Kingston upon Thames is ten miles from Heathrow and one of the towns where the choice of road matters most. From Kingston station the drive is 10.0 miles and about 26 minutes by the A308 — quicker at 5am, slower at 5pm, and always a mix of riverside junctions rather than motorway. Clocktower Cars has an office in Kingston and runs pre-booked airport transfers from the town centre, Norbiton, Coombe, Kingston Hill, Surbiton, New Malden and Tolworth, with the price agreed before you travel.
Call 01372 747 747 or book online. This page sets out the measured journeys, the alternatives, what decides the price and what happens when you land and need to get home.
These figures were measured on 17 October 2026 from Kingston station (KT1 1UJ), using the route and drive-time estimate Google Maps gave at the time. Treat them as a guide: early mornings usually beat them, weekday evenings do not.
| Airport | Distance | Typical drive | Main road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | 10.0 miles | about 26 minutes | A308 |
| London City | 20.5 miles | about 1 hour 16 minutes | A3036, through London |
| Gatwick | 28.6 miles | about 42 minutes | M25 and M23 |
| Luton | 44.4 miles | about 1 hour 6 minutes | M25 and M1 |
| Stansted | 51.5 miles | about 1 hour 28 minutes | A406 and M11 |
London City is only 20.5 miles from Kingston, closer than Gatwick, Luton or Stansted. It is also the second-longest drive of the five, at about an hour and sixteen minutes, because every route to it crosses central or south London. Gatwick, eight miles further, takes about half an hour less by the M25 and M23. That is the clearest single reason we price the journey rather than the mileage.
If you are in New Malden rather than Kingston, the Heathrow run is 12.7 miles from New Malden station and about 36 minutes by the A308 when measured the same day — a longer start through Kingston before the riverside roads. Surbiton, Tolworth and Chessington have their own measured pages: Surbiton to Heathrow, Tolworth to Heathrow and Chessington to Heathrow.
People search for all three, so here is a fair comparison.
Transport for London’s Superloop route SL7 — the old X26 — runs between West Croydon and Heathrow Central bus station and calls at Kingston, New Malden and Teddington. It is a genuinely useful express service if you are travelling light. Heathrow Central serves Terminals 2 and 3; for Terminal 4 or 5 you change at the airport, which with suitcases and children is where the bus stops being convenient.
Kingston’s South Western Railway services run on the Kingston loop towards Waterloo, Richmond and Wimbledon. None goes to Heathrow; any rail route means changing in London and coming back out again.
Door to terminal, with the luggage loaded at your front door and the price agreed before you leave. For an early flight, a family, a lot of bags or anyone with limited mobility it is usually the practical choice — and for a return journey it is the only one of the three that is waiting for you when you come through arrivals.
Almost as many people search for a taxi from Heathrow to Kingston as the other way round, and the return works differently.
Some families flying into Heathrow head straight for Chessington World of Adventures Resort, just south of Kingston — it is a journey people search for by name. When measured, the drive from Heathrow to the resort was 23.1 miles and about 29 minutes — the route went round by the M25 rather than through Kingston, which is another example of the longer road being the quicker one. Tell the office the number of children and their ages so the right seats are fitted, and book a vehicle with room for the luggage of a family holiday.
Clocktower Cars is a licensed private hire operator, not a black-cab firm. In London the law is clear: a black cab can be hailed or taken from a rank, a private hire car cannot, and every private hire journey must be booked in advance through a licensed operator. You will not find us on the rank at Kingston station; you will find a car outside your door at the time you booked, at a price agreed when you booked it. Our operator licence is held as Epsom & Ewell Cars T/A Clocktower Cars, with drivers and vehicles licensed across Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, Mole Valley, Elmbridge, Guildford, Waverley and Transport for London.
We quote rather than publish a tariff; the full reasoning is on what decides the cost of a taxi. For Kingston it comes down to four things.
The A308 through Hampton Court and Hampton is a different road at 5am and at 5pm, and Kingston town centre’s one-way system adds its own variable at the start. Night work, bank holidays and Christmas are priced differently because covering them costs differently.
Four people with four large cases need an estate, five or six need an MPV, and a group of eight with full luggage may need two cars. Larger groups are covered on eight-seater and large taxis to Heathrow.
Terminals 2 and 3 are in the central area through the tunnel; Terminals 4 and 5 are reached from the perimeter roads. Each has its own guide: Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.
A child seat, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, an assistance dog, a second pick-up address or an executive car for a business trip are all straightforward when the office knows in advance — and all of them change which car is sent.
Heathrow charges £7 for every entry into a terminal drop-off zone, at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, around the clock, and a second entry is charged again. Gatwick charges £10 for the first ten minutes, then £1 a minute up to twenty, with a £30 daily cap. Both are the airports’ charges, not ours. Blue Badge holders can claim a 100% discount at Heathrow if it is registered against the registration of the car carrying them, and are exempt at Gatwick — mention it when you book. Current Heathrow terms are on Heathrow’s drop-off charge page. Arrivals pick-ups do not use the drop-off zones.
The car is matched to the booking: a saloon for up to four travelling light, an estate for four with real suitcases, an MPV for five or six, an eight-seater for a group, and executive cars on request. Child seats are fitted when you give the children’s ages and weights at booking, and assistance dogs travel at no extra charge. We confirm the capacity of the vehicle rather than promising a particular make or model. Clocktower Cars is not a car hire company and does not rent out vehicles — every booking comes with a licensed driver.
Pay by card when you book, in cash to the driver, or on a monthly invoiced business account. There is no card terminal in the vehicle. More on the pricing and payment methods page. For local journeys around the town, see Kingston minicabs; the full list of towns we collect from for Heathrow is on the Heathrow airport transfers page.
Heathrow is 10.0 miles from Kingston station, and the drive took about 26 minutes by the A308 when measured on 17 October 2026.
We quote every journey before you travel rather than publishing a fare list, because the price depends on the hour, the vehicle your luggage needs, the terminal and whether it is a drop-off or a pick-up. Call 01372 747 747 or use the online booking form and you will have the figure before you commit.
Yes. Transport for London’s Superloop route SL7, formerly the X26, runs between West Croydon and Heathrow Central bus station and calls at Kingston. Heathrow Central serves Terminals 2 and 3; for Terminals 4 and 5 you change at the airport.
Yes. Book the return with your flight number and the driver will track the arrival and meet you in arrivals or at a designated pick-up area. The return is quoted as its own journey because it involves parking and waiting.
Gatwick is 28.6 miles from Kingston station and about 42 minutes by the M25 and M23 — further than London City but around half an hour quicker to reach.
Yes. New Malden is 12.7 miles from Heathrow by road, measured from New Malden station, and about 36 minutes by the A308. It is covered on the same pre-booked basis as Kingston.
Yes. When measured, Heathrow to Chessington World of Adventures Resort was 23.1 miles and about 29 minutes by the M25. Give the children’s ages when you book so the right seats are fitted.
Heathrow charges £7 for each entry into a terminal drop-off zone, around the clock. It is the airport’s charge, not ours. Blue Badge holders can claim a 100% discount if it is registered against the registration of the car carrying them. Arrivals pick-ups are not charged.
There is no card terminal in the vehicle. Pay by card when you book with the office, in cash to the driver, or on a monthly invoiced business account.
Tell us where in Kingston you are, which terminal and when — outbound, return or both — and the office will give you the price before anything is agreed. Call 01372 747 747 at any hour, or book online and we will come straight back to you.
Enter your mobile number and get a download link sent to you for free.
