Your driver meets you inside the arrivals hall with a name board and runs door to door into Tower Hamlets for a fixed £85 in a saloon. From the East End and Docklands the airport is about 18 miles due west, meaning the entire span of central London stands between you and the M4 — so a clear riverside run of 50 minutes can become 85 when the City and the A4 are busy.
Your driver is waiting with a name board the moment you come through customs into arrivals – not in a car park, not on the phone. We track the flight, so a late landing costs you nothing, and the first 60 minutes after the plane lands are free waiting time. Luggage trolleys, a child seat, a wheelchair-friendly car: tell us when you book and it is ready.
SIM card and money on the way. Still carrying your own currency? That is fine: every car takes cards and contactless, so you need no pounds in hand for the journey. If you want a UK SIM or some cash, say so and your driver will point you to the kiosks in arrivals (SIM cards: WHSmith and the Sim Local / Simpoint kiosks in every arrivals hall; currency: Travelex and ICE desks in all terminals (airport rates are the worst in London – change £20–£50 for the first day and the rest in town)) or, usually cheaper, stop at a supermarket, Post Office or bank on the route to Tower Hamlets. Our local drivers know where the fair rates and the working cash machines are – trust them to sort it in minutes.
Disabled-friendly arrival. Special assistance: Book via your airline at least 48h ahead. Assistance areas: T2 Level 5 behind check-in A/B; T3 Level 1 above A/B; T4 Zone B by Excess Baggage; T5 Zone E; help points throughout. Tel T2-4 020 8757 2700, T5 020 8283 6415. Step-free: Accessible lifts throughout; accessible passport lanes; lifts to rail and tube platforms. Guide & assistance dogs: ADI/IGDF-recognised assistance dogs accepted; notify airline 48h; relief areas in every terminal before and after security and in arrivals (e.g. T5 Level 0 Assistance Area; T3 Departures next to Gate 27). Pets: Heathrow Animal Reception Centre approval at least 72h before flight; +44 20 8745 7894. Airport accessibility page Our driver meets you at the assistance desk if you prefer, carries folding wheelchairs and walkers free, and assistance dogs always travel with you at no charge.
| Saloon fare | £85 |
| MPV fare | £100 |
| Distance | ~18 miles |
| Drive time | 50 to 85 minutes |
| Peak allowance | the City, the Embankment and the A4 through Hammersmith are the swing factors |
| Route (either way) | west along the river on the Embankment to the A4 and Great West Road, then the M4 into Heathrow |
| Terminals | T2 T3 T4 T5 |
| Extra stop | £10 each |
● FIXED-FARE
Published fares by drop-off area — the number you see is the number you pay. Extra stops £10 each; return leg 10% off when booked together.
| Drop-off area | Saloon — up to 4 | MPV — up to 6 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitechapel & Aldgate | £85 | £100 | the baseline — straight onto the City-fringe route west to the Embankment |
| Canary Wharf & Isle of Dogs | £100 | £114 | Docklands — a longer first leg up and around before heading west |
| Bethnal Green & Mile End | £85 | £100 | central Tower Hamlets, down to the A11/A13 then west |
| Bow & Bromley-by-Bow | £99 | £113 | eastern edge, via the A11/A12 before turning for the centre |
| Wapping & Shadwell | £85 | £100 | riverside south, quick onto the Highway and Embankment |
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| Vehicle | Seats | Fare from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saloon | Up to 4 | £85 | Solo travellers and couples with standard cases |
| Executive | Up to 3 | £115 | Business arrivals wanting an E-Class or equivalent |
| MPV | Up to 6 | £100 | Families and small groups with extra luggage |
| V Class | Up to 7 | £145 | Larger groups travelling together |
| 9 Seater | Up to 8 | £130 | The whole party, one vehicle, no split fares |
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Fixed on booking and never metered, so a slow City, a stalled Embankment or a busy A4 doesn't change the price you were quoted.The drive is 50–85 minutes over roughly 18 miles. What moves far more than the road is the gap between wheels-down and walking out of the terminal, which is why the pickup is timed off your flight number rather than off a clock you set at booking.
A flight touching down at 14:20 into Terminal 5: bags by about 15:00, in the car by 15:10, and into Tower Hamlets between 16:00 and 16:35 depending on the M4 and the M25. The same aircraft landing at 23:40 clears the terminal faster and usually runs at the short end of the band.
| Option | Time | From | The catch | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi (terminal to door) | 50–85 min | from £85 | long cross-town run but one fixed price, door to door | luggage, groups, late landings |
| Elizabeth line (direct to Heathrow) | 55–75 min | £12–£25 pp | direct from Whitechapel/Canary Wharf but slower with cases | solo, light bags, near an Elizabeth line stop |
| DLR + Heathrow Express via Paddington | 70–95 min | £30–£55 pp | a change or two then the fast Express | solo, time-sensitive |
| Drive & park | 50–85 min + parking | £12–£30/day + Congestion Charge | cross-London driving, charges and parking all stack up | rarely worth it |
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The Elizabeth line runs direct to Heathrow from Whitechapel and Canary Wharf, so for a solo traveller with light bags it is genuinely excellent. With a group, luggage, or an early flight, the fixed-fare car door to door is still the easier choice.Landing is a different problem from departing. These six are the ones that catch passengers heading into Tower Hamlets.
