Shopping
Shopping, the bags stay in the car
A shopping day in London means carrying more with every stop. With a car and chauffeur, each purchase goes into the boot, the chauffeur collects you from the next store, and the day ends at your hotel door rather than on a crowded Tube.
London’s best shopping is spread out. Harrods and Harvey Nichols are in Knightsbridge; Selfridges, Liberty and the designer houses are around Oxford Street and Bond Street; Sloane Street and the King’s Road run through Chelsea; the two Westfield centres are at White City and Stratford. Bicester Village, the outlet village many visitors want to see, is in Oxfordshire. Moving between them with bags is where the day gets tiring.
This page explains how a shopping day with a chauffeur works, the main destinations, and a few practical points about parking, timing and luggage for the flight home.
How it works
Most shopping days are booked as hourly hire: one car and chauffeur for a set number of hours. The chauffeur drops you at the first store, parks nearby and waits. When you are ready, you message the chauffeur, who collects you and takes you on. Purchases go in the boot as you go. At the end, the chauffeur takes you home or back to your hotel and carries the bags to the door.
Knightsbridge and Chelsea
Harrods, Harvey Nichols and the boutiques of Sloane Street and Brompton Road are close together, and many visitors spend a whole morning there. The King’s Road and Duke of York Square are a short drive away. Stopping on these streets is restricted, so the chauffeur will drop you at the nearest safe point and wait nearby.
Bond Street and Mayfair
New Bond Street and Old Bond Street hold many of the international fashion and jewellery houses, with Selfridges and the department stores of Oxford Street at the northern end. The area is partly pedestrianised and busy with traffic, so the chauffeur will agree pickup points with you as the day goes on.
Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City
The two Westfield centres are among the largest shopping centres in Europe, with department stores, luxury brands and restaurants under one roof. Both have car drop-off areas. Westfield Stratford City is next to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park; Westfield London is at White City in the west.
Bicester Village
Bicester Village is an outlet shopping village in Oxfordshire, about 60 miles from central London by road. The drive takes around an hour and a half in normal traffic. A day there is well suited to hourly hire, because the car waits while you shop and takes everything home at the end. Many visitors combine it with an afternoon in Oxford, which is nearby.
Shopping on the way to the airport
Some visitors spend their last day shopping and fly home that evening. The car can carry your luggage all day, collect you from the last store and go straight to the airport. Allow enough time for the drive and the check-in, and be realistic about how much will fit in your cases. We will plan the timing with you.
Tax-free shopping
Since 1 January 2021, overseas visitors to Great Britain can no longer claim VAT back on goods bought in shops and carried home in their luggage. Some retailers offer VAT-free prices when goods are shipped directly overseas. Check with the store before you buy.
Which car?
For one or two shoppers, the E-Class or S-Class. For a family or a group of friends, or when a lot of large purchases are expected, the V-Class, which has more space for bags. The car stays the same all day, so choose for the busiest point, usually the end of the day.
Planning the day
Give us a rough outline: the first stop, the areas you want to visit and where the day ends. Stores open at different times, and some open late on Thursdays. The chauffeur can suggest the best order to avoid crossing London twice. A sensible plan also helps you choose the number of hours.
Security for purchases
Bags left in the car stay in the locked boot while the chauffeur waits nearby. For very high-value purchases, keep them with you or ask the store about delivery to your hotel.
Carrying purchases home
Visitors who have bought more than their luggage can hold often need an extra case on the way to the airport. Tell us if your luggage has grown during the stay; a larger vehicle for the departure journey is easier than a boot that will not close at the hotel door. Airlines charge for extra checked bags, so check your allowance before the last day of shopping.
Personal shopping appointments
Several London department stores offer personal shopping services by appointment. If you have booked one, tell us the time and the entrance to use, and the chauffeur will plan the rest of the day around it. Appointments in Knightsbridge and Mayfair are close together, so two can often fit into a morning.
