Morden is twenty-nine and eight tenths of a mile from Heathrow, and about forty-eight minutes away in free-flowing traffic. It is one of the slower airport runs we do, and the reason is the shape of the journey rather than its length: the first half is urban south-west London, and only the second half is motorway.
That makes the margin more important here than almost anywhere, because two completely different kinds of road can each delay you for different reasons. This page sets out the measured route, what decides the price, and the charge on the journey that belongs to the airport rather than to us.
| Measure | Morden to Heathrow |
|---|---|
| Road distance | 29.8 miles |
| Free-flowing drive time | about 48 minutes |
| Route | out to the A3, then the M25 to the airport spur |
| Rail | no direct service — central London and at least one change |
| Terminals | all four; Terminal 5 is the first you reach from the M25 |
Getting out to the A3 crosses a part of London with traffic lights, bus lanes and school-run traffic; the M25 between the A3 junction and the airport then adds motorway congestion of an entirely different sort. Forty-eight minutes assumes both behave. In the morning peak either can add half an hour by itself, which is why we set the departure against your bag-drop deadline rather than the drive time.
Morden is the southern end of the Northern line, which is excellent for central London and no use at all for Heathrow with hold luggage. Any rail route means going into town, changing at least once and carrying your cases through it. For a 4am bag drop the trains are not running anyway.
Clocktower Cars is a licensed private hire operator rather than a hackney carriage firm, so every journey comes through the office as a booking — we cannot be flagged down and we do not work ranks. Because the office sees the whole journey first it can price it up front, so a bad morning on the road is our problem rather than an addition to your bill. A meter would keep earning every minute you sat in it.
Morden is in the London Borough of Merton, so private hire work here sits under Transport for London. Our drivers and vehicles are licensed by TfL among seven authorities, alongside Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, Mole Valley, Elmbridge, Guildford and Waverley. The operator licence is held as Epsom & Ewell Cars T/A Clocktower Cars.
Nights, very early mornings, Sundays and public holidays cost more to staff, and most airport work from Morden leaves before six — which is also when the roads on this route are at their best.
Four adults with four hold bags and four cabin bags do not fit in a saloon, whatever the seat count suggests. An estate takes four with real boot space; six and eight-seaters take groups. Golf clubs, ski bags, a pushchair, a bike in a box, a dog crate — each changes which car is sent, so each needs declaring when you book.
On an arrival the pickup is set against the actual landing time rather than the scheduled one, with a free grace period after landing for immigration and reclaim. Waiting beyond that is chargeable.
Child seats, step-free access, a wheelchair, a pet travelling, an extra pickup in Wimbledon or Sutton on the way — all cheaper designed into the booking than improvised at the door. See our accessible taxi page.
Heathrow charges £7 for each entry into a terminal drop-off zone, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, and re-entering triggers it again. It is the airport’s charge rather than a taxi firm’s, and we say when it applies. Source: Heathrow Airport — drop-off charge. Blue Badge holders can claim a full discount even when they are not driving, by registering the registration number of the car bringing them.
Our cars do not carry card terminals, so bring cash if you have not paid in advance. The detail is on our pricing and payment methods page, and the reasoning behind quoting rather than publishing a rate card is in our guide to what actually decides a taxi price.
Twenty-nine and eight tenths of a mile by road, about forty-eight minutes in free-flowing traffic, out to the A3 and then round the M25. It is one of the slower runs we do, because the way out of south London to the motorway is not direct.
Because the first part of the journey is urban. Getting from Morden out to the A3 means crossing south-west London, and only then does the motorway start doing the work. Two different kinds of road, each with its own way of going wrong.
Rarely, and almost never with luggage. Morden is the end of the Northern line, so a rail route to Heathrow means central London, a change or two and your cases on the Underground at rush hour. For an early bag drop it does not work at all.
It depends on the hour, the terminal, the vehicle your luggage needs and whether waiting or flight tracking is involved, so we quote each journey rather than publish a figure that would date. Call 01372 747 747 with the flight and the bag count.
Heathrow charges £7 for each entry into a terminal drop-off zone, every day of the year, and re-entering charges again. That is the airport’s charge rather than ours. Blue Badge holders can claim a full discount, registered against the vehicle registration, even when they are not driving.
Yes. The pickup is set against the actual landing time rather than the scheduled one, with a free grace period after landing for immigration and baggage reclaim — which matters on a journey this long.
Yes. For five to eight passengers one larger vehicle is normally cheaper than two cars and always simpler at the terminal. Tell us the passenger count and the bag count separately.
By road, yes, and often considerably quicker. If your flight could leave from either airport, ask us for both before you book the tickets rather than afterwards.
Call 01372 747 747 with the flight, the terminal and the bag count, or use the online booking form. Neighbouring routes: Carshalton, Wallington and Cheam. The wider picture is on our Heathrow taxi service page.
Enter your mobile number and get a download link sent to you for free.