RISK / 01
The problem: A hall queue or a slow belt can add an hour to a schedule that looked generous on paper. Our fix: Waiting after landing is included and the driver holds position — the fare does not move because the belt did.
RISK / 02
The problem: Arrive forty minutes ahead of schedule and a car booked by the clock is still somewhere else. Our fix: The inbound is tracked from its origin, so an early touchdown pulls the meeting time forward automatically.
RISK / 03
The problem: Heathrow's halls are far apart, and a vague meeting point turns into phone calls and lost time. Our fix: The terminal is fixed from your flight number at booking and the driver waits inside that hall with a name board.
RISK / 04
The problem: Trains and coaches into Tower Hamlets thin out or stop entirely, leaving a long wait after a night landing. Our fix: The dispatch desk runs 24/7 and night arrivals are quoted at the same published fare, booked in advance.
RISK / 05
The problem: Four adults with four large cases do not fit a saloon, and discovering that at the kerb is expensive. Our fix: Vehicle size is set at booking — a six-seat MPV is £100 and the eight and nine seaters carry the whole party in one car.
RISK / 06
The problem: The M4 and the M25 load up at rush hour and can stretch the run into Tower Hamlets toward 85 minutes. Our fix: The fare was fixed before you landed, so a slow motorway costs time and not money, and the driver picks the live route rather than the habitual one.
Heathrow is four separate arrival halls, not one building, and the meeting point is settled before you land. Your flight number decides the terminal at booking, so there is no searching and no call from a car park.
| TERMINAL | WHERE YOU ARE MET | WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE RUN TO TOWER HAMLETS |
|---|---|---|
| T2 & T3 | Inside the arrivals hall, past customs, name board up | The central terminals exit through the main tunnel; your driver is in position before you clear the belt rather than circling the campus. |
| T4 | Arrivals concourse, at the exit from customs | T4 sits on its own southern approach — being met inside avoids the full perimeter loop that punishes a wrong turn. |
| T5 | Arrivals hall, at the meeting point nearest your exit | T5 is big enough that the wrong end costs ten minutes; the board is placed at the exit your flight actually uses. |
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The outbound leg works the same way in reverse — a pickup at your door in Tower Hamlets, timed backwards from your check-in deadline. Book both directions together and the homeward leg is 10% off: see the Tower Hamlets to Heathrow taxi page.
From £85 in a saloon for up to four passengers and £100 in a six-seat MPV. The price is fixed at booking and confirmed in writing, never metered, and luggage is included.
Inside the arrivals hall of your terminal, with a name board. The terminal is set from your flight number when you book, so the meeting point is agreed before you take off.
Usually 50 to 85 minutes over about 18 miles, depending on the M4, the M25 and the hour you land.
The inbound is tracked from its origin airport and the pickup moves with it. A delay does not cancel the booking and does not change the published fare.
Waiting after touchdown while you clear immigration and collect your bags is part of the service, not an extra line on the bill.
Yes. The fare board above lists the published price by drop-off area, so you can see the exact number for your part of the borough before you book.
Yes, and booking both legs together takes 10% off the homeward run — see the Tower Hamlets to Heathrow taxi page.
The dispatch desk is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. A 02:00 landing is booked the same way, and at the same published fare, as a midday one.
Our drivers get asked for these every day, so here is the shortlist we give in the car. Prices are from the venues’ own menus and booking sites (seen October 2026); tap the Google Maps link for photos, today’s menu and star ratings. Want a stop on the way? Say so when you book and the driver will wait.
Fish & chips
Sunday roast
English breakfast
Afternoon tea
Pies
British pale ale
Vegan & vegetarian
Souvenirs & British brands
Tipping: 10–12.5% service is often added in restaurants, never in pubs or chippies. Most places take cards; a few old caffs and Sam Smith’s pubs are cash-only. Vegan and gluten-free options are marked on almost every London menu – just ask. The airport shops sell the same tea tins and biscuits at 2–3 times the supermarket price, so buy souvenirs in town.
Full list with prices: London food & shopping guide.
Heathrow to Tower Hamlets, fixed from £85, in a licensed car that knows the fastest way across London, the A4 and every terminal. Book in a minute and lock your price.
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