Which car?
Choose by luggage first
| Party | People | Large cases | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| One traveller | 1 | 1 | Mercedes E-Class |
| A couple | 2 | 2 | Mercedes E-Class |
| Three, light luggage | 3 | 2 | Mercedes E-Class |
| Three, holiday luggage | 3 | 4 | Mercedes V-Class |
| A family of four | 4 | 4 | Mercedes V-Class |
| Six travellers | 6 | 6 | Mercedes V-Class |
| A group of eight | 8 | 8 | 2 × V-Class |
| A party of twelve | 12 | 12 | 2 × V-Class |
In every fare
What the price includes
- 01
Flight tracking
The chauffeur follows your flight number, so an early landing or a delay moves the pickup with it.
- 02
Meet and greet
Your chauffeur waits in arrivals with a board showing your name, and takes the bags from there.
- 03
A fixed price
Agreed when you book. Traffic, a longer route on the day or a late landing do not change it.
- 04
Parking and drop-off
Airport drop-off and short-stay parking charges are part of the price, not added afterwards.
- 05
A route from live traffic
The chauffeur checks the roads before setting off and picks the line that is moving.
How to book
Three steps to the kerb
- 01
Plan the journey
Choose the airport and the address. The planner gives the distance and the drive time at the hour you travel.
- 02
Book ahead
Reserve with your flight number, terminal and a contact number. The price is fixed at that point.
- 03
Meet your chauffeur
Your chauffeur follows the flight and waits in arrivals with your name on a board.
What else we do
Other services
Airport transfers
Arrivals and departures at every London airport: flight tracked, met inside the terminal, fixed fare.
Read moreCruise transfers
Southampton, Dover, Portsmouth, Harwich and Tilbury, in a car sized for cruise luggage.
Read morePrivate aviation
Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Northolt and the jet centres at Luton, Stansted and City.
Read moreBusiness travel
Visiting clients, board members and staff, arranged and invoiced cleanly.
Read moreWeddings
The couple, the family and the guests, timed to the ceremony and the reception.
Read moreEvents
Wimbledon, Ascot, Twickenham, Wembley, the O2 and ExCeL, with a pickup planned for the end.
Read moreProms
A smart arrival at the school prom and a safe ride home, arranged with parents.
Read moreSchool transfers
Boarding pupils between school and the airport at the start and end of every term.
Read moreHourly hire
One car and chauffeur for a day of meetings, visits or several stops.
Read moreJourney planner
Distance and time for any journey
Heathrow Westminster
- Distance
- 17miles
- Off-peak
- 36min
- Weekday rush
- 52min
Usual line: M4, A4. Chauffeurs choose on the day from live traffic.
Good to know
Questions, answered
Can the chauffeur wait while I shop?
Yes, with hourly hire. The chauffeur parks nearby and collects you when you message.
How far is Bicester Village?
About 60 miles, or around an hour and a half by road from central London.
Can I shop on the day I fly home?
Yes. The car can carry your luggage all day and take you to the airport.
Can I claim VAT back as a visitor?
Not on goods carried home in your luggage, since 2021. Some stores offer VAT-free prices when goods are shipped abroad.
Which car suits a family shopping day?
The V-Class, which has more room for bags.
Can the chauffeur stop right outside Harrods?
Stopping is restricted, so the chauffeur will use the nearest safe point.
Are my bags safe in the car?
They stay in the locked boot. Keep very valuable items with you.
Do you go to Westfield?
Yes, to both Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City.
What if my purchases do not fit in my luggage?
Tell us before your departure day, and we will send a larger vehicle to the airport. Check your airline’s allowance for extra bags.
Can you plan around a personal shopping appointment?
Yes. Give us the time and the store entrance, and the chauffeur will plan the day around it.
Ready when you are
Your chauffeur, already waiting
A named chauffeur, a fixed price and a quiet car, at every London airport.