Taxi from Heathrow

At Heathrow, we have always just gone to the taxi queue and taken the next available taxi in line. I am not sure why you would need to book one ahead?

Are you sure you want or need to take a taxi from Heathrow? Of course everyone has their own "comfort zone", but there are alot of less expensive options. If you use the search feature near the Ask Your Question box, you'll see alot of discussion and suggestions for getting into the city. If you want info particular to your situation, it would be helpful to know what area of London your hotel is in. As for estimating how much time to allow after landing, it depends on how many other flights are arriving about the same time, and how many employees are on duty to process everyone in line. We've been through in less than an hour, and as long as 2 hours.

If you take a car service you just tell them your flight. They have a pretty good idea of when you will be out and should be waiting for you. (I am a train person myself but in recent years with my older mother have moved to car services) The earlier you book the better. Sometimes the "good" services book up at busy times!

My husband and I have used Heathrow Shuttle ([email protected]) two different times we landed at Heathrow. The driver met us where we picked up our luggage and drove us directly to our Crowne Plaza Hotel, South Kensington. On the return trips, we had some other people in our van. Upon being picked up, we were taken directly to Heathrow.

We're using this service when we arrive at LHR in May:
http://www.limoreservation.co.uk/ They, as do all similar services, ask for your departure city, airline, flight number and arrival time. They check the status of your flight before departing for the airport and should be there to meet you whether your flight is early or late. They wait for you to clear passport control and customs, and will give you a contact number in case you have trouble finding the driver. Book a few days to a week ahead. If you choose instead to take a taxi, just follow the airport signs to the taxi queue- no reservation is needed. The Heathrow Express train is probably faster and much cheaper if you're traveling to central London. The tube may be a good option, again depending on your destination- just be aware that parts of the tube system may be out of commission on weekends due to ongoing upgrades.

A private car service will be cheaper than a taxi. Check out Just Airports. You can book a saloon (sedan), estate (station wagon), or MPV (minivan). There is a discount for paying cash.