has lifts rather than escalators; at busy times, queues for the lifts are long, and the station sometimes restricts entry and exit to manage crowds. Leicester Square, one stop away, is often easier with luggage.

With a small bag and time to spare, the train is a fair choice. With suitcases, children or a show to catch, the car is quicker and far less stressful.

Does the Congestion Charge apply?

Yes, during charging hours. Covent Garden is inside the zone, so an arrival 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 whenever it applies.

Arriving to work at a theatre or the Opera House?

Performers, musicians and crew flying in for a production often arrive with instruments and large bags. Tell us what you are carrying, and we will send a vehicle with space for it. The chauffeur can drop you at the stage door or at your accommodation, and for a company arriving together, the V-Class keeps everyone and their equipment in one vehicle.

Landing late in the evening?

A late arrival into Covent Garden has its own rhythm. After about 22:00, the theatres empty, and the streets around the Strand and Drury Lane fill with taxis and people for half an hour. By midnight, the roads are clear, and the drive from Heathrow can take under 35 minutes. The chauffeur follows your flight, however late, and brings you to your hotel entrance or as close to your front door as the pedestrian streets allow.

Where will the chauffeur meet you at Heathrow?

In the arrivals hall of your terminal, just past the customs exit, with a board showing your name. The chauffeur follows your flight and adjusts to any delay. From the hall, it is a short walk to the terminal car park, and the chauffeur carries the bags.

And going back to Heathrow?

Leaving Covent Garden, allow about three hours before a long-haul evening flight, because getting out of the West End on a weekday afternoon is slow. If you are leaving straight after a matinee, tell us the finishing time, and the chauffeur will wait on a nearby street rather than in the queue outside the theatre. Heathrow’s £7 drop-off charge is included.