Ethnically diverse, eclectic, historically and culturally rich, an economic powerhouse not only in Britain but also in Europe and a world leader: London, the English capital, is all this and much more.

When you are in a city that is so vast and rich in tourist attractions, you need to organize your trip down to the smallest details: plan your itinerary carefully, choose the must-see places to visit and book in advance a taxi service from the airport to have the best arrival experience possible.

London, with its 14 million residents, is the largest and most populous city in Europe, attracting millions of tourists each year as well as business and leisure travellers.

You can book a private taxi by using the following services:

• City Airport Taxi
• Gatwick Airport Taxi
• Heathrow Airport Taxi
• Luton Airport Taxi
• Southend Airport Taxi
• Stansted Airport Taxi

Despite its vastness, the UK capital is well served by both road and motorway networks, with various forms of public transport, from the tube to the famous red double-decker buses and London's trademark black taxis.

The city is a constant hive of activity, with people moving every day from the suburbs to the centre and from the airports to the historic centre: spend a few days on holiday here, and you'll feel this constant movement.

Don't let your trip be spoiled by the typical London weather and always take an umbrella with you, carefully choose a café where you can pop in for tea at five o'clock in the afternoon and soak up the charm of this energetic and special city.

Things to see in London

Out of the many attractions in the capital, these are the ones that we would point out as a must-see:

• Big Ben and Houses of Parliament: A majestic building that houses the English Parliament, with more than 1200 rooms, overlooked by the famous clock tower, Big Ben;
• Tower Bridge: The world's most famous drawbridge connects the Southwark area with the Tower of London; a glass footbridge connects the two towers high above the River Thames;
• Buckingham Palace: The home of the English royal family, built in 1703 at the request of the Duke of Buckingham, it is a palace with over 700 rooms and more than 20 hectares of gardens.

London Airports

There are 6 airports in London, all perfectly connected to the city centre and highly efficient:

• Heathrow: This is the city's main aerodrome, with over 70 million passengers passing through each year. It's about 30 km west of the city centre and, thanks to its proximity, is one of the busiest in the city. It has 5 terminals and connects to the city centre via three underground stations.
• Gatwick: This is the city's second-largest and is about 45 km from the city centre. It has two passenger terminals and is served mainly by EasyJet and British Airlines; it has no underground station inside, but there are buses and trains connecting it to the city centre.
• Stansted: This is mainly served by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, about 50 km from the city centre in the county of Essex. It was built as a military base during World War ll, has only one terminal and is connected to the capital by train and bus.
• Luton: This is in the town of Luton, some 55 km from London. It is primarily served by companies such as EasyJet and Wizz Air, with over 10 million passengers a year. Buses and trains run to the city centre from this airport.
• London City Airport: This is within the London metropolitan area, in the borough of Newham. It was built primarily to serve the financial centre and for this reason is used mainly by a business clientele. It is well-connected to the city's main attractions by the Docklands Light Railway.
• Southend: It is a regional one, located in Rochford, on the British east coast, in the county of Essex. It is the least important of the capital's, but is at the centre of a new redevelopment project; it is only accessible by train and takes about an hour to reach.

London Airport Taxi Prices

Distance to some points of interest

As mentioned above, based on where you land, the distance between the airport and the city's main attractions can change a lot. In fact, some of them are within the metropolitan area, while others are located outside the city limits, in neighbouring counties.

Therefore, when planning your trip, it is necessary to think carefully about the choice of arrival airport and consequently about the traffic conditions, season, time of day and day of the week. Here are some examples of distances and travel times:

• From Heathrow to Big Ben: 30 km distance, 50 minutes journey;
• From Gatwick to Big Ben: 65 km distance, 1 hour and 20 minutes journey;
• From Stansted to Big Ben: 65 km distance, 1 hour journey;
• From Luton to Big Ben: distance 57 km, 1 hour and 10 minutes journey;
• From London City to Big Ben: 15 km distance, 30 minutes journey;
• From Southend to Big Ben: 68 km, 1 hour and 15 minutes journey;

Transport in London

The following options are available to reach the U.K.'s capital:

Travel options from Heathrow: Underground ticket costing £6 (around €7) and a journey time of 1 hour to Piccadilly station; train ticket costing £22 during off-peak hours and £25 at other times (peak time 6:30am to 9:30am and 4:00pm to 7:00pm). The train costs much less: starting from £5.50 (one way at weekends) and £12 one way on public holidays. Travel time for those wishing to use the train is 40 minutes to Paddington Station; bus with ticket for £10 (around €12) and travel time of about 1 hour to Victoria Station. Read the other article on how to get from Heathrow to London.

