NOW CLOSED: How do you travel to the airport? Share your comments with Heathrow and you could win one of four £100 Heathrow Shopping or John Lewis vouchers.

[AnnMumsnet]

Do you (or have you recently) flown off on your hols? If so, the team at Heathrow would like to know how you and your family travel to and from the airport when going on holiday.

Here's what they say: "We know families are not that happy with the available choices of getting to Heathrow, be it based on cost and/or convenience. We appreciate parking at Heathrow isn't for everyone but would like to ensure families are aware of the benefits of parking with us and at the same time understand where we fall short when it comes to family friendly parking."

It doesn't matter if you fly from Heathrow or not, Heathrow want to find out about your experiences relating to any UK airport.

They'd like to know whether or not you choose to drive your own car to the airport or use a taxi or public transport and the reasons why you choose this method of transport.

If you have a car - do you tend to drive to the airport on a family holiday? If so, why? If you have a car but use other means - how do you travel to the airport? What would help to persuade you to use your own car?

When do you start to think about how you and your family will get to the airport? Do you (or your DH/DP for that matter?) plan when booking your flights/holiday or is it an afterthought? How do you search for information on getting to the airport or on parking there? Do you find information is readily available or not? Is there anything else you'd like to know?

And lastly, if you live within an hours drive of Heathrow, do you know how the cost of parking at Heathrow compares with a return taxi journey from where you live? You can enter your postcode at //www.taxiorpark.com and take a look. Please note this uses Hackney Carriage Tariffs.

Everyone who adds their comments to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where four winners will each win a £100 Heathrow Shopping OR a £100 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

[EnjoyGOLDResponsibly]

We drive, live in the South East at J1 of the M25

Taxis cost over £100 each way

Public transport not an option as we fly too early and get back too late with young DC.

We have been using meet and greet for 5 years. Excellent value for money, costs

[Knowsabitabouteducation]

We use the car if it's just dropping one of us off. We would not really think about parking.

We take a minicab (or two), if it's a family holiday.

I am fairly happy to take the bus if it's just me (it goes from the end of my road direct to T5), but DH insists on a taxi.

This year, our family holiday was out of Heathrow T5. We took one cab, and DS1 (who wasn't coming with us) also dropped us off (5 travellers plus luggage). On the way back, we called for two minicabs as we landed, and they were there waiting for us as we stepped outside.

We live close to LHR and a taxi is cheaper than short term parking. I would not be interested in the faff of long-term (could be home by the time we got to the car).

Another couple of reasons for not driving is that it is highly possible that we have had a couple of drinks in the airport and in the plane, so may be slightly over the limit, and I like to have my car parked outside my house so that the house doesn't appear empty.

[SminkoPinko]

We don't have a car so would always use public transport on the grounds that taxis are likely to be too expensive. Our last flying holiday was from Stanstead and we got the coach from Liverpool Street as the Stanstead Express was not running. We were very pleasantly surprised at the cheap price. Our coach driver was nice and our family were practically the only people on board. Even if we had a car I think we'd be very unlikely to drive to Heathrow because it's so much easier to get the tube. I think our planning for getting to the airport is definitely an afterthought though. On that Stanstead holiday I'd failed to find out that the Stanstead Express wasn't running in advance, for example!

[Goldfishshoalsnibblingatmytoes]

Flying from Heathrow without kids, I use National Express coaches. This is due to cost (can get tickets for £10 or less) and limited luggage.

Flying from Heathrow with kids, we start our holiday the night before and stay in whichever airport hotel is the best value of money, including parking for the duration of the holiday. This means we can take all the cases, and not worry about getting stuck on the motorway.

[Knowsabitabouteducation]

Checking that Taxiorpark site, out minicab company charges a flat fare of £36 return. The fare on the website was £42 for a taxi, £76 for long-term parking, and £146 for valet parking for one week.

