Heathrow has four active passenger terminals — Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5 — and knowing which one you need matters when booking a taxi, since each has its own pickup and drop-off arrangements. This page covers taxi transfers to and from every Heathrow terminal in one place, with the differences between them explained so you can book with confidence regardless of which terminal your flight uses.
Taxi to Heathrow Terminal 3
Terminal 3 is one of Heathrow’s busiest terminals, handling a large share of long-haul departures. A pre-booked taxi to Terminal 3 means your price is agreed before you travel and, for arrivals, your driver waits inside the terminal with a name board rather than at an off-site point you’d otherwise need to locate after a long-haul flight. Given how busy Terminal 3 can get, particularly around peak departure banks, booking ahead avoids relying on the terminal’s taxi rank.
Taxi to Heathrow Terminal 4
Terminal 4 sits slightly apart from the other three terminals, connected by the Heathrow Express and free inter-terminal transfers rather than being immediately adjacent. A taxi booked directly to Terminal 4 removes the need for an inter-terminal transfer altogether — you’re taken straight to the terminal your flight actually departs from or arrives at, without an extra step in between. See our dedicated Heathrow Terminal 4 taxi page for full pricing and booking details.
Taxi to Heathrow Terminal 2
Terminal 2, the Queen’s Terminal, is Heathrow’s newer terminal and handles a broad mix of departures. As with the other terminals, a pre-booked taxi to Terminal 2 offers a fixed price agreed in advance and meet-and-greet pickup inside arrivals for landing passengers. See our dedicated Heathrow Terminal 2 taxi page for full pricing and booking details.
Taxi to Heathrow Terminal 5
Terminal 5 is Heathrow’s largest single terminal and, like Terminal 4, benefits from a taxi booked to the correct terminal directly rather than routing through another one first. For arrivals into Terminal 5’s often-busy arrivals hall, having a driver already waiting with a name board removes one more thing to manage after landing. See our dedicated Heathrow Terminal 5 taxi page for full pricing and booking details.
Why terminal-specific booking matters
Heathrow’s four terminals aren’t interchangeable, and turning up at the wrong one — or being dropped at the wrong one — can mean an unwanted extra journey via the airport’s internal transfer system. Confirming the correct terminal at the time of booking, ideally by checking your airline confirmation rather than relying on memory, is the simplest way to avoid this. Airlines do occasionally change terminal assignments, so it’s worth double-checking your terminal shortly before travel if your booking was made well in advance.
How booking works across all terminals
- Enter your journey — your pickup address or terminal, destination, date, time, and passenger numbers.
- Choose your vehicle — the fixed price for your specific terminal and journey is shown by vehicle class.
- Confirm your booking — add contact details, flight number, and your confirmed terminal.
- Meet your driver — inside arrivals with a name board for pickups, or at your departure address for drop-offs at the correct terminal.
Vehicle options for terminal transfers
The same eight vehicle classes are available regardless of which Heathrow terminal you’re using:
- Saloon — one to three passengers with standard luggage.
- Estate — a little extra luggage space at the same passenger count.
- Executive — a higher-specification option for business travel.
- People Carrier — up to five or six passengers with luggage.
- 8-Seater Minivan and Executive Minivan — larger groups or corporate bookings.
- 12 Seater Minibus and 16 Seater Minibus — group transfers to any terminal.
Pricing across terminals
Because pickup and drop-off points differ by terminal, the fixed price shown for your journey reflects your specific terminal rather than a single flat rate across all four. The quote is shown in full before you confirm, so there’s no need to estimate based on a different terminal’s pricing. See Heathrow Taxi Prices and Booking for more on how pricing works generally.
Licensed drivers at every terminal
Every driver serving any Heathrow terminal holds a TfL or council private hire licence, has passed a DBS check, and carries hire-and-reward insurance, as required by UK law for carrying paying passengers — the same standard applies whether your journey is to Terminal 2 or Terminal 5.
Departures versus arrivals across the terminals
Booking a taxi for a departure works the same way regardless of terminal: your pickup address, terminal, and travel time are entered, and the car arrives at your address at the agreed time, with the price fixed in advance. For arrivals, the meet-and-greet standard applies at every terminal — your driver is inside the terminal with a name board rather than waiting at an off-site rank, which removes the step of finding transport after landing. The main practical difference between terminals on the arrivals side is simply how far the pickup point is from where you clear customs, which varies by terminal layout rather than by anything specific to the booking process.
Group and business travel to Heathrow terminals
For groups travelling to the same terminal together — whether a family, a sports team, or colleagues heading to a conference — booking one larger vehicle rather than splitting across several saloons keeps everyone on the same schedule and avoids coordinating multiple pickup times. Businesses with regular staff travel through any Heathrow terminal can also set up a corporate account with monthly invoicing, useful for companies whose staff use different terminals depending on the airline and destination.
Checking your terminal before you travel
Because terminal assignments can occasionally change after a booking is made — particularly for bookings made well in advance — it’s worth checking your airline confirmation a day or two before travel rather than relying on what was entered at the time of booking. If your terminal has changed, contacting the team to update the booking avoids any mismatch between where your driver is waiting and where you actually land or need to depart from.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a taxi to Heathrow Terminal 3 cost?
It depends on your pickup location, chosen vehicle, and time of travel. The fixed price for your specific journey and terminal is shown before you confirm your booking.
Do you cover all four Heathrow terminals?
Yes, transfers are available to and from Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5.
What if my terminal changes after I book?
Airlines occasionally change terminal assignments. It’s worth checking your terminal shortly before travel and contacting the team if it differs from what you booked, so the pickup or drop-off point can be updated.
Will my driver meet me inside the terminal?
Yes, for arrivals your driver waits inside the terminal with a name board rather than at an off-site pickup point.
Is Terminal 4 harder to get a taxi to than the other terminals?
Booking a taxi directly to Terminal 4 avoids the inter-terminal transfer that public transport options sometimes require, taking you straight to the correct terminal without an extra step.
Can I book a group transfer to any terminal?
Yes, vehicle options from a saloon up to a 16-seater minibus are available for transfers to any of the four terminals.
Do I need to know my terminal before I book?
It’s best to confirm your terminal from your airline booking before you enter your journey details, since pricing and pickup arrangements are terminal-specific.
Can I book a taxi between two Heathrow terminals?
This page focuses on transfers to and from Heathrow, rather than short inter-terminal movements, which are generally covered by Heathrow’s own free transfer services. Contact the team if you have a specific inter-terminal requirement.
Is there a different price for each terminal?
Pricing is based on your specific pickup point and destination terminal rather than a single flat rate, so the exact price may vary slightly by terminal — the fixed quote for your journey is always shown before you book.
Terminal transfers as part of a longer journey
Not every terminal booking is a short local transfer. Passengers travelling to Heathrow from further afield — a longer route such as Heathrow to Cambridge or Nottingham to Heathrow — book the same way, simply confirming the correct terminal alongside the longer journey details. The terminal-specific pickup and meet-and-greet arrangements apply identically whether the rest of the journey is a short hop across London or a longer transfer from another part of the country.
Book your Heathrow terminal transfer
Confirm your terminal and enter your journey details to see the fixed price for your specific route and vehicle.