Seven minutes, not an hour and a half.
On a few journeys a helicopter is not an indulgence but the sensible answer. The coast road to Monaco in August, the valley road to Courchevel on a Saturday, the lanes around Silverstone on race day. We arrange the aircraft and the cars at both ends.
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What it is for
The last leg, when the road is the problem
Most helicopter work we arrange is a short link rather than a journey in its own right: from the airport where the jet lands to the place you are actually going. It is worth it when the road is slow, indirect or blocked, and rarely worth it when the road is clear.
Helicopters are always arranged. What we do is put the flight and the cars into one plan, so the jet, the helicopter and the driver work to the same timings and one person watches all three.
Four places it earns its keep
Where the helicopter wins
- Nice to MonacoAbout 7 minutesThe same trip is roughly 35 to 60 minutes by road, and far longer on a Grand Prix weekend or an August Saturday. The heliport is at Fontvieille, beside the port.
- Courchevel Altiport2,008 metres up, in the resortA 537 metre runway on an 18.6 per cent slope, at 6,588 feet. Day and good visibility only, and no instrument approach at all.
- Silverstone on race dayA temporary heliportOperated only for the British Grand Prix, and restricted to twin-engined helicopters. A flight from London takes roughly 25 to 30 minutes against several hours by road.
- London Heliport, BatterseaThe capital's only licensed heliportOn the Thames at Battersea, minutes from Chelsea, Belgravia and Westminster. About six minutes from Biggin Hill.
Verified in September 2026 from the operators' and airports' own published information. Times are typical flight times in normal conditions, not promises.
Typical hops
Road against air
| Journey | By road | By helicopter |
|---|---|---|
| Nice to Monaco | 35 to 60 minutes, much longer in season | About 7 minutes |
| Nice to Saint-Tropez | 1 hour 30 to 2 hours 30, far longer in August | About 20 minutes |
| Biggin Hill to Battersea | Around an hour, traffic permitting | About 6 minutes |
| Chambéry to Courchevel | About 1 hour 30 | Roughly 15 to 20 minutes |
| Geneva to Verbier or Courchevel | 2 to 3 hours | Roughly 30 to 45 minutes |
| London to Silverstone | 2 to 4 hours on race day | Roughly 25 to 30 minutes |
Realistic ranges for planning, not guarantees. Road times in the Alps and on the Riviera vary enormously with the season and the day of the week.
Said plainly
What can stop a helicopter flying
Helicopters are more weather-dependent and more daylight-dependent than jets, and mountain flying more so than either. We plan a road alternative every time, and tell you early rather than late.
- Most private helicopter flying is done in daylight and in visual conditions. Cloud, fog, snow and strong wind can stop a flight a jet would make without noticing
- Mountain sites are the most sensitive. Courchevel Altiport has no instrument approach and no lighting aids, so it is limited to daylight in good visibility
- Landing anywhere other than a licensed site needs the landowner's permission, and often the local authority's. A chalet garden is not automatically available
- Flights over central London are effectively limited to twin-engined helicopters, so the aircraft for a Battersea flight is not the same as one for a country estate
- Event heliports, including the one at Silverstone, allocate landing slots in advance and run out. Ask early for a race weekend
- Luggage is tighter than on a jet. Tell us about skis, golf bags and hard cases before the aircraft is chosen
When clients ask for one
The usual reasons
Nice, Monaco, Saint-Tropez
The Riviera in season
The coast road is beautiful and, from June to September, very slow. Shuttles and private flights both run from the business aviation side at Nice.
Read more
Courchevel, Verbier, Val d'Isère
The Alps in winter
A two or three hour transfer up the valley becomes twenty minutes, weather permitting. The weather is the whole caveat.
Read more
Silverstone, Ascot, Goodwood
Race and sporting weekends
Temporary heliports run for the event only, with slots allocated well ahead.
Read more
How we arrange it
One plan, three moving parts
- 01
Tell us the journey
Where you land, where you need to be, how many of you and what you are carrying. We will say honestly whether the helicopter is worth it.
- 02
The pieces
The aircraft and operator, the landing site and its permissions, the slot if the destination needs one, and the cars at each end.
- 03
The brief
One document with the timings, the meeting point at the airport, the weight and baggage limits and the agreed fallback by road.
- 04
The day
We watch the weather and the jet. If the flight cannot go, the car is already moving and you hear it from us first.
Request a quote
Tell us the journey
Where you are landing, where you need to be, the date and how many of you. If it is an event weekend, tell us now rather than later. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About helicopter transfers
Can I fly from Nice airport straight to Monaco?
Yes, and it takes about seven minutes. Scheduled shuttles run through the day at short intervals, and private flights can be arranged at other times. The Monaco end is the heliport at Fontvieille, a few minutes from the hotels and Port Hercule.
Can a helicopter land at Courchevel?
Yes, at the altiport above the resort, which sits at 2,008 metres. It is daylight and good visibility only, with no instrument approach, so winter weather closes it with little warning. We always plan the road transfer as well.
Can we land at the chalet or the hotel?
Only where there is an approved site and the owner has given permission, and many places have neither. Tell us where you are staying and we will find out rather than guess.
How late can we fly into Battersea?
Standard hours are 07:30 to 19:30 on weekdays and 08:00 to 18:00 at weekends, with extensions by prior arrangement up to 23:00. Anything outside standard hours must be requested in advance, so tell us early.
What happens if the weather stops the flight?
We move you by road, and we will normally know before you do. That is why we agree the alternative when the trip is planned rather than on the day.
Can you do the whole journey, jet and helicopter?
Yes, and that is usually the point. Helicopters, like jets, are arranged with licensed commercial operators, but the timings, the slots and the cars are all held by one person. See how charter works.
One contact, wherever you are