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

just costed travel for 6 with family and friends rail card to heathrow from east mids and it is cheaper to get taxi --- argh ! how can that be right? but am getting a cab therefore on costs grounds alone.

We usually get a lift to and from the airport. It's much easier than dragging luggage on and off shuttle buses. We have parked at the airport (MAN) a couple of times though when we had no other hooch and its such a bloody faff that'd I'd rather get a taxi if there were no one else to take me.

I've used the heathrow express a couple of times and its a fabulous service, but at real rates (I.e. not discounted, I used to be airline staff) it's horrendously expensive and miles from the platform to the actual terminals.

We once looked into staying near Gatwick before early holiday flight but then read so many horror stories about trying to get from Gatwick back to hotel to pick car up via shuttles that just got up v early and got mini cab to Victoria.

We normally get minicab to Heathrow as don't have to then leave extr pArking and transit time. Minicab cheaper than rip off Heathrow Express. But once were completely let down by minicab driver not coming to pick us up from Heathrow so got Heathrow Connect then black cab.

Could get tube from home but it would be over hour and having done it myself and started to lose will to live wouldn't subject holidaying family to it. Also Nywhere near rush hour tube is just too full for families with luggage.

Yes we do take airports into consideration when booking holiday.
Preference for Heathrow or city.

We live within 2 hrs drive to heathroe

I rarely drive to airports - Gatwick occasionally but only because I have a friend who lets me park at her place and drives us to the airport. The last time I drove to Heathrow I had a tiny baby, and I can't really remember why I thought it was a good idea...we get the train to Gatwick and cabs to Heathrow.

I don't think much could persuade me to drive to the airport - we tend to travel light and it's much easier to get public transport. If I did do it we would use valet parking.

I usually give some thought to travel when booking because it is a factor in choosing the airport - Gatwick is super easy for us by train.

Doh sorry about previous post. Phone slipped.

We live about 2 hr drive from heathrow in the SE. When it's a holiday and I'm paying for it, we tend to drive, stay overnight at one of the hotels and park there too. Its cheaper to do that and park for 2 weeks! We book through holiday extras. It was much more relaxing knowing that we are literally minutes away from the airport at 8am in the morning, than panicking on the m25 at 6am! That is traveling with 2 kids aged 4.5 and 2 years! And Of course when they were younger, with all their stuff for a long haul flight!

If it's traveling for work then work usually pays for a taxi to bring me there and pick me up. It's usually just under £100 each way.

£302 for a taxi :o

We always do valet parking

and choose Gatwick for shorthaul due to distance

We normally get a family member or friend to drive us to the airport to save on parking fees.

Taxi is extortionate- they charge more here (Glasgow) the minute that they hear airport. If it was just standard rate I'd consider it.

At Heathrow/Gatwick we use public transport. The trains/tube is fab. I'm so jealous!

We have a car but would always take the train, tube or bus (when we lived 2 hours away) rather than drive. The main reason isn't cost, it's the unpredictability of the timing: who knows how long it's going to take to find the parking, unload, drag everything to some shuttle stop in the middle of a hectare or 10 of parking lots, wait for how long, and then slog along slowly in the bus for 3 miles or whatever to the terminal? Better to step off the train/tube/bus and slog the predictable 800m from the 'central bus station' to the terminals... When you're flying, you need to reduce all the unknown delays as much as possible - not add more, first with traffic, then with parking/shuttles!

We usually get dropped by DH if he is staying behind, otherwise we drive and use valet parking or the short stay car park. In either case we book parking immediately after booking the flights, lest we forget.
The pods for T5 business parking are great, would use them more, but we tend to use Gatwick.

Pre-children we always used public transport or taxis, but neither is an option now due to lots of luggage and the car seat issue.

We flew out of Heathrow in the summer and did not for a moment consider parking in an airport car park as we would always take it for granted that it was too expensive. We used Purple Parking for the week we were away, it was fine. We don't usually use a taxi because last time we used a taxi it parked somewhere miles away from the terminal (I think it was trying to avoid airport parking charges!) and we had to carry 2 tired children and baggage to find it at a silly time of night and when we did get to it, it had the wrong car seats.

With two children under five, and booking low cost flights that generally leave before any public transport is available, we have always driven.

Haven't used Heathrow recently, but have flown from Stansted, Birmingham and Gatwick. Stansted has affordable carparks from which you can walk, Birmingham has affordable valet options - Gatwick has 'summer special'. Summer special = expensive and uneccessary chaos and stress to both begin and end your holiday. A bus that leaves every 10-15mins is only any use if you can get on it, and if there are staff available to marshal passengers and help with luggage stowage. On the return journey, it helps if the bus stop is actually marked with the correct destination. [Shudders uncontrollably at the memory].

Can't wait until kids are big enough/we win the lottery, and budget airport parking is a distant memory.

Used to live in London, used Heathrow and Gatwaick. Heathrow was for family holidays, we used black cab. Public transport would have included multiple changes, travelling into central London and back out, so was never a realistic choice. Driving and parking might have been, it would have been my parents driving, but the convenience and lack of concentration required when using taxi was worth a lot of cash to my parents. I once accompanied a friend to Heathrow on the tube. It was OK as he only had a backpack, but wouldn't fancy it otherwise.

Gatwick I used when on my own, and I always got the train (Gatwick Express) as it was the most reliable method and quick, easy.

