What to Expect on Arrival at London Heathrow Airport – and How to Get a Taxi Heathrow Service Out
London Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the UK by a huge margin, and is also one of the busiest airports in the world. As you might expect, it is full of great shops and restaurants, and there is plenty to keep you busy if you are there in transit or waiting for a departing flight. Of course, if you are arriving into Heathrow from another country, you are probably more interested in getting a taxi Heathrow and getting out of there than sticking around to peruse Harrods and have something to eat, so here is a guide to what to expect when you get in, and how to get out and into London itself as swiftly as possible.
How quickly you get from your plane into the Arrivals area will of course depend where you have come from, what kind of immigration status you have, and whether you need to collect any checked luggage. People with UK passports or passports from other EU countries can pass through fairly quickly, though those subject to immigration such as people traveling from the USA under American passports should allow a little more time to get through €" the immigration and border control at Heathrow is reasonably efficient but there could still be a long queue.
Baggage collection at Heathrow is easy despite the large number of incoming flights €" all you have to do is check the monitors and head to the carousel corresponding to your flight number. If you've come in from a destination with a lot of daily flights into Heathrow do double check you have the correct flight number as well as departure city.
Once you are through this and have passed through customs (this doesn't take long at all unless you have things to declare) you will find yourself in the arrivals area. From here, you will either find your driver waiting for you if you prebooked a taxi Heathrow service, or you will be able to head to a rank outside and pick up a taxi Heathrow driver there. Do use a taxi at Heathrow, it is by far the fastest and most convenient way to shift yourself and your luggage from the airport to your hotel or other London base. The prebooking option is generally best as a lot of local taxi Heathrow companies will give a better price than the black cabs you find waiting at the ranks.
How quickly you get from your plane into the Arrivals area will of course depend where you have come from, what kind of immigration status you have, and whether you need to collect any checked luggage. People with UK passports or passports from other EU countries can pass through fairly quickly, though those subject to immigration such as people traveling from the USA under American passports should allow a little more time to get through €" the immigration and border control at Heathrow is reasonably efficient but there could still be a long queue.
Baggage collection at Heathrow is easy despite the large number of incoming flights €" all you have to do is check the monitors and head to the carousel corresponding to your flight number. If you've come in from a destination with a lot of daily flights into Heathrow do double check you have the correct flight number as well as departure city.
Once you are through this and have passed through customs (this doesn't take long at all unless you have things to declare) you will find yourself in the arrivals area. From here, you will either find your driver waiting for you if you prebooked a taxi Heathrow service, or you will be able to head to a rank outside and pick up a taxi Heathrow driver there. Do use a taxi at Heathrow, it is by far the fastest and most convenient way to shift yourself and your luggage from the airport to your hotel or other London base. The prebooking option is generally best as a lot of local taxi Heathrow companies will give a better price than the black cabs you find waiting at the ranks.
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