Travel options from Gatwick: train ticket from around £17 and journey time of around 30 minutes to Victoria Station; buses cost from £8 and journey time is between 90 and 120 minutes to Victoria Station. Read the in-depth article on how to get from Gatwick to London.

Travel options from Stansted: train ticket from around £9 and journey time of 50 minutes to Liverpool Street; £5 one way by bus and journey time of approximately 90 minutes to Victoria Station. Read the in-depth article on how to get from Stansted to London.

Travel options from Luton: train ticket from around £20 with a journey time of 40 minutes to Blackfriars Station; bus ticket for £12 and journey time of approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to Victoria Station. Read the in-depth article on how to get from Luton to London.

Travel options from London City Airport: underground ticket for £5 with a journey time of 45 minutes to Victoria Station; City buses 473 and 474 with tickets for £5 with a journey time of approximately 1 hour to Victoria Station. Read the in-depth article on how to get from the City Airport to London.

Travel options from Southend: train ticket for £16 with a journey time of approximately 1 hour to Liverpool Street. Buses with 38 stops of which 15 are in central London for £5 each way. Read the in-depth article on how to get from Southend to London.

Public Taxi: Unlike many other cities around the world, there is no maximum number of taxis in London. You can find the famous black cabs and minicabs, which are hired in advance because they can't pick up people without a reservation on the street. Fares vary according to traffic conditions and time of day; prices start from £50.

Private Taxi: this type of transport is available at all London's airports only by pre-booking the service. Fares start from 60 pounds (€70,$76). By booking a private taxi service in advance, you won't have to wait at the airport, you won't have to look for a taxi outside the terminal and, most important, you know the correct fare in advance and it is fixed.

Once you've arrived in the city, you can also comfortably get around by public transport. The metro is the oldest and largest in Europe, with 12 lines and 274 stations, while the bus network, the famous red double-decker buses, includes more than 700 lines, allowing you to reach any point in the city.

Journeys start from 5 am until around midnight, with times varying according to lines and days of the week. Ticket prices also vary according to the area you are travelling to. A bus ticket starts from £1.50.

How the taxi service works

By leaving any of London's airports you will notice hundreds of people, taxis, private vehicles, public transport going to many directions, etc.

Depending on the country you are from, you may also feel a bit disoriented as they drive on the left; this is also why booking your London taxi in advance can be a great way to soften the impact with the city, especially if it's your first time there.

The Airport Taxi service has an affordable price, and you can be sure of reaching any destination you choose in the shortest time possible.

With the pre-booked private Airport Transfer in London you won't have to queue to get on a taxi; your driver pick you up inside the airport, he knows your flight details and will be waiting for you directly at the terminal where you arrive, holding a sign with your name on it. If you don't speak good English you won't have to worry about linguistic misunderstandings because when you book you will have already provided your destination address and there will be no mistake about your destination.

Moreover, currency exchange will not be a problem: at the moment you confirm your booking, you will be able to make a direct payment for the total amount of the service, so you will not have to change money into pounds at the exchange offices.

If your flight is delayed, you will need to call the number we will send you in the email and SMS confirmation: this way you will not be charged any extra fees (terms and conditions apply).

The customer service department, offering assistance in multiple languages, is available to give you all the information and details about the service and to help you manage your booking.

How to book

To book a London Airport Transfer, you can also fill in the online form on this page, the service is available 24 hours a day (including weekends). You have to select the airport of arrival or departure and continue by entering the date and few other details in the booking form. Once you have entered these details, the system will automatically calculate the fare for the service, which will be locked from the moment you confirm the booking with a payment.

The initial price agreed during this phase will never be subject to additional costs of any kind or surcharges in the event of flight delays or other mishaps. When booking a London airport taxi, you are not obliged to pay in advance the full cost of the service, you can simply pay a deposit by bank transfer, credit card, debit card or PayPal (when this option is available on the payment page).

In case you choose to pay only a deposit in advance, upon arrival you can pay the remaining amount directly to the driver in cash. *Depending on the total cost of the transport and/or the company providing the service, the deposit payment option may not be available.

You can also contact our customer service (available from Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm GMT) by calling one of the following numbers:

• English: +44 (0) 20 3239 1595
• Italian: +39 349 19 95 246
• Spanish: +34 664 341 679
• French: +33 (0) 970 44 83 33
• Russian: +7 499 609 1550

Book now to guarantee availability.