Heathrow to Farnham by cab?

August 7, 2016 6:45 PM

I'll be landing at Heathrow on a Monday morning and need to make my way to Farnham in Surrey. Is it reasonable to take a cab there?

[This is for work and so my company is paying - goals I would have in my own personal travel (i.e., economy and experiencing the day-to-day life) don't really apply. A more expensive option is perfectly fine if it means it keeps me low stress and unflustered for meeting up with colleagues in Farnham after a transatlantic flight; I also have hand and shoulder issues so lugging my luggage causes me more stress and fluster and difficulty than your average person.]

I just want to make sure a cab driver I hail at Heathrow is not going to think I'm crazy with the destination. Also, anything someone unfamiliar with London cabs might find helpful?

posted by Tandem Affinity to Travel & Transportation around London, England (7 answers total)

It should be doable, it's only about an hour away, the same travel time as central London.

I'd suggest ringing a Farnham private hire/ taxi / airport pickup company in advance instead of hailing a cab from the taxi rank. It'll also significantly cheaper whilst being even more convenient, as the driver will meet you at the gate (provide the flight number and arrival time so they come to the right terminal). There is also a chance that the black cabs at Heathrow might refuse to go to Farnham because they won't get fares back to London, or have restrictions about where they're allowed to go. I can't recommend a company, but there are plenty if you search online, even if your colleagues can't recommend one.
posted by tavegyl at 7:15 PM on August 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Seconding arranging for a private cab in advance. It shouldn't be too much more expensive if at all, AND you'll have the peace of mind of knowing things are taken care of.
posted by Tamanna at 7:59 PM on August 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I travel several times a year between Heathrow and Oxfordshire and have been using London Heathrow Cars since whenever. I recommend them highly. You can ring them from Heathrow and get a pickup within 15 minutes, or you can book. It should be cheaper than a black cab, and the car will be a normal sedan car with a boot/trunk so you don't have to babysit your luggage.
posted by Logophiliac at 8:54 PM on August 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Meant to add, the website says they will go to anywhere in the UK from Heathrow. Surrey would be no problem.
posted by Logophiliac at 8:56 PM on August 7, 2016

Is Uber an option for you? I just used Uber at Heathrow for the first time last week and it was perfect. I fired up the app when I got off the plane and it knew I was at the airport and told me to request a pickup after I got through security. Then it told me what parking building/floor to meet the driver at. Then I got a call from the driver to confirm. I was being taken to London but it's like the same distance to Farnham, just a different direction so I think they should be able to do that drive as well.
posted by like_neon at 1:28 AM on August 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

As @Logophiliac says, a car service like London Heathrow Cars will definitely take you out there for a substantial discount over a taxi, and you won't be annoying a taxi driver with an out of the way fare.
posted by kaszeta at 1:28 PM on August 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks all for giving me the lay of the land. I have a booking with London Heathrow Cars and have no worries now about that leg of the trip. [Someone above suggested my colleagues might be able to recommend a local cab company, but in fact, they were perplexed I would think about a cab and instead gave me some complicated, walking-involved instructions to take a train...I think there was a transfer in there too...I just. Can't. Handle. That after an all night flight....]
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:26 PM on August 10, 2016