Now I live in Manchester, and have flown from Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester. The last time I used Liverpool was a few years back, and got there via public transport - it was a nightmare, too many changes, had to use train, bus and taxi when things went wrong.

Now as travel with family we always use Manchester. We live relatively close to the airport and can get a train there from a station 10 minutes walk (with children and suitcases) from our house. It's a bit of a walk from the train to the terminal, but not impossible. We have used taxis previously, but with small children and car seats logistics, we now use the train. The train journey is so quick and easy, we purposely only fly from Manchester as the ease of getting to the airport is so important.

We wouldn't take the car because the train is so quick and convenient, the cost of parking would outweigh the small increase inconvenience. And we would have to drive home when knackered after travelling home from holiday, not something I look forward to (habit learned from parents I guess!).

We always go by taxi. I can't think of anything more stressful than driving ourselves to the airport. We book the taxi in advance and we know what time it's coming so whatever else, we know that we have to be ready by that time. If we were driving I dont think we would be that disciplined.

Heathrow has become my 3rd choice airport, the stress of dealing with M25 and M4 is such that if I am on a work trip, I always try City first then Gatwick. T5 is great and the shopping definitely compares with Singapore and Hong Kong, but I am sure one of the reasons why these two are regularly voted world's best airport is that getting there isn't stressful!

We live about a 20 minute car drive from Heathrow. Pre children we used to get the bus then the Piccadilly line very easily. Since we've had children we always use a local mini cab company as it is only £20 each way, so suits us well.
I've never thought of paying to park, always assumed it would be too expensive, getting a taxi saves us time too.

Always a taxi, private hire on way there with local company, black cab on way back. Costs about £10 as live about 15 mins away.

I never park at heathrow or any other airport - my perception is that parking is expensive, though I've never actually checked this out. But also, I find it less stressful to hop on the train/tube (for heathrow) or in a taxi (for my local airport), and I don't want the hassle of driving. On the one occasion I did drive to heathrow (work-related emergency), I found the roads quite confusing and it took me too long to find the terminal. If I had a flight to catch, I'd rather not have the worry of getting lost, having to find a parking space etc.

Also, DH and I have travelled a lot and we've both perfected the art of travelling light, even with dd in tow, so hauling baggage across London isn't such an issue. This obviously makes the car a less attractive option than for those with loads of heavy cases.

I'm the driver in our family, and that's my view anyway. DH doesn't drive, and I suspect his answer would be quite different - he'd far rather just take the car and leave it at the airport. But as he doesn't drive, he doesn't get to choose.

We do always consider travel to the airport when booking flights - we factor it into the cost and journey times etc. Where possible, we much prefer to fly from our local airport, but having to travel to heathrow wouldn't put me off if that was the only option.

Not sure what would tempt me to drive to the airport tbh - I guess I'd consider it if I thought there would be a huge cost saving, but not otherwise.

I don't live near Heathrow.

Where I do live, I always take the train to the airport. I have often had to travel between London airports eg from Gatwick to Luton.

Cattle trucks. Vile awful cattle trucks.

We used to always get a lift to the airport before we had kids but as our family grew, there were too many of us to fit in someone else's car! So that's when we needed another solution. Public transport is too much hassle with kids and luggage so using airport car parks is usually the best option.(taxi's are usually quite expensive so airport parking probably works out cheaper).

Although we haven't used the parking facilities at heathrow specifically (we got a lift last time as it was pre-kids time), we did use the long stay parking facilities at gatwick and were really pleasantly surprised by how cost effective, simple and efficient this option was. We felt our car was well looked after and the kids loved the bit of journey by bus to get to and from the car park to the airport terminal.

Because of our good experience of doing this, we have talked our in laws into doing the same so we don't have to give them a lift. and also we would do the same if we needed to fly from heathrow.

we live relatively close to heathrow by public transport so would chose to take the tube rather than pay for parking. Otehr airports, I drive because its such a pain in the arse as a single parent particularly if I'm with my disabled mother and 6 year old son dragging suitcases around station platforms

I don't tend to fly out of Heathrow these days, but DP and I do fly frequently (usually separately, unfortunately) from our local airport (Bristol).

If DP is flying - I drive and drop him off at the airport, no parking involved.
In fact he is flying back into the UK on Friday night, can't wait

If I'm flying with DS - it's a more complicated affair due to massive amounts of my clothes stuff for DS, we usually get a lift from my DBro (very often at 5am bless him), and it's a short stay parking job. Likewise when he picks us up.

We're about an hour away.

We drive and use meet & greet parking. So easy, they meet you outside terminal & are there when you return. We are checking in within 5 minutes of getting out of the car, usually.

Either taxi or train depending on which airport, what time the flight is and how it works out financially.

Heathrow on the tube because we just live a few stops away, unless it's a time when tubes not running and then either a taxi or a lift.

Don't drive.

Always drive...the thought of catching a train with 3 children and luggage fills me with dread.

We have a holiday booked for next August and I'm already contemplating parking and the associated costs.

I have found in the past that I have got a cheaper parking deal booking last minute with short term parking, which was fab as it meant no fussing with suitcases and children on a bus from the parking site to the airport itself. So, offering empty spaces in short term car parks for a good price is a definite bonus.

Also, trains often don't run in time for families to get the cheaper timed flights early morning and late evening, so the only option when you live where I do is the car.