[Doilooklikeatourist]

Our nearest airport is Cardiff , it's a completely useless airport with no decent flights . The flights they do have are much more expensive than those that go from Luton or Stansted .

The only way to get to it is by car . We've always used car parks locally , using a shuttle service .

We will use a taxi to the airport , if we ever go from Cardiff again ( personally , I would rather catch the train to Gatwick or Heathrow )

[dippyeggs]

I get as taxi to Heathrow simply because its only c£25 each way, no parking, no airport bus maximium convenience....

[littleducks]

It costs us about £30 (one way) in a minicab to Heathrow. It probably would be the same price or cheaper to park and it is something I would consider in future after waiting two hours for a minicab home (long complicated story).

Why did we get a cab? I suppose it was the beginning of 'holiday' for us and my kids are old enough now that I dont get twitchy about them not being in carseats. I would have got the bus (we are near a route that would eventually get there) but DH hates buses at the best of times.

I wouldn't go by tube with luggage and children, catching the TGV in France from CDG airport was enough drama with the kids without replicating it both sides of the trip.

DH likes airports and offers to drop seemingly anyone and everyone off, to save them the taxi fare or tube faff.

[kellestar]

Not really recent.

We live 40 minute drive away from Bristol airport and arranged for PiL to drive us there and collect. It was quick and easy, not worth taking our car. If we didn't have family locally to rely on, we would prefer to drive our car rather than faff about with taxi's and loading all our stuff in. Public transport is a bit of a joke, a 20 minute car trip takes 3 buses and close to 2 hours. I wouldn't even want to guess how many buses it'd take us to get to BRI.

When we flew from Gatwick we booked a hotel as the flight was early hours, we parked the car there and they had a shuttle bus that took us to the airport, it was a 20 minute bus ride. It meant we had an easy drive the day before our flights, able to stop when we needed to and take breaks and not faff about carrying stuff from a to b to c.

We've also gone from heathrow pre-DD and we booked long stay parking in advance and got the shuttle bus across to the terminal. Again convenience of driving and taking breaks when needed [stopped for an amazing bacon butty and cup of tea outside of Newbury, which was really welcome after spending 3 weeks in canada]. I thought the parking costs reasonable, I think it was £17 as we'd booked in advance. We found the car park easy to locate and the drive up wasn't too bad, we'd left ourselves plenty of time to get there from Somerset.

We would choose to drive ourselves every time. It's something we think about when booking. It was great staying at the hotel before flying when we had an early start, as we booked in advance we got some good discount.

[lapsedorienteerer]

We're lucky in that we live close so can use a taxi (flat rate £16 each way) or bus to T5 (about £5 but goes around the houses.

[burleyburley]

We travel from Manchester airport and book parking well in advance of travelling, usually jetparks, I think. This has so far worked well for us although last time we had children plus the in laws so getting everyone on the bus with luggage and buggies was a little more stressful than usual.

[Alameda]

usually drive and use a mid-stay car park then have a small cry on the way home at how £much it cost

would use public transport if I could afford to fly at civilised o'clock, and if we had public transport in Suffolk

[Xiaoxiong]

We can get a taxi door to door for about 20 pounds so parking would have to be less than 40 pounds to be at all competitive. Very convenient for going away, but we do have to live under the flight path which is pretty miserable - when the planes go over we have to raise our voices to be heard and I try very hard not to think about long term damage to DS's hearing

[iamabadger]

I think Heathrow is a fabulous airport to get to, there are so many options. I feel uncomfortable about the idea if encouraging people to drive there to be honest, I'm always exhausted and a bit disorientated from the holiday and long haul flight! I tend to take the tube as although it looks longer on paper, I find it takes me a while to get to paddington anyway so balances out. I have always thought though that Piccadilly line trains should have a carriage designated for airport goers as you get some filthy looks from people when you have a suitcase-quite what they expect from a train with the destination Heathrow I'm not sure!

[CheeryCherry]

We have done all the different ways if travelling to the airport.
Driving...less stressful if booked online in advance, we are in control of getting there, not waiting around. The shuttle buses are ok, fairly often but seem to take forever with all the different stops. Can get straight home afterwards too.
Taxi... More expensive, only stress is hoping it will turn up. But usually the most stress free journey (unless you get a manic driver...)
Public transport....bus&train...was ok but there was a lot of waiting around. Made the trip such a long drawn out affair.
A lift!....best way all round but now with 3 DCs, can't usually all get a lift from anyone!
I always consider flight times&transport when booking, and try to get it arranged asap, so u know the costings and timings. We would probably drive more often if it was cheaper to park, and if the shuttles were more direct.

[Notgoingtotakeitanymore]

Fly to Heathrow from Manchester. Usually get txi from home to Manchester aiport - cost is comparable with long-stay parking and is convenient.
Have stayed in airport hotel before an early morning flight and travelled there by train, which was convenient.
For me, if's about minimising the faff - I hate off-site car parks, wondering whether the shuttle will turn up, bags on, bags off etc etc.

[ParrotTulip]

We drive and use the parking where they take your keys and park it foryou.

[dublinmary]

We use all the London airports, choice depends on timings and cost, including the cost of trains/parking. Before kids we almost always got public transport, usually tube to heathrow or Stansted Express. We have tried long term car parks with kids, but they were too far away and the return shuttle buses can be a nightmare! We now choose to either get a minicab or else use a valet parking service which can be just as cheap. Our minicab company is a lot cheaper than the taxiorpark website, which must use black cab rates. I think black cabs are the only form of transport we haven't tried!

[ohmeohmy]

To Luton would take cab or drive if holiday not too long or flights are at awkward times. Gatwick would take overground train as fairly direct from where I live. Heathrow depends, have parked sometimes park at relatives who lives nearby and get a lift, have used tube. Avoid express as too costly.

[Wheresthedamndog]

It depends if it's work or family travel.

For work,it's me and a small case. So I generally use public transport, particularly if I'm going from Heathrow or Gatwick. It is quick, easy and no stress at the other end (the Heathrow express is a brilliant thing).

For family, the thought of going on the tube / train with kids, bags and stressed husband makes me break out in a sweat. So we usually drive, having booked parking in advance via one of the online sites ( holiday extras, BCP or similar). Just build in the extra time to get across on the shuttle bus. Or sometimes, for a morning flight, stay over in a hotel the evening before, and take their shuttle across.

I do think it is more of a hassle from London. When we use regional airports, the parking, along with everything else, is quicker and easier.

[wonderstuff]

I try to use my local airport (southampton) if I can, because it is an easy and not too expensive train ride away. Sadly they don't seem to do as many routes as they used to.

I'm within an hour of Heathrow(just) - and have parked there before - it is fairly reasonably priced and easy to book online. If I'm going for longer than a few days I can park at a relatives house in Hayes, which is only a few minutes away, the problem I have with this is black cabbies are so pissed off at such a small fare from Heathrow - was a bit scared last time as the driver went so fast to get back in his time slot!
I'd love to take a train - but it is SO expensive.

If using budget airlines and going from stanstead/luton have booked hotel for early morning flights and driven - does add an awful lot of to the cost of travel. Now we have kids we don't fly so much - so expensive.

[bluebump]

If we travel from Exeter airport we've tended to get friends or family to drive us as its only 20 mins from home and we would pay petrol and any car park fees. If we travel from Bristol we drive and park in the silver zone off site parking and get the bus in as its cheaper than parking on site and the shuttle buses are regular.

It's been ages since I've flown from a London airport, the last time I did we stayed in a hotel nearby that offered transport to and from the airport.

[HeathRobinson]

Drive to Birmingham, park and use the shuttle bus. No hassle.

Dh flies out of Heathrow/Birmingham on business and drives or takes a taxi according to what time his return flight gets in. Stupid o'clock on no sleep - taxi.