Ripley is a village of about two thousand people in the borough of Guildford, strung along the old London-to-Portsmouth road, and its position is the reason it is one of the quickest places in Surrey to reach Heathrow from. The A3 bypass runs past the village to meet the M25 at Wisley, so a car from Ripley High Street is on the motorway within minutes. Heathrow is 17.6 miles away and the drive took about 23 minutes when measured.
Clocktower Cars runs pre-booked airport transfers from Ripley and the villages around it — Send, Send Marsh and Ockham — with the price agreed before you travel. Guildford is one of the seven authorities our drivers and vehicles are licensed by. Call 01372 747 747 or book online. For local journeys in and around the village, see our Ripley taxi services page.
These figures were measured on 17 October 2026 from Ripley High Street (GU23), using the route and drive-time estimate Google Maps gave at the time. They are a guide: very early departures usually beat them, and the M25 on a weekday evening will not.
| Airport | Distance | Typical drive | Main road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | 17.6 miles | about 23 minutes | M25 |
| Gatwick | 27.4 miles | about 30 minutes | M25 and M23 |
| Luton | 48.3 miles | about 52 minutes | M25 |
| London City | 57.6 miles | about 1 hour 10 minutes | M25 |
| Stansted | 77.2 miles | about 1 hour 18 minutes | M25 |
Kingston upon Thames is 10.0 miles from Heathrow and took about 26 minutes when measured the same day; Thames Ditton, 9.4 miles, took about 24. Ripley is nearly twice as far and took 23. The difference is the road, not the distance: the river towns cross Hampton Court and wind along the A308, while Ripley is on the M25 almost as soon as it leaves the village. A price list built on miles would charge Ripley nearly double for a journey that takes less time — which is why we quote each journey instead.
At 27.4 miles and about 30 minutes, Gatwick is barely further in time than Heathrow from Ripley. If you have a choice of airports for a flight, it is worth knowing that from this corner of Surrey both are realistic.
For a 7am departure from Terminal 5 you will want to be at the terminal at about 5am, so a pick-up around 4:30 leaves comfortable time. The point of booking is that the car is at the door when you open it: a private hire car cannot be hailed, so the booking is what guarantees the car. Ripley has no railway station of its own — Woking station is 4.5 miles away, about 11 minutes by road — and no train from Woking runs to Heathrow.
Clocktower Cars is a licensed private hire operator, not a hackney carriage firm. You cannot flag one of our cars down on the High Street or find it on a rank; every journey is booked through the office in advance. The office sees the whole journey before it starts — pick-up address, airport, terminal, luggage, time — and quotes it up front, so the price is agreed before the car moves. 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.
The full reasoning is on what decides the cost of a taxi. For a Ripley airport run it comes down to these.
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 villages around Ripley have their own measured Heathrow pages: West Clandon (20.3 miles), West Horsley (20.7 miles), East Horsley (20.8 miles) and Guildford (23.8 miles). The full list of more than forty places we collect from is on the Heathrow airport transfers page.
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 ages and weights at booking. We confirm the vehicle’s capacity rather than a make or model. Clocktower Cars 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; details on the pricing and payment methods page.
Heathrow is 17.6 miles from Ripley High Street, and the drive took about 23 minutes by the M25 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.
Because of the road. Ripley joins the M25 at Wisley within minutes, while river towns such as Kingston and Thames Ditton use the A308 through Hampton Court. When measured, Ripley took about 23 minutes for 17.6 miles; Kingston took about 26 minutes for 10.0.
Gatwick is 27.4 miles from Ripley High Street and the drive took about 30 minutes by the M25 and M23 when measured.
Ripley has no station of its own. The nearest main station is Woking, 4.5 miles away, and no train from Woking runs to Heathrow.
Yes, on the same pre-booked basis as Ripley. Give the full address when you book.
Heathrow charges £7 for each entry into a terminal drop-off zone and Gatwick charges £10 for the first ten minutes, then £1 a minute up to twenty, capped at £30 a day. Both are airport charges, not ours. Blue Badge holders can claim a discount at Heathrow and are exempt at Gatwick if it is registered against the car carrying them.
Yes. Book 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.
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.
Twenty-three minutes to Heathrow and thirty to Gatwick make Ripley one of the best-placed villages in Surrey for an airport run. Tell us the address, the airport and terminal, and when, and the office will give you the price before anything is agreed. Call 01372 747 747 at any hour, or book